Ebay has been likened by some to the Gestapo, which since they are a militant police force on your account, they somewhat are. To me they are Bolsheviks.
Ebay for me is Russia.
When I was a kid, my Lithuanian grandmother used to be paranoid about the Soviet Union. Really paranoid. We'd be driving down Route 2, and, seeing the radio towers up on the hill above the highway, she would say to me "Those are the Russian spy towers" and she would carry on for some minutes about how careful you have to be. Russian spies are everywhere. I would laugh and think to myself how paranoid she was.
This is me with ebay. I am paraNOID. As my mother-in-law would say, "I ain't lyin'"
I check the IP addresses on the computers frequently. I delete all e-mails from my former ebay and paypal account from my inbox without reading them. I don't give out my user ID to anyone. I don't mention precise descriptions of items I am selling, or names that I deal with on this last account because I don't want someone nosing around and making a connection of this account with the other two.
I refuse to call CS for anything, ever! They'll dig while you're on hold. I don't think this. I know it. The last time I was banned, all I called for was a raise on my seller limits. They left me on hold for an hour and a half, I kid you not. I am assuming that they were digging in that time, because when the guy got back on the line, he told me I was suspended, and immediately pulled 42 auctions I had just listed. No passing Go. No collecting $200. I had just attained a Top-Rated Seller status the week before. 14 years of service and me handing them money every month. See ya, bye! Too bad for you. Have fun paying for that bankruptcy we helped cause!
When I do have to use my old accounts or check on something to do with them, I borrow a laptop and steal someone else's wi-fi to do it. I utilize Google's call forwarding rather than give out my real phone #. There are many steps, many hoops I jump through to avoid ebay Bolsheviks.
Monday, March 3, 2014
Cuckoo Clock
I've been restoring a clock for resale. For said clock I need a certain size piece of convex glass. This lady in the next state has this size glass. She asks $4.00. I put it on my watch list. First time I forgot to bid, it doesn't sell. She relisted.
2nd time I put in a bid early because the damned thing ends at 7:00 AM, I enter a bid of $6.50. I get outbid.
She relists that fuckin' thing or one like it again. I forget to bid, it doesn't sell, she relists. I watch it again. I enter a bid of $7.00 the night before it's supposed to end, I get outbid.
Each time she fuckin relists it it has the same end time...7:00 AM. I am not getting up at 7 on a Sunday each week to bid on this fuckin' piece of glass. AND...
How is it that when there are no bids from me, the thing doesn't sell and gets relisted but the second I put in a bid the thing sells, and not to me? Maybe ol' Cohen from the board has a point about shill bidding going on? I've been watching this same piece of glass for almost a month.
2nd time I put in a bid early because the damned thing ends at 7:00 AM, I enter a bid of $6.50. I get outbid.
She relists that fuckin' thing or one like it again. I forget to bid, it doesn't sell, she relists. I watch it again. I enter a bid of $7.00 the night before it's supposed to end, I get outbid.
Each time she fuckin relists it it has the same end time...7:00 AM. I am not getting up at 7 on a Sunday each week to bid on this fuckin' piece of glass. AND...
How is it that when there are no bids from me, the thing doesn't sell and gets relisted but the second I put in a bid the thing sells, and not to me? Maybe ol' Cohen from the board has a point about shill bidding going on? I've been watching this same piece of glass for almost a month.
Wednesday, February 19, 2014
Ho Ho Ho Merry Fuckin' Christmas
I find it very ironic that the CEO of ebay is sitting at a round table with Obama discussing, among other things, unemployment. Does he not stop to think what his company's seller purges are doing to many families?
When I first got restricted, Charley (the life hostage), was still recovering from Guillain-Barre Syndrome. Roman was 2. In the body of each description I directed buyers to my About Me page for full auction terms. I wrote on said About Me page that I was dealing with a sick man and a toddler, and please be patient if your item comes a little late, but "Pokemon Master" would not be sated by this. He waged war over the $6 pokemon figure, and I got restricted.
In order to sidestep this restriction, (yes, naughty naughty) I opened an account under my daughter's name so I could sell a little more. That account took off while the other remained hopelessly restricted, so I focused on that one. As the months passed, I collected some low DSRs, and though my feedback was 100% positive, I was "below standard" and got MC999'd. I went back to the original account.
You've probably read my blog at this point. You know why the low DSRs were there. I wish that ebay would afford sellers the "luxury" of defending themselves. You know, a fair appeals process. Had anyone in customer service with half a brain actually read the messages I was getting from these buyers, I am pretty sure the DSRs would have been wiped and I could have gone on selling.
As it was, I was supporting myself, my kids, and my husband on this ebay income. After my banishment, I always snickered a little when I saw the glowing testimonial ebay used to have on the front page with this woman who overcame unemployment and supported her family with ebay, while many just like her were getting banned and panicking over where they would get the money for their mortgage that month while their inventory sat unsold.
I panicked for about 2 months after my original restriction. Meanwhile, the majority of my bills went unpaid. I had no income! That's when decided to open the account in my daughter's name. I sold my $3,000 diamond ring for $429 on my then-new account, waited the week til the delivery was recorded, and paid my RE tax bill to prevent my house from being sold at public auction. Shortly after that, I began the process of filing for Chapter 13 bankruptcy which now costs me $300 a month and will for 4 more years. Thanks a bunch, ebay!
When you're in business, the goal is to make as much money as you can. This company cuts off their nose to spite their face! All these banishments of over really nothing, (I mean come on, we all know it costs more than $2.29 to ship a 21 pound box) is costing ebay in all the monthly FVF fees that these sellers were bringing in, it's driving customers elsewhere as they look for things that are no longer at ebay that many of these sellers specialized in. It's ridiculous.
When I first got restricted, Charley (the life hostage), was still recovering from Guillain-Barre Syndrome. Roman was 2. In the body of each description I directed buyers to my About Me page for full auction terms. I wrote on said About Me page that I was dealing with a sick man and a toddler, and please be patient if your item comes a little late, but "Pokemon Master" would not be sated by this. He waged war over the $6 pokemon figure, and I got restricted.
In order to sidestep this restriction, (yes, naughty naughty) I opened an account under my daughter's name so I could sell a little more. That account took off while the other remained hopelessly restricted, so I focused on that one. As the months passed, I collected some low DSRs, and though my feedback was 100% positive, I was "below standard" and got MC999'd. I went back to the original account.
You've probably read my blog at this point. You know why the low DSRs were there. I wish that ebay would afford sellers the "luxury" of defending themselves. You know, a fair appeals process. Had anyone in customer service with half a brain actually read the messages I was getting from these buyers, I am pretty sure the DSRs would have been wiped and I could have gone on selling.
As it was, I was supporting myself, my kids, and my husband on this ebay income. After my banishment, I always snickered a little when I saw the glowing testimonial ebay used to have on the front page with this woman who overcame unemployment and supported her family with ebay, while many just like her were getting banned and panicking over where they would get the money for their mortgage that month while their inventory sat unsold.
I panicked for about 2 months after my original restriction. Meanwhile, the majority of my bills went unpaid. I had no income! That's when decided to open the account in my daughter's name. I sold my $3,000 diamond ring for $429 on my then-new account, waited the week til the delivery was recorded, and paid my RE tax bill to prevent my house from being sold at public auction. Shortly after that, I began the process of filing for Chapter 13 bankruptcy which now costs me $300 a month and will for 4 more years. Thanks a bunch, ebay!
When you're in business, the goal is to make as much money as you can. This company cuts off their nose to spite their face! All these banishments of over really nothing, (I mean come on, we all know it costs more than $2.29 to ship a 21 pound box) is costing ebay in all the monthly FVF fees that these sellers were bringing in, it's driving customers elsewhere as they look for things that are no longer at ebay that many of these sellers specialized in. It's ridiculous.
I Repeat Do NOT Call CS
This lady in my group calls ebay like every day! I am a little worried for her because I know that the squeaky wheel gets the boot. Is your livelihood worth $10, lady? If not, move on and eat the damned credits. It's not worth it to wake the sleeping dragon.
Sunday, February 16, 2014
Selling On Your 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th Account? Helpful Hints
I notice so many people making the mistake of just using another account they had opened in their name, or just trying to open a new account period. I followed all the "ebay stealth" guidelines, but I go several lengths further.
I don't use my old user ID or paypal account. If you get e-mails from the old accounts and you're using another IP, don't open them, they will catch your new IP that way.
I do not call CS for anything EVER. That immediately puts a microscope on your account. You don't want anyone there connecting any dots. If a buyer is giving you a hard time, answer them minimally, and give them what they want to make them go away. DON'T call CS! Take that negative and like it.
Odds are, if you call CS they're just going to tell you that old canned response of "It's the buyer's opinion and they are entitled to it" and you're stuck with it anyway, except NOW they're tearing apart your account on the other end looking for a reason to ban the squeaky wheel.
Just remember this tip by saying "Buyers are assholes and opinions are like assholes, everyone has one"...lol
I refuse to give friends my user id. This is because they would stalk me on their watch lists and I don't need ebay cross-referencing my friends watch lists with my account.
I try not to stick with the same items, I change things up frequently to prevent them from getting a pattern on me. The CS guy who banned me last time told me they matched the other 2 accounts not only because they were the same address and IP but because they sold similar things.
I don't use my old user ID or paypal account. If you get e-mails from the old accounts and you're using another IP, don't open them, they will catch your new IP that way.
I do not call CS for anything EVER. That immediately puts a microscope on your account. You don't want anyone there connecting any dots. If a buyer is giving you a hard time, answer them minimally, and give them what they want to make them go away. DON'T call CS! Take that negative and like it.
Odds are, if you call CS they're just going to tell you that old canned response of "It's the buyer's opinion and they are entitled to it" and you're stuck with it anyway, except NOW they're tearing apart your account on the other end looking for a reason to ban the squeaky wheel.
Just remember this tip by saying "Buyers are assholes and opinions are like assholes, everyone has one"...lol
I refuse to give friends my user id. This is because they would stalk me on their watch lists and I don't need ebay cross-referencing my friends watch lists with my account.
I try not to stick with the same items, I change things up frequently to prevent them from getting a pattern on me. The CS guy who banned me last time told me they matched the other 2 accounts not only because they were the same address and IP but because they sold similar things.
Thursday, February 13, 2014
Time To Get Crackin' When Someone's Hackin'
I got this priceless gem in my ebay messages, right after I filed my 7th and 8th NPB in the space of two weeks:
Dear S______,
I didn't put a bid on this item as i was very sick at this time. I would have put it automatically on my pay pal account at the time of purchase, if I had bought it . I am very sorry for your inconvenience, but it is not even in a color that I would use. Please accept my sincere apology for this confusing matter.
Oh yes. It's confusing all right! Confusing as to why you'd even use such a lame-duck excuse. Actually, it's not confusing at all. It's pretty clear that you bid and decided not to pay. Please take this NPB strike with my best wishes
<3 Sam
So lame. WHY would someone hack your account to bid $11 on a purse? And I love the "it is not even a color I would use" I am supposed to close the case because this message was ever so convincing and take the final value fee hit now, right? Screw you lady.
Dear S______,
I didn't put a bid on this item as i was very sick at this time. I would have put it automatically on my pay pal account at the time of purchase, if I had bought it . I am very sorry for your inconvenience, but it is not even in a color that I would use. Please accept my sincere apology for this confusing matter.
Oh yes. It's confusing all right! Confusing as to why you'd even use such a lame-duck excuse. Actually, it's not confusing at all. It's pretty clear that you bid and decided not to pay. Please take this NPB strike with my best wishes
<3 Sam
So lame. WHY would someone hack your account to bid $11 on a purse? And I love the "it is not even a color I would use" I am supposed to close the case because this message was ever so convincing and take the final value fee hit now, right? Screw you lady.
Tuesday, February 11, 2014
Another Day Another NPB
I have had to file a record 7 NPB cases in the past week and a half. I have $200 worth of shit that got bid on and the buyer just bailed out. Needless to say, I have now turned on unpaid item assistant, and you know what? I set it at two days.
If you went and bought some shit at Wal-Mart or Target you cannot dick around for two days holding their merchandise hostage, so why should you be able to do it on ebay? I am not fuckin' KMart...I don't have a layaway program. Why bid if you're not going to pay? People use the excuse that they "forgot". How can you forget when you've been sent two invoices?
My policy had been send invoice, wait three days, send another, and if after 24 hours, they did not pay the second invoice, file the NPB. Now I am just going to let ebay do my dirty work.
If you went and bought some shit at Wal-Mart or Target you cannot dick around for two days holding their merchandise hostage, so why should you be able to do it on ebay? I am not fuckin' KMart...I don't have a layaway program. Why bid if you're not going to pay? People use the excuse that they "forgot". How can you forget when you've been sent two invoices?
My policy had been send invoice, wait three days, send another, and if after 24 hours, they did not pay the second invoice, file the NPB. Now I am just going to let ebay do my dirty work.
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