Ebay stops offline payment methods...USA

They finally did it....

http://pages.ebay.com/sell/August2008Update/Payments/


Those greedy bastards.
Every company has a right to make money, but this is outright
discrimination and bait-and-switch tactics.
I only pay via USPS Money Order.
I have only given negative feedback when I never received an item....2
times out of 150 purchases. I have 100% positive feedback, I never
failed to please the seller.

They state:
""Individuals who pay with a check or money order on eBay.com, are 80%
more likely to file an "item not received" dispute, and 50% more
likely to leave a negative feedback than buyers who pay with PayPal or
a credit card. Prohibiting paper payments greatly reduces your
exposure to fraudulent activity.""

In the above statement, they lump MO's with Personal Checks, and I
can assume that Personal Checks have a much higher fraud/failure (NSF)
rate.
They could have implemented a tougher 1 Strike rule, requiring paper
money purchasers to maintain a clean record, or similar rule.....but
we all know their real goal.....reap extra fees from everyone by
requiring all to use "their" payment system.

But their "excuses" do not coincide with their own statement..

""On eBay.com over 90% of transactions are paid with online payment
methods and the use of offline paper methods has declined by 40% over
the last 3 years.""

Well, if it is declining so fast, why shut it down ?
Allowing offline transactions made purchasing items available to more
people who for whatever reason, could not, or declined to pay "online".
That WAS called a service.
It's now called a swindle.

=FB=

http://www.groupdiy.com/index.php?topic=28907

I sell high value items that mainly export; and Paypal does not protect sellers against chargebacks for export. Bye bye.....

If Paypal is trying to be a bank then they should be bound by all of the statutes and laws that govern banks. Time to write to the Ombudsman I think. This is also very anti-competative. I can't see Paypal getting away with it for too long.

I'm not quite ready to swear off of ebay/paypal all together, but they will definitely be seeing less traffic from me. I'm going to seek out other alternatives as a first try. Has Googlebay been invented yet? Time to get warm and cozy with Craigslist.

-Chris

Here is a link to a CNN story about some of the new changes at eBay:

http://www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/biztech/08/20/ebay.fees.ap/index.html?iref=newssearch

They also seem to be trying to discourage small value auction style listings by increasing the fees.

I just listed a couple of items and it wouldn't let me complete the listing
unless i checked the paypal box , and seemingly tried to make me
commit to shipping charges .
The only problem is we don't have enough crazy Japenese buyers here on the grp to be that one in a million Auction buyer

but yeah , the paypal / ebay extortion just ain't worth it , less & less
why bother if you're not making any money working for them !

If you mean the ombudsman @ ebay, I agree. Anyone who does not like this, tell ebay. Any other ombudsman or politician is only salivating at the chance to tax all internet commerce, no matter the transfer method.

Ebay is like any other company- they listen to their customers and will react if there is enough pressure to go back to 3rd party. So many people do not trust the net and prefer phoning sellers and paying MO. I guess ebay does not care about these honest "little fish".

I will certainly complain, even though I use PayPal, but many of my past buyers (not like I am doing any serious commerce) have used MO.
Mike

the few items I ever purchased were local and paid in cash. I did local pick up too. guess that won't be happening any more.

not to change topic but notice how they got rid of pro audio? I used to be able to go under musical instruments and get directly to pro audio. Now it's a sub category under a sub category.

Unbelievable !! who the f**k do Ebay/Paypal think they are ??

They changed the categories a while ago and I find it hard now, NOT to get
a million "old ladies handbags" mixed in with pro-audio searches !!

MM.

Not to mention their spyware they drop into your computer to monitor you like Big Brother.

http://www.aspkin.com/forums/ebay-t...beacons-tokens-index-dat-files-what-else.html

[quote author="abby normal"]Not to mention their spyware they drop into your computer to monitor you like Big Brother.

http://www.aspkin.com/forums/ebay-t...beacons-tokens-index-dat-files-what-else.html[/quote]

Wow, after reading that I have turned off automatic image loading in my mail app.

They're trying to weed out the "small sellers".

There is a new minimum threshhold DSR (star) rating of 4.3
beginning Nov 1st.

"New seller standards: Minimum 4.3 on all DSRs: The vast majority of eBay sellers—some 96%—are well above this threshold. To protect the interests of all these sellers, starting November 1 we'll no longer allow the few who don't deliver on basic standards of customer satisfaction to sell on eBay. Sellers will be evaluated on the past 30 days of DSRs. Sellers who've received less than ten DSRs in the past 30 days will be evaluated on their DSRs over the last 12 months. Sellers with no DSRs will still be allowed to list. See the FAQs for more details."

"...Sellers not meeting the standards will not be allowed to list, but will not be suspended. Sellers will continue to be blocked from listing as long as their DSRs do not meet the 4.3 minimum standard. Blocked sellers may list items again once their DSRs meet or exceed the threshold."

More info...
http://pages.ebay.com/sell/August2008Update/OtherFAQ/#4

What kind of idiots work at ebay ?
The wording of the 5 star system in this case is flawed....a 4th star is worded to reflect a "positive" experience, so buyers think that by giving 4 stars they are giving a "positive" and favorable rating. But in reality, if a small seller gets too many "4 stars across the board", Ebay will stop them from listing anymore items.

For the small seller, one or two moody customers can "ding" your DSR in a month's time depending on how many items you move, whereas the large seller's average will recover within days.

And it is likely that if everyone realizes this, and begins to give/get 5 stars, the statistical average will be raised to higher than 4.3


=FB=

i am done with ebay, then. i use money orders and will not have anything to do with paypal. hello craigslist!

[quote author="MartyMart"]Unbelievable !! who the f**k do Ebay/Paypal think they are ??

They changed the categories a while ago and I find it hard now, NOT to get
a million "old ladies handbags" mixed in with pro-audio searches !!

MM.[/quote]

Or all the Neve Cambell ephemera. Oi!

[quote author="pucho812"]the few items I ever purchased were local and paid in cash. I did local pick up too. guess that won't be happening any more. [/quote]
READ IT.

Local pickup is specifically permitted and encouraged.

The theory being that if the buyer and vendor meet then the transaction will presumably go through without the possibility of someone claiming they "never received the goods" or "never received payment".

Keith

The subtext of local pickup encouragement relates to Epay wanting to avoid dealing with Paypal, since there's no way to prove you delivered or received an item. Gives them an out in saying "yes, there is a way to pay with whatever method you choose." Tell that to my buyers in SE Asia.....

great I hope this will reduce the traffic to ebay and also slow down the globalization of the second hand market. I did enjoy when things were more "local" but now with ebay all antique shops and even garage sales use ebay as a source for pricing there items. Its BS... ebay has over inflated the second hand market. You can't find anything for a steal of a price anymore. Once I remember in 1994 going to community garage sale with a friend and we found a Neumann U67 for $80... (my friend sold it 10 years later for a pretty penny).

Internet sux
Internet is Great
Internet Blows
Internet is great
Blows
Great
sux goat cock
love it

Yeah , you can't even find GOOD junk ,
and no one expects to pay through the nose for junk

time was when one could put something together
with such junk and have something [ good ]

but anything old is vintage and therefore worth
10x as much and no supply / surplus left

thanks ebay

and it doesn't matter anymore if you have junk suddenly worth 10x, it's becoming far too risky to transact to the best buyers on epay.

Got this email today , wonder if it's real or a clever Phishing scam

Steele et al. v. PayPal, Inc. et al., Civil Action No. 1:05-CV-01720 (ILG)(VVP)

Notice from Federal Court. Please Read.

You may be eligible to receive a benefit from a class action settlement if you funded a PayPal transaction using a source other than your credit card between February 1, 2004 and the present.

A federal court has directed that this notice be sent to inform you of a proposed class action settlement. Records show that you may be eligible to receive a benefit under the proposed settlement.

The settlement will resolve a lawsuit against eBay Inc. and PayPal, Inc. (collectively, "Defendants") involving claims arising out of representations in the PayPal User Agreement regarding PayPal's policies and practices for responding to refund requests from those customers who pay for transactions through PayPal using funds from funding sources other than credit cards. Under the settlement, Defendants have agreed to establish a settlement fund of $3.5 million to pay claims to potential class members. The proposed Class is defined as:

all U.S. based PayPal account holders who funded a PayPal transaction after February 1, 2004, using a source other than a credit card: (i) who subsequently requested a reversal of the transaction through PayPal's prevailing Buyer Complaint Policy and/or Buyer Protection Policy (collectively, "Policies"); (ii) who did not receive a refund equal to 100% of their transaction payment in response to such request from PayPal or their bank; and (iii) who, through the timely submission of a Claim Form under oath, attest to a reasonable and good faith belief that they would have received a full reversal of such payment had they used a valid credit card in their possession at the time of the subject transaction to fund the payment and filed a timely chargeback request with their credit card issuing bank. Excluded from the Class are any judicial officer to whom this Litigation is assigned; PayPal, eBay and any of its affiliates; any current or former employees, officers, or directors of PayPal
To see if you are a Class Member and to obtain full notice of the Settlement, the required procedures, the deadlines, your obligations, and your options, you must visit www.steelesettlement.com. This email is only a brief summary of the full notice that is posted on the website.

If you are an eligible Settlement Class Member, you have rights, obligations, and options under the proposed settlement. You have until December 14, 2008 to file your Claim Form and Certification Form. Your legal rights are affected whether you act or not.

1. Submit The Claim Form And The Certification Form By Mail

This is the only way to get a settlement payment. You must: (1) print and fill out the Claim Form and return it by mail to the address provided on the Claim Form; and (2) print the Certification Page of your Claim Form, sign it, and return it by mail to the address provided on the Claim Form. Your Claim Form and signed Certification Page must be mailed and postmarked no later than December 14, 2008. For more information on these deadlines, the Effective Date of the settlement, the Claim Form procedures, and the settlement benefit, you must visit www.steelesettlement.com.

2. Exclude Yourself – Opt Out of the Settlement

If you do not want to remain a member of the Class and participate in the Amended Settlement, then you may exclude yourself (opt-out) from the Class by mailing or delivering (email is not permitted) your written request. Your original, signed request for exclusion must be RECEIVED on or before October 31, 2008 and mailed to the following address:

PayPal/Steele Class Action Settlement
c/o The Garden City Group, Inc.
P.O. Box 9309
Dublin, OH 43017-4209

Your request for exclusion must contain your name and address, be signed by you, and include the reference "Steele et al. v. PayPal, Inc. et al., Civil Action No. 1:05-CV-01720." If you exclude yourself from the Class, you will not participate in the Amended Settlement and will not receive any payment from the Amended Settlement.

3. Object

Write to the Court about why you do not like the settlement. Your objection must be filed with the Clerk of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York, Brooklyn Main Office, 225 Cadman Plaza East, Brooklyn, New York 11201, no later than October 31, 2008. Pursuant to the Court's Order, you may not be heard on or entitled to contest the Court's decision unless you have filed written objections no later than October 31, 2008. A hearing ("Settlement Hearing") shall be held before Hon. I Leo Glasser on November 17, 2008 at 10:00 a.m. at the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York, Courtroom 8B South, 225 Cadman Plaza East, Brooklyn, New York 11201.

4. Do Nothing

You will automatically be included in the Settlement Class and give up your right to be part of any other lawsuit about the claims in this case, but you will not be eligible to receive a settlement benefit unless you submit a Claim Form.

To get complete information about the proposed Settlement, the required procedures, the deadlines, your obligations, and your options, you must visit www.steelesettlement.com.

Please do not contact PayPal, or PayPal's customer support about this Notice, or the Settlement. Instead, you must visit www.steelesettlement.com for complete information about the proposed Settlement, the required procedures, the deadlines, your obligations, and your options.

Please do not reply to this message. We are unable to respond to inquiries sent in reply to this email. To contact us, please access the official settlement website at www.steelesettlement.com.