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Thread: eBay's Understatement of the Year

  1. #1
    Senior Member CurtEgerer's Avatar
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    eBay's Understatement of the Year

    >>>> SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Executives at eBay Inc. are touting security as their top priority in 2007 after an internal survey showed that online scammers may be denting the company's reputation.<<<<

    "MAY BE denting"????? This thing's got so many dents it's beginning to look like a rearend collision.

    They go on to tout their new policy about concealing bidder ID's when any auction exceeds $200! So now if I bid on a Porsche part for over $200, I have no idea who I'm bidding against. It's probably somebody I know and maybe somebody I don't want to snipe for $5. Or, it could be a shill bid with a 0-feedback rating - won't know that anymore. Won't know who won the auction either.

    So on all eBay car auctions now, you will not know the ID of any bidder. The final sale price will appear but nobody will have any idea who made the bid or if it's legitimate ......

    Hasn't the on-line auction business grown large enough to have a serious competitor to eBay?

  2. #2
    There are...but they're all ghost towns...

    http://auctions.yahoo.com/
    http://www.auction.com/items/categor...?CategoryID=20
    http://www.internetauctionlist.com/

    AOL had auctions but gave up...

    eBay is the place to be if you want the best chance at early 911 stuff (or just about anything else)...
    Peter Kane

    '72 911S Targa
    Message Board Co-Moderator - Early 911S Registry #100

  3. #3
    Senior Member curtisaa's Avatar
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    Only the seller knows...

    Curt... I get your point, but the only one who knows this info is the seller. IMHO, I think this is good. EBAY is a very knowlegable company with more experience doing what they have perfected than any other entity. True, it does give the edge to the seller and not the buyer. But if you think it through, they're looking out for the their paying customers first. Yes ultimately the buyer pays for the sellers commish, but they are NOT a knee jerk company. There must of been many complaints from they're paying customers for them to change things. You think this is tough, go to the courthouse steps and try to bid on a residental foreclosure !!!
    [FONT="Lucida Sans Unicode"]
    Curt Autenrieth
    S Registry # 152

    Porsches:
    1.6L 2.7L
    1.8L 3.0L
    2.0L 3.2L
    2.2L 3.4L h20 cooled
    2.4L 3.6L air & h20 cooled
    3.8L

  4. #4
    Senior Member CurtEgerer's Avatar
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    I'm sure their intentions were good. But they've put yet another barrier between bidders and sellers. How long before the seller is not identified either in an effort to better protect him? I quit using ebay a few months back after some weird PayPal (eBay) transactions that their massive bureaucracy would not respond to.

    I guess my point is that how can a business totally dominate an industry like this? There're billion$ involved, there're LOTS of long-time users complaining and yet NOBODY can figure out a way to become a viable competitor? eBay desperately needs a competitor.

  5. #5
    One word: Google Auctions. Well, two words actually. I think Google will be in this market soon enough. And I think they're one of only a very, very few companies that could topple ebay.

    They're setting up the infrastructure as we speak with services like Google Checkout (paypal) which they've launched with no fees to sellers for all of 2007. In response, ebay has banned all mention of Google Checkout in any of their auctions. Mention Google and they'll pull the auction (I'm sure a lot faster than they pull the Nigeran scams too).

    I can't wait until ebay feels some real heat from competition. It's a monopoly that has lasted long enough IMO. Google could get into this market overnight and probably blow ebay out of the water with so many people fed up with their business practices.

  6. #6
    I seem to be in the minority here, but I've had very good experiences over the years both buying and selling on ebay. The new system has eliminated the second chance scammers. It also prevents whacko observers from emailing bidders involved in auctions. If you go to the bid history page there actually is some information available on bidders that was not provided under the old system. As far as shilling goes, that's a reality in any auction situation, be it live or on the internet. I know what I'm bidding on. I know what it's worth to me. That's where I stop.
    Tom F.

    '67 911S Slate Gray
    '70 911T 2.8 hotrod (in progress)
    '92 964

    #736

  7. #7
    E-bay and used car auctions are one in the same. A crap shoot. I flushed my acount year before last as well as the poorly run Pay-Pal program. E-Bay is not about customer service. It's about growth and stock price.

    I'd like to see someone stomp on them. Did I ever get "Chandelier Bids" against me? Yes. No doubt at all. I killed one auction when I figured out what was happening. There is (was) a guy with several I.D.'s who asked and answered questions about his auctions. Pretty slick until a few friends figured it out.

    I've can find nearly anything I want with a phone call and I really enjoy human contact unlike the rest of the internet generation.

    Tom
    Early S Registry #235
    rgruppe #111

  8. #8
    Senior Member curtisaa's Avatar
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    ebay and back

    ...almost sounds like a political satire. here is an institution people either love or hate. lots of inuendo but NO fixes to the mousetrap. many thought esnipe was a BS website, until they used it and won auctions while bidders were scratching their heads. the brite ones bought into it ( stock purchases) and are laffing their as*** off. the company bought paypal and just recently bought "stub hub" for $285 M. they seem to make smart calculated moves at the right time.....i don't work for them but you've GOT to credit where it's due !!
    [FONT="Lucida Sans Unicode"]
    Curt Autenrieth
    S Registry # 152

    Porsches:
    1.6L 2.7L
    1.8L 3.0L
    2.0L 3.2L
    2.2L 3.4L h20 cooled
    2.4L 3.6L air & h20 cooled
    3.8L

  9. #9
    And Walmart is a good thing too...

    Tom
    Early S Registry #235
    rgruppe #111

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