eBay Sucks...
Okay, I know I'm not exactly breaking new creative ground here with a blog post about how eBay has gone downhill, but nobody reads this thing anyway, right?
The problem, of course, isn't really eBay. It's the people who use it on both sides. eBay has become such a popular marketplace, that thousands of retailers have co-opted it as an inexpensive way to run an online business. The problem with this is the expectation it creates. 9 times out of 10, when you buy from eBay, you're buying from a retailer who does this for a living, he's able to offer a level of service and quality that a guy like me who's just selling junk he no longer needs can't hope to match. They expect the product to be in brand new condition, free shipping, shipping that day regardless of what the actual listing says. The expect immediate responses to emails and a customer service number. They expect, in short, a retailer.
As you may have guessed, I recently sold something on eBay.
The problem, of course, isn't really eBay. It's the people who use it on both sides. eBay has become such a popular marketplace, that thousands of retailers have co-opted it as an inexpensive way to run an online business. The problem with this is the expectation it creates. 9 times out of 10, when you buy from eBay, you're buying from a retailer who does this for a living, he's able to offer a level of service and quality that a guy like me who's just selling junk he no longer needs can't hope to match. They expect the product to be in brand new condition, free shipping, shipping that day regardless of what the actual listing says. The expect immediate responses to emails and a customer service number. They expect, in short, a retailer.
As you may have guessed, I recently sold something on eBay.
posted by Incredibly Fat Man at 6:23 AM
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