eBay sellers start weeklong boycott

You might see fewer items on eBay this week. Sellers angry over higher fees and other policy changes are launching a weeklong boycott of the auction site in protest.

(Credit: eBay)

EBay recently announced plans to raise the commission sellers have to pay for items they sell, which goes into effect on Wednesday. The company also is banning sellers from offering any feedback on buyers, good or bad.

eBay says some sellers were abusing the system, retaliating against customers who leave them negative feedback and making some buyers afraid to leave honest comments. Sellers argue that the change means they can't keep track of scammers.

These changes have sellers up in arms. They say raising sales commissions and silencing feedback shows how little they are valued, according to a video an eBay seller posted on YouTube advertising the boycott.

Despite 41 consecutive quarters of revenue increases, sales growth has slowed at eBay. Last month, long-time Chief Executive Meg Whitman announced she was stepping down at the end of March to make way for fresh leadership; John Donahoe, head of eBay Marketplaces, will replace her. The company faces stiff competition from Amazon.com and other sites.

This isn't the first eBay protest, and it won't likely be the last.

"We're not surprised (by the boycott). We made a lot of changes to the site that impact a lot of the sellers," said eBay spokesman Jose Mallabo. "We've been through a lot of cycles of things like this. (Sellers) are as impassioned with the things they're not happy with, as they are the things they are exuberant about."

Mallabo says the changes the sellers are protesting are good for the company, and sellers too, in the long term.

eBay doesn't outright dismiss all customer complaints. In response to seller complaints, the company last week cut the listing fee imposed on books, movies, music, and video games offered on the site.

The boycott is scheduled to run from Monday to February 25.

[MediaOutsider]

Ridiculous

Some sellers bailed out when eBay banned sales of "any part used <br />to fire a gun," going to AuctionArms.com and GunBroker.com. Now <br />I can't warn other sellers when a buyer stiffs me or wastes my <br />time? One can only hope another auction site steps up.<br /><br />Way to go, eBay.

[stalexone]

I agree

This really stinks. We do need an other auction site that doesn't take so much away from sellers. I'm really surprised and frustrated that Yahoo Auctions and Amazon have failed so badly in creating an alternative.

[Mergatroid Mania]

Screw the boycott, just stop using eBay

With so many other places to go to for selling their goods, why don't the sellers just drop eBay completely?<br /><br />The people running this company are SOOOO rich (disgustingly so), that to increase commissions is completely ridiculous.<br /><br />Why would sellers pay more just to keep the top dogs filthy rich?<br /><br />Lets see the top dogs cut their saleries in half....oh, right, then they wouldn't be able to buy their kids that new porche for the summer.....

[Mergatroid Mania]

Screw the boycott, just stop using eBay

With so many other places to go to for selling their goods, why don't the sellers just drop eBay completely?<br /><br />The people running this company are SOOOO rich (disgustingly so), that to increase commissions is completely ridiculous.<br /><br />Why would sellers pay more just to keep the top dogs filthy rich?<br /><br />Lets see the top dogs cut their saleries in half....oh, right, then they wouldn't be able to buy their kids that new porsche for the summer.....

[psychoalchemy]

About time

While I don't support the higher commissions the retaliatory <br />negative feedback I have received from some sellers was over the <br />top.<br /> <br />If you don't deliver an item and give me the run around when I ask <br />for a refund, then you deserve a bad rep and I shouldn't have to <br />suffer for it.

[MediaOutsider]

Agreed

But the thing is, the way the system was set up, if you (the buyer) <br />screwed me (the seller) and I gave negative feedback, you could <br />retaliate with negative feedback. There was a built-in disincentive <br />to leaving negative feedback unless you'd already received <br />feedback from the other party. (Of course it works both ways.)<br /><br />In some cases, I was willing to take a hit just so some ****** got a <br />well-deserved negative.

[theweaverboy]

Seller have to be able to DEFEND themselves

First let me thank psychoalchemy for not supporting the fee increase. An intelligent individual sees that it will increase seller?s prices just to stay where they were yesterday in profits. I am a PowerSeller/Store/and I have over 520 FB. I was burnt by a seller when I first started, so I understand buyers point of view about giving a bad seller honest negative feedback. Most ebayers, both buyers and sellers, are honest people just trying to make or save some money. <br /><br />I hate to burst psychoalchemy bubble though, but the world can be an untrustworthy place. There is such a thing as BAD buyers. Scammers, hot-heads, or just psychopaths. EBay doesn't do any kind of a background check on who they let on. <br /><br />Sellers currently are able to know what kind of an individual a buyer is and have the ability to defend themselves in the court of public opinion, which is exactly what feedback is. <br /><br />It hasn't happened often, but maybe two or three time a buyer tried to tell me that a package didn't arrive, when the DELIVERY CONFIRMATION number said that it did. I gave the buyer scenarios to use for this to be a mistake. Examples: Did they have the right item/seller? Did a roommate, spouse, or child put them item away and not tell them that it arrived? They usually backed down once I explain what a delivery confirmation number was and how it verifies that a package arrives. <br /><br />Sometimes I had packages delayed because of the holidays and they would go nuts, because the package might have taken two or three weeks to arrive. Also once the post-office lost something. There was no insurance on the package on the buyers own choice they decline insurance, and they blame me. How the delays and losses of USPS are my fault I'll never understand.<br /><br />The only thing holding these people at bay was negative feedback. I, and I'm sure smarter sellers do, use it defensively and not for attacking. We sellers have all had somebody stiff us at one point in time. And yes it is upsetting, but smarter level headed sellers won't usually be the aggressor in giving negative feedback. We'll usually agree with the buyer not to go through with the transaction and give them an unpayment strike to get our fees back. People get a little too caught up in bidding sometimes or just make mistakes.<br /><br />Positive feedback percentage is a seller?s reputation and livelihood, which can be destroyed if a few BAD buyers come for us. Some people could be scammer, others might just think it is funny, or they could be friends/family of one of our competitors looking to ruin us to get rid of the competition. It'll leave us defenseless to attacks not to have negative feedback. <br /><br />Also isn?t it a free speech issue? How one group can say what they wish about another and the other can?t say a word is beyond me in what is fair.<br /><br />Sincerely,<br />Steve AKA: theweaverboy (522 positives) 99.8%

[DawnCreason]

Why just one week?

Why just boycott for one week? One month would hit them harder. The new "rules" about sellers not being allowed to leave feedback is crazy. Mix that with the "best match" system and sellers will be competing with each other and leaving negatives for each other so they can be on top! It's sad because the small sellers are the ones that will be hurt the most. I sell probably 100 items a year and don't have inventory to compete with "power sellers". I'll keep up with what they do, but until the rules of searching and feedback change, I will not be listing ANYTHING.

[gman450]

Ebay and private information - your at risk!

Another item to worry about is the fact that your personal information may be able to be viewed by the VeRO program participants, these folks have the right to view/delete information from ebay without ebay validating why. Your personal information, could be at risk.<br /><br />To read more go to:<br /><a class="jive-link-external" href="http://realitybasedcommunity.net/archive/2008/02/scientology_abu_1.php" target="_newWindow">http://realitybasedcommunity.net/archive/2008/02/scientology_abu_1.php</a><br /><br />G

[slbayauctions]

Are there any new auctions???

I am really just sick of paying for fake bidders or no bidders at all. I sell sports autographs on ebay and through my site www.rksportstars.com They have the nerve to wipe out my store because I listed 1 I bought from another memnber and now they tell me its fake. Try <a class="jive-link-external" href="http://www.slbayauctions.com" target="_newWindow">http://www.slbayauctions.com</a> Does anyone know any other good auctions, somethings got to give.<br /><br />Rob NJ

[SL-INC.]

No Longer a Two Way Street...

eBay announced changes in the coming months, one of them ELIMINATES the ability for a seller to leave Negative Feedback on a Deadbeat buyers account. You might think, what the big deal, but it's a one way street. As a Seller will not be able to leave this Negative Feedback on a Deadbeat Buyer, if the Buyer feels they have had a Negative experience, they can still leave Negative Feedback on the Sellers account.<br /><br />How is this fair?<br /><br />If you are not on eBay, it would be the equivalent of being a Manager of a Retail Store and if you have a bad customer that their Credit Card keeps getting declined, and as much as you would want too, you would not be allowed to alert other stores / branches about them.<br /><br />I myself have a 326+ Rating on eBay. I have two (2) total Negative Feedback in almost 10 Years on the site and both of them because the Buyer did not read the description totally thought they were getting a different item then they did, not my issue. Most of my Feedback is from selling, but on the occasion I do come across a Deadbeat Buyer who never communicates or Pays me for the item. I should be allowed to leave bad feedback on their account about my experience with them and also to warn others on eBay about this person?s inability to pay. Why can they leave bad feedback on my account because they did not take the time to read the auction or contact me beforehand? I am an Honest Seller / Buyer and because of a small group of bad Sellers and Buyers, the Honest Sellers (Not Buyers) have to pay for it.<br /><br />eBay's overall system relies on Trust between Buyers and Sellers and the Feedback System is an excellent way to see this. Sure it needs work and tweaks, but nothing is perfect.<br /><br />eBay can't exist without Sellers or Buyers. It is more important for them to have the seller. Simply put, a Buyer pay nothing except the price of the auction and shipping (Nothing goes to eBay). The seller (Even if the item does not sell) has to pay the listing fee regardless. Sure there are ways to get your $$$ back if the item does not sell, but as far as eBay is concerned as soon as it get s a bid (Good or Bad) they charge the seller. Like Sellers are required on signup, buyers should also have to put a Valid Credit Card in their account to help protect the seller. I can image some of you buyers out there now are saying ?You have to put a Credit Card number in if you are a seller?. Yes, because like I said, even if the item does not sell, eBay still charges us. Bogus Buyers need to be head accountable!<br /><br />If you want to make it fair then either eliminate the Feedback system totally or revamp it. eBay is doing nothing more than enforcing the ?Customer is always right? view, even if that customer is dishonest. Don?t get me wrong, there are dishonest Sellers too, but the larger percentage of us are good.<br /><br />A Feedback System on any Retail / Online Store is the best way to drum up Business, but if I can?t tell my patrons that ?X_BUYER? never paid for this item, then how am I supposed to protect myself?<br /><br />Also, eBay and PayPal need to get on the same page. They seem to have two sets of Rules. I remember when PayPal was owned by Band of America (Late 90?s when they first started and I was in the first 700,000 users), you had standardized rules and Policies what were all FDIC backed. eBay needs to also open up to how someone can Pay, there are more options than just PayPal. Google Checkout is safe and many others. They don?t want you to pay for anything except what makes them Money. I never understood why PayPal charged to send money from one PayPal account to another. I mean, I could understand if you were not a PayPal member and paid a processing fee on your Credit / Debit Card, but in an account to account transaction, the money never leaves their possession, it simply moves down the block.<br /><br />Also, you those who still use PayPal, they can suspend / cancel your account based on ?Suspicion?. You can send me $20 jus as Quasi Cash, maybe you owed it to me for lending it to you. If they suspect you sent me that $20 for anything that violates their policy, they lock your account. Take it from someone who went through it. I sent someone $25 and sent a note that said ?Thanks for the Crack? as a Joke, guess whose account got suspended and cancelled!?<br /><br />Here are other alternative to PayPal for those interested: <a class="jive-link-external" href="http://money.cnn.com/galleries/2008/fsb/0802/gallery.paypal_alternatives.fsb/index.html" target="_newWindow">http://money.cnn.com/galleries/2008/fsb/0802/gallery.paypal_alternatives.fsb/index.html</a><br /><br />Please feel free to contact me with more ePAY / $ay$al Rantings!<br /><br />Scott Sliwinski ? [e-mail]<br />Homepage: <a class="jive-link-external" href="http://mysite.verizon.net/slinkys_delsol/" target="_newWindow">http://mysite.verizon.net/slinkys_delsol/</a><br />YouTube: <a class="jive-link-external" href="http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=ScottSliwinski" target="_newWindow">http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=ScottSliwinski</a>

[4DibsOn]

Alternative To Ebay

Hello Everyone,<br /><br />I understand the Outrage of Ebayer's, who is making a Fortune here, the Customers or Ebay?<br /><br />There are other Alternatives -- Try DibsOn.Com --<br />A New Online Auction Website which is Now Up and<br />Running. Register and Post Your Items for Free or<br />Use some of the Special Features.<br /><br />There is No Extra Cost for selling Cars, Motorcycles, Real Estate like other Auction sites.<br /><br />Show Ebay that their Customers are who made them,<br />without Customers they are nothing.<br /><br />Turn your Attention to DibsOn.Com and make it the<br />Next Big Boy in the Online Auction War.<br />Remember at DibsOn.Com, it will Put More Money In<br />Your Pockets if you use it.<br /><br />List your Items for Free and if it does not Sell,<br />List it again and again for Free.<br /><br />The Fees Are As Follows On DibsOn.Com :<br /><br />Listing Fee ----- Free<br />______________________________<br /><br />Special Features <br /> <br />Bold Listing --- $0.25<br />Attention Grabber -- $0.25<br />Featured Items ---- $1.00<br />Gallery Items ---- $1.50<br /><br />____________________________________<br /><br />Final Sellers Fee $1.00<br />____________________________________<br /><br />Remember if you just Post an item up for Sale and use No Special Features, It Only Cost you $1.00<br />when you Sell an Item.<br /><br />At DibsOn.Com the Customer is Number 1, for without a Customer Base, No Business can make it.<br /><br />In the Near Future ther will also be A Payment<br />Processor without the High Fees of Others.<br /><br />Go To DibsOn.Com and Register Now and Post Your Items Today and Start making more money that You can put in YOUR POCKETS, not some Big Company !!!<br /><br />Best of Luck with the Ebay Boycott and Keep it going.<br /><br />J Lynn

[magnaman1967]

this site has been shut down and no longer valid.

[4DibsOn]

Any New Auctions

Hello,<br /><br />Here is One New Auction Site that is Brand New !!<br /><br />I understand the Outrage of Ebayer's, who is making a Fortune here, the Customers or Ebay?<br /><br />There are other Alternatives -- Try DibsOn.Com --<br />A New Online Auction Website which is Now Up and<br />Running. Register and Post Your Items for Free or<br />Use some of the Special Features.<br /><br />There is No Extra Cost for selling Cars, Motorcycles, Real Estate like other Auction sites.<br /><br />Show Ebay that their Customers are who made them,<br />without Customers they are nothing.<br /><br />Turn your Attention to DibsOn.Com and make it the<br />Next Big Boy in the Online Auction War.<br />Remember at DibsOn.Com, it will Put More Money In<br />Your Pockets if you use it.<br /><br />List your Items for Free and if it does not Sell,<br />List it again and again for Free.<br /><br />The Fees Are As Follows On DibsOn.Com :<br /><br />Listing Fee ----- Free<br />______________________________<br /><br />Special Features <br /><br />Bold Listing --- $0.25<br />Attention Grabber -- $0.25<br />Featured Items ---- $1.00<br />Gallery Items ---- $1.50<br /><br />____________________________________<br /><br />Final Sellers Fee $1.00<br />____________________________________<br /><br />Remember if you just Post an item up for Sale and use No Special Features, It Only Cost you $1.00<br />when you Sell an Item.<br /><br />At DibsOn.Com the Customer is Number 1, for without a Customer Base, No Business can make it.<br /><br />In the Near Future ther will also be A Payment<br />Processor without the High Fees of Others.<br /><br />Go To DibsOn.Com and Register Now and Post Your Items Today and Start making more money that You can put in YOUR POCKETS, not some Big Company !!!<br /><br />Best of Luck with the Ebay Boycott and Keep it going.<br /><br />J Lynn <br /><br />Report as offensiveReply to story | Reply to this comment

[ssandee]

The problems facing eBay sellers...

The problem facing eBay sellers is a collective problem, and therefore requires a collective solution.<br /><br />Only the eBay users themselves can truly break the eBay Inc. monopoly, rescue our auction businesses from destruction at the hands of corporate greed, and save the original eBay person-to-person trading concept as an open marketplace of equals.<br /><br />The eBay users?united, in our millions?can make a new fee-free home for ourselves on the Web and simply move there en masse, replicating the traffic of the eBay.com site.<br /><br />Together, we can recreate the eBay Community, beyond the reach of eBay Group, Inc. The users made eBay the first time, and we can do it again?this time to suit our needs, rather than just line the pockets of FeeBay executives and shareholders.<br /><br />Visit www.thepoint.com/campaigns/subat

[AuctionGirl]

EBay Boycot has Many Looking for a New Alternative

Many angry eBayers launched a boycott against eBay or feebay as they would call it. Long term eBay users are just plain fed up with eBay's greed. Since eBay started many people have been loyal customers but now eBay wants to get greedy and give their LOYAL customers less bang for their buck! The constant raising of fees and the limitations they are putting on feedback is a big slap in the face for everyone. They tend to forget who made them what they are! They are trying to run off the little people and only keep the customers who are "power sellers" who spend a fortune with them. This is wrong on so many levels! Ebay will crumble and in time just become a faint Internet memory!<br /><br />So many people are turning to Craigs List. But, what most don't know is that Craigs List is owned by eBay. Sure you can list certain thing for free, but you have to list it city by city. There isn't a store option or any other options for that matter. Lets face it how long do you think it will take for eBay to make Craigs List completely overpriced as well?<br /><br />There are alternatives. We at USAuctionsLive.com have seen this coming for a long time. And like many of you we too were tired of being ripped off by eBay! We decided to take it to the next level and create an auction site that allowed live auction to be enjoyable once again. The sheer thought of having to pay out a percentage of your hard earned sale is sickening! And what you want your own store but you have to pay a monthly fee PLUS pay for every listing? It's obsurd; you should be encouraged to do so by receiving a huge price break! And that is exactly what we have done. If you take a look at our store prices you will see you only pay a SMALL flat monthly fee and you can list UNLIMITED items in your store. We don't charge additional listing fees, and close of auction fees. We believe it should be affordable and our customers should actually make a profit, not give it all to us.<br /><br />We want encourage people not to give up on live auctions. So, for all of you former eBayers we want to let you try our sit for free for a month a test drive if you will. List what ever you want for free and utilize all of our features and see that the auction world can still be enjoyable. just go to www.usauctionslive.com and insert this voucher code: 8A156D26C5D4 for all of your listings. Then sit back and see it is possible to get back in the game.

[Apparelwoman]

I have shut my eBay count. My online store set up in a shopping cart system beings me the same profit as eBay! The other online shopping system is http://system.fastcommerce.com/, which is mainly designed for small business. It is very cheap and 2000 items for only $29.95! It is me fantastic eBay alternative!

[getsmarty]

Since this first posting, many things changed and it is apparent to me that it has reached a point where ebay needs a complete reorganization if it is to survive. The last year has been a fiasco of goofy rules such as sellers can not leave negative feedback, sellers can still set their own shipping schedules but their buyers must answer the question "did it ship fast?" ( If seller's score in this area is lower, they are suspended (happened to me)). When ebay had tech problems messing up payment status, sellers were told to ship all items anyway, they were probably paid (probably?). All payments are now held in Paypal for up to 21 days, YET, sellers are urged (see above) to ship immediately or risk negatives or suspension. Since they have no funds, not even the shipping, it must be shipped on their dime until ebay/paypal decides to release the money. Buyers actually think that as soon as they hit the PAY NOW button it actually goes directly to the seller and have not been told of the hold on funds. If a seller does not have ready cash or is not willing to risk sending an item that he/she has not been paid for, it is a means financial ruin and suspension. ebay does not understand what it is like to not have two nickels to rub together, but a lot of us do <br /> <br />I no longer sell as a powerseller on ebay and have switched to my own website and www.ebid.net, an English site that is all the things that ebay is not. What a pleasure to be treated with respect, its been a long long time. My fees dropped from almost $800 a month to approximately $50!!!!!!!!!! I kept Paypal as a payment source (ebay owned) only as a convenience to customers AND because the hold applies only to ebay sales. I keep an eye on them. <br /> <br />ebay once bragged it had 100 million auctions on any given day, the figure, according to independent sources is now 25 million. The other auctions are gaining fast and, in fact, if you add up all the other smaller auction sites, they equal approximately 25 million auctions!!!! <br /> <br />I don't hold any grudge for all the garbage ebay pulled on me and my friends, in fact I would love to be on ebay's reorganization team!!! (call me ebay, I would be glad to help). Let's see how long it takes for the President/CEO to figure out that spending more will not cure what is wrong with ebay??.