Comments on: Let’s talk about communicating

By: Judy Mather

Judy Mather — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 01:38:30 +0000

#19 Corporate Cobblers.

Love it, north, I’ll add that to my list – thanks.

By: Jeff

Jeff — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 23:09:31 +0000

Yes, I just went to my email and sure engough…. here it is:

Hello fastjag1, We appreciate your participation in the eBay Community Forums. We are writing to let you know that we removed the following post.

Sory I do not have much to say folks…they are watching me….their everywhere!!! They are EBAY!!! I served my 7 daysuspention from this forum but my first post on this threadwas taken off….so apparently I am on their hit list. I have to watch what I say. But please everyone else keep this post at the top. The link at the top of the tread is where everyone needs to complain. Let them here are dissatisfaction at Wall Street!!!! bump

In order for the community forums, which are based on the eBay Community Values, to be a place where all members can feel comfortable interacting with each other, there are certain types of posts we remove when they are reported to us. The guidelines for posting in the forums are defined in the Board Usage Policy. Your post was removed for the following reason: Discussing or reposting deleted posts or warning letters, or discussion of sanctioned or no longer registered members. For clarification of this policy, please visit this page: http://forums.ebay.com/db2/thread.jspa?threadID=410492018 We understand that most posts that are removed were not intentional violations. We invite you to take some time to review the Board Usage Policy and policy explanations via the following URLs for clarification about the types of posts that we do not allow. http://pages.ebay.com/help/policies/everyone-boards.htmlhttp://forums.ebay.com/forum.jspa?forumID=2005 Again, we value your participation in the forums, and we appreciate your support. Regards,AstariaeBay Moderation Team

By: Jeff

Jeff — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 23:06:23 +0000

ah….so I can not say I was suspended??? Interesting and thanks for the info. I guess they are going to bring down a few more of my post then. I did not know this. Why would it matter if I said I had been suspended??? Does not make since to me.

By: Sue Bailey

Sue Bailey — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 22:23:33 +0000

Jeff, your post was taken down because you referred to your suspension. Liveworld’s rules are pretty clear: you are not allowed to discuss member sanctions.

Honestly, if you want to talk about eBay, you might do better to do it off-eBay

By: Jeff

Jeff — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 22:23:04 +0000

Apparently I have been a bad boy Since I did not understand why they took that one down….and thinking that they want to bury that thread I went back and posted the following.
“OK…. I do not know exactly what I can post here. I keep getting suspended and or my post are removed. So, all I am going to do this time is BUMP this thread.

It’s better to die standing than live on your knees. I am a slave to no Auction Site!! ”

If I can not say anything maybe I can at least keep this post at the top of the feedback forum. I believe that the talk at the WSJ blog will really send a message and aleart everyone to the inevitable….the fall of Ebay. O.K. it won’t die but we all already know that it will never be the same!!! Not like the good ol days when listing was fun.

By: Jeff

Jeff — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 22:17:06 +0000

Well here we go again. As posted earlier I was suspended from Ebays Feedback fourm. I served my 7 days and went back to bump 100 percents thread on TWJ and here is what ebays security team did. This is the pleasent email they sent when the TOOK DOWN MY POST. Please, can anyone tell me why this was taken down. Please note my post is within this email. …anyone??? Is Feebay trying to silence us??? I think so!!!

Hello fastjag1, We appreciate your participation in the eBay Community Forums. We are writing to let you know that we removed the following post.

“Well….bumpty bump bump.I am back!!!! I was suspended from this board for 7 days by the Nazies. Not sure what I did other than riled up the Ebay suits!!! I have been leaving comment on the WSJ site everyday…suggest everyone else do the same!!!It’s better to die standing than live on your knees. I am a slave to no AuctionSite!! ”

By: Jeff

Jeff — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 18:34:50 +0000

I was also booted from the feedback forum of Feebay. I am a powerseller and had something to say…that Ebay did not want heard. I was calling for all ebayers to dump their Ebay stock. I felt I was providing a service as the stock has been tanking. With the Wall St. Jurnols blog about this up now the stock is going down even further. Dipped below $27 just today. To me this is Feebays feedback. I also posted links to stories about Feebay that apparently they did not like. They are now trying to silence us all because as I stated in my blogs….they shot them selfs in the foot and they just can’t stop the bleeding now!!! I believe my 7 day suspension is over so I will see you others and Satisfaction100 back on the feedback forum when your stent in the Feebay Feedback Jail is over. LOL.

By: sergio9

sergio9 — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 12:35:09 +0000

Read the threads throughout ebay’s own discussion boards to see the the damage ebay is doing to it’s own site and clients. ebay has deleted tons of posts and threads, but a few do remain & more than likely ONLY because ebay is aware that reporters are ALSO reading those posts. The “Hidden Threads” that ebay prematurely banned to the last several pages of “Seller Central” and “The Front Porch” about the ebay Boycott, are just a tiny fraction of what is left of the THOUSANDS of posts ebay is continually deleting. See Titles on those last pages such as “BOYCOTT IN EUROPE” and “BOYCOTT, BOYCOTT, BOYCOTT”. ebay Discussions titled, “FEEDBACK”, also has numerous threads by honest ebayers posting about many of ebay’s deceitful practices.

If ebay doesn’t like something, it is banned, suspended, deleted and ignored. That IS ebay’s “customer support”.

STOCKHOLDERS NEED TO WAKE UP! Meg & Bob are selling tons of their stock……..the writing IS on the wall!!!

By: Savvy Paul

Savvy Paul — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 12:10:45 +0000

eBay certainly get massive quantities of feedback through forums, blogs and their own surveys. The problem is the lack of meaningful or coherent communication to members -

Changes implemented without consultation
Cut and Paste email responses from PS Support
PS Support say one thing, PINKS say something else on Boards
Feedback from members is ignored or dismissed

I don’t think of eBay as a business partner that I can communicate with – it’s just not feasible at the moment. If I have a problem then I have a very, very low expectation that contacting support will resolve the issue – even when they’ve accepted there’s a problem they haven’t taken any action. If they are determined to change that culture (and it is ingrained), they will need to show strong leadership from the top and resource their Customer Service Teams properly. In other words, they have to ‘walk the talk’ (no pun intended!) – words are fine but action supercedes everything.

On the subject of SNP restrictions / suspensions –

The PS Board has lots of comments from concerned sellers about ‘dolphins / edge cases’. I’m particularly thinking of one recent case where Richard (PINK) later admitted that the seller had been suspended ‘in error’.

Richard, quite rightly, points out that there are often emotional posts about individual restricted/suspended seller cases, where posters have ‘jumped in when they are not aware of the full facts. All sellers want is an eBay system that only imposes restrictions / suspensions after eBay itself is in possesion of all the facts.

Paul.

By: northumbrian

northumbrian — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 08:01:45 +0000

too right judy
its corporate cobblers
ebay has always came across to me as a busy mother humouring a demanding child

By: Judy Mather

Judy Mather — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 07:33:34 +0000

Talk to us …. We want your feedback

Oh, please spare me. The Ebay boards are full of people talking and giving feedback which is being ignored at best, or what’s worse, deleted with warnings and suspensions for the Ebay members who posted it. Blogs are full of comments from Ebay members.

But still Ebay management are trotting out the ridiculous line ‘Talk to us, we want your feedback’. If they care to look around, there’s plenty of talk and feedback already.

Um, no I don’t really think they do want our feedback. But I do think they’re saying it because they think it’s what we want to hear. Actions speak louder than words and as long as good Ebay sellers continue to be restricted and NARUed for trifling misdemeanors, I won’t believe another word JD, Lorrie and their mates at the top are saying.

By: specks

specks — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 03:59:27 +0000

Randy, I can only imagine how tiring it is to be blogging this stuff. But you, Sue and every other person who covers this, please know how much it is appreciated.

That said, I think that everyone getting tired and moving on is exactly what the eBay brain trust is counting on.

I believe that being able to say they met whatever goal/result they are striving for (and maybe it’s just me but I’m still not exactly sure what that is) has become more important than the long term (continued) success of the company.

I have a vision this this crack management team upon reaching their goal, will pop the cork on the champagne, turn to raise their glasses for a toast and say ‘ Hey, where did everybody go?’

Idiots.

By: Randy Smythe

Randy Smythe — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 18:24:27 +0000

Sue, doesn’t all of this get tiring? I’m even getting tired of blogging about it.

By: Kathy

Kathy — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 16:00:12 +0000

– I agree with Plant – ebay does not have sufficient customer service. Published lists (alexa) states that there are only 14 people in their customer service department.

Doesn’t anyone get it???? THEY DO NOT HAVE THE STAFF. They can’t and won’t and do not like to get involved. It’s always been that way!!!!

They should use some of their paypal profits and hire a customer service TEAM with managers and supervisors.

By: joyce

joyce — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 15:58:45 +0000

Ebay needs to communicate THE TRUTH. After 9 years of selling on Ebay I do NOT trust this company or Paypal. Ebay is the poster child for Corporate America at it’s worse.

The dashboard raing is what Ebay is using to drive peope out of business. Ebay is letting the naive buyers do they’re dirty work for them. Ebay is putting hundreds of thousands of people OUT OF WORK!!

WHEN GREED CANNOT BE CONTROLLED – THE WE MUST CONTROL GREED.

By: Sue Bailey

Sue Bailey — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 15:43:02 +0000

There’s still a little piece of my heart reserved for Monkey Island 5, just in case they ever do it. *sigh*

Can still remember the huge spreadsheet I made for how to win at Monkey Kombat in Escape From

By: Tony

Tony — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 15:35:03 +0000

Huge Monkey Island fan Sue Ah those were the days!

By: Plant1here2

Plant1here2 — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 14:34:16 +0000

Your site here is funky, here is the rest of my comment:

If Ebay is suddenly saying they want our Feedback, all they need do is go to the boards. It’s all there all the time, plain and simple. Make no mistake, they do NOT want our FB, they couldn’t care less what we think, they’ve proven it time and time again. If they are saying they do, it’s all just a show and means nothing.

By: Plant1here2

Plant1here2 — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 14:21:59 +0000

Nothing new here.

Ebay needs to spend more money on a lot of things, but they are just entirely too cheap to run their site properly. They’ve always skimped on Customer Service.

By: Sean Mewse

Sean Mewse — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 12:38:10 +0000

I suspect it is not just someone at eBay that reads this, but with luck eBay shareholders as well, and they may just have what is needed to influence eBay to sit up and take note.

By: Larrylackpants

Larrylackpants — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 12:22:23 +0000

Classic case of a company making broad and sweeping changes without first ensuring the support staff were able to best serve the inevetable rush of complaints and questions.
To pinch a quote from Sue’s opening post “Someone, somewhere at eBay is now reading this and shaking their head and asking if I know how many CS agents that would take”
Looks to me like ebay had no idea of the impact their changes would have (egad! they have oodles of data to forecast from. A blind man in a cave would have seen this coming!) OR ebay was hoping that these poor suspended sellers would just disappear never to be heard from again.
The latter costs less money ………….

By: Sue Bailey

Sue Bailey — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 09:35:13 +0000

[Aside: Tony, do I see a fellow Monkey Island fan? ]

By: Tony

Tony — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 09:32:29 +0000

The whole issue of suspensions has not only been badly implemented, it’s using a ridiculously short time frame on which to work, 30 days is not long enough.

This is a lazy policy from ebay and lazy policies lead to a poor service and that’s what ebay are providing.

I’m not a fan of suspensions based on opinion anyway. Suspensions based on repeated listing violations are something I support.

By: stuart

stuart — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 07:48:37 +0000

Well I think the comments made to me about suspensions such as we can not look at sellers on a case by case basis on a marketplace of this size and was basically told the computer does the suspensions and its out of human control.
They don’t care who you are or what you say, its done end of! and once a business treats its customers like that there is only one way to go and thats down, you only have to look at big business like that to see it happen!

Stu

By: Road_Hog

Road_Hog — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 05:54:22 +0000

“The point I want to make is that eBay is run by managers like Donahoe
who very well know how to market eBay with soundbites like â€œtalk to usâ€ and â€œWe want your feedback.â€ But in reality it is: â€œWe can not be arsedâ€ and â€œJust give us your moneyâ€.”

Well said.

If ebay/paypal had DSRs & Feedback they would have been suspended within a week.