Another bright idea from the big brains at Ebay

Berkley · 3rd March 2008, 09:48 PM

Read further - the other shoe dropped:

Quote:

To protect the Community from this growing safety threat, we have made the decision to mask User IDs for bidders on all auction-style listings on eBay.com and Motors. This change will go into effect later this week. Even with all this history and need, we understand that masking User IDs on all auction-style listings is a significant change, and it this is not a step we are taking lightly. However, in light of today's environment - and the damage fake email offers pose to our members and to overall buyer trust in the marketplace – it's imperative we act now to make this change.

So now, for our own safety, shill bids are permitted/encouraged on all eBay auctions

.

ward · 3rd March 2008, 10:17 PM

Why not they raised selling fees 40% and made it so sellers can not leave negative feedback. It is getting very difficult to do business on ebay. Some of their other changes are just as obnoxious.

katana · 3rd March 2008, 10:30 PM

Ebay seems to have lost 'its way'...from its humble beginnings where trust was paramount ...it has grown in a massive marketing machine with new policies that seem to benefit eBay's bank balance.

The real shame is that there isn't another 'big' auction site that could rival eBay. Then buyers and sellers could decide which internet auction site to use... so if people feel new policies were unfair etc they would use the 'other' site....people power.
Unfortunately eBay is almost a monopoly driven by business exec's whom are looking to increase their profits to the detrement of the 'original values' of eBay.

I feel it is becoming riskier to both buy and sell on eBay, hiding ID's will increase that risk ........

Rick · 3rd March 2008, 10:47 PM

I think things there have gotten to the point where astute Sellers and Buyers will take a seriously long look at further participation on their venue .

I would like to see more Dealers open their own websites .
Speaking for myself I would much rather buy directly from someone I can trust .

VANDOO · 3rd March 2008, 10:52 PM

PERHAPS EBAY IS INFECTED WITH THE SAME FORM OF GREED THAT MANY OTHER AUCTIONS SEEM TO BE ATE UP WITH THESE DAYS.

I SUSPECT IT IS NOT UNUSUAL FOR A AUCTION TO CHARGE THE SELLER 20%OR MORE OF THE SALE PRICE AND PERHAPS A FEE FOR LISTING AND ACCEPTING THE ITEM NOT BEING A SELLER I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE CHARGES ARE.

BUT BUYERS ARE CHARGED A 18 TO 20.5% BUYERS PREMIUM FOR THE PRIVILEGE OF BEING ALLOWED TO BUY SOMETHING FROM THE AUCTION. QUITE A PROFIT FOR VERY LITTLE WORK AS FAR AS THE BUYERS AND IF THEY TAKE A LARGER BITE FROM THE SELLER (WHO THEY DO SOME ACTUAL WORK FOR) THEN YOU ARE LOOKING AT A POSSIBLE PROFIT FOR THE AUCTION HOUSE OF 4O TO 50% PERHAPS MORE.

WHEN YOU ADD THE PACKING, SHIPPING ECT WHICH AN INCREASING NUMBER OF ONLINE AUCTIONS LEAVE ENTIRELY UP TO THE BUYER TO ARRANGE WITH NO HELP FROM THEM AS WELL AS A STORAGE CHARGE IF YOUR MERCHANDISE IS NOT PICKED UP IN A SHORT TIME.

IT WOULD APPEAR SOME AUCTIONS EXPECT THE SELLERS TO BE HAPPY WITH ABOUT THE SAME RETURN THEY WOULD GET TAKING THEIR ITEMS TO A PAWN SHOP. PENNYS ON THE DOLLAR FOR THE SELLER AND BIG PROFITS FOR THE AUCTION. A SELLER WILL SEE A HIGHER SALE PRICE ON EBAY OR SOUTHBYS OR CHRISTIES BUT IF MOST OF THE REALIZED PRICE GOES TO THE AUCTION AND YOU END UP WITH WHAT YOU WOULD GET LOCALLY WHY BOTHER WITH THE AUCTION HOUSE?
I HAVE NEVER BOUGHT OR SOLD FROM SOUTHBYS OR CHRISTIES OR SOLD ON EBAY SO DON'T KNOW WHAT THEIR CHARGES ARE BUT JUDGING FROM BUYERS PREMIUMS BEING SO HIGH I EXPECT THEM TO ALSO BE HIGH.

THE NEXT THING WE KNOW EBAY WILL HAVE A BUYERS PREMIUM AS WELL AS APPROVED SHILL BIDDING.

Rick · 4th March 2008, 12:49 AM

Totally agree with you Barry .

A Seller would do better in our Swap forum .

So would a Buyer .

kahnjar1 · 4th March 2008, 03:13 AM

I can't help thinking that Ebay HAS become a very COMMERCIAL operation and to this extent has lost its way somewhat. The listing fees are in my opinion high and then on top of that there is the so called "success" fee!!
The thing that really leaves me speechless though is the "second chance offer". If one lists an item with a reserve of say $400, it is hardly likely that it will be offered back to the highest bidder at well below the reserve!

We have a VERY successful auction site here in NZ called Trademe (www.trademe.co.nz). Use of this site is restricted to those holding NZ bank accounts, but my point is that although it IS a commercial operation, the charges are sensible, AND you can offer back at YOUR price to bidders/watchers if your item does not reach reserve. Also no sale/no fee rules apply. (Sellers fee is approx 5.9% for general items)
As I write this, there are 69000 people on line with Trademe and there are 1.1 million items for sale. Not bad for a theoretically non international site!!
Check it out--- you can browse without registering.
Regards
Stuart

A. G. Maisey · 4th March 2008, 07:22 AM

I'm not a buyer, nor a seller on ebay, so maybe some people might think I don't know what I'm talking about.

However, I have bought at normal auctions for more than 50 years.

In my opinion, there is really only one way to buy at auction:- you place your value on the thing being sold and leave your bid with the auctioneer. You do not attend the auction, you do not get involved in bidding wars and you do not have any concern at all as to who else may be bidding.

If the item is worth $100, you calculate your bid to take account of any premiums payable, and you leave your bid with the auctioneer. Simple.

You win some, you lose some, and you need to know the value of what you are bidding on, but you never , ever get emotionally involved. Its just business.

To my way of thinking, ebay is no different:- you decide how much you are prepared to pay and you lodge that bid with ebay. If you have lodged a fair market price bid, you have a fair chance of winning.

If you lose, it doesn't matter, because you were never going to pay more than the item was worth to you anyway.

Shill bids?

Shill bids are only made to suck in people who do not know the value of what they are bidding on.

If you are a fair buyer, you can never really lose by paying a fair price.

However, if you regard auctions as a game to be played for amusement, rather than as a form of business, then yes, hiding buyers' identities might seem a bit like spoiling the game. It comes down to the question of whether buying at auction, whether ebay or a normal type of auction, is a business transaction, or entertainment. If its entertainment then you watch the bids, you note who is bidding you get involved and emotional about the whole thing---like a game of football. But if its business, you name your price and forget about the window dressing.

Andrew · 4th March 2008, 01:33 PM

As some of you know, at one time I was a huge fan of eBay. Those days have passed.

I rarely buy or sell on eBay today. When I do, I follow Alan's model and use sniping software to place my bid and walk away.

4th March 2008, 12:49 AM	#6
Rick Vikingsword Staff Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 6,336	Predatory Practices Totally agree with you Barry . A Seller would do better in our Swap forum . So would a Buyer .

4th March 2008, 03:13 AM	#7
kahnjar1 Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: CHRISTCHURCH NEW ZEALAND Posts: 2,787	Getting too greedy I can't help thinking that Ebay HAS become a very COMMERCIAL operation and to this extent has lost its way somewhat. The listing fees are in my opinion high and then on top of that there is the so called "success" fee!! The thing that really leaves me speechless though is the "second chance offer". If one lists an item with a reserve of say $400, it is hardly likely that it will be offered back to the highest bidder at well below the reserve! We have a VERY successful auction site here in NZ called Trademe (www.trademe.co.nz). Use of this site is restricted to those holding NZ bank accounts, but my point is that although it IS a commercial operation, the charges are sensible, AND you can offer back at YOUR price to bidders/watchers if your item does not reach reserve. Also no sale/no fee rules apply. (Sellers fee is approx 5.9% for general items) As I write this, there are 69000 people on line with Trademe and there are 1.1 million items for sale. Not bad for a theoretically non international site!! Check it out--- you can browse without registering. Regards Stuart

3rd March 2008, 10:17 PM	#2
ward Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 637	Why not they raised selling fees 40% and made it so sellers can not leave negative feedback. It is getting very difficult to do business on ebay. Some of their other changes are just as obnoxious.

3rd March 2008, 10:30 PM	#3
katana Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Kent Posts: 2,658	Ebay seems to have lost 'its way'...from its humble beginnings where trust was paramount ...it has grown in a massive marketing machine with new policies that seem to benefit eBay's bank balance. The real shame is that there isn't another 'big' auction site that could rival eBay. Then buyers and sellers could decide which internet auction site to use... so if people feel new policies were unfair etc they would use the 'other' site....people power. Unfortunately eBay is almost a monopoly driven by business exec's whom are looking to increase their profits to the detrement of the 'original values' of eBay. I feel it is becoming riskier to both buy and sell on eBay, hiding ID's will increase that risk ........

3rd March 2008, 10:47 PM	#4
Rick Vikingsword Staff Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 6,336	I think things there have gotten to the point where astute Sellers and Buyers will take a seriously long look at further participation on their venue . I would like to see more Dealers open their own websites . Speaking for myself I would much rather buy directly from someone I can trust .

3rd March 2008, 10:52 PM	#5
VANDOO (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: OKLAHOMA, USA Posts: 3,138	PERHAPS EBAY IS INFECTED WITH THE SAME FORM OF GREED THAT MANY OTHER AUCTIONS SEEM TO BE ATE UP WITH THESE DAYS. I SUSPECT IT IS NOT UNUSUAL FOR A AUCTION TO CHARGE THE SELLER 20%OR MORE OF THE SALE PRICE AND PERHAPS A FEE FOR LISTING AND ACCEPTING THE ITEM NOT BEING A SELLER I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE CHARGES ARE. BUT BUYERS ARE CHARGED A 18 TO 20.5% BUYERS PREMIUM FOR THE PRIVILEGE OF BEING ALLOWED TO BUY SOMETHING FROM THE AUCTION. QUITE A PROFIT FOR VERY LITTLE WORK AS FAR AS THE BUYERS AND IF THEY TAKE A LARGER BITE FROM THE SELLER (WHO THEY DO SOME ACTUAL WORK FOR) THEN YOU ARE LOOKING AT A POSSIBLE PROFIT FOR THE AUCTION HOUSE OF 4O TO 50% PERHAPS MORE. WHEN YOU ADD THE PACKING, SHIPPING ECT WHICH AN INCREASING NUMBER OF ONLINE AUCTIONS LEAVE ENTIRELY UP TO THE BUYER TO ARRANGE WITH NO HELP FROM THEM AS WELL AS A STORAGE CHARGE IF YOUR MERCHANDISE IS NOT PICKED UP IN A SHORT TIME. IT WOULD APPEAR SOME AUCTIONS EXPECT THE SELLERS TO BE HAPPY WITH ABOUT THE SAME RETURN THEY WOULD GET TAKING THEIR ITEMS TO A PAWN SHOP. PENNYS ON THE DOLLAR FOR THE SELLER AND BIG PROFITS FOR THE AUCTION. A SELLER WILL SEE A HIGHER SALE PRICE ON EBAY OR SOUTHBYS OR CHRISTIES BUT IF MOST OF THE REALIZED PRICE GOES TO THE AUCTION AND YOU END UP WITH WHAT YOU WOULD GET LOCALLY WHY BOTHER WITH THE AUCTION HOUSE? I HAVE NEVER BOUGHT OR SOLD FROM SOUTHBYS OR CHRISTIES OR SOLD ON EBAY SO DON'T KNOW WHAT THEIR CHARGES ARE BUT JUDGING FROM BUYERS PREMIUMS BEING SO HIGH I EXPECT THEM TO ALSO BE HIGH. THE NEXT THING WE KNOW EBAY WILL HAVE A BUYERS PREMIUM AS WELL AS APPROVED SHILL BIDDING.

4th March 2008, 07:22 AM	#8
A. G. Maisey Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 6,994	I'm not a buyer, nor a seller on ebay, so maybe some people might think I don't know what I'm talking about. However, I have bought at normal auctions for more than 50 years. In my opinion, there is really only one way to buy at auction:- you place your value on the thing being sold and leave your bid with the auctioneer. You do not attend the auction, you do not get involved in bidding wars and you do not have any concern at all as to who else may be bidding. If the item is worth $100, you calculate your bid to take account of any premiums payable, and you leave your bid with the auctioneer. Simple. You win some, you lose some, and you need to know the value of what you are bidding on, but you never , ever get emotionally involved. Its just business. To my way of thinking, ebay is no different:- you decide how much you are prepared to pay and you lodge that bid with ebay. If you have lodged a fair market price bid, you have a fair chance of winning. If you lose, it doesn't matter, because you were never going to pay more than the item was worth to you anyway. Shill bids? Shill bids are only made to suck in people who do not know the value of what they are bidding on. If you are a fair buyer, you can never really lose by paying a fair price. However, if you regard auctions as a game to be played for amusement, rather than as a form of business, then yes, hiding buyers' identities might seem a bit like spoiling the game. It comes down to the question of whether buying at auction, whether ebay or a normal type of auction, is a business transaction, or entertainment. If its entertainment then you watch the bids, you note who is bidding you get involved and emotional about the whole thing---like a game of football. But if its business, you name your price and forget about the window dressing.

4th March 2008, 01:33 PM	#9
Andrew Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: USA Posts: 1,725	As some of you know, at one time I was a huge fan of eBay. Those days have passed. I rarely buy or sell on eBay today. When I do, I follow Alan's model and use sniping software to place my bid and walk away.