eBay

carly@ebay.com · ‎01-06-2006

Please join us on January 13 from 3:00 PM to 4:00 PM ET for a general discussion and question and answer session with Jordan, the eBay Canada Country Manager. Jordan will be here on behalf of the eBay Canada team to answer any questions you have about eBay.

If you are not able to attend, but want to leave some questions in advance please post them here, and you can check back later for answers. This thread will remain open until the discussion is over on January 13.

Hope you can join us!
Carly

recped · ‎01-07-2006

Regarding the new safe payments policy.

Is Moneybookers an acceptable payment method under this new policy? I'm thinking they should be as they offer bank-to-bank transfers (albeit with moneybookers as an intermediary) and/or act as a third party processor of credit cards both of which are listed as acceptable methods in the preamble to the policy.

"What else could I do? I had no trade so I became a peddler" - Lazarus Greenberg 1915

"What else could I do? I had no trade so I became a peddler" - Lazarus Greenberg 1915
- answering Trolls is voluntary, my policy is not to participate.

pierrelebel · ‎01-08-2006

On the same subject, http://pages.ebay.ca/help/policies/safe-payments-policy.html

I do not see any reference to HyperWallet, the online service once preferred by eBay.ca (even though eBay Inc owned Billpoint at the time !). Is HyperWallet acceptable or not? Why is it not included in the lists like the other services? Will it be?

I also noticed that "Stormpay" is specifically not allowed. Last time I checked over 5,500 listings on eBay offered Stormpay. What is eBay doing about the problem? Ignoring it? Waiting for users to report a problem instead of doing the work themselves? .

silversolstice714 · ‎01-08-2006

I would like to see these two topics addressed:
(1) Shipping
I have encountered a lot of confusion from American sellers about shipping to Canada. I suggest a tutorial on shipping and postage estimates.
Topics could include why Canadians often do not want to use UPS (e.g. the brokerage surcharges); the fact that if we receive something over a certain amount, customs will charge us a handling fee ($5), possibly duty and certainly GST; the need for cheap alternatives to expedited parcel choices and the need for insurance, so we can track the parcel.

As well, there's so little understanding about what _cannot_ be sent by Global priority to Canada. For example, sterling silver flatware is classed by US postal service as a 'precious metal'. I am often quoted a shipping method that is not allowed for International mail. Ebay could help here by openly listing postage for the usual weight ranges, and what type of delivery guarantees (insurance, proof of delivery) accompany each parcel category.

(2) Unscrupulous practices
In my opinion, ebay does NOT police the listings properly. There are sellers out there with astounding amounts of negative feedback. I recommend hiring a good programmer who can develop an algorithm to signal when a dealer is reaching more than (e.g.) 10 negatives per 100 feedback posts OR to signal when more than 2 or 3 in a row have appeared in a short time frame.

Another problem that I've encountered recently is a seller leaving a high bid on the listing and then saying it had been withdrawn (I found this out when the auction was over and was instantaneously offerred a _second chance_ to buy __at my high bid). An artificially high price can be engineered this way. I've e-mailed customer support but they seem unable to grasp the implication of the seller's behaviour. I agree that the seller may not have intended this, but that is beside the point. The price was inflated.

I watched items in my interest area for several months before deciding to sign in to participate. It is disappointing that my first experience was met with these problems. However, I also have had some satisfactory e-mails between myself and potential sellers, so it is true that not everything is negative. I just think there isn't a lot of protection for buyers if ebay doesn't block the bad apples faster.

denis20 · ‎01-09-2006

Bonjour,

Carly, thank you for posting the information on the Café. We have already a thread opened with some suggestion/question to ebay. May be you can refere to here:

http://forums.ebay.ca/thread.jspa?threadID=500001750&start=0

Thank you

Denis

If it's got hair, it's just a cat ! / Si ca a des poils, c'est juste un chat !

jakeeangel · ‎01-10-2006

I would like to confirm whether or not sellers have the right to refuse service just as any brick and mortar store would. Looking at the help files it would seem that sellers have to sell to bidders no matter what.

I have encountered bidders who were threatening, abusive, nasty and rude. I choose not to do business with these kind of people. I contacted Live Help on the matter as it is not specifically addressed in the help files. I was told on different occasions by different operators that I do not have to sell to people like that. I was advised that if I take their money then yes obviously I have to send them the item but I did have the right to say no.

I would like to know if this is correct or incorrect and under what circumstances would it be thus. Do we or do we not have the right to refuse to sell to someone?

able-wizard1957 · ‎01-10-2006

Still waiting for pink appearance on the Paypal board. Deplorable.

member987014 · ‎01-11-2006

1) Likewise to what Jakeeangel has said about refusing a service. But in this case about a few bad-apple sellers. There are some with jekyle and hyde personalities. They are nice when you first contact them (prior to a bid) but after the auction is over they become quite abusive, nasty, threatening,rude and demanding.

2) Is there away to also eliminate hidden fees? I think alot of buyers are taken advantage here by certain sellers (not all sellers btw). If you ask them about hidden fees prior to an auction they wont email you back or some leave you a rude message.

member987014 · ‎01-11-2006

I would also like to add.

Ebay's 90 day only policy on reporting an item or money order "not received" conflicts with Canada Post's policy of tracing money orders. With Canada post you can only trace a money order (using a "money order tracing form") AFTER 90 days has pass since the issue of the original money order.

So by the time Canada Post allows you to trace a possible missing money the seller's listing is no longer register on Ebay.

(I hope I'm making sense here. I have a hard time conveying things sometime. My apologies.)

member987014 · ‎01-11-2006

(I broke my postings up for easier reading. I hope you dont mind Carly)

I concur with silversolstice714 in regards to shipping with Americans. It seems 9 out of 10 teims I have been over charge with shipping (when I get the package.) Alot of times grossly over charged.

There seems to be also a huge problem with "USPS Letter Post" with Americans. Many dont believe you when you tell them you can also send packages using USPS Letter Post (which is reasonably affordible). (Letter Post is not just for letters but flat bubble wrap like packages too.)

There must be some better way in regards to educating American sellers about postage rates to Canada. I tend to find a number of American sellers who think Canada is some exotic far far away country (and not on the same continent) and they overcharge you with Oversea International shipping rates.
(keep in mind there are alot of nice American sellers out there and not a knock on Americans or anything like that.)

member987014 · ‎01-12-2006

(Just a suggestion)
Another issue of concern is insurance for packages not received for Buyers. I personally wouldnt mine to actually paying ebay for more insurance coverages. Maybe ebay may have an option in the future for Buyers to pay for better insurance coverage???

ob1-65 · ‎01-12-2006

HI, I don't know if anyone can help out there, but I believe that an Ebay employee is cancelling my listings for no good reason. 3 of my auctions have been cancelled in 2 days(one 7 day listing ended only 12 hours before completion). See if you can find something wrong with these explainations:

"your listing was in violation of eBay's Circumvention of eBay
Fees policy and has been removed from eBay.
We would like to take this opportunity to let you know what part of
your listing is not permitted.

Your listing(s) contains the following information:

Shipping will be $1.50 via regular post, A reduction of $1 if I email them to you

Users may not use systems or techniques to circumvent, or avoid, eBay
fees. Listings that circumvent (avoid) fees may provide a poor buying
experience and create an unlevel playing field by penalizing sellers who
pay all of their eBay fees. Further, these listings undermine the trust
of eBay?s marketplace."

HOW IS STATING I WILL EMAIL FOR 50 CENTS OR MAIL THEM VIA POSTAL SERVICE FOR $1.50 A VIOLATION???

Here is another cancelled auction (yesterday)

"your listing was in violation of eBay's Paypal Payments policy
and has been removed from eBay.
We would like to take this opportunity to let you know what part of
your listing is not permitted.

Your listing(s) contains the following information:

The paypal link is for E-checks or balance funds with paypal
THE REST OF THIS SENTENCE IS: IF YOU ARE USING A CARD TO PAY VIA PAYPAL I WILL SEND YOU AN INVOICE. Nowhere does it say that I do not accept card payments.

Please help--I am tired of recreating listings that have been cancelled for no reason. It really takes me a long time to list do to my very slow computer. (dial up on a compaq presario). thanks, Mara

hiddentreasures247 · ‎01-13-2006

I have a question..what is eBay's policy about buyers or sellers threatening to leave a negative feedback before any type of resolution can be taken? For example, "fix the problem within 24 hours, or I will leave a negative." I thought it was against eBay policy to threaten a negative feedback? But when you report such a threat, Ebay says they can't do anything about it? Why is it against the policy then?

jakeeangel · ‎01-13-2006

I have a question regarding the new feedback removal policy. If a user is suspended within 90 days of registration all feedback left by them, good and bad is removed.

I would like to know if the feedback is put back if the member gets reinstated? I had 4 positives removed from me today from a slow paying member. I'm guessing that other sellers filed for and received FVF because they did not receive the payment the buyer mailed to them.

If they do receive the payment for the item and remove the UPI strike on the buyer such that the buyer is now reinstated, does the feedback they left for others get put back?

AND is eBay.ca doing anything special at eBay Live this year? Are there going to be any get togethers at all? Are you going to be handing out any cool eBay goodies? huh huh huh??? lol 😛

Thanks again!

goodolandy · ‎01-13-2006

What I would like to see discussed is ebay e-mail change policy.

The rules now is that if you try to change your e-mail address to a free e-mail account you have to submit a credit card.

I DON'T HAVE A CREDIT CARD. NOT EVERYONE HAS A CREDIT CARD.

I have been a long time member here and have 100% positive feedback but that doesn't seem to matter to ebay.

Why didn't ebay hire someone to program the e-mail change section to allow long time members with positive feedback to change their e-mail address to whatever they want without needing a credit card?

I feel alienated now by ebay and not sure if I ever want to continue doing business here again.

I guess being a good respected member doesn't count.

treasure-pot · ‎01-13-2006

Good Afternoon:-)

Bill

jordanb@ebay.com · ‎01-13-2006

Hello everyone....hope everyone is well....thanks for the advance questions....here we go!

treasure-pot · ‎01-13-2006

Hello Jordan

Regarding Ed Spec program - are there any plans to update or expand it for Canada? I've had some success with the Basics of Selling but would really like to offer the Basics of Buying that is now available in the USA but not here.

Bill

Bill