Hi Everyone,
I've only starting reading this message board regularly this past month or so and find it to be overwhelmingly negative.
I made a choice to work full time on eBay. No one is forcing me to stay here. It's the right place for me. My husband and I along with our three young daughters live quite rural. We have one vehicle. For me to work outside the home would involve purchasing another car, paying more insurance and daycare for our children to varying degrees which is not something we would ever consider. Our three daughters joined our family through the miracle of international adoption from China. And, placing them in daycare is equivalent to placing them back in an orphanage to be cared for by their nannies. Home is where our children belong.
eBay gives us this opportunity. I have an office in the loft or our home with plenty of room for our girls to play, watch tv or do things with me during the day if they are home from school.
Do I like paying fees? No. Who does? But, I equate the fees that I pay to be the equivalent to the owner of a business in town who has to pay rent. There's no difference.
Do I like fees to go up? No. Who does? But, I equate fees going up to be the equivalent to the owner of a busines in town who has rent that has just gone up. There's no difference.
Do I like that I can no longer have .99 items in my store. No. It means more work for me to have to change more than 300 of 3000 items that I carry in my eBay store. Not a biggie. I can do it.
Do I like the feedback changes that are coming down the line? I don't mind them one bit as I am not threatened by the changes one bit. I leave feedback for my buyers within minutes of them paying because I BELIEVE that feedback for a buyer should be based solely on their payment ability. Nothing else. Sure I have some buyers that drive me crazy....but I deal with them. And, I do have buyers who do not follow through on their sales and I DO LEAVE THEM NEGATIVES after trying to reach them by e-mail, phone or finally through the dispute avenue. However, my negatives ARE NOT nasty. They are factual. An example would be: Purchased 1/13/08. Dispute filed 1/25/08. Dispute closed 2/5/08. No communication. Nothing else.
Do some of my buyers think I'm crazy because I leave feedback right away? You bet they do! And, that's because there are sellers of all kinds who threaten in very blunt and or subliminal ways that they will leave tit for tat feedback. Believe me....tit for tat feedback irks me more than fees being raised. That's my opinion.
When a seller writes...I'll leave you feedback after you leave it for me.....buyers are put in a vulnerable position. I've been put there and I DON'T LIKE IT. I, for one, am glad that eBay is doing something about it.
I give 100% top notch customer service to my buyers and I'm proud of it. My DSR's as of this writing are 5.0, 5.0, 4.9 and 4.8...and that's from rural Saskatchewan where everything takes longer! If I can do it....you can to! To give the excuse that your DSR's are low because you have 30 or 40 or 50 packages going out each day...and that's the reason you don't give top notch polite customer service and the best shipping rates possible...not an excuse. I charge for my packaging materials and I charge for postage. And, I have on some days 30 packages going out and other days 10 or 20. No complaints! To me...the more the better! And, each buyer receives the same service, care in packaging and personal thank yous! My buyers even understand that when it's -40 I don't venture out. They understand that during a major snow storm that I don't venture out. they understand that during spring thaw their packages may be held up for a week or two because our home quarter becomes an island and we can't get out. They've never penalized me.
I send out newsletters to my buyers who have subscribed and I talk about shipping rates and DSR's and encourage them to look at the date that they paid vs. the date that their package was posted at the post office and to NOT penalize ANY SELLER for a lengthy delivery time if their package was posted the same/next day. I remind them that Customs holds things up and most importantly that TWO POSTAL SYSTEMS are involved..the Canadian one and the one in their home country. They get it. They are smart buyers!
Read some of the feedback that sellers leave for buyers. It is sad. And, what makes it sad is that if these deadbeat sellers had to say the feedback face to face to the buyer in a physical store....they wouldn't. But, people are very brave behind the screen on a keyboard.
I've been on eBay since September of 2000. My ebay sales in 2001 and 2002 helped to bring our youngest daughter home from China and we all lovingly refer to her as our eBay baby. eBay gave me the place to sell my items where I would not have been able to here. We live outside of a hamlet of 25 people. The economy here in northern Saskatchewan does not easily support scrapbooking stores as it is a hobby and not a necessity. However, through eBay I am able to reach worldwide to buyers. And, in the 7+ years that I've been on eBay...I recognize an eBay ID when a sale comes in right away because I've taken the time to get to know my buyers. And, I truly believe that it is the key...for a buyer to know that you care and that they are not just a sale.
And, I guess while I'm venting here I would like to say that I am an American who is a dual citizen of Canada. I realize that eBay is an American corporation. However, I personally would appreciate the negative comments about Americans to stop. But, then again, those comments are coming from the bitter Power Sellers who are threatened by the challenges ahead.
Perhaps if those Power Sellers who feel so threatened by the changes could look at themselves, at their businesses and ask themselves what they could do to improve their customer service, to improve their listings, to improve their shipping/handling.....then maybe they would not have so much time on their hands to belittle those of us who want to be on eBay. I'm sorry. I think it's a sad state of affairs for BIG power sellers to have 200 or 300 negatives within several months. What message does that send? Personally, I'm smart enough to know not to buy from you, but perhaps the newbie that comes along thinks they'll be okay. Not so, because you are the ones who rip them apart and drive buyers away due to bad experiences.
No one is forcing anyone to stay on eBay. No one is forcing anyone to be happy about fee increases. But the horse has been beaten to death and it's time to move on.
I prefer to think positive! I prefer to look on the bright side! I prefer the challenges that are ahead.
And, if those of you who are the negative power sellers prefer to lash out at me...so be it. I'm sure it would be the same way that you treat your customers and drive them away. But, I'm here to stay! I'm here to learn from those power sellers who have proven themselves to be the ones who have the ideas to forge ahead and make improvements and offer positive suggestions.
Power Sellers who are worthwhile are to be appreciated and it is through them that others are able to grow and groom their businesses.
eBay is home for me. eBay is my work. I'm not boycotting now, tomorrow or next week.
Thank you for letting me vent....
Susan
momoftwingles2
A very proud American and Canadian all in one!
