From: Mel Miller (nourmahal@att.net)
Date: Wed Jun 25 2003 - 21:03:29 PDT
Howdy Gruppe,
As an avid member of the Ebay buying and Selling community - Yes, at its
best it is a community! - I totally endorse Mr. Sullivan's and Ebay's
position on regulating the Ebay experience. I will tell you why.
The Ebay marketplace rests on TRUST between buyer and seller, first, last
and all ways. That is why the Feedback feature is so important. When people
describe their item for sale they often over emphasize small bumps,
scratches and defects so that no one can say that they did not disclose a
known defect, they also send payment promptly and communicate quickly after
an auction ends. WHY do they do that? They do that so that they will build a
reputation for integrity and credibility with the other buyers and sellers
in their field. This allows them to get the best bids for what they sell. I
like it when someone I have sold to emails me that the article was in better
shape than they thought it was in.
Right now, there are a few problem areas in Ebay. The electronics and
computer areas are rife with ripoff artists. One has to be careful buying
from people with sparse feedback. It is really imperative that people who
repeatedly fail to send merchandise, change their ID often, and traffic in
stolen merchandise are dealt with quickly.
In the past Ebay turned a blind eye to complaints by members who were ripped
off by not tracking repeat offenders. There now appears to have been a
change of heart and they are cooperating quickly with law enforcement.
Hopefully this will result in more prosecution of ripoff artists.
Just as with the rest of the internet, everyone should conduct themselves in
such a way that they would not be embarrassed if their deeds from the
previous day were to be printed, above the fold, in the next days edition of
the New York Times. Remember, your emails are all floating around there in
the ether - just ask Ollie North! Those of you who feel threatened by this
type of transparency should not use Ebay - frankly I do not want you in my
community.
Mel Miller
Corpus Christi, TX
361-937-3317
M725
M884
86 VW Transporter Drop Side Pickup
> Brags Sullivan, "If you are a law-enforcement officer, all you have to do is
> send us a fax with a request for information, and ask about the person
> behind
> the seller's identity number, and we will provide you with his name,
> address,
> sales history and other details--all without having to produce a court
> order."
>
> (eBay itself goes further than this, employing six investigators who are
> charged
> with tracking down "suspicious people" and "suspicious behavior.")
>
> Read the whole article:
>
> http://www.thenation.com/doc.mhtml?i=20030707&s=engle
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