eBay, etc. General Question/Answer Thread

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#8,431
Vlad said:
The sponsorship campaign with eBay we ran on PurseBlog is an effort to showcase their new authenticity guarantee and new item store that was recently opened. I can't speak on the seller that curates the product, we have no information in that regard. We aren't endorsing a particular seller, we're aiming to showcase eBay's authenticity guarantee.
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Every iteration of their 'authenticity programs' over time has been grossly flawed. Some of the sellers involved have been caught knowingly selling counterfeits. Some were known to claim they never received items sent to them. In some cases there have been claims they switched items and sent counterfeits back to the person that sent a genuine item.

There is nothing to be trusted in any of their programs.
 
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#8,432
Vlad said:
The sponsorship campaign with eBay we ran on PurseBlog is an effort to showcase their new authenticity guarantee and new item store that was recently opened. I can't speak on the seller that curates the product, we have no information in that regard. We aren't endorsing a particular seller, we're aiming to showcase eBay's authenticity guarantee.

I see that the 150+ negative feedback in the last 12 months was brought up as an issue, and while I can respect that this is a red flag for you, I also see 15,000+ positives in the same time frame.

At the end of the day, it's another venue to purchase new, authentic product that is backed by eBay's guarantee. If any of you consider this a bad move on our part, I can't disagree with you, as you're very well entitled to your feelings on this.

This being said, we'll look into this further and may reconsider partnering with eBay in the future if it turns out that it's not a good fit. Thanks all!
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The issue is that Megs said she HAD thoroughly researched this particular program as a venue that might enhance TPF's reputation by helping potential buyers make more-informed choices as well as help relieve them of the concern about receiving fake purses. You both should have known which sellers would fall under this Ebay program's umbrella, but clearly you did not. Ergo, that "research" clearly was inadequate. If you actually review the negative feedback for this seller, they include selling FAKE high-end designer purses and shoes as well as selling items whose condition is no where near the condition promised. Also, the lack of adequate photos for authentication purposes as well as skimpy item descriptions should have been a definite red flag. That authentication process is part and parcel of the purpose of TPF. My "feelings" aren't the issue here, Vlad; your reputation is.
 
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#8,433
FB is not an effective way of evaluation a seller or program prior to endorsement. No one knows how many bad FB may have been removed, or never left to begin wuth.

Researching a seller or program like this would involve multiple transactions as both a buyer and seller to evaluate their product and performance firsthand.
 
#8,434
Vlad and I always take any feedback we receive from our members/readers seriously. I am sure you can imagine we have tons of advertisers that reach out, and majority we decide are not a good fit. But that doesn't mean every advertiser that we work with will be liked by everyone, BUT again, it is something I do take into consideration if there's something I'm missing.

There are two different posts we worked with eBay on: 1) To share information about eBay Authenticate 2) A PurseBlog x eBay Picks Page. They are not the same, do not involve the same sellers, and while one was educational about a new program eBay offers, the other was a curated page of bags from eBay sellers.

I've read the comments in this thread and they matter a lot to us. Being a handbag focused site, we work with a range of companies - like Neiman Marcus and Nordstrom or brands directly or we work with reseller platforms, which as you all know are a huge part of handbag transactions. I'm not sure that there's been a time where every seller and bag on any reseller platform has gotten the thumbs up.

Contrary to comments made, our reputation is really important to us and that is why we do spend a lot of time with a lot of back and forth conversations with any partner we may work with. I'm looking into the comments and concerns you all have shared, and will talk to the eBay team about it as well.
 
#8,436
N.M.Nevuhmynd said:
What was that line in Cool Hand Luke about communication?

THEY are not reputable. That entire company is not reputable. You will find few comments on any website that say they are. You cannot trust what they say.
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I'd just like to comment on the above.

While there is no question that Ebay (like many other sites) will tell you what you want to hear, how they respond is often 180 degrees different from policy and the truth.

But to say that the entire company isn't reputable implies that no one is honest.

I have to speak in defense of the many honest sellers and buyers who use ebay. Just because ebay offers lip service doesn't mean that everyone there is dishonest. Most of us who buy and sell there ARE good honest people. It's the bad apples you hear about. (And from what I've seen of the promoted sellers, that appears to apply to them too.)

There was a time when ebay had team members who were helpful, responsive and honest. Unfortunately, many of them were either fired or they resigned when the admin only saw dollar signs and that was the most important thing to them.
 
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#8,438
BeenBurned said:
I'd just like to comment on the above.

While there is no question that Ebay (like many other sites) will tell you what you want to hear, how they respond is often 180 degrees different from policy and the truth.

But to say that the entire company isn't reputable implies that no one is honest.

I have to speak in defense of the many honest sellers and buyers who use ebay. Just because ebay offers lip service doesn't mean that everyone there is dishonest. Most of us who buy and sell there ARE good honest people. It's the bad apples you hear about. (And from what I've seen of the promoted sellers, that appears to apply to them too.)

There was a time when ebay had team members who were helpful, responsive and honest. Unfortunately, many of them were either fired or they resigned when the admin only saw dollar signs and that was the most important thing to them.
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BB--are you saying you think the endorsed sellers are good honest sellers? (sorry, I am confused)
 
#8,439
BeenBurned said:
How can this be?

The seller has only been a member for 5 months, has 38 feedback and 93.2% feedback score yet is TRS?!?!

https://feedback.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBay...k2&userid=next-innovation-uk&ftab=AllFeedback

s.gif

next-innovation-uk ( 38) This member is an eBay Top-rated seller

iconGreenTick_10x10.gif
Consistently receives highest buyer ratings (My comment: in just 5 months since joining, seller has received 3 negs and a neutral)
iconGreenTick_10x10.gif
Dispatches items quickly (My comment: shipping speed is 4.8)
iconGreenTick_10x10.gif
Has earned a track record of excellent service (My comment: with 93% feedback?)
Learn more

Has ebay changed the requirements? In the "olden days," sellers had to have 100+ feedbacks as a seller and high feedback score indicating happy buyers.

https://www.ebay.com/help/selling/selling/seller-levels-performance-standards?id=4080&st=3&pos=1&query=Seller levels and performance standards&context=DEFAULT_SELLER#top-rated-seller
To become a Top Rated Seller, you'll need to:
  • Have an eBay account that's been active for at least 90 days
  • Have at least 100 transactions and $1,000 in sales with US buyers over the past 12 months
  • Comply with eBay's selling practices policy
  • Meet the requirements for transaction defect rate, cases closed without seller resolution and late shipment rate. You'll find the requirements in the table below
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lulilu said:
BB--are you saying you think the endorsed sellers are good honest sellers? (sorry, I am confused)
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I'd like to weigh in again on this. My initial comment refers specifically to the "Shop Our Purseblog x Ebay Picks Now" promotion touted in the email. When you click on that link, you find two sellers. The one seller -- the_luxury_club -- has okay feedback and specializes in purses but typically offers too few photos for valid authentication. Some auctions only have ONE pic -- would you buy a new Prada cahier bag on Ebay for $1,099 based on ONE photograph?? Doubtful! Given that Ebay offers all sellers up to 12 free pics, why not use them and help out the buyers. We all know that any authenticators here will ask the potential buyer to return to the seller and request more pics. The other Ebay seller that pops up when you click through is from that link is la_via, a high-volume re-seller offering auctioning everything but the kitchen sink! This seller has ~135 negative, including allegations of selling FAKE purses and shoes. That may not seem like a "bad" FB rating, but when someone sells an allegedly FAKE handbag or shoes and refuses returns, it erodes any trust buyers might have in that seller. Seller la_via offers a broad range of products -- from Brookstone wine openers and men's boxer shorts to Valentino and Louboutin shoes and Gucci bags, and it seems likely s/he is not authenticating its products before listing them. Ebay is simply a money-making platform to connect buyers with sellers; to pretend otherwise is gullible. Ebay also is not in the business of authenticating handbags. It never has been, does not employ a staff of authenticators and can only rely on the word of other services that are paid to authenticate items. So to think that Ebay can choose a trustworthy, knowledgeable partner for such a specialized product line as handbags is not realistic. Megs and Vlad, IMO, need to figure out HOW Ebay is assigning sellers to this linked promotion and demand that the sellers meet s certain set a criteria before touting them as Purseblog/Ebay "picks."
 
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#8,440
BeenBurned said:
It's the bad apples you hear about. (And from what I've seen of the promoted sellers, that appears to apply to them too.)
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lulilu said:
BB--are you saying you think the endorsed sellers are good honest sellers? (sorry, I am confused)
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Absolutely not!! In fact, I mentioned the horrible feedback in an earlier post here and I wasn't clear that the promoted sellers seemed to be among the bad apples.

Sorry for the confusion!
 
#8,441
BeenBurned said:
Absolutely not!! In fact, I mentioned the horrible feedback in an earlier post here and I wasn't clear that the promoted sellers seemed to be among the bad apples.

Sorry for the confusion!
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That's how I read it, but wanted to make sure. :flowers::flowers:

My experience over the past 10 years here, members have always sought information about sellers who can be trusted. In the H forum, there is a thread on trusted sellers. Very few sellers have "passed the test" to be listed in that thread. I do not know how the decision is made to designate a seller "trustworthy," but I feel confident that one with the kind of record the two sellers under discussion here would not qualify. Failure to provide sufficient photographs necessary to evaluate authenticity is a huge red flag. In fact, listings with one stock photo are never considered authentic. And a bad feedback record is another huge no-no.

While I am sure Megs and Vlad have consulted with their legal counsel, personally I would be concerned that buyers who are not satisfied with these sellers could look to tpf for recompense. Even if not ultimately liable, it could result in a host of problems.
 
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