Has Ebay Finally Shot Itself In the Foot?

[MagnetsAndHangers]

Google Checkout the sensible alternative, I daresay most buyers would be confident with that.

They maybe confident with it - but dont they have to sign up to it?
(I dont use it, so aint got a clue on that one).
If a customer wants to purchase something from me, I just want it to be as easy as possible for them, so they get some protection, and dont have to sign up for anything else.
(I only accept paypal, cheques or postal orders)

[gazlannathai]

As much as I dislike PayPal's parentage, outside of eBay transactions they are a completely different service to work with (they also offer a lot less protection to buyers off-eBay, although that's not why I use them)

If you have your own website, they allow quick and easy payment integration, without the need to faff about with SSL certificates and buying dedicated IP addresses and the like, unlike Google Checkout which insists on SSL and raises the cost of website ownership (and ultimately prices for customers).

If you're engaged with Affiliate Marketing, most direct-advertisers, and most agencies, offer PayPal as a payment route for your earnings. The same is true in the "sponsored blog roll link" industry.

If you have multiple sales channels using different email addresses, you need a different Google Checkout account for each channel and for each email address - they don't allow channel and identity stacking on one account - they are the only online payment processor with that restriction.

Those limitations aside, I do like GCO and offer it here on eBid and other 3rd-party channels that have it integrated, I shortcut the system and use a single email address (which is actually tied to one of my websites) which means that I have to manually update payment receipts in the eBid AAL and on other channels, but it's no hassle - I "grew up" in ecommerce before PayPal had the API tools, and before there was a PayPal. so I'm used to manual processing of transactions.

Gaz

[ArtisanUK]

To be honest I'm still not sure just how much protection PP gives to buyers either inside or outside of e...y. I now get the general impression that the protection is dependant on whether they choose to give it or not.

I posted on another thread the other week saying that I hadn't received goods from a seller (from e..y) and that although PP found in my favour, the seller did not have enough money in his account.

The result was that although the money appeared in my account, I got another following email from PP telling me there wasn't enough money and I should contact the seller (presumably to take the matter up privately) When I finally phoned PP they told me that although the seller didn't have the funds, PP had refunded me and the seller now owed them.

Well, yes, fine. But what are the RULES? Ultimately, I got the impression that I should have been taking the matter up privately with the seller, but because PP chose to refund me, then I got my money back. Had they however opted not to refund me, then I would have been stuffed.

So yes, most people do use it, most people want to use it and expect to use it and it is convenient. But just how safe your money is when it comes to the crunch I don't know ...

[hachismom]

I sell on Ebay ans well as on Ebid. I do find I'm having more sales on ebid. I deal in vintage jewlery, and with ebay's pricing fees, I cannot be competitive on most items.

Another problem I have with Ebay is that they do not treat their sellers fairly. And the sellers are the one's that are making them their money! If a buyer leaves you a negative feedback, you have no recourse. NONE. You are not allowed to leave them a negative, but can post a comment when you are forced to leave a positive comment. Are you kidding? After about 25 feedbacks they drop off so you have to bring up oldeer posts to see them. Yet is shows up on your buyer ratings for 12 months. I have had 2 instances in the lst 2 weeks where I clearly state in my auction to contact me with any concerns about the item. Both times the buyer left neutral feedbacks without even contacting me to try to resolve the issue. When I contacted Ebay and told them this was unfair, I was told verbatim "Don't worry about it, you have so many positive feedbacks tht others will think you just had a bad customer." So I was treated unfairly, and had no problem telling them so. I also told the customer service rep that I was almost exclusively selling on ebid now becasue fees were cheaper and at least here I got a fair shake, something they seemed to have a problem with. Then I get a survey in my email to rate them. Didn't turn out so well for them. Don't ask if you don't want to know. Now they are adjusting some things, but too little too late. GOOD! Greedbay deserves it.

[CarnoustieCats]

... I couldn't care less - am fed up to the back teeth of it - if you want to speak about it then go over there and do it

- I thank you

[deltadelta48]

I sell on Ebay ans well as on Ebid. I do find I'm having more sales on ebid. I deal in vintage jewlery, and with ebay's pricing fees, I cannot be competitive on most items.

Another problem I have with Ebay is that they do not treat their sellers fairly. And the sellers are the one's that are making them their money! If a buyer leaves you a negative feedback, you have no recourse. NONE. You are not allowed to leave them a negative, but can post a comment when you are forced to leave a positive comment. Are you kidding? After about 25 feedbacks they drop off so you have to bring up oldeer posts to see them. Yet is shows up on your buyer ratings for 12 months. I have had 2 instances in the lst 2 weeks where I clearly state in my auction to contact me with any concerns about the item. Both times the buyer left neutral feedbacks without even contacting me to try to resolve the issue. When I contacted Ebay and told them this was unfair, I was told verbatim "Don't worry about it, you have so many positive feedbacks tht others will think you just had a bad customer." So I was treated unfairly, and had no problem telling them so. I also told the customer service rep that I was almost exclusively selling on ebid now becasue fees were cheaper and at least here I got a fair shake, something they seemed to have a problem with. Then I get a survey in my email to rate them. Didn't turn out so well for them. Don't ask if you don't want to know. Now they are adjusting some things, but too little too late. GOOD! Greedbay deserves it.

The situation is not likely to change for any reason, and what happened to you is very typical (I think they toss all the surveys away). Aren't you glad you came here?

[onemaninathousand]

Well done, Rosie, but it wouldn't be surprising if the only way to get away with it is not to spell it 'ebid'!

It's probably a big enough thorn in their side that they have computers searching for it rather than wait for humans to spot it.

I recently had cause to contact eBay to complain about a seller who made me travel 100 miles to pick up a car i had won, only to find when i got there that the sunroof had a leak, which the seller failed to mention !! I complained to eBay because the seller was asking me to cancel the transaction so he did not have to pay any fee's, and so he could relist the car for more money. I refused to cancel. eBay informed me they they offered me no protection in this particular category. I told eBay that they were quick enough to take a fee if the item sold but offered no protection !! That is a bit hippocritical, so i told eBay that they no longer had a monopoly to the auction sites and i mentioned eBid was available and that i was a member, eBid's fee's were also cheaper aswell. I am waiting to see if eBay make any changes and try to compete with eBid. Time will tell. - onemaninathousand

[Juliebabe25]

Yes they remove any of my posts that mention ebid and our nickname for it "the hammer"

Probably because I give them a hard time.

[TonyBridger]

I recently had cause to contact eBay to complain about a seller who made me travel 100 miles to pick up a car i had won, only to find when i got there that the sunroof had a leak, which the seller failed to mention !! I complained to eBay because the seller was asking me to cancel the transaction so he did not have to pay any fee's, and so he could relist the car for more money. I refused to cancel. eBay informed me they they offered me no protection in this particular category. I told eBay that they were quick enough to take a fee if the item sold but offered no protection !! That is a bit hippocritical, so i told eBay that they no longer had a monopoly to the auction sites and i mentioned eBid was available and that i was a member, eBid's fee's were also cheaper aswell. I am waiting to see if eBay make any changes and try to compete with eBid. Time will tell. - onemaninathousand

Not sure what you expect eBay to have done for you as the buyer. I cannot see any online auction site, including eBid doing anything.

Surely you were going to pay cash for the car so didn't pay the seller when you discovered the problem

[Spyder1942]

Nothing to do with feebay and nothing to do with Ebid. Simples Eek!