new ebay feedback

On 24 May 2007 at 10:24, Geoff Reed wrote: I had a similar experience with a non-computer item. What was shipped to me did not match the description. When I contacted the seller, the response came back that since he was one of those "drop your junk off at our storefront and we'll sell it on eBay for you" operations, he had no particular knowledge of the item and posted only what was told to him. No, he wouldn't take it back, or even offer settlement terms--nor would he divulge the name of the original owner who had engaged his services. Negative feedback would be responded to in kind. When I brought the case up on the eBay community forum, I was immediately blasted for hassling the seller and it was my own fault for being stupid. It was then I discovered that the eBay community forums are populated by sellers who see it as their own private turf used to keep buyers in their place. I was even mocked for having only a single eBay ID! Apparently, many sellers have several--when one ID gets polluted enough, the rule seems to be that one discards it like a pair of soiled gloves and moves on to a new one. I've said it before--eBay has all of the legitimacy and integrity of an open-air bazaar in Marrakesh--the big difference being that in Morrocco, you actually get to see and handle the real merchandise, rather than simply being shown a photo of it. That being said, I've had more good experiences on eBay than bad-- just as it's possible to find good deals in a flea market. I doubt that revamping the feedback scheme will have a material effect on sellers' or buyers' ethics. Cheers, Chuck