Changes to improve eBay

[GreenRiver]

Let's keep this real hoping eBay will pay attention and let's keep it going. At some point I will contact eBay to ask them to take a look for ways to improve their site as a Safe Harbor for trade. Let's discuss suggestions that will make their site a safe, secure, regulated, and verified platform for trade.

I realized after posting that this may not fit the heading of Bay Watch but I hope the adminstrator will allow it to run for the benifit of all.

 

[Jeff]

It would be great if you could prevent people with 0 feedback from bidding.

 

[Adwex]

It would be great if you could prevent people with 0 feedback from bidding.

How would a bidder get his first feedback then, by selling?

 

[LPBrian]

One thing I would like to see that Ive seen on other auction sites....
If some one bids in the last 30 seconds, the auction is extended by a couple of minutes. Therefore, someone isnt able to come in at the last second and beat your bid. If some one wants to beat your bid at the last second you have a chance to respond. This way it becomes a real auction with the highest bidder winning........not the guy with the quickest connection speed.

 

[mercman]

It would be great if you could prevent people with 0 feedback from bidding.

You can, check the Buyer Management section

 

[Jeff]

How would a bidder get his first feedback then, by selling?

Not by buying a $6000 guitar from me and then telling me he can't pay. No thanks. Happened too many times and it gets expensive and time consuming.

Someone wants feedback? Buy a $4.99 widget a few times. You don't start out with a platinum VISA for your first credit card either...

 

[Jeff]

You can, check the Buyer Management section

You can't - I did. They will only allow blocking people with negative feedback, not 0. What is meant here is that your score needs to be -1 or less, which is stupid.

Buyers with a negative feedback score
Block buyers who have a feedback score of -1-2-3 or lower.

This requirement can help you avoid buyers who have received more negative than positive feedback from other eBay members bidding on your item.

 

[mercman]

.

 

[loufed52]

Every time that ebay says that they're improving the process they raise the rates.

 

[tom wu]

I think that zero bidders should, at minimum, be charged the auction fees if a NPB warning is issued.
There should also be a system (similar to the feedback rating ) where Non Paying Bidding history shows on their profile.
The real issue with NPB, where sellers are concerned, is that we lose time and money. Same issue, whereas zero bidders are concerned is; well..nothing!
They lose nothing. They waste our time, screw up out auctuions and it costs them nothing.
If you give them negative feedback for non payment, then you get one back. Hardly sounds fair
So, if at the time a bid is placed by ebay a zero-10 feedback bidder , ebay would charge them depending on the amount being bid, then you'd get serious parties on both sides of the table.
It would'nt be hard to do; They charge the winning bidder then give it back to them as "ebay bucks" to be applied as payment for that sale only. The "ebay bucks" could be used by the seller to offset his ebay fees and everyone wins.
Think of it; it's one thing for some idiot to freely bid on something he has no intention of paying for and another to have to put up 10 bucks, knowing he'll lose it if he tries to wiggle out later. Of course it won't happen because ebay doesn't make any extra money by doing it, so why would they?

 

[WurstBurst]

1 - set up an optional partial escrow system for large purchases (say $1000 or over). Buyers wanting to bid on a large purchase would be required to set up an escrow via paypal in order to bid (if the seller wanted to do the auction this way). No bid would be allowed for any amount that exceeded 10 times the escrow. Failure to pay a winning bid would result in forfeiture of the escrow (10% of the winning bid) to the seller.

2 - Ban sellers who refuse bids of low feedback buyers. Otherwise new buyers will eventually find it impossible to enter the system. Suggestion 1 will make this less of an issue to sellers.

3 - As another poster mentioned, never end an auction as long as bid has increased recently (I'd give as much as 2 minutes from latest bid).

4 - Scale feedback in proportion to sale price.

5 - Set up local ebay offices that will verify that seller is in possession of item in question - a kind of "ebay verified" existence. No guarantee that the item is what the seller says, but at least veification that the seller has the item and that the pictures are of the actual item. This is important to avoid scam sales using swiped photos.

That's all I can think of now.

 

[tom wu]

Feedback should be mandatory, not optional, with every transaction.
If feedback is not placed, the person can not buy or sell again.

Here is one; If a 0-10 feedback buyer wins an auction, he should not be allowed to post feedback until the sellers clicks the "show item as paid" icon or, if seller refuses to click away, buyer could use a paypal receipt or other confirmed payment method to place feedback without the seller involvement.
If buyer can't prove he paid then seller can place negative feedback and he still would not be able to place any feedback against that seller ( even though one was placed against him) until such time as the buyer can prove payment was received, cashed etc.

To keep it fair..

If a 0-10 feedback seller wants to place feedback, he either waits til the buyer clicks a similar "item received" icon Or he could also use a verified UPS or other tracking number to obtain feedback placement priviledge without the buyers involvement.
If buyer places a negative because they paid and not received the item, the seller would not be able to place negative feedback in retaliation unless he can prove the item was received by way of a tracking number showing the item having been delivered.

 

[GCDEF]

I'd like to see the buy it now remain even after the reserve is met.

 

[Jeff]

I think that zero bidders should, at minimum, be charged the auction fees if a NPB warning is issued.
There should also be a system (similar to the feedback rating ) where Non Paying Bidding history shows on their profile.
The real issue with NPB, where sellers are concerned, is that we lose time and money. Same issue, whereas zero bidders are concerned is; well..nothing!
They lose nothing. They waste our time, screw up out auctuions and it costs them nothing.
If you give them negative feedback for non payment, then you get one back. Hardly sounds fair
So, if at the time a bid is placed by ebay a zero-10 feedback bidder , ebay would charge them depending on the amount being bid, then you'd get serious parties on both sides of the table.
It would'nt be hard to do; They charge the winning bidder then give it back to them as "ebay bucks" to be applied as payment for that sale only. The "ebay bucks" could be used by the seller to offset his ebay fees and everyone wins.
Think of it; it's one thing for some idiot to freely bid on something he has no intention of paying for and another to have to put up 10 bucks, knowing he'll lose it if he tries to wiggle out later. Of course it won't happen because ebay doesn't make any extra money by doing it, so why would they?

Interesting...

 

[Guitarhak]

Don't allow sellers to give negative feedback to any buyer who fully and promptly paid for the item!!! The threat of retalitory feedback prevents many buyers from giving negative feedback to lousy sellers.

 

[cherrick]

I don't think it should be possible for someone to leave negative feedback as payment for receiving negative feedback.

Or, to make it more complicated, once someone has received negative feedback on a bid item, the only feedback they should be able to leave would be an explanatory / "I've been slimed" feedback, perhaps with at most a counter explanation.

 

[thefishingline]

Don't allow sellers to give negative feedback to any buyer who fully and promptly paid for the item!!! The threat of retalitory feedback prevents many buyers from giving negative feedback to lousy sellers.

+1...this is the worst part of the entire E Bay experience...feedback process...buyer pays with pay pal immediately...before the seller even ships positive feedback should be left...buyer pays with check and the check arrives within 3 to 5 days...immediately positive feedback should be left...not but sellers hold you hostage as if they are doing you a favor selling to you...it's bullshit I say!

 

[SheltonGuitar]

...If some one bids in the last 30 seconds, the auction is extended by a couple of minutes...

This is huge. Auctioneers use this technique all the time. You will never, ever see an auctioneer just stop an auction because the time's up. If there's going to be a feeding frenzy at the end, gives the sharks time to eat.

 

[thefishingline]

This is huge. Auctioneers use this technique all the time. You will never, ever see an auctioneer just stop an auction because the time's up. If there's going to be a feeding frenzy at the end, gives the sharks time to eat.

But as a buyer you would NEVER want to see this happen...sellers yes...buyers no!!

 

[bigjimsguitars]

It's funny how people feel about Feedback and that once a buyer pays that the seller should leave immediate feedback, BS I say. The deal is only over once the buyer has received his or her item satisfactorially and then and only then should feedback be exchanged and on a voluntary basis as it is not mandatory.

Paying fast is not the only obligation of a buyer and since ebay now gives the buyer the luxury of rating the seller on a number of criteria, it would only be fair to offer the same of the seller as to the rating the buyer, how fast was payment made, communications, did the buyer try to renegotiate after the fact, etc.

Most sellers and buyers are straight up and on the narrow, but we all know that there are some who choose to manipulate the system for any advantage they can acheive, be that both the seller and buyer.

As for the issue of sniping, hey it's a reality and as a seller I would love it if ebay extended auctions to allow for additional bidding as other sites are now doing, man the flakes would have a field day as they would have their friends bid on thing like never before to get more bids...can you say rampant shill bidding!

Ebay needs to install programs that will not allow for Private Auctions as they are frought with shill bidding. How many times have you seen a Private Auction were there is an apparent winning bidder (who's ID is hidden) and whammo, that same item is listed again by that exact same seller and for a higher amount?

Make it were No Reserve Auctions cannot be ended unless the seller has contacted ebay and explained the reason for the pulling and then ebay does it. This would in effect put a leash on the seller and if he/she is in the habit of pulling listing where they are at risk, ebay would see a pattern.