What happened to eBay?
May 19, 2010
Back when I first started using eBay in 2001, it was a close-knit community of like-minded, and respectful auctioneers. Everyone was looking for a good deal on a used video game or a hard to find artifact of generations past. I had much luck as both a buyer and a seller, lining my pockets with a few extra dollars here and there by hawking my old cameras, iPods, and laptops. I had a pretty good system going: new iPod comes out, the old one is going up on eBay, and when the final bid was cast, both parties walked away with a smile, each believing they had gotten the better end of the deal.
Cue in my last six months on eBay. Four non-payers, one winning bidder retracting after close, saying they misread the title and description of the item, and last but not least, one buyer who says they cannot pay for two weeks because they had their credit card stolen (now three weeks later, has still not paid). I have always prided myself on being an excellent eBayer. I lay my terms out clearly, I ship as soon as I receive payment, and I email tracking info as soon as it is in my hands. I have never received negative feedback and had always enjoyed the eBay experience.
To make matters worse, eBay could care less about a non-powerseller’s woes. Open up a non-pay case now, and you cannot even leave the deadbeat bidder negative feedback!? I may be mistaking, but it appears that eBay has done away with negative feedback altogether, because in all my recent nonpayer cases, I was unable leave any. Sure, they refund your auction fees, but I was always under the impression that winning an auction tied you into a legal binding between buyer and seller – I guess that is no longer the case.
eBay appears to be content with their move away from auctions and into marketplace type transactions. They care little about the sellers with feedback scores of <100, and no longer appear concerned with fostering any type of community at eBay.com. I will always long for the ‘olden days’ of eBay. Before the onslaught of .99-cent items with $6.99 shipping, the non-paying bidders with no respect for the auction process, and a company that was at least somewhat empathetic when it came to their users. Any nimble startups looking to get into the online auction game, now is your chance! eBay has lost its way.
2 comments
Ebay really has mutated into a strange beast. I feel like the sellers are just out there to try and trick people into paying more for something than it’s actually worth.
Take this necklace that is retailing for $57 on this site, someone has listed it on ebay for a buy it now of $125 and, I checked, people are buying it!! What happened to finding a deal???
I do still buy things once in a while – usually obscure articles of clothing that I use a saved search to keep tabs on.
Yes, eBay is really something quite different than it once was. I totally agree, especially when it comes to camera gear (not that I would really buy anything substantial on eBay anyway) but half the time sellers are trying to get more money than Amazon. Are they crazy???
Also I did some research, and eBay no longer allows sellers to give buyers negative feedback for non payment. How ridiculous is that?
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