Mere

http://www.myspace.com/hickinthesticks

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    • Is Donahoe Trying to Destroy eBay? [view article]
      Very good and concise article. Kudo's to the author.

      The only way ebay will ever get serious about changing is once all sellers and buyers have left.

      I quit all business on ebay before the announcements came out from John Donahoe in January. Yes, I was a seller and buyer, and enjoyed my experience on ebay. I never got ripped off by any seller, never got ripped off by any buyer. Ran my business as I would like to be treated and had many repeat customers. Got great deals from courteous sellers with quick shipping. No complaints either way.

      What made me decide to leave ebay was the ever increasing fees, the DSR's that make absolutely no sense in regard to feedback and not having a choice of another payment processor besides PayPal.

      The day after my last auction on ebay was paid, I downloaded my PayPal history, closed my PayPal account and started sending emails to all my past customers. Now they know where I am, still selling my collectible and vintage items. The last year that I was selling on ebay, I sent a card with every package informing my customer that I would no longer be selling on ebay after Dec. 15th, 2007, and gave them my new selling sites for 2008.

      Though I no longer buy or sell on ebay, I will boycott ebay indefinitely. I understand a corporation needs to make money for shareholders, management, etc., etc....but when is enough ever enough for them?

      As for John Donahoe, with his less than illustrious business accumen, don't kid yourselves into thinking he is the only person responsible for all the changes that have outraged many ebayer's, be they seller or buyer. Meg handpicked this guy with Bill's blessing. These changes have been in the works for some time, lead by Bill and Meg, with John in the position of learning from the masters before they bail out.

      I know many rely on ebay for their livlihood, but weaning yourself from ebay, or leaving it in the dust and never looking back, will be a hard but smart move for you and your own business. And that is exactly what all this uproar is about...the opportunity to run your business as you see fit. You won't get that on ebay.       Mar 15 12:08 PM
    • A Solution for eBay and Its Frustrated Seller Community [view article]
      Yes, I have seen increases at my grocery store, at the gas pump, at the USPS and ebaY.
      As I go to real auctions, I know that auctioneers get a percentage of what sells and can charge winning bidders a buyers premium.
      What the ever increasingly money hungry monster that ebaY has become doesn't realize is that they can and will be replaced by friendlier seller venues.
      ebaY was a blip on the radar screen when they started, as other venues were, but other venues will absorb many of the exebayers who are, quite rightly, more up in arms over the feedback, search results and Paypal mandates being jammed down our throats then the increase in FVF's. The introduction of the DSR's will speed up ebaYs demise, where it will soon be known as the site to get overpriced products that you can find in any box store in any town, state or country, without the s&h fee.
      I know from my own personal experience as a seller and buyer on ebaY, that it is the sellers who spend their time taking photo's, checking items for flaws, listing those items with a description, looking for just the right words in the item title that will get them exposure in search, keeps in contact with bidders by answering questions, sending invoices after the close of the auction, packs that item up for shipping, prints or buys postage and gets it to the post office. All ebaY has to do is hold out it's ever increasingly greedy hand to collect what is owed them for the not always so pleasant experience of using their venue. Then ebaY gets another cut of the item by sellers via Paypal, which is what I call double dipping. Reagan ixnayed double dipping back in the 80's, and it should apply to ebaY and Paypal.
      As for you, if you are an actual seller and buyer on ebaY, you better get the tissue box out and have it handy when the best match search places you on the back page with an hour left on your auction, your bidder decides not to pay, or does pay and tells Paypal the item was not as described, it arrived broken, didn't get it, etc, etc., and they want their money back.
      The fact that ebaYs higher ups made bad decisions when purchasing Skype at a hugely inflated price, started Kijiji, that is and never will be as well known as CraigsList (which ebaY owns 25% of the stock) is not my problem as a seller or buyer. EbaY has always been about how much money they can make and doesn't give a damn who they ride roughshod over to get it.
      Good luck to you if you continue to feed the insatiable monster that ebaY has been and will continue to be.....YOU WILL NEED IT!
      Just my 2 cents worth.       Mar 06 01:23 PM
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