eBay

Back in prehistoric times, bosses worried that workers were using the office Internet connection to look at pornography. After that it was Amazon.com. Now it's eBay and the other auction sites.

eBay The eBay Empire • eBay • PayPal • Bill Me later • StubHub --- News • eBay Buys Bill Me Later • eBay: Where Recalled Items Live Forever • eBay Ignores Scam Victim • Class Action Against eBay • Sunday Times Reports Widespread Shill Bidding on eBay • Boston Man Charged with Hacking eBay • Consumers Question eBay's Security • Recalled Products Routinely Listed on eBay • eBay Faces Shilling Suit --- More eBay Complaints • Merchandise Not Received • Misrepresentation • eBay Motors • Shilling • Miscellaneous Complaints • Sellers Complaints • Defenders

Walk through any office around 8:30 a.m. and everyone's logged on and ready for another day. Only thing is, instead of reading the CEO's latest rantings, they're buying antique waffle irons on eBay and selling some left-over parts from that old Studebaker out in the back yard.

The whole thing works more or less on the honor system, which is pretty much how speed limits work. Our suspicion has been that if you held up a radar gun, you'd find a lot of people speeding -- and a lot of others (or maybe the same ones) not coming through with the merch.

Here are a few of the more recent complaints we've received:

Kelly of Moclips WA (08/24/08)
For seven years, my business partner and I have been using ebay as a buying and selling tool. Lately, it has become apparent that ebay is VICTIMIZING all sellers with their new rules. The latest regarding Paypal ONLY payments for winning sales is the final straw. The following is what we have posted on our current auctions: NOTICE: Ebay has announced effective October 2008, payments for ALL ebay items by checks or money orders will not be accepted. Only payments by PayPal will be allowed.

We think this is TOTALLY unfair to both buyers and sellers. Ebay OWNS PayPal and it is apparent that because Ebay makes money off payments made through PayPal (charging sellers yet ANOTHER fee) that Ebay HAS BECOME EVEN MORE GREEDY! Ebay has changed the fee structure to sellers, the feedback policy which prohibits sellers from leaving negative feedback to buyers where warranted (on those rare occasions)and now this new policy regarding only PayPal payments, we as a seller for over SEVEN years will close our account and move on to another more FRIENDLY auction site.

In seven years of accepting checks for payment, NOT ONE HAS EVER BOUNCED. On the other hand, those with concerns as buyers using money orders claim it's easier for buyers to pocket the money and not deliver on the goods. Not necessarily, you can ALWAYS check with your bank or post office to see if your money order has cleared just like with your check. There are many older buyers who do not trust online paying. We have many repeat customers who always send checks or money orders. Now those customers will be lost forever.

It has also become more difficult to contact ebay regarding any problems whether as a seller or buyer. It seems they are HIDING behind their massive WALL OF GREED and refuse to act like responsible business people. We as one small business owners do not like the idea of internet regulation. Many sellers are leaving ebay because of this most recent change in the rules. It has been suggested that perhaps a class action suit is in order so that ebay can be knocked out to the level of the rest of us.

Loss of income due to payment restrictions and the outrageous fees ebay charges sellers to use their services.

Jayne of Paradise, CA August 22, 2008

Jayne of Paradise CA (08/22/08)
eBay has issued new rules regarding the payments that sellers are allowed to collect for sales that they make. no more cash, checks or money orders for on line sales...only credit cards and electronic funds transactins made though one of their own companies ...Pay Pal. I want to accept cash, check or money orders as I have for 10 years. I do not want to pay them any more in fees than I already pay.

I do not want to let Pay Pay handle my money. it is my money and I do not want then to have anything to do with it. They are not a bank and my funds are not fully protected when in their hands and they have too many rules about what they can do with the funds in their care....funds which they can earn interest on after they have been paid to manage the funds.

With eBays new rules I will no longer be able to make my meager sales of my personal posessions...sales that mostly amount to under 30.00 each. When I get paid by money order or personal check I get the money in my hand take it to my bank and mail the item to the high bidder. money in and product out. I often need the money on the day it comes in to buy groceries or put gas in my car.

I don't want it to be subjected to another set of fees imposed on my by eBay for being forced to use their other company Pay Pal. It is my sale of my item...how can they tell me how or what I can take for payment? especially when they want me to use their company for the funds transfer.

Richelle of Port Orchard, WA August 21, 2008

Richelle of Port Orchard WA (08/21/08)
I am fed up with ebay. In the beginning, it was a great idea. Things seemed to be fair between buyers and sellers. Now, several years later, it seems that the real problem is ebay itself. Ebay has become such a money hungry corporate pig anymore. There isn't really any protection for buyers or sellers. Having walked on both sides of the fence, I have noticed that the only real protection exists for ebay itself. They seem to cover all the bases when it concerns them but puts very little effort in the protection of its sellers or buyers.

I used to have an ebay store and sold items for several years until it became so rediculous that I ended up dumping it. It seems that you might make some money if you sell big ticket items, but even that is in question anymore. Ebay seems to have cornered the market on auction sites and as a way of showing its consumer appreciation, they are constantly raising their long list of fees such as store fees, insertion fees, galary fees, buy it now fees, final value fees and so on and so on. They took over Half.com and are in conjunction with PayPal as well.

I have finally had the last straw when they announced that they will be setting limits on shipping fees. In other words, if something costs more to ship from the east or west coast, the seller has to bite the lose. Ebay's answer to this problem is for the seller to raise their starting price. Who wins here? Ebay, of course. The seller looses out because he has to compete with other sellers prices and may not get bids due to having to raise his/her prices higher and ebay makes more money for the higher final value fee.

The second thing that set me off was their announcement that in Oct. of 2008, you can no longer pay with money orders or checks. I understand checks, but come on, money orders. What's the harm in that. Oh, that's right. PayPal doesn't receive their kickback. Ebay is making it manditory for you to open a PayPal account or pay via credit card. Even when you purchase seller or buyer protection, you can only claim a small percentage after paying PayPals 25.00 fee to look into the matter.

I have read so many complaints against ebay's business practice from how long you have to search their site to find the hidden customer service number to how ebay has been suspending innocent parties. I am just so fed up. I hope that someone out there comes up with the idea to over power ebay's monopoly on the market and start another auction site that actually takes their business practices more seriously and puts both buyers and sellers above any greedy money hungry corporate practices.

Nik of Redford, MI August 20, 2008

Nik of Redford MI (08/20/08)
Something is going on with eBay. They've suspended many of my friends accounts. They will not respond to any e-mail's, faxes, phone calls, etc. They keep telling each one that they are sorry that they do not have any more information. I've contacted the BBB in San Jose and they said that eBay has over 4K complaints lodged against them. I then contacted the Attorney General's office in CA and was told that since eBay is on the internet that they are not regulated. So basically there is nothing you can do.

All of my friends have at least 1K listings for sale on eBay. Each auction takes approx. ten minutes each to post. Can you imagine the time it took for these to do? Then all these sellers rely totally on the income. To sign on and see that all your hard work and income is totally shut down with no explanation, no nothing, is horriable. eBay has way too much power, how can they get away with this. These are all long-time, old school sellers. I know it seems odd. Any suggestions? Thank you

Loss of much time and income.

Veronica of Mesa, AZ August 19, 2008

Veronica of Mesa AZ (08/19/08)
I was accused of Shill Bidding, meaning they were accusing me of bidding up someone's auction with no intention of buying merely to raise the price. They suspended my account as well as the accounts of sellers that I had bid on their items for 14 days plus I am required to take a tutorial on Shill Bidding. They sent notices to the sellers giving my Ebay ID and stating I was the reason for this.

I haven't bid on anything in over a month. Anything I have bid on and won in the past I have paid for in a timely manner through Paypal. If I lost an auction because the price was bid up to more than I wanted pay, that should be at my dicression. Am I obligated to continue bidding on something I dont want anymore because I found a better price? I have 100% buyer/seller rating and only positive feedback. I have never received a negative email or complaint.

When I asked Ebay for information how they came to this conclusion I got a reply that stated due to the high volume my question would be addressed in 3-4 days. Unless they could give me real answers and show proof (which they don't have) they should not have suspended my account or my seller's accounts.

Several people I have purchased items from had their seller accounts suspended as well. I am also a seller which means that myself as well as my fellow sellers affected can not generate income because of a false accusation. If I was in the wrong, which I was not, no one else should have been penalized but me.

Elizabeth of San Antonio, TX August 18, 2008

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