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eBay Begins A Change
ctwxman writes "If I hadn't double checked the routing, I wouldn't have believed the email I just received from ebay was real. After all, who is 'spoofed' more than ebay? But it looks like they're making some major structural changes in the way they deal with their customers. This includes, "giving our CS reps the flexibility and tools they need to really take care of you. So, to start, within the next 90 days, we'll shut down most of our automated email responses. Our users will get a "real" e-mail response to their questions - you'll hear from a human being who will try to help you with your problem or question right off the bat. We will only use auto responses to acknowledge receipt of spam or policy violation reports." Wow. However, don't read everything at its simplistic face value. When they say, "We also think the time has come to expand phone support," it's only for sellers. Still, this seems to be movement in the right direction. Now all they have to do is take a little more responsibility with fraud protection." The message is online; granted, this isn't the most exciting news ever, but it will end affecting a lot of people.
The most god-awful thing about ebay is: there is no way to get in touch with a real person there. There is no way to find a 1-800 number to talk to flesh and blood to solve a problem. I have had issues come up a number of times that automated emails and "faq's" wouldn't solve.
about time they are moving to a more "customer friendly" system...
I don't have a link right off hand, but I read this story yesterday off Goggle News and part of the announcement is that they are removing whatever fee increase that happened recently. I beleive it had something to do with a seller fee that was actually causing some auctions to COST money. So while what you say might be true (they could easily distribute that cost elsewhere) that is at least one area I do not think they will touch for awhile.
Perhaps this is in response to constant criticism that eBay has ignored complaints and refused to talk to users over serious problems? The UK consumer program Watchdog did a peice on eBay not long ago. Users had experienced fraudulant transactions and downright theft via. other eBay users but had been stonewalled when they tried to complain to eBay to get the problem resolved. Watchdog found it near impossible to contact and speak to a real human being at eBay. If a TV production crew couldn't speak to anyone, what hope do normal users have?
So it's about time. Lets just hope the "real humans" at the other end of that email address arn't constricted into responding like a robot from a pre-written script..
As a long-time eBay seller, I have mixed feelings. On the one hand, one suspects they'll just hire a bunch of David Spade "No" Guys... Many times I've reported obviously fake sellers. They write back that they won't do anything until 3 cases have been confirmed against the seller. I round up two other badly screwed buyers and submit the info... They reply that's still not good enough, case closed. --- On the plus side, I've received over 500 personal checks as payment from eBay buyers, and NOT ONE has bounced.
but until somebody can offer a guarantee to protect the little guy
They did protect me though, and finely so. I filed for PayPal Buyer Protection as I had not received an item (worth ~$100) for a whole month after the successful bid.
I filled all the required information, the seller did not reply to PayPal enquiries, and I had my money back in 8 days - 2 days sooner than what they specify in the FAQ.
Actually, they were so efficient, and the seller so stupid, that a couple of weeks later I even received the package. I never knew if it was a second shipment, or a very late first shipment.
I contacted the seller and paid him again, more out of fear that I might be considered a PayPal fraudster/exploiter than out of respect for him.
Thats correct.
First ebay send out a e-mail saying that ALL the fees were going up on Feb 19. Not just up, but DOUBLE the current rates.
So I think about this for a few minutes, thinking crap, I'll just close the stupid account. But I put it off til later.
Second, after a day or two, is this second email clarifying that the double fees ONLY apply to ebay 'stores'.
Then the next day, is this email from the President, about sevice and other crap.
That says to me that the fee hike isn't flying, and this presidents message is there to assage the feelings of the storefront owners. I beleive the idea is to reduce the listing(fixed) cost while doubling the sell percentage from 4% to 8% of the final sell price. This would rake in 2x as much money as before. Gee, I was hardly making any money before.
Wonder how the shareholders will feel when traffic takes a hit?
They Live, We Sleep
First, there's a missing word in the news summary. Last sentence: "but it will end affecting a lot of people."
It will end what?!
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Second point: The complaints regarding customer service are rather exaggerated. Yeah, you get an auto-response when first submitting an inquiry/email. I had my account shut down for no apparent reason. I sent a email (not just a rant email, but a sensibly written email with my contact information, including phone #).
Within 48 hrs i received A PHONE CALL. That's right. Not an email, but a phone call from an Ebay customer service agent. He and I resolved the issue that had caused my account closure, and then right there while on the phone with me my account was reactivated. How's that for customer service? That happened in August 2004.
Uh, the level of fraud with the feedback system is enormous.
Besides astroturfing, I've had several sellers leave negative feedback, and offer to retract the feedback if I rescind my fraud charges. Because of the enormous volume they do, the can take a hit on a few negative feeckbacks and still keep a relatively high percentage of positive feedback. Or simply open new accounts and have a few friends by things in order to establish credibility.
Ebay has been unresponsive to this, and as Ebay collects revenue primarily from sellers; this isn't likely to change.
... the ability to talk to real human. Though I don't trust ebay/PayPal to solve my problems for me. That is why... I don't use PayPale.
I have got just a few transactions, but some with rather big money + international shipment & payment. No way I go for that if I don't have individual bank account details. It does not solve the problem. But if something goes wrong I know where to start. Ebay is out of the loop. And the end seller (thieve) knows I'll be able to track things down.
This is a hassely solution in order to initiate a payment, but it's more peaceful. Your choice: less hassle in general => big hassle when it goes wrong or a bit of hassle every time and less chance of the big shite to come up. (Oops also: no credit card number in the wild... That's a big peace of mind.)
Z.
But they aren't a bank. They are a money transfer service, and that is why they can offer a lot of the services they do.
If they were regulated as a bank, they would have to behave like a bank. Personally, I'd rather have a little more risk, for better functionality. If you don't want to make that tradeoff, use a bank.
Question about paypal, hopefully someone here will know the answer.
What happens if I close my paypal account? Its not limited access or anything, but it has access to my real checking account.
So, I would like to know if I can remove access from my checking account somehow, I doubt I can do this without closing my paypal account. But if I close my paypal account they will still have that info stored somewhere, and possibly in the future exercise their "right" to take money from it. Will I be safe by closing my paypal account? or should I cancel my credit card & checking accounts at my bank also?
The problem here is that IIRC, eBay doesn't position themselves as being an intermediary. They position themselves as the medium. (I'm probably mangling the vocabulary here. I'll explain) GamesTradingZone essentially acted as an intermediary, much the same of as a newspaper's classified ads. All they're in the business for is presenting the ad. In contrast, eBay involves themselves in the tracking of the sellers and buyers and handles the transations (to the point of having bought up PayPal, the company which was most popular for shuttling payments around).
This sig has absolutely no significance and serves only to take up screen space and waste the time of the reader.
Everyone should do themselves a favor and buy only from sellers who are either just some guy with something they want, or from retailers with assloads of positive feedback. Those people have an interest in protecting their feedback ratings, because just opening a new account would make them lose the huge number next to their nickname.
Out of the ten or so auctions I've won (all for small stuff) only five of the sellers were actually responsive and sent me stuff on time. One of them even forgot to send me some parts, I emailed them to ask them to send them, they asked me where I wanted them sent (uh hello, I gave you the item numbers bozo) and I still don't have the items. That reminds me, I should go email that guy again.
If you see auctions for cellphone stuff from the guy listed at the top of this comment, don't buy from them. They list used stuff as new. They are a pain in the ass to deal with. They actually tried to make excuses originally saying that it was new because it had never been used, and that it had been hanging around their warehouse for a long time, which is why it was scratched. As if I care! I ordered new, I want new. This is awfully reminiscent of BZBOYZ.COM (see my journal) listing "retail" items on pricewatch, then informing you that they are OEM after you place your order, and trying to upsell you to the retail box. Isn't advertising fraud, like, illegal?
"You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
They offer debit cards to access your paypal account via atm's and credit card purchases. They are acting as a bank, therefore need to be regulated as one.
I do feel sorry for the parent, as I have been stung before on ebay and am currently being screwed over by another seller. The truth is that I have changed my habits to better protect myself. I can not rely on ebay to help, so I plan that they will not. I use a good visa card and I know that (should I need to) I can rely on them to invoke a charge-back. I use ebay to buy various items, it has its risks and I dislike the system for the opportunities to get burned, but I live and learn. Luckily for me everything bad has been minimal. Would I let my parents use ebay? No, never. I tell them to give me a list of stuff they want and I would get it. Do I think ebay permit crappy sellers to continue conning other? Yes. I have had good experiences, and they have been from really great sellers. It is just that ebay sits on the side, takes the money and shrugs its shoulders when others get screwed.
They are a money transfer service
What do you think a bank is? Banks transfer money constantly. That's their job, among a slew of other things. They also 'store' money but a lot of it is transferring balances from different accounts.
Paypal offers debit cards and other money services, including a basic savings account. They do store money, as much as others would believe they don't. What do you think a paypal balance is?
They are a bank, they should be regulated as such. End of Story.
Never let them take the funds from your bank account. I always Paypal from my American Express. If there's a problem... Call Amex, Amex drops the hammer on Paypal and it's done.
Amex never questions me, and has always been helpful. There's a lot of things wrong with Amex, but customer protection from BS like this isn't one of them, and that's why I put up with a lot of thier inane crap.
I especially love the little blurb Paypal puts up everytime I use my American Express as my funding source, something along the lines of: "Paypal offers buyer protection up to $1000. There's no need to use a credit card, blah blah blah. Are you sure you want to switch your funding source to American Express?"
Haha, yeah, I've been on the receiving end of your "buyer protection." Paypal does exactly squat. Ship someone an empty box and you've fulfilled your obligation as far as Paypal is concerned. Buy protection my ass... thanks, I'll keep using American Express that offers REAL buyer protection.
If they say nothing about the reliability of a vendor, then I agree (somewhat) with buyer beware, but they are still providing the forum for this transaction, and are in fact acting as the middle-man for the whole transaction now that they have acquired PP. They bear some responsibility for fraud protection because they are the clearing house, but they are intent to dodge that to the extreme. That's what I have a problem with.
Karma: Excellent (Mainly due to Bill & Ted's Karma Adventure)
The CS reps were never limited by policy to only using canned responses; they could always compose their own. The reason customers always got canned responses is because CS reps were graded (and retained/fired) based on how many "cases" they handled per hour.
You simply can't take the time to use a computerized database to investigate a customer's issue, then compose and reply with a nice, professional, readable response if you know that you have to process 15-20 cases an hour or get fired/talked to. When you only have 2-3 minutes per case, a list of "no-no" words and phrases from marketing, a slow database, and an even slower email system, you just guess what the customer's issue was, then pull a file that responds to the issue you guessed they had. No time to even think about the customer on the other end... you're trying to keep your job and your paycheck!
So you quickly become very familiar with their database of prewritten responses, many of which weren't even written by writers, but rather by staffers and those who did employee training. It was a mess, and it's come back to bite them in the ass with all the spoofing that has simply incorporated many of those same canned phrases and paragraphs that users had become accustomed to receiving.
I think shortly after I left (maybe a year and a half ago now), they outsourced a lot of the CS to Canada and India, which probably helped to some extent.