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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.
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.
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.
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