I got a survey from eBay this morning because I'm "valueable customer".

The survey started out asking me how often I buy or sell on eBay. About half way through it asked if I used PayPay to buy and sell. The next series of questions dealt with a new policy they might consider that would only allow sellers to collect payment via PayPal or credit cards, which you would have to set up an credit card account with your bank, more fees. They said they want to make eBay a safer place to do business. I see it as a way for them to make more money.

I don't accept PayPal when I sell something, I use PayPal when I buy though. I think eBay already gets enough of my money with all of their fees, I don't need to pay more to PayPal. I know a lot of the people here have stated in previous posts they won't buy from a seller on eBay who doesn't accept PayPal but I really don't care. I realize I might get more bidders if I did accept PayPal but when I sell something I'm not in a hurry to get my payment, I only accept cash, money orders, cashier checks and personal checks. I clearly state in my ads that I will wait for the money orders and checks to clear my bank before shipping the item. If no one likes those terms then don't have to bid on my item.

The new policy would also not allow face to face cash payments, which I think would be kind of hard for them to inforce, but by their questions in the survey, they are concerned about people making deals off eBay by paying cash, another way they can't collect their fees.

They also asked why I don't use PayPal when selling and I told them I thought it was too expensive. The next page had a list of questions about eBay and PayPal combining their fees at a lower level, would I then use PayPal, again I said "no".

One of the last questions they asked if I would use eBay if they inacted these policies and I truthfully told them that I would no longer use their system. I hope if they try this they lose big. This just might open the door for other auction web sites to step. There is also Craigslist, which is free, for now. I think if eBay does inact these new policies they are going to get hurt.

 

I dont mind paypal because it makes it easier and or quicker for some people, but I agree the charges for ebay and paypal seem steep. and if I sell something local and they come pick it up, I want cash-thats pretty crappy if they won't allow you to do that.
Like you mentioned I am also not in a huge hurry for a payment or to ship an item, but when its you buying something you/I want to get it quick so paypal is convenient plus they pay the fees not us.
We have a local free online web for selling things, I actually like the format better than craigslist too. now that you mention it im suprised there hasn't been some other competition auction site, or is there? ??

Josh

 

Yahoo had an auction system, I don't know if they still have it. There were others but they didn't last. If eBay changes their system it might not last either.

I like buying from people who accept PayPal but I think a seller should have a choice. eBay, like a lot of internet sites, like to screw around with sites that work fine. I think the IT guys need to make themselves useful so they keep tweaking things.

 

your absolutly right, if you never have to modify or fix it they would be out of a job real quick, plus they can charge you more $ and say now look at how cool this is and how much time its going to save you blahbah blah. guess we all can use some job security at some time or another.

 

i got one from ebay on friday saying i had use my paypal account to buy a item from a bad seller. they wanted more info from me about it. the thing is, i don't have paypal. when i tryed to reply to the email, i got failer to send email.

 

Personally i ignore Ebays so-called surveys. They're going to do what they want to do whether we like it or not.

 

They use that as a scam to collect your credit card and bank information. The reason it didn't work is because they have been caught or taken off line. When it did work you could type in any old password and it worked. It wasn't really paypal. The reason that you are still getting that stuff is because they use programe that mine e-mail addresses and automatically keep working after they are caught because the system goes through millions of personal computers onlne. I get an average of ten of those a week. Whenever you get that stuff hit the delete key. Paypal, or any other bank or financial concern will not ask for this info online. If you get something that you think might be valid call them on the phone to verify it first.

 

very good advise! i have pay-pal, but prefer to wait for a check or cash.

 

Hi Bob,
Unfortunately, this is another case of great idea being milked to death and shoved into the ground. If you remember right, not so many years ago ebay was the best thing since sliced bread. Then the bean counters got hold of the reins and they have been sucking the life out of it every since. The writing was cast upon the wall when ebay sucked up paypal. Ebay is pushing their fees up as far as they can and still make money. Last year I listed a completely restored Lincoln SA-200 all copper wound welding machine with a reserve of $4,000.00. No one met the reserve and I had to pay something like $46.00. A month later I listed it for free on Craig's List and sold it very soon after the listing. Craigs list costs me nothing.

If there is any downside to Craig's list it would have to be payment security and seller fraud possibilities. I have found that you can protect yourself both as a buyer and as a seller, with some common sense applied. To cover all those measures and safeguards here, would best be treated as the subject of another thread.

I don't write these things in an effort to be an ebay basher. I simply point out the facts as they are. If you are like me and you don't like the way ebay does business, the best thing youn can do is don't use them or do business some other way. They are not the only fish in the sea.

One thing I have noticed a few sellers doing is charging extremely high shipping and handling charges. At first I thought they must be out of their minds. I also noticed that they had a lot of old Ford related truck parts listed and many different listings. In every case the S&H was as much or more than the value od the items for sale. Then it finally occurred to me what they were doing. They had a very low or no reserve in every case. Ebay charges are based on the selling price of the item and not the S&H. I thought if people catch on to this like I did it could be a coming trend and it would really cut into ebay's profits. So, there is one way to cut the cost of selling on ebay.

Anybody want a 49 Checy half ton project truck for five bucks ??? S&H is only $2,500.00. Get It ???

Later Man...

 

Dave,

I noticed all you mentioned. eBay was a pretty good place before they started "making it safer". Every time they make it "safer" for us I can only see how it makes more money for them. I doubt very much they really care if it's safer for us.

The lastest "safety procedure" eBay has initiated is the hiddend bidder ID. This is to protect again scam second chance offers. I think this is a total scam. Many times I before this new policy was put in place I reconized someone bidding on an item I was interested in but didn't bid out of courtesty to that person, I know a lot of guys here did the same. This practice, I bet, put a limit on how many people would bid on an item, meaning less bidding=less money for eBay. What really tells me the new policy is an eBay scam is because the bidders names are never remotely near the actuall bidders name. My eBay name is the same as here, bobj49f2, but I saw my bidder name on a recent auction as something like t***k, so no one had an idea it was me bidding on it. If they were worried about scammers they could just have my name as b*****2, if someone who knew me saw that they could contact me and ask if I was bidding on it. Scammers still wouldn't be able to contact me with a bogus second offer. Also, I bet a lot of people with similiar items for sale would contact the losing bidders offering to sell them the item, another way eBay didn't get their taste.

It's the same with the new proposal they suggested on the survey they sent me, they want to avoid anyone making deals off the bidding system.

Oh well, I guess the market place will take care of it, either way.

 

I used to think PayPal was OK, and used it with cash I forwarded them in a "bank account". Saved going to get money orders, etc. I used to only accept similar PayPal transactions, then eBay came down on me and said that if I said I accepted PayPal in the auction, I had to accept credit card transactions. "No fee" for becoming a Premiere member. Right.... They skim a bunch off each transaction, even refunds. The only thing I use eBay for now is relatively rare stuff that needs a big audience. I try to wait til they have one of their hokey "free listing" periods.

Craigslist is killing eBay for local sales of motorcycles and cheap cars. There are no modestly priced motorcycles at all in Albuquerque area on eBay anymore, just $15k Harleys, sold by dealers mostly, and only a couple of those.

 

Bob,

I think you have me mixed up with someone else. I didn't say anything about them making it safer. I believe I said they used to be a good thing before the bean counters took over. I think it was you that said that they said they were making it safer. I think I pretty much flamed them, althuogh what I said was true.

 

Ebay is too big and commercialised; sort of like NASCAR, but in a different way.

Paul

 

Back to the survey. The scam I received was that I had purchased a $699.00 item and wanted to confirm purchase.(scams continued many months) Of course it wanted to know account info. The page used the paypal logo and all info you normally see on the paypal page. I had a difficult time with the real paypal to the point of cancelling my paypal account. They would sign me initially on line but wouldn't cancell the account without me sending a written letter. What good is password etc. I finally had them put the account inactive on line. For one year they constantly inquired if I would use paypal. After four letter worded reply emails they stopped. I will not buy anything on Ebay using paypal. There are many good guys selling for money order payments I know I run a risk. I prefer craigslist. Cash and carry. Have a great day,Chuck

 

Dave, I was just acknowledging that I agreed I noticed the same things you did. After that I added I thought eBay gets worse whenever they try to make the place safer. Sorry for the misunderstanding. No big deal, just wanted to get it straightened out.

Chuck,

It takes just basic HTML coding to make an email look official. All it takes is to steal a few graphics off of an actual web site and insert them into a message. When I first got on the net I almost got taken but I had a funny feeling about the email and asked around and found out it was a scam.