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News from eBay

Offline MovieMan

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News from eBay
« on: September 17, 2012, 09:33:46 AM »
eBay sends emails to sellers letting them know about opportunties for selling AND new rules; here are a couple of recent ones:

1) eBay loves to give us "FREE" listings to put more money in their coffers.

    This one came to me today, 9/17/2012...just what I need...more free listings...I can't use the  50 a month they give
    me.





2) They recently sent a "fall update" which indicates that in October we will be required to use at least one photo in our listings and PUSHING, PUSHING, PUSHING the fact that if you put photos within the text of your listing that they won't necessarily show up on mobile devices.  I don't know about you, but I use the HTML tab when listing and frequently put in 10 to 15 pictures right inside my listing. The only photo op I use from them is the small one that goes with the item title. Now they are "threatening" us with the mobile thing.  When I look at my item on my iPad they show up fine and all the photos are available and show full size just as they do on a home computer.  Maybe they don't show up on someone's 2" screen, but I have to believe this really doesn't matter that much.

I know some people are addicted to their phones, but come on....how many buyers actually BUY while riding on a subway car or sipping a 32 oz soda at a convenience store.  If eBay somehow prevents us from putting pics within HTML it will simply be more eBay greed kicking in.


Offline alloro

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Re: News from eBay
« Reply #1 on: September 17, 2012, 09:40:57 AM »
Now they are "threatening" us with the mobile thing.

What mobile thing? I've received no threats regarding the mobile app.

Offline MovieMan

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Re: News from eBay
« Reply #2 on: September 17, 2012, 09:48:03 AM »
What mobile thing? I've received no threats regarding the mobile app.

Here's a pic that appears in the email. I will also post a link or picture of what is shown in the link where they
really push the fact that internal pics "might" not show up in mobile devices.



Here's the link to their "learn more" button shown in the pic just above. When you get there, scroll down and look at the graphics on the right and the green "do" notations and the red "don't" notations. I just can't believe they have our best interests at heart.

http://pages.ebay.com/sellerinformation/sellingresources/optimizeformobile.html

Offline MovieMan

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Re: News from eBay
« Reply #3 on: September 17, 2012, 09:57:44 AM »
What mobile thing? I've received no threats regarding the mobile app.

Don't know if I am mis-understanding you or not, but the news from eBay about images on mobile devices refers to the fact that if one puts pics within a listing's text area (using html) then eBay is saying those images may not show up correctly on mobile devices. They currently show up fine on my iPad and I don't look at them on a cell phone, so I can not comment on that aspect.

In days gone by eBay charged .15 cents for each picture above the one free one they "gave" us. Now I think all pics are free (maybe at any given gift-giving moment at eBay) so it doesn't matter as much, but when they did charge 15 cents each for maybe 10 additional pics I wanted to post, that would have been an exta $1.50 a listing. Ten listings would have meant an extra $15 in eBay fees I would have paid, so it was a savings.

I just like the look of big pics within a listing and with text pertinent to what is being shown...this is especially important if I want to show a scratch or dent in an item and want the buyer to see it before buying  and possibly being upset when the item arrives.


Offline alloro

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Re: News from eBay
« Reply #4 on: September 17, 2012, 11:28:15 AM »
the news from eBay about images on mobile devices refers to the fact that if one puts pics within a listing's text area (using html) then eBay is saying those images may not show up correctly on mobile devices.

I'm still not seeing the threat. What I am seeing is eBay is being upfront by telling you that embedding pictures in the text area might not be compatible with all mobile devices.

Offline MovieMan

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Re: News from eBay
« Reply #5 on: September 17, 2012, 11:57:44 AM »
I'm still not seeing the threat. What I am seeing is eBay is being upfront by telling you that embedding pictures in the text area might not be compatible with all mobile devices.

I am speculating that over time eBay will take this "upfront" news to eventually eliminate the opportunity to place pictures within HTML and at that point (or some point forward) start charging for each picture one wants to put in place. At a dime or fifteen cents at a pic this could add up to significant dollars in income for them.

I say this because every change (IMO) eBay makes benefits eBay (and/or buyers) more than it could ever benefit sellers.

Another case in point is the recent (in the last month or so) elimination of discounts to sellers who do NOT post in their listings that said sellers will accept returns (unconditionally IMO) within 14 days of a sale AND that sellers must ALSO ship within one day of a sale being paid for. 

While I am a power seller and a top rated seller it means very little any more except for the fact that some buyers will attach some importance to the fact that a seller has a 100% feedback rating.  No discounts on final fees unless you abide by the two conditions indicated in the paragraph above.

To those who will respond  "one day shipping isn't a problem for me" or "I haven't had any problems with 14 day return" that's great, but the first time it happens to you (as discussed in another thread) you might have a different feeling about it.

eBay is wonderful for the exposure it provides to an item for sale, but it's not perfect and over the last few years it has not been kind to sellers. What kind of feedback can a seller leave for a buyer?  The answer is either positive or none. A seller can not leave neutral or negative feedback for a buyer.

Years ago I received a negative feedback for a Princess House item I sold. The buyer said it wasn't Princess House though it was shipped in its original PH box and had the PH pattern in the glass. That negative feedback stayed with me for 1 solid year until it cleared out. At that time I was able to give the buyer negative feedback as well. Now, 7 years later, my feedback has gone from 100 or so (then) to almost 1,000 now (not a lot, but I'm happy with it). Meanwhile the person who left me the negative STILL has 10 feedback and they are ALL as a buyer.

eBay knows they have a captive audience and can pretty much do what they want, but when a big company like that says (in essence) "You don't like it go somewhere else" I think that's a problem...a philosophical one perhaps, but still a problem.

Offline MovieMan

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Re: News from eBay
« Reply #6 on: September 17, 2012, 12:14:28 PM »
Here's another example of eBay's manner of approaching sellers.



Here they take the approach "you should" do this and "you should" do that.

Perhaps (IMO) a better approach would be "You might want to consider..." or "We recommend..."

On the other hand they take the "I need to...." approach in the last line of their note above.

Nope, I'm sorry....despite their reach to millions of potential customers they need to work on their treatment of sellers.

EDIT:

I learned long ago to let a buyer post the first feedback. This was in the days when sellers COULD leave negative feedback for a buyer. You could leave feedback for buyers all day long and there would still be some (maybe a majority) who would not return the favor.  On the other hand a new buyer (10 or therebouts feedback) will give feedback to the seller first and certainly deserves to get feedback in return. As for the others who don't leave feedback, it's not a great loss. After all, what other future buyers are going to care if you have 1,000 feedback as a seller or 1, 007.

Offline alloro

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Re: News from eBay
« Reply #7 on: September 17, 2012, 03:45:51 PM »
While I do agree with you that eBay could do much better by their sellers, to me it sounds like you're making some assumption over what 'might' happen and that you're being a bit oversensitive in the area of how things are worded.

As to the feedback, even though I am a seller on eBay, I think that it's the seller that should be required to leave feedback first. I say this because the buyer buys, the seller gets paid, and then the seller ships. Now the seller is done and should leave feedback. After the buyer receives the item they should leave feedback based on how fast the order was processed, shipped, and if it is as described. When the seller waits for the buyer to leave feedback first, it's for no other reason than to manipulate the buyer into leaving better feedback than they otherwise might. This strong-arm tactic was the very basis as to why we can no longer leave negative or neutral feedback.

Offline MovieMan

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Re: News from eBay
« Reply #8 on: September 17, 2012, 04:04:38 PM »
While I do agree with you that eBay could do much better by their sellers, to me it sounds like you're making some assumption over what 'might' happen and that you're being a bit oversensitive in the area of how things are worded.

Hence the word "speculation" I would be the first to be thankful if I was wrong about them taking html pics out of the picture...and also the first to say "I told you so".

Regarding being "oversensitive" to how thing are worded: A statement such as "you should" is a command. A statement like "we recommend" gives a person a choice. Either has the potential of getting the same result...perhaps one more than the other (my opinion)

As to the feedback, even though I am a seller on eBay, I think that it's the seller that should be required to leave feedback first. I say this because the buyer buys, the seller gets paid, and then the seller ships. Now the seller is done and should leave feedback. After the buyer receives the item they should leave feedback based on how fast the order was processed, shipped, and if it is as described.


According to your philosophy on feedback (if I read you correctly) I am leaving feedback for the buyer having paid for the item. I can somewhat see that approach but I can't totally buy into it. Yes, the seller theoretically would leave feedback based on speed of order completion, shipping and if it was as described, but that doesn't always happen...not every buyer falls into a mold like that.


When the seller waits for the buyer to leave feedback first, it's for no other reason than to manipulate the buyer into leaving better feedback than they otherwise might. This strong-arm tactic was the very basis as to why we can no longer leave negative or neutral feedback.

That sounds like a condemnation of me personally...or at least of my approach but I won't take it personally. As to your assertion that "this strong-arm tactic" was the basis as to why we can no longer leave negative or neutral feedback, I didn't realize what power I had. Unless of course I was not the only one who felt this way. Getting negative feedback recanted by eBay is like pulling teeth and when it comes right down to it, we are always dealing with a single person at the other end of a communication with them and whether that person can be swayed or not.

It once took me a month and many emails and phone conversations to get eBay to yank some folks who had stolen my pictures and text for their own listings as another example.  On the other hand a couple of years ago the person I talked to about the same situation shut the offender down in a flash.

Offline alloro

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Re: News from eBay
« Reply #9 on: September 17, 2012, 04:17:34 PM »
Large and loud text, plus feelings of being personally attacked? I guess you're trying to push an agenda instead of having a rational discussion. Since you're so personally into this subject matter, there's really no positive points in going forward with this discussion from here.

Offline MovieMan

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Re: News from eBay
« Reply #10 on: September 17, 2012, 04:25:08 PM »
Large and loud text, plus feelings of being personally attacked? I guess you're trying to push an agenda instead of having a rational discussion. Since you're so personally into this subject matter, there's really no positive points in going forward with this discussion from here.

The "large and loud" text was to distinquish your original text from my responses. I am not pushing an agenda, but like you, expressing my feelings about eBay and their policies.

Did you miss the point where I said I wasn't taking it personally?

I agree there is no reason to pursue it further but hopefully this discussion ended on a more rational note than your response to StorMe a week or so ago. Sorry, had to put that in.  ;)


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