The NRF Foundation/American Express 2009 Customer Service survey was designed to gauge consumer attitudes toward retailers’ customer service and to provide a listing of the top customer service retailers. The survey, which polled 8,600 consumers, was conducted by consumer marketing intelligence firm BIGresearch in September 2009 The consumer poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 1.0 percent.

Consumers answered the open ended question, “Thinking of all the different retail formats (store, catalog, internet, or home shopping), which retailer delivers the best customer service?”

Like I said when I wrote about this last year, it is the individual sellers on the eBay marketplace that should be commended for achieving this high ranking. After all, they’re the ones providing the customer service to consumers on a daily basis.

Congratulations!

Cheers,
RBH

From the Government Relations team:
Everyday lawmakers in Washington, D.C. and state capitals around the nation are debating legislation that could impact your ability to successfully run a business on eBay. These public policies range from retail price fixing (laws allowing manufacturers to set a price below which you can’t sell your goods) or requiring you to collect & pay sales taxes on all of your out-of-state sales, to forcing eBay sellers to become licensed auctioneers (hog calling classes, anyone?).

We’ve read the bills and written the talking points. Now we want to hear firsthand — from you — how a law or other government regulation has impacted your eBay business. Or tell us how enactment of a proposed law could impact your business in the future. Thanks for participating and we look forward to hearing your story!

One winner will be chosen from qualified entries. The official winner will be treated to a free trip for four to our nation’s capital in 2010, including airfare for four and hotel accommodations for two nights in Washington, D.C. Subject to restrictions and monetary limitations; see Official Rules for more details. While in town the winner (and 3 guests) will also be provided with a private tour of the U.S. Capitol building. Click here for Official Rules. Contest ends 12/4/2009!

For more information regarding the contest and rules about submitting, check out the eBay Mainstreet contest page.

You can also learn more about a variety of legislative issues relevant to the eBay Community by checking out the current list of eBay policy papers.

Cheers!
RBH

In a nutshell, as of last Thursday, Luxembourg’s National Data Protection Commission (CNPD) has formally approved eBay’s binding corporate rules (BCRs) for privacy compliance for both customers and employees. The data protection authorities in the other 13 EU Member States where eBay operates have also accepted the CNPD’s findings and assessment, under a mutual recognition procedure.

eBay’s approval represents a number of firsts:
• eBay is the first eCommerce company to receive this approval;
• It is the first time a company has received approval for both employee and customer BCRs in less than 12 months time;
• It is the first BCR approval led by the Luxembourg DPA.

“We are excited to have met this major European data privacy milestone and to have been the first eCommerce company to do so. We are delighted at this recognition of our commitment to high privacy standards for our employees and customers,” said Scott Shipman, the Global Privacy Leader for eBay Inc. “Data protection and privacy remains a key focus for eBay Inc. as we continue to foster users’ trust in our online platforms. The cooperation and communication eBay received from the CNPD and the other DPAs was greatly appreciated and made the project a success.”

About BCRs
BCRs are strict rules and procedures that ensure a consistent and high standard of protection for individuals’ privacy. The approval means that all the data protection authorities are satisfied that the eBay Inc. group BCRs provide an adequate level of protection for eBay customers and employees, in relation to the processing of personal data and personal information transferred by eBay Inc. group members.

The President of the CNPD, Gerard Lommel stated, “We were very pleased with the exceptional work provided by eBay, by the quality of the documents elaborated and by the constructive dialogue in the process of validation and implementation of eBay’s binding corporate rules, and are proud to have brought the international coordination procedure to a successful end.”

Although trust and safety might not seem as sexy as say, the next mobile app for iPhone, this news does stand as another clear endorsement of eBay’s efforts with regard to online privacy. Had to share.

Cheers,
RBH

I sat down with Nate to talk about how the tests were doing and what new wrinkles were being added to the mix. Of course, no conversation with an eBay colleague would be complete without a “5 minutes with…” Q&A. You’ll find it below the videos.
Cheers!
RBH

What have you been testing over the past 4 months? Are you expanding the tests?

Screenshot of one of the 5 variations of the Feedback Test page:
(more images in the previous blog post)

Will more people be participating in the tests? What will they experience?

What are you hoping to accomplish with these tests? What are the goals?

How are these tests incorporated into the SR2 changes going into practice at the end of the month? Are they?

5 Minutes with… Nate Etter
Full Name: Nathan Etter
Nickname: Nate
Official Title: Director, Product Strategy
What You Really Do: My recent focus has primarily been leading projects related to Trust on eBay. My current efforts revolve around improving the eBay Feedback system for both sellers and buyers. I work with a cross-functional team that includes individuals from our user interface, engineering, QA, research, analytics, and marketing groups.
Your First Day at eBay: January 3, 2006
Education/Schooling: Stanford University
Interests: Triathlon, open water swimming, photography
Favorite Quote: “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” – Mark Twain
Most memorable eBay experience: Attending my first eBay Live in Las Vegas!
Most recent eBay purchase/sale: A Bottecchia all-carbon road bike for my wife (it arrived this week and I’m green with envy!!)
Favorite Albums: There are so many!! A sampling: Live at Luther College (Dave Matthews & Tim Reynolds), Sanctuary (Arvo Pärt), Our Endless Numbered Days (Iron & Wine), Haunted (Poe), Gossip in the Grain (Ray LaMontagne), Rodrigo y Gabriela (Rodrigo y Gabriela), To Venus and Back (Tori Amos)
Favorite Movies: Forrest Gump, Awakenings, Monty Python and the Holy Grail, The Fisher King, Lord of the Rings
What You Wanted to Be Growing Up: It was a toss up between being a doctor or a chef on a cruise ship.

Fill in the blanks:
I should have gone for a run yesterday.
I wish that I could fly in small planes without getting airsick.
The first thing I do when I get to work is check emails.

What made the day standout was not the similarities between the (pardon the pun) cradle to the grave auctions. Sadly, what stood out was the fact that people bid on items for which they had no intention of buying. Something that undermines the very integrity of the marketplace.

eBay has no tolerance for this sort of behavior (the two high bidders in these auctions have been banned – for life – from eBay) and because placing a bid enters someone into a legal, binding contract, the consequences might not end there.

One of the bidders may have even lost his job over the matter, and both may also face suit from the sellers for breach of contract. If you are a seller and you ever find yourself in a similar situation, please report the bidder here: http://resolutioncenter.ebay.com/ so that eBay can take appropriate action.

eBay prefers to be able to work with sellers in advance of a high profile listing in order to best ensure a successful outcome (FYI… selling a crypt above Marilyn Monroe’s that currently houses your late husband qualifies as high profile). They have done this numerous times in the past, the most obvious example being the annual charity auction for lunch with Warren Buffet. In those auctions, eBay has helped to raise millions of dollars for worthy causes with nary a hiccup, because they have been able to work with the sellers in these auctions to pre-approve all bidders.

What most sellers don’t know is that eBay can offer you the same sort of assistance it offers to Mr. Buffet. In the future, if sellers are interested in listing items considered to be high-profile and/or likely to garner media interest, we suggest the following process:

1) Complete a request at http://news.ebay.com/media-request.cfm. Include specifics about the item, timing, and contact information. Upon reviewing the request, eBay will determine the level of support and contact you within 3 business days.

2) If warranted a high-profile listing, eBay will work with you to create the listing in compliance with policy and implement a pre-approved bidding process to ensure only legitimate bids are placed on your auction.

Cheers,
RBH

From the AB post:
The biggest change to the agreement supports the new on-eBay resolution process and accompanying policy. With this user agreement update, the policy and process will offer coverage for all buyers who purchase an item on eBay.com. The policy provides guidance for sellers on how to avoid adverse claim decisions. In the event of an eligible claim it also grants eBay permission to deduct amounts from the seller’s PayPal account to refund the buyer. eBay will ask for permission to charge an alternate payment method in certain situations. (Note, most of the process details are now located in the policy, referenced in the User Agreement).

For more information, please refer to:
** ebay.com/resolutions
** FAQ
** Best Practices

Cheers,
RBH

Staff from Government Relations and the technical investigations teams from both eBay and PayPal teamed up with guest speakers from the US Department of Justice, the FBI, and Interpol to provide an overview of how our services work, how we can assist law enforcement with their cases and questions, and challenges posed by recent online fraud trends and coordinating major cases that involve multiple countries, agencies and service providers.

The day-long program included the head of our Government Relations efforts in China, Tang Lei, who provided very interesting insight into how we work with LE agencies there.

While the training covered a wide range of issues, our efforts to combat the sale of stolen goods on our site through the PROACT program and our general commitment to working cases with LE was top of mind, including how we can get better in all areas.

I’d like to attend one of these events in the near future but in the meantime, I thought I’d take advantage of getting in front of Jack and see if he’d participate in our “5 minutes with…” series. Thankfully, he obliged. So I’m happy to share 5 Minutes with… Jack Christin:

Full Name: John Christin, Jr.
Nickname: Jack
Official Title: Senior Regulatory Counsel
What You Really Do: Keep eBay safe by working with law enforcement and regulatory agencies and making sure our polices are clear and enforced effectively
Your First Day at eBay: 8/30/04
Education/Schooling: Oberlin College undergrad and University of Pittsburgh School of Law
Interests: TV, Bruce Springsteen, music, Steelers, Pirates, Penguins, Red Sox, Bruce Springsteen, reading the NY Times
Favorite Quote: “When you have a plan, there is no pressure. There is only opportunity” –Dan Bylsma, head coach, Pittsburgh Penguins Hockey Club
Most memorable eBay Inc. experience: Meeting with the Attorney General of Romania in Bucharest to discuss combating fraud based there
Most recent eBay purchase/sale: Old School San Diego Padres hat (don’t like the team, love the hat)
Favorite Albums: 1) Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, Wilco 2) Born to Run, Bruce Springsteen 3) Blood on the Tracks, Bob Dylan
Favorite Movies: 1) The Godfather Part II 2) What’s Eating Gilbert Grape 3) Planes, Trains and Automobiles
What You Wanted to Be Growing Up: A sportswriter

Fill in the blanks:
I should have slept more yesterday.
I wish that I could sing.
The first thing I do when I get to work is grab a Talking Rain sparking mineral water.

Cheers!
RBH

1. Buyer found a car with a Kelley Blue Book Value of $9,970 listed on Craigslist for $2980. (This price with free shipping—too good to be true?)

2. Buyer contacts seller through Craigslist.
3. Seller e-mails buyer and pretends this will be an eBay transaction through eBay Safe Pay Insurer (there is no such program).

4. Seller sends buyer spoofed, or fake, eBay Purchase Protection Membership and seller “certification”—claims coverage up to $20,000.

5. Seller sends another spoofed but official-looking document specifying transaction conditions from the eBay “Vehicle Purchase Protection Department” which does not exist.

6. Seller sends spoofed “eBay payment instructions” and buyer is required to pay immediately with MoneyGram (Instructions contradict eBay policies- MoneyGram is banned on eBay.com)

7. Buyer pays with MoneyGram but doesn’t receive car and is out $2980.
8. Buyer brings complaint to eBay and law enforcement.
9. Buyer is not eligible for eBay Vehicle Purchase Protection Program (VPP) because it was not an eBay listing and eBay does not cover transactions off eBay.

Here are some tips that would have helped the buyer avoid her loss:
• Consider buying on eBay; we have the PayPal Buyer Protection Program and also a Vehicle Purchase Protection Program specifically for eBay Motors. See more tips from eBay Motors at http://www.motors.ebay.com.
• When buying on eBay, look at seller’s ratings and reputation.
• If you are shopping on Craigslist, follow its safety tips: http://www.craigslist.org/about/scams. If you are shopping on eBay, don’t be lured off of the safe confines of the site to complete transactions.
• Research the item as far as model, price, book value etc., read description carefully and look for the eBay VPP if you are buying on eBay Motors.
• Be sure that requests for payment come through eBay channels and are in keeping with eBay policies.
• Never use Western Union, MoneyGram or wire transfer services because they leave you exposed to fraud and with little recourse. You are automatically covered by the eBay VPP for all eligible listings on eBay Motors.

Please see the warning message posted on the eBay Trust and Safety Community Message Boards.

Thanks and have a safe and happy holiday!

- Rich LaMagna
Online Safety Advisor, eBay

UPDATED 1/6/2009

Hi Everyone,
I hope that you have all enjoyed a pleasant holiday and wish you a safe and prosperous New Year!

I’d like to address some comments and emphasize that my goal is to provide information and advice to allow eBay customers to make informed decisions and have a safer online experience. I am a paid consultant to eBay and not an eBay employee. While I fully support and agree with eBay and PayPal policies, my job is to promote online safety.

As for the suggestion that I need to get out into the world more—during 28 years of federal law enforcement experience and almost 10 years in the security field in the private sector, I’ve lived and worked in four different countries and traveled to about another 30 on business; I also try to keep up with the latest in online safety issues. Here are a few points I’d like to make:

Although @Laura Greenfield’s question pertained to bank and wire transfers I’d like to address other payment forms since they were also raised.

Some people indicated that they often use money transfer services or bank wire transfers as sellers and have had no problem from regular corporate clients and wholesale customers. Granted that the risk is greater for the buyer than the seller and dealing with known clients does reduce some risk. However, suppose the buyer makes a claim that the item was not received or otherwise flawed? For both buyers and sellers, taking the transaction off eBay leaves you with few protections and options. This could also result in a dissatisfied buyer, who might leave negative feedback which is harmful to your DSRs. Why risk it? I recently attend an industry meeting where a Western Union security official stated that he does not recommend their service for payments to other than known and trusted individuals.

If you use PayPal, the buyer is protected for the full purchase price of the item plus shipping costs on eligible transactions? The seller is protected for unauthorized payments and “Item Not Received” claims. Credit card companies also offer recourse and protection that bank and wire transfers do not offer. That is another reason why wire transfers are no longer legal on eBay. Buyers expect safe, convenient and fast transactions, which PayPal and other online payment services offer– there is a good reason why 90% of eBay shoppers prefer online payment services, as do most eCommerce buyers.

I’ve done bank wire transfers for my own business and they are costly and inconvenient—I’ve wasted valuable time sitting in front of a bank employee doing a wire transfer which often takes 24 hours to complete. Recently, I had to go back to the bank a second time because they made an error on the transaction and the recipient had to wait another 24 hours for the money. As for trusting PayPal, as a buyer, I recently filed claims with PayPal on items and services that were not as described—they responded immediately and I had my money back within 12 hours.

Here is what Western Union and the Federal Trade Commission say on their sites about money and wire transfers as well as other payment methods:

Western Union

Remember, Western Union recommends against using the Western Union Money Transfer® service to pay for online auction purchases. It is important to note that Western Union does not offer any type of purchase protection or escrow service and is not responsible for the nonreceipt
or quality of goods or services.

Federal Trade Commission(OnGuardOnline.gov)

Carefully consider your method of payment. Don’t send cash, and don’t use a money wiring service. To protect both buyers and sellers, some auction sites now prohibit the use of wire transfers as a method of payment.

Online Payment Services. Online payment services are popular with both buyers and sellers. They allow buyers to use a credit card or electronic bank transfer to pay sellers. They also may protect buyers from unlawful use of their credit cards or bank accounts because the online payment service holds the account information, not the seller. Many sellers prefer online payment services because the services tend to provide more security than, say, personal checks.

Wire Transfers. The FTC recommends that buyers not wire money (via a money transmitter or directly to a seller’s bank account). …..In fact, to protect both buyers and sellers, some auction sites now prohibit the use of wire transfers as a method of payment.

Finally, I’d like to address the issue of personal checks:
• Checks can easily use a forged signature
• Checks can be easily written when there are insufficient funds in the account
• Bank accounts can be opened in bogus names (see identity theft)
• Checks contain personal information that should only be given to trusted merchants
• Banks will not make good on bad checks and will charge fees
• Checks take longer to clear
• Checks on foreign currencies take very long to clear and require fees

Frankly, as a buyer, seller and business person, I can’t imagine why anyone wouldn’t want to use PayPal or another approved electronic payment method.

To file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission go to FTC.gov.

Thanks for your comments and Happy New Year!

Rich LaMagna
Online Safety Advisor

Yesterday, Microsoft released the latest critical patch for a recently detected vulnerability, that allows unsafe web pages to insert malware onto your computer. This can wreak havoc by stealing user names, passwords and other critical information, and at the same time impact your browsing in negative and damaging ways.

I strongly recommend, as a security expert, to avoid such problems by keeping your computer up-to-date with the latest patches—just as you would maintain your car for road safety. Microsoft offers an automatic update feature for Windows operating systems that you should enable. You can also check your system to ensure that you have the latest patches by going to the Microsoft Security and Update page.

I also recommend:
• Get a recent version of anti-virus, firewall and anti-spyware software
• Never run or download software that you don’t trust or click on links or attachments from people you don’t know
• Be extremely wary of holiday offers or any that sound too good to be true

These precautions will help you to have a much safer online experience. For more information, tools and tutorials please visit the eBay Security Center and Announcement Board.

Wishing you a safe and pleasant holiday!

Rich LaMagna
Online Safety Advisor