EBay Obsession!!!

EBAY OBSESSION

by Lynn D

I know that many of you will read this and just not care. That is ok with me. I just need a place to vent my feelings on this subject as it has been consuming me of late and I knew the owls would put up with my ranting and raving.

As many of you know I sold and bought on Ebay or Feebay or Greedbay as many people are now calling this site. I started in 1999 or 98 with some prodding from a friend. I soon found that I really enjoyed it and had lots of fun. It fueled my creativity and had me treasure hunting all the time. I never sold for huge profit or to make a living more as a hobby and extra spending or mad money as it were.

The last six months I have watched this company implement new rules and policies and fee changes that not only has angered me but has made me sick to my stomach and very sad for many people that Ebay spent years wooing to their site to start businesses of their own. We are talking about Mom and Pop sellers, single parents, people supplementing their fixed incomes etc… I thought it was great the Ebay had a hand in helping so many people find a source of income that would fit and fill their needs.

Well Ebay now seems to be done with us. They are pushing us out like we carry the plague in our pocket, while trying to convince everyone including the media and general public that it is building a newer and safer buying and selling experience. As some people call it drink the Kool aide and don’t ask questions.

They have become something I despise, a corporate entity that no longer cares about people, but about how much money we can rake in off of your hard work and backs.

I get up every morning and check out the nest then I can’t stop myself I am compelled to go Ebay bad news hunting. I know this is horrible and really bad for my Karma but I now want Ebay to go down in flames.

There is a new CEO in town and he has referred too many of us that helped build Ebay into the giant it is now as so much noise and is really disgusted by the flea market look we bring to HIS Ebay. Great PR huh???

I visit the boards there, which I had never done in the past to see what others are saying and thinking and occasionally can’t help myself from leaving snide and sarcastic remarks. The first time I did this was because Ebay was deleting any post that had the audacity to question there decision making abilities or had unkind words for the new CEO.

What really got me in the last two weeks is Ebay making deals with big business like buy. com to sell more and giving them a break from their excessively high fees and also from their new feedback madness rules. Rumors have it they are in talks with GM and other huge Mega corporations to sell on Ebay. They are slowly in my opinion working towards an internet strip mall. Why you ask? Because they are not happy that Amazon. com has continued growth and they don’t. The assumption is they want to become an Amazon or internet Wal-Mart. Totally scrapping what Ebay was based on and the people who helped get them there.

What is even more interesting in the last few months is that they are now in the process of racking up lawsuits. Craigslist is suing them (bet you didn’t know that Ebay owns a quarter of CL). They have Ebay Australia up in arms by trying to implement Paypal only payments there, of course Ebay owns Paypal and takes fees from every payment made. Their ACCC is supposed rule whether it will be legal or not next month and more people are waiting in the wings with more lawsuits.

I left when they announced many of these changes in February as I saw the train speeding down the track then. I decided I did not want to pay this VENUE,( hah that is what they call it) my hard earned money to tell me what to sell, when to sell, how to ship it etc…rules that amounted to abuse and clearly indicated that they were no longer a VENUE but wanted to be my manager. WTF they don’t pay me a paycheck I pay them fees.

Their motto since the beginning was our values are based on do unto others etc… Well that has clearly changed and should be Profit first!

The latest announcement is that they want to start a fair-trade arena on Ebay for all of those companies that make money in poor countries off of their crops or crafts and artwork to help make lives better in their countries. Well folks this just seemed too ironic for words to me. Considering all of the people here they just pushed out of Ebay that were lower income and making a living, now left out in the cold. Wonder how much Ebay will take for fees off of the backs of the fair trade groups????

So I spend my morning reading Ebay boards and www. auctionbytes. com for the latest nasty news and announcements and I don’t know why??? Anger, obsession???? I know it has to stop but can’t seem to help it.

Thank you for letting me rant! Maybe it will help me to move on. Should we start an intervention??


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