Ebay

[Dom Tuk]

When did ebay start trading. Is it in decline now with all the frauds and also no one seems to be talking about it. Everyone i know who was on it 24 hrs a day dont bother with it anymore as the novelty has worn off. Does anyone else think the same.

[Scarlett]

Ebay was sold recently for goodness knows how many billions or something. The original designers couldn't cope with it anymore. It is MASSIVE. It is now used all over the world. I don't think the novelty has worn off- I think it has now become part of popular culture, in that it is so widely used, we just accept it as part of life! Like Coronation street. You may not hear about it but you know that millions of people are watching it every week.

I use ebay to buy pretty much anything I want- or Amazon. It's cheaper than shops, and you can get obscure things! I was thinking how the advent of email has bound to have affected Royal Mail, and it's profits. But if you think about the millions of items bought and sold every day on ebay- all which need to be posted- I don't think they can be doing too badly!!

[Scarlett]

http://pages.ebay.co.uk/aboutebay.html?ssPageName=f:f:UK

Read facts about ebay here

[adydb]

Scarlett......If that link was independant it may have some meat.

Don't everybody praise their own business/site?

[hugoboss]

I feel that way Dom. I used to use it a lot, selling and buying. But I had some very difficult buyers and decided to stop selling. My sister was the victim of some very nasty fraud, and nearly lost �1grand. She is now being pursued by Paypal and Ebay for loads of money that is rightfuly hers! it's a horrible situation. I personally like it now and then, like once a month, for odds and ends i cant get in shops, or cheap books. Thats it really. I think you're right - the novelty is wearing off for many.

[Scarlett]

Yes, but I thought that site may shed some light on the questions about how many people use it and in how many countries. I don't know all the facts!!

[flaming]

Stuff can come from anywhere, but mostly it is American stuff on offer, I think, which as it started there isn't surprising.  There were nicknames, like on AB.  The buyer/seller ratings with stars awarded showed whereabouts increased confidence.  I love auctions. 2 years ago I joined in the bidding for one item.  I was successful.  The vendor preferred a cheque to him - in Belfast! He got my cheque, he sent the item,no hassle.  The amount was under �20 so I could afford to trust.  I did wonder about some of the big items though; I would have had to have used PayPal which I gather had its security breached last year.

I think the college friends in the U.S. who started e bay a few years back (can't remember date) were very keen on social interaction, community noticeboards, charities, etc. - a sort of green dream. Good people were muscled out by bad dealers, mail order (not aways above board), dodgy people with credit card scams, etc. it seems from Press articles.  hugoboss must be sorry he and his sister got involved. Bad luck.

There is an outfit here who gathers loads of small things  for sale from different sellers; he sells for you on e bay  for a fee, so a lot of the seller's complication (too much for me!) is taken on their shoulders.  You'd have to have something worth a  few pounds  to make that route worthwhile. 

Didn't know about sale of e bay tho' can imagine the founder chappies getting horrified by gross commercialism, fraud,  attendant bad publicity etc.  It was a good idea - the bit I tried was exciting.  My bids were against U.S. dealers  I could see, but as a 'private' i could go that bit more for something I was determined to get up to �20. But it is addictive in the way that fruit machines are.    

[flaming]

I have read the link.  One wet afternoon I must unearth the e bay info. I downloaded to see what was said about them, rather than this present self-PR.  I see Pierre whatsisname and wife who founded in 1995 are not mentioned in the present set-up.

E way was recently started here so people with assorted small items could sell thro' them. Think Loot but online and with only a �5 flat fee for advertising a lot.

[dodgyshirt]

http://www.ebayersthatsuck.com

 

http://www.paypalsucks.com/