posted on July 13, 2004 11:45:39 PM new
WOW - I just read through the threads and I must admit...I'm scared! Actually, shaking in my eBay boots! Is eBay really evil and out to fill our lives with despair and destruction???
Some of the threads are telling just such tales!
Or, rather, is eBay a place for opportunity and personal growth? With all the problems ANY company has?? Is that opportunity there?
I wonder, as I not only read of the nightmares you all tell about, but also of a Power Seller stated (their words, not mine) they made 6k a year. Now as a Power Seller, they have to be putting in a lot of hours, and thats not much income.
Tell me truly....does anybody LIKE eBay?
^..^ meow ^..^ meow ^..^
Time Spent With Cats Is Never Wasted
[ edited by rosycat on Jul 13, 2004 11:46 PM ]
posted on July 14, 2004 12:26:37 AM new
I LOVE ebay!
There is no other selling/buying venue like it!
It's (I believe) one of the cheapest and at the same time reliable ways to sell.
Got something to sell...try putting an expensive ad in the paper and then have strangers come into your home to see the item! NOT me!
Garage sale...oh the work! And everybody wants everything for a quarter!
Consignment shop? Where you pay 20-30% IF and WHEN your item sells....NOT me!
Live auction...well, yes,you can make some money but you pay a hefty commission to the auctioneer and if he's having a bad day YOU will, too!
Sorry, ebay has problems but it's been a life saver to me!
posted on July 14, 2004 04:19:11 AM new
I like eBay...I'm no big time eBay'er, but have done roughly a 1000 transactions buying & selling with only a few minor problems. As others mentioned the business is still new. eBay tries different things to improve service & sales some work some do not.
posted on July 14, 2004 04:47:47 AM new
rosycat: I like ebay. For all its problems, it works for me. But I figured something else out about myself: I really dont like sales. So with ebay you can kind of put it out there and if somebody finds your product interesting, you'll have a sale without having to do the big sales routine. The marketing name of ebay has taken care of itself. Alot of people complain, but they've made some money unlikely they would have made in another venue on the very same product.
posted on July 14, 2004 04:57:34 AM new
Hi Guys - Yeah, I like eBay. But I LOVED it back in 1998, up to about mid 2003. It was just awesome, everything sold with multiple bids and great prices. Nowadays, I just like it. I have taken the summer off because sales were not good for estate jewelry. I will start again around the end of August. I have listed an item or two, but just to test the waters. I don't feel like pouring money in the pit! But I have to say that no other venue is as good as eBay. How are ya doing, Neroter?
posted on July 14, 2004 06:03:08 AM new
I like ebay!! I've sold thousands of items and made quite a bit of money. ebay is like any other corporate structure. The big chunks always float to the top and the peons are treated like mushrooms: "kept in the dark and fed sh** all day"
We peons have our good days and bad days. If we don't come here and complain where else will we go? Those who don't sell on ebay just don't get it so we rant and rave to our fellow sellers and it makes us feel better.
posted on July 14, 2004 06:34:15 AM new
Hi Earthmum! I am Good! How's everything by you? I tried not listing for awhile too - avoid the summer slump, but still listing some things as well.
I thought of you when posting in the RT about the post blooper, NY and the subways.
posted on July 14, 2004 06:59:33 AM new
I like eBay! I have been selling since 1998 and I do agree things have changed but as they say, it keeps you young. I was laid off from my 'real job' after 23 years a couple of years ago and find I can get along with a part time job and eBay sales just fine. I love to go to live auctions and garage sales so this sort of supports my hobby. I get to keep the things I collect and sell the excess for profit. I also like Vendio, without them I would be working a lot harder!
posted on July 14, 2004 07:07:02 AM new
I like eBay! I wasn't around back in the "glory" days when things were easy for sellers, but maybe that's a good thing. I don't know what I missed.
I would NEVER return to the corporate world of a** kissing and crazy commutes, takeovers and downsizing...arghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! Makes me sweat just thinking about it!
posted on July 14, 2004 07:17:22 AM new
If we didn't like ebay we wouldn't be here. However, when you see a friend doing something stupid or wrong, you want to let that person know so they can correct their behavior. Or at least complain about the person to everyone else you know.
posted on July 14, 2004 08:23:48 AM new
I would like to like eBay. However, it is very apparent that eBay does not like ME.
Why else force me to login twice every time I sign in? (It denies the first -- completely correct -- login and makes me sign in using the four-digit security key.)
Why make it near-impossible for me to report problems experienced while using eBay? I've found lots of bugs, including a public page where clicking in a certain place brings up an eBay internal login screen. You'd think they'd want to know about that.
Why make poorly-thought out and inadequately-explained changes that do not improve the process for me or indeed for anyone?
Why make me worry about what drastic changes are on the horizon that will create much more work for me?
No, eBay does not like me. Don't expect gushing from this quarter.
posted on July 14, 2004 08:55:37 AM new
Despite it's faults and the excerise of our patience, I like it too. Where else can we sell the stuff we sell to an international audience for the prices we pay. If we were to try to market to that broad a target area, heaven only knows what it would cost.
And the variety of products. Wow - No way could it be done.
Now if some decent competion/alternative came along all the better.
posted on July 14, 2004 09:21:11 AM new
I DO!! I, too, miss the "glory" days but I agree with other posters about the international venue, etc. It's a supplemental income for me but pays for the "extras". It satisfies my gambling urge as well....at least, pretty much! LOL I love to find a treasure for $1 and sell it for ten or more times as much. It's the only hobby I've ever had that pays me! One other plus (dare I say?), we've done pretty well with eBay stock.
posted on July 14, 2004 09:26:20 AM newHuh? What four-digit security key? I feel underprivileged!
If eBay feels your account has been or may be compromised in some way, it will not let you log in on the first attempt.
Instead, it returns an error message and insists that you read a four-digit security key (it's NOT machine-readable, only human-readable) and enter it when you log in again.
While it is remotely possible that someone is mounting a denial-of-service attack on my eBay account, this security key login has been happening for many days now. I am very annoyed.
Since I work from two locations, I suppose some bright lad in Security has decided that if you use more than one IP address you are a security risk. Whatever. A business partner with a smidgen of courtesy would attempt to contact ME to let me know what's going on.
posted on July 14, 2004 10:40:22 AM new
Hi,
Nice thread. Ebay is not good or bad. It all depends where you are coming from as a seller.
There are two types of sellers.
Seller "A" is attempting to make Ebay his/her primary job. He has no Webb site or B/M store.He usually has a large investment is sales stock. What ever Ebay does has a huge effect and usually not for the good. Seller "A" is troubled and worried.
Seller "B" also sells elsewhere other than Ebay or uses Ebay for submittal income. What Ebay does has very little impact. Seller "B" often takes time off sometimes the whole summer.
Last winter I switched from "A" to "B" and could not be happier.
Their are a lot of small things wrong with Ebay and they don't seem to have a clue how to really improve the site. However they will have to, sooner or later or buyers will migrate to other sites like Bid-ville etc and many will get their Christmas wish of truly competing sites. Their are some big changes coming however you will have to watch close as will not be dramatic. David
posted on July 14, 2004 10:43:27 AM new
I do like ebay but with reservations. There is no other market out there that has the buyers like ebay does for the items that I sell. However... they have a problem right now. (Yea, just one??) They think that if you can make changes and make it "Look" better, you should do it, NOW. Tested or not. I own and operate a brick and mortar store as well and things there have also slumped, badly. The summer of 9/11 was a start of a real down spiral. People that had lots of "extra" money were investing in "antiques". Good money then but now, many of them lost big time in the stock market and with all prices going up they don't have the extra money to stop in a tiny town with only 2 stores in it. So... ebay has been my lifesaver in that I am able to continue selling and putting food in my belly. However, they should take the lessons of others, if it ain't broke, don't fix it. And,... just because you can doesn't mean you should. Oh Well, off to the heat to take more pictures.
[ edited by Kevinatgrannys on Jul 14, 2004 10:46 AM ]
OH! I got it.
Yeah, I seem to remember having to use it when I was staying at my mom's and checking my bids.
Too bad you are having trouble. Could it continue to cause trouble because Ebay has stored a cookie to reference it on your computer? At one time, I was having a devil of a time logging on, then a poster here gave instructions for finding all the cookies on your system (may be in more than one place).
I made sure I deleted all the Ebay cookies. Voila! Problem solved.
I think I used "find files" and looked for any file name with "cookie".
posted on July 14, 2004 10:47:40 AM new
They have their problems, ARROGANCE being one of them. But they're the best game in town!!!!!!!!!
Anyone who doesn't like it, go ahead and try to sell on Amazon or Yahoo auctions.
posted on July 14, 2004 11:06:00 AM new
I love eBay!! As an older, disabled lady,unable to go out alone or drive, there is not much I can do to earn some money, and it gives me something interesting to do. Is it problem free? No, things come up that frustrate me from time to time, but on the whole, I find it a very pleasant way to pass the time, "meet" people, and make money at the same time.
posted on July 14, 2004 11:27:55 AM new
Like the rest I like eBay. I am not a big time seller. Just enough for spending money. I have had a couple of problems with bidders but nothing major just NPB filed and got my fees back. As with this discussion board there are a few that don't like eBay but the + outweighs the -. This is a great learning board. Help is always here. It is also a sounding board.
posted on July 14, 2004 11:47:02 AM new
eBay is great for what it is - a world wide garage sale.
I think the disappointments come from expectations that just aren't going to happen or not happen for many sellers.
I have yet to read of any seller becoming a millionaire on eBay, except for the employees that got options. I have yet to see anyone making a good profit and a lasting sales channel brand through eBay.
The biggest seller on eBay was trying to sell their busines a few months ago.
eBay just isn't the venue for high volume high value items. There is competition and price comparisons at the click of a mouse.That's why many large coprs refuse to sell on eBay, and the rest don't last long.
BTW. we participated in a neighborhood garagesale two weeks ago and were shocked at the business we did and the amount of stuff sold.
eBay may be fading even as a garage sale competitor.
posted on July 14, 2004 12:16:45 PM new
I started buying from ebay in the "glory days" but, for example, I have three pairs of better quality riding boots that I bought "apres" the "glory days" for less. More competition, more choices. As a bidder I love ebay.
posted on July 14, 2004 12:34:19 PM new
TALK ABOUT TIMIING!!!!! while looking for a thread, i came across this post from another member of the forum...it answers this thread verrrrrrrrrrrrry well...
-------------------------
"Hmmm
First I clean it, tidy if necessary.
Then I measure it.
Then I shoot, because I want to hit all the pix I need.
Then edit, label, upload to host then do descriptions, test them in a browser, line them up in a folder, then load them.
I can spend all week doing the "factory stuff" then junk a bunch up on sunday or whatever...although this sunday I was getting back on a roll, and I realized everyone would be lounging on a sunny deck waiting for their hot dog to barbeque..so I listed a couple ten day auctions. Hoping the horse show folk will be browsing during the week, and not sweating a sunday close.
Oh I am so Damon Runyan-ing my auction viewers toooo much!"[end c/paste]
-----------------------
this poster states what this business, or "fun chore," is all about...
------------
myopinionofcourse,
mot
[ edited by myoldtoy on Jul 14, 2004 12:35 PM ]
posted on July 14, 2004 12:40:33 PM new
I really enjoy eBay. Since I no longer participate, it only has entertainment value. And, boy, is it entertaining! Maybe someday eBay will bring on board professionals that didn't major in beer-guzzling and sex during college. eBay has made some classical dumb mistakes that makes one wonder if there is an underlying plan that we don't grasp, cleverly disguised to look bone-headed and inept.
posted on July 14, 2004 04:23:06 PM new
I was wearing my seller's hat when I wrote what I wrote earlier.
Now I've donned my buyer's hat, and let me tell you, I absolutely adore eBay.
More than that, I adore the culture of absolute customer satisfaction that so many sellers have fallen for, er, decided to make part of their businesses.
I have been buying a lot in the last couple of months. At first I was pretty fair with sellers; didn't leave 'em feedback because that was too much trouble, but I didn't hassle 'em either.
Then I thought, what if I push a little bit? Lo and behold, that's when the stream of freebies started coming in.
It's been pretty fricken great to see what people will do to avoid getting negative feedback. (They don't know I'm too lazy to leave any kind of feedback.)
Lots of inexperienced sellers out there making lots of mistakes, and I know how to capitalize on them all.
eBay is a buyer's paradise. Never doubt it. I've got (what, how many?) hundreds of thousands of sellers out there doing work for me. I love it, love it, love it.
Thank you, eBay!
(edited to add
P.S. Always pay with PayPal! Gives you the biggest stick there is!
--
[ edited by iareateacher on Jul 14, 2004 04:26 PM ]
