I [don't] hate E-Bay (was Cromemco 68000 on ebay)

the internet could have *brought* us any number of things. One party organized and brought us eBay. For the most part it's a racket. Sure someone low on cash can get more money for an item then they otherwise would have dreamed of (can you say vintage computer?). But there methods of dealing with issues is atrocious, for instance this recent piece of debauchery (see I'm becoming incoherent) where a seller is prevented from reporting truthful feedback about an atrocious bidder. It is, of course, the seller's fault when people refuse to read through a listing, then refuse to pay, THEN get to leave you negative feedback. ?My rating is about 71 I think. But I've participated in HUNDREDS of transactions. The reason my score is so low - I utterly REFUSE to play the one hand washes the other game. I think I left negative feedback once (really really wanted to another time, but couldn't). I guess though that that particular debacle isn't ePay's fault (coercion). ?I'll utilize from time to time, but personally I'd cackle w/laughter if their stock values suddenly plummeted. And this is coming from a rather unapologetic conservative Republican (for the most part). All brokers will have their part in the lake that burneth w/fire and w/brimstone. --- On Sun, 3/29/09, Barry Watzman <Watzman at neo.rr.com> wrote: From: Barry Watzman <Watzman at neo.rr.com> Subject: I [don't] hate E-Bay (was Cromemco 68000 on ebay) To: cctech at classiccmp.org Date: Sunday, March 29, 2009, 2:36 PM I am a "Power Seller" with over 10 years on E-Bay, probably 5,000 transactions, but I am not a business and most of my activity is buying, not selling. First, re: "I hate [ebay] because it defrauded me in 2005", that is, in all probability, BS.? E-Bay didn't defraud you, the other party (buyer or seller) did.? E-Bay is not a principal to the transaction; it is merely a venue for bringing buyers and sellers together. Second, IF YOU KNOW HOW TO USE E-BAY, it is EXTREMELY safe.? Most of the sellers (and buyers) are honest, more than 99% I'd say.? If you pay through Pay-Pal with a credit card, you have about 3 levels of protection even if the seller is fraudulent:? E-Bay, Pay-Pal and your credit card company.? You do have to know how to use the various systems to protect yourself; you can look at a seller's history, and about the comments that people who have dealt with that seller previously have left about their transactions.? If you educate yourself about how to use E-Bay, it is quite safe.? Is it perfectly, totally safe?? No, of course not (neither is any other marketplace), and getting issues resolved when they do occur can be a hassle and can take months and require that you be persistent and well organized. There are a surprising number of people with an aversion to E-Bay.? That's their loss, because it's one of the greatest things that the Internet has brought us, both as buyers and as sellers. Barry Watzman