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In every issue, readers soundoff about issues important to them. From feedback to payment services, from increased fees to posting policies, AuctionBytes Soundoff gives you a chance to air your views.
Hello,
You mentioned in the AuctionBytes email newsletter that you were looking for input on experiences with Google Checkout. I'd love to share mine!
Last week I visited an online store to purchase in-line skate wheels for my son. When I went to checkout, it gave me the option to use Google Checkout, in lieu of the store's checkout. I'll admit that I felt more secure using Google's checkout system, so proceeded.
Piece of cake, smooth as can be! Entered just a bit of basic information and completed the transaction. Now when my google.com screen is up, I have a separate link at the top that goes directly to my transaction page.
However, several days later I see a $1.00 charge on my bank statement. I'm sure, somewhere in the fine print of the checkout process, I was informed that I would be charged $1.00 to facilitate the transaction, but I surely did not see it! Disappointment number one. I can honestly say that I'm NOT willing in the future to pay $1.00 per transaction to use Google Checkout. Lesson learned! I suppose it is possible that this $1.00 was simply for verification purposes, but I don't know that because I was not informed so will assume it is a transaction fee.
Second issue was that the online's store system did not recognize the Google purchase, so I was unable to track the shipment, which required several phone calls to the company to verify order receipt and shipment information.
Hope this helps,
Lori
http://stores.ebay.com/Aunt-Loris-Vintage-and-Retro
Editor's note: Google Checkout is free to use, according to Google:
http://checkout.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?answer=29062
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dear ina
first off, i'd like to thank you for publishing auctionbytes. i have benefited from your updates, and "heads-ups" from time to time, especially when ebay springs their sales on sellers.
i have been a recipient of your newsletter & updates for quite a while and have never felt compelled to speak up until now. i have long believed that ebay is not the way of the future, and have been planning for some time to migrate from that marketplace.
i hardly use ebay now, and naturally have lost my "powerseller" status (another marketing gimmick by ebay). i can tell you quite frankly that i haven't lost any sleep over that
the fact is, ebay only works for very specific sellers, selling very specific things, in very specific categories. the demise of big-time sellers like glacierbaydvd should be a wakeup call to those who make a living off ebay. over the years, i have seen many powersellers quietly disappear from ebay...
there are many who publish e-books on how great ebay is, how wonderful an opportunity it is, how EASY it is, etc. etc. the TRUTH, however, is rather different. some may think that my views are rather bleak, but i think these individuals are simply fooling themselves.
since your business depends on ebay (like a number of other companies), i'd like to offer a friendly piece of advice: think about the future and start diversifying (especially if auctionbytes is a big source of income to you) - i wouldn't like to see you trapped when ebay's house of cards comes tumbling down.
i'm only writing this as i feel that you have done me a good turn by publishing auctionbytes for free all these years. i have nothing but high regard for you & your husband and i wish you all the best.
sincerely,
a friend
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Ina,
It is strange that eBay keeps wanting ever larger chunks of my income. At what point will eBay be satisfied? Will it be at 50% of any sale or maybe 90%.
Since it is hard work to make eBay a very safe and inviting venue for customers, eBay decides to exploit its sellers to an ever greater degree.
Why work hard to bring in more buyers when you can extort ever higher fees from existing sellers?
I hear quite often how unsafe it is to buy from eBay and how likely a buyer is to be cheated that I am getting weirded out by such nonesense. I hear this kind of talk at fleamarkets, thrift stores and at auctions. I've even heard it at a recent yardsale when I suggested the seller try getting his price on eBay.
I suspect that eBay management will eventually kill off eBay through sheer hubris.
Kal
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Note from Editor: this reader references my last editorial in which I say eBay is cracking down on sellers who violate its excessive shipping & handling policy, after which I wrote this article:
"eBay Clamps Down on Shipping-Charge Abuse"
http://auctionbytes.com/cab/abn/y06/m08/i22/s01
This is a totally false statement!!! I recently complained to ebay about a seller's excessive shipping charges (700% higher than the actual postage) and their response to me was "oh well". They said I should read the "fine print" in the auction before I bid so I know how much the shipping is before entering the auction. And that it is up to the seller how much to charge for shipping and handling and if don't agree with the amount then I simply should not bid on the auction. That is NOT the response of a company that gives a damn or is planning on "cracking down" on excessive shipping charges!
Sharon
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Hi Ina:
This s&h charges at ebay: question, if the item is listed with the s&h clearly stated at ebay what the charge will be it would be up to the buyer to either buy it or not.
Ebay should clamp down on the sellers who do not list a s&h in their auctions. How do you determine what your costs are? For it would all depend on how many packages you have to ship while paying a person to do the packing, take the package to the post offic or take the package to UPS or to FED EX. How many miles they have to travel how much gas cost and how long the lines are.
For me I do not touch a package: I have a boy who I pay a salary to and some times I do not even get back my cost and some days I come out covering my cost how is ebay going to determine what my cost are???
With the cost of Gas now up to $3.00 or more a gallon to take one package to the post office is quit expensive these days. I pay my delivery boy by the hour and it is very costly.
R.
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Ina,
The story on ABytes today hit right at home with the excessive s/h fees. My interest was also with a cell phone accessory seller. They are charging $29.99 UPS ground+ $6.00 insurance on a $56 cell phone kit. UPS ground on this same item from Net sellers is $4.50-6.00 not $29.99 And $6.00 insurance is way over the top as well. Is this back loading to cover ebay fees and profit or what!
I think this is very unfair to others looking to sell similar items but cannot compete with the ultra low price these back loaded s/h sellers have.
From the looks of it, those offering cell phone related items all know everyone else is doing this and it's the only way to make any kind of profit in this genre.
What do you think?
Jim
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Re: "Why eBay Is Wrong about Store vs. Core" (Blog post)
http://digbig.com/4mqxc
Dear Ina:
Please don't take it personal, but Ina, I find your reporting on this subject very weak on facts, while heavy-handed on alarmist rhetoric.
My feeling is you are exaggerating sellers' dissatisfaction with ebay and working hard to fan the flames of what discontent there is. You've done it in the past, you are doing it again.
It is all too easy for you to write articles speaking vaguely about sellers being upset with ebay. And I'm certain there are sellers upset with ebay. But what your articles continually lack are the facts to put your flame-fanning words into context.
Can you provide any numbers to give us an idea of how many ebay users are upset? Any percentages?
MIght not there be plenty of ebay sellers who have no interest in promoting a boycott of ebay? Or sellers who think that the recent Store to Core emphasis may strengthen ebay in the long run and help their businesses? What about these people?
I'm a long-time seller and know many sellers who have no interest in promoting or participating in a boycott. In fact, we see it as counter-productive.
Of course Overstock.com, uBid, Alibaba and other potential ebay competitors - some who you court as advertisers on your website - may be quite happy with the nature of your reporting, but I, and others, would feel more comfortable if you could provide more concrete facts and figures to back up your assertions.
Is that too much to ask?
David
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Ina,
There was an article about the increase in The Birmingham News today. The tone of the piece was that the increases were sort of ho-him, matter-of-fact. There was an off-handed reference to these increases being required because of a mistake that eBay had made several months ago. It further attributed the need for the increase to reduced profits that occurred because of higher operating costs.
It seems to me that eBay needs to trim operating costs, not increase prices. They seem to offer a lot of things that don't help me one whit. They have cluttered up my ebay with too many things that are no help to me at all. They probably won't trim operating costs until a viable competitor shows up.
Regards,
Steve
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Interesting article you wrote, but I will never knownly buy from any eBay drop off shop. You should write an article on why. Here are a few lines to get you started.
- FRAUD - Many items are out and out fraud, what a great way to hide who you are and sell that "vintage" item that was made yesterday. Reproductions sold as real are set up on these shops and when you let the shop owner know, most of the time they ignore the note. Why give up a fee? So the shop is just as crooked as the person who left it off.
- Shipping - This is a profit center for most of these shops. $6.00 to ship a very small item and the cost of S&H is half that amount. I know I ship all the time.
- Shipping part two - since I said it was a profit center buy two items on the same day from the same drop off shop and guess what they can't conbine the items so they have to charge for two seperate shipments. Two one ounce items, two $6 charges.
- Very bad descriptions - they have no clue many times what they are selling.
Do an article on how bad these places are. I am waiting for the law suits and Attorney General going after them.
Joe
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Ina,
With Google doing ebay ads, I'm guessing that "there goes the neighbourhood" in terms of Google opening an auction site to compete with ebay. So much for all the people looking for Google to be the next ebay.
Personally, people looking for Google-bay are asking for trouble. All they're doing is trading one giant for another. They should support all the various smaller auction sites such as abidders, ebid, bidville, etc, and not let anyone become a giant monolith, because you can see what happens then in ebay.
However, most people will blindly rush to whomever is "the next big thing" and then complain when they, too, become ebay II.
Greg
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