This whole thing has been very interesting. It's the classical behaviour of a giant that grew up too fast. eBay has become a gigantic monopoly that will be feeding on itself. If they continue on this course, it could be the straw that broke the camel's back. I'm sure that they have a corps of bookkepers that are feeding a never ending flow of ideas to fine tune their system. eBay is indeed, a profit engine. Already said above, they are a business that has no inventory, and that makes its money on the sellers that they serve as agents.It's a parasite that has found ways to get its customers into a compromising condition, and it is moving in for a kill. The only boycott that ever could be used on them will be a discontinuation of bidding, and that isn't a thing that would work strongly, if at all. The sellers won't back off, as long as there are buyers. Those of us who are buyers would need to move against eBay as a body, and cause a significant decline in their busines, and that isn't a practical strategy. eBay would have to recognize the impact of an organized boycott, and they know it'll never happen.
There will have to be another avenue to use to replace eBay. Should this happen, and eBay sees its revenues diminishing, possibly, it will sober up, and try to go back and rebuild the operation that made it the roaring success that it was, prior to the greed syndrome.If this would happen, they'll find that there will not be anything to go back to. I know of a (former) giant corporation that has had cost cutters grind it down to a mere shadow of itself, and is still having the cost cutters shaving off a little more all the time. It's like sharpening a pencil more and more, 'til there's nothing left. They've been in a downward spiral, and are too dumb to even recognize it. > [Original Message] > From: Bob <rvuill at comcast.net> > To: Antique Phonograph List <phono-l at oldcrank.org> > Date: 9/14/2008 4:24:01 PM > Subject: Re: [Phono-L] Phono-L Digest, Vol 5, Issue 251 > > John, > They really don't care. I sent the following after I heard about this > and never got a reply. > > Dear eBay, > I just wanted to tell you what I think of your new fee structure, > particularly the part about eliminating payments by checks or money orders. > I think you are a bunch of thieves and you have sunken to a new low. You > conveniently neglect mentioning that most of us will now have to accept > paypal and you will double what you make on all these auctions. Also you > will make an additional 2 % on the shipping too. I think if you want to > have this policy, you should allow the sellers to charge the buyers for the > service. If they don't want to pay, they don't have to bid or they can > adjust their bid accordingly You shouldn't care where you get your pound > of flesh. > I think you people have lost sight of what you are- a virtual company. > You don't have factories, stores or inventory. All you have is sellers with > these things working for you. You should do everything in your power to > keep them happy. Originally you did. Now you treat them with no respect. > You must think they are all idiots. If you think the changes you made last > winter caused a lot of controversy, just wait until this change sinks in > with the small sellers. You don't seem to realize that the competition for > your business is growing. If you keep this up your profits may increase in > the short run but eventually it will catch up with you and some smart > entrepreneur will gobble you up. > I know you will probably not respond to this note but when you get > enough of them you may realize you have made a mistake. > Robert Vuillemenot > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "J.F. Bennett" <citypointsb at gmail.com> > To: <phono-l at oldcrank.org> > Sent: Sunday, September 14, 2008 3:47 PM > Subject: Re: [Phono-L] Phono-L Digest, Vol 5, Issue 251 > > > > Gents, > > > > Firstly sorry about the typo-in my posting it should have read > > NON-payment. > > I'm sure you all knew what I meant. Good point all-the IRS is, I'm sure > > going to take full advantage of this change. Although bear in mind that > > money orders and checks leave trails too. This will just make it a bit > > easier I'd imagine. E-Bay isn't the only game in town, it is however the > > biggest by a mile. A friend of mine just quite E-Bay due to their > > heavy-handed actions. He made a typo on the shipping charges of an item > > and > > rather than contact him they simply pulled the auction. He joined eBid: > > http://us.ebid.net/ He seems happy for now, but I looked in and found a > > grand total of three 78s! Maybe in time. Craigs List is good too but I > > have > > had the best luck record-wise on E-Bay and I don't see any alternative for > > me. I don't drive so I can't do the flea markets and yard sales &c. and > > even > > with Craigs list most things generally are pick-up rather than mail. > > Brantley, I know what you are saying and I agree with you in the main, > > but a boycott will not work, for every one person that leaves one or two > > will up their bidding because the competition lessens and the prices drop > > which makes E-Bay more appealing and then someone else joins and negates > > the > > first person leaving. E-Bay doesn't care who's bidding and selling as long > > as someone is. They really don't care if they have a huge turnover. That's > > why I think the idea of a flood of complaints might have an impact. It > > doesn't even have to be a majority, just enough to make them take notice. > > The squeaky wheel principle, it has been known to work. Let's all take a > > step towards what Brantley opines; everyone here who uses E-Bay-at least > > join ebid just as an example and tell your friends in the hobby, if > > sellers > > know there are buyers there they will list there, who in their right mind > > would ignore a potential market? I haven't joined yet but I think I will > > look into the details tonight and if anyone's interested I'll report back. > > > > Regards, > > John B. > > > > P.S. Also I plan on reporting my complaints about Paypal to them as well > > as > > parent E-Bay. we've got to let them know if we have complaints-they > > haven't > > hired Dionne Warwick yet, as far as I know. ;-) > > _______________________________________________ > > Phono-L mailing list > > http://phono-l.oldcrank.org > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---- > > > > No virus found in this incoming message. > Checked by AVG - http://www.avg.com > Version: 8.0.169 / Virus Database: 270.6.21/1671 - Release Date: 9/14/2008 > 7:16 AM > > _______________________________________________ > Phono-L mailing list > http://phono-l.oldcrank.org
