I'm here with another installment of our Member Spotlight program. In case you're new to the Chatter, or if you need a refresher about the Member Spotlight, the goal is to highlight members who have unique, interesting, or inspiring eBay stories.
This week we have a special treat - a video Member Spotlight! Did I mention you can tape your story, host it on sites like Youtube, and send it to us that way too?
Today's Member Spotlight is focused on tootsiegirls.
Take a minute to watch this video to hear about tootsiegirls' most rewarding sales as an eBay Trading Assistant, and how her trip to San Jose for eBay Live! 2005 literally changed her life.
For those of you who don’t know, Stephen Colbert is the comedic genius and host of The Colbert Report. This witty and satirical program which pokes fun at American politics can be seen on cable TV’s Comedy Central.
Fans and regular Colbert Report viewers, referred to as “The Colbert Nation,” know that several weeks ago Mr. Colbert fractured his left wrist. To ensure that it healed properly, he needed the standard hard cast placed on it. And taking a note from old Americana and deciding that "when life gives you lemons, make lemonade," he turned his misfortune into a fundraising extravaganza for the Yellow Ribbon Fund.
Here's how the plan came together: knowing that although he’d have some slight discomfort while wearing this cast, it wouldn't stop him from interviewing his guests on The Colbert Report. He saw the opportunity and seized it, playing on the sympathies of his guests (and their fame).
100% of the proceeds raised in the Stephen Colbert: Exclusive Cast auction will be donated to the Yellow Ribbon Fund. The Yellow Ribbon Fund assists injured service members and their families while they recuperate at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center and the National Naval Medical Center by offering free cab vouchers, hotel rooms, apartments, rental cars, job mentoring, internships and tickets to sporting and cultural events.
The Stephen Colbert: Exclusive Cast auction currently has 109 pre-approved bids, with the high bid amount at $16,900. Not too shabby, eh Nation?
Nation, this is your chance to help raise money for a great cause - and have an awesome “Stephen Colbert: Exclusive Cast” to wear around should you suffer a similar fate (knocking on wood you don't). The auction ends this Sunday night at 9:00 PM Pacific. Rest assured there should be no Greenscreen challenges here!
***Update on 2/11/08: We are adjusting the processes noted in this post. Existing restrictions that limit sellers to a percentage of sales will be lifted. For more information about the seller non-performance policy, please read the Frequently Asked Questions.***
Unless you've been on vacation the last two weeks (and if you were, welcome back!), I probably don't need to tell you that SNP is an acronym for eBay's Seller Non-Performance policy, a longstanding policy which has had a lot of new attention since August 13. That was the day Senior Vice President Philipp Justus told the Community about our heightened attention to SNP.
As a part of our efforts to improve the buying experience, eBay is focusing on sellers whose recent non-positive feedback and item not received activity put them in the bottom 1% of all sellers. We are paying close attention to this group because they generate fully 35% of all the bad buyer experiences on the site.
The reason why these efforts are important is that our research has found that buyers who have a bad experience with an eBay seller tend to buy much less—or even not at all—from other eBay sellers afterward. By targeting this 1% population, our aim is to make a more active and vibrant marketplace for the other 99% of eBay sellers.
Unsurprisingly, Philipp's letter has triggered a lot of discussion and emails. Our sense is that Community members agree with our efforts to take action against this group of sellers -- sellers and buyers both benefit from a more trustworthy marketplace. Since beginning enforcement, many sellers have had questions about enforcement and how they can make sure their buyer satisfaction rates remain in compliance with the SNP policy.
We took some of the Community's most common questions to Lynda Talgo, Senior Director of Global Policy Management in Trust and Safety. Lynda's been one of the thinkers/implementers behind these targeted SNP enforcement efforts, and she and her team have been working hard to help sellers understand SNP. Lynda's answers to some of the most common questions we're hearing are below.
* * * Q: Can a seller get restricted based on only one negative or neutral feedback?
A: No, the intent of our new SNP enforcement is to focus on sellers with a pattern of buyer dissatisfaction, and a seller would never be restricted based on a single negative or neutral feedback.
Q: What factors do you consider when restricting an account?
A: We look at negative and neutral feedback activity and Item Not Received rate to determine level of buyer dissatisfaction, and we also use sales volume to determine which restriction to use. Let’s take a look at each of these in detail.
Feedback: We look at unique negative and unique neutral feedback activity in proportion to a seller’s total selling feedback.
Item Not Received: We look at the rate of INR (Item Not Received) claims in proportion to all selling transactions.
Detailed Seller Ratings: We are not currently using Detailed Seller Ratings, but we expect to in the future. We will continue to focus our enforcement on a very small subset of the overall selling community. Please stay tuned...
There are two thresholds we use to determine which restrictions are most appropriate. Most sellers who fall into a category of SNP enforcement are there due to feedback rates, so I’ll use those in my examples.
Greater than 5% buyer dissatisfaction rate: A seller must have more than 5% negative and neutral feedback, as a seller, over the last 90 days to qualify, and must also receive a minimum of two negatives from unique buyers in the past 90 days.
Greater than 10% buyer dissatisfaction rate: A seller must have more than 10% negative and neutral feedback, as a seller, over the last 90 days to qualify, and must also receive a minimum of three negatives from unique buyers in the past 90 days.
There are different restrictions (described below) for buyer dissatisfaction rates of greater than 5%, and greater than 10%, and for low-volume sellers.
Q: Are you now considering a neutral a negative? If so, why continue to have neutral feedback?
A: No, it’s more accurate to say that we treat neutral feedback as not positive. For instance, neutral comments alone do not trigger an SNP action. There is a negative feedback threshold of two which neutral comments do not count towards.
I understand the concern among some members about counting neutrals in SNP calculations. Generally speaking, however (and we’ve done a lot of research to prove this), a neutral does reflect an unsatisfactory buyer experience. There are exceptions, of course, but the vast majority of neutral comments indicate an issue. We felt that leaving neutral comments out of the calculation would mask a significant part of the bad buyer experience problem.
We continue to have neutral feedback because it’s helpful information for buyers to read and review when they are evaluating a seller. The main purpose of the feedback system is for buyers and sellers to be able to evaluate each other – and neutrals, similar to the Detailed Seller Ratings, provide additional information to buyers and sellers.
For those eBay members who are into the latest social networking craze on Facebook (be careful poking each other out there, folks), you may be interested in checking out the eBay Marketplace for Facebook application. It launched last week and popular industry blogs GigaOm and Mashable weighed in and gave their $.02.
With this Facebook plug-in, you can showcase what you've won (or lost!), share your watched items with trusted friends in your Facebook network, and even push items onto their eBay watch lists if you think they might be interested. Browsing your friends' items puts a whole new spin on the eBay experience.
If you're like me, you'll occasionally run across some items in your house that you just don't need any more and have good value, but would be a big pain to ship (maybe a dresser, or an older TV). For a lot of people, that type of stuff is easiest to sell locally, and to offer pickup or delivery to your buyers.
However, when you list those things on eBay, you can only choose one option when you get to the Shipping section: "Local Pickup/Delivery." Not being able to split up those two choices causes some sellers to bypass it completely - they understandably don't want their buyers thinking they'll deliver an item when they only want to offer pickup, or vice versa. So we're making a simple change that should make these options much more attractive: we're splitting those two out! Now you'll be able to explicitly say whether you're willing to deliver that dresser, or whether the buyer needs to pick it up.
Amit from our eBay Local team has been leading the charge here, and sat down to talk with us about the change and how it can benefit you. You can also check out the announcement he made today for more info as well.
One of the things I’ve always loved about eBay is that it is one of the few companies I’ve worked for who actively solicits feedback from its members and responds as quickly as possible to constructive criticism.
Many of you have sent both praises and critiques to us via sneakpeek@ebay.com. Of course, we also continue to monitor the discussion boards and solicit feedback through our Voices program. Just as you probably know from your own business experience, we can respond to some things quickly, and some programs can take longer to implement.
Today I thought I’d pop onto this blog to let you know about two of the changes you’ve requested, which you’ll see in the next couple weeks.
As Evan shared, the Bid History page is becoming more informative and functional. We made a change several months ago and showed user IDs as “Bidder 1,” “Bidder 2,” and so on, for members bidding on items that are over $200. This was an important safety measure designed to confound professional fraudsters. We are now going to mask the IDs in a way that still can thwart the bad guys, but I think you’ll agree that it’s much more useful to members trying to determine a bit about their bidding competition. You’ll soon see IDs displayed as a label derived from two random characters from the ID: for example, a**b. That label will remain consistent across all auctions over $200 for which a particular bidder places a bid. You can read more about that here, and make sure to check out Evan's video at the end of this post!
In addition to this helpful transparency on Bid History, you’ll also be able to bid directly from that page. No longer will you have to go back to the View Item (description) page after checking out the current bid history. Instead, just place a bid right there!
Likewise, we’ve heard your comments about the Search testing we are running in Playground. We are developing it in phases so that we can test particular things first. You’ve told us, though, that Completed Items search is very important to you, so we’ll be adding that very soon.
Please keep your feedback coming. We never make changes or add new features without a reason that’s grounded in the needs of our Community. So when we do make changes, we love to hear from you so that we can make refinements if necessary. Your voice counts!
It's been awhile since you've had to look at my smiling mug on here. I've been away on vacation, and just got back this week - and returned to a completely empty desk. My devious colleagues had squirreled away all the toys and various knickknacks I have on my desk (read: stuff my wife won't let me keep at home) and moved it another desk in the very corner of the floor, under the guise that I had been moved while I was away. My revenge will be swift and terrible, although I guess I'm glad I didn't get the dreaded styrofoam cube treatment.
Anyway, they tried to make me feel better by showing me this: slugger David "Big Papi" Ortiz from the Boston Red Sox is selling his Mercedes on eBay Motors. The car is exceptionally cool in its own right, but there's an added bonus: Ortiz will personally deliver the car and title to you at legendary Fenway Park! It's a pretty neat one-two to be able to meet one of the best players in baseball, and then to drive away with his car (legally). Just don't ask him why he's wearing a Dallas Mavericks jersey in the picture instead of a Boston Celtics one.
Having just traded for Ortiz on my fantasy team my teammates knew I'm a big fan of his at the moment, so it was their rendition of a peace offering. Now if only they'll just give me a loan as well. (And if one of our readers ends up winning the car, PLEASE send me a picture so I can live vicariously through you.)
Hey everyone, you better hurry because someone has only one more day remaining to become a Princess.
That's right, the chance to purchase one of the beautiful gowns worn by Princess Diana will be ending on Wednesday, August 22. Listed by WEtv, this gorgeous Catherine Walker evening gown was worn by Princess Diana to the Cannes Film Festival in 1987 and to the opening of Miss Saigon in 1989. And hold on to your hats, the auction has an opening bid of $125,000 for which you'll have to get pre-qualified if you want to bid.
The "People's Princess" as Diana is commonly referred to, was admired and loved by so many around the world. It's appropriate now as the 10th anniversary of the tragic car accident in Paris that ended her life early approaches, that one of the stunning evening gowns she wore is put on auction for others to enjoy.
100% of proceeds of your purchase went to Colin Powell's America’s Promise Alliance, the nation’s largest alliance of corporations, nonprofit organizations, foundations, policymakers, advocacy and faith groups committed to ensuring that children receive the fundamental resources—the Five Promises—they need to lead successful, healthy lives.
So be sure to set your eBay wireless to notify you this Wednesday, August 22 when the listing ends so maybe you or someone you love can have a chance to be a princess. Good luck!
Posted by Laura on August 20, 2007 at 01:45 PM | Permalink
Wondering when PayPal is going to have a blog of their own? Wonder no more. On August 10, PayPal President Rajiv Dutta christened the new PayPal blog with a letter to future readers:
"I’ll be making posts from time to time, and you’ll see regular contributions from PayPal staff on a variety of topics. We hope this will help you to get to know our employees, the initiatives within our company, and provide a forum for discussion on e-commerce and payments...Most importantly, we want your feedback. If you like our point of view, let us know. And if you don’t, please tell us why."
We live in a fast-changing world, and more communication is always good. I've added their feed to my list of daily must-reads, and I commend my friends at PayPal for taking the plunge.
* * *
Speaking of blogs -- the eBay Chatter celebrated its one-year anniversary as a blog a few months ago, and it's time to hear what you think. When we started our blog, we thought this should feel like a place you can go to
learn something new about buying and selling,
meet a staff member who deepens your understanding about a new change or product,
read about an interesting eBay member with an inspiring story to tell, or
Ah, it's a warm summer Friday afternoon and, as the weekend beckons, a (not-so-)young man's fancy turns lightly to thoughts of beer. I'm sure many of us are going to enjoy a brewski or two in the company of friends and family this weekend -- nothing like a couple of cold ones on a hot summer day. Well, they don't come colder than this bottle of Allsopp's Arctic Ale, which went on an Arctic expedition led by Sir Edward Belcher. (What a magnificent name for a beer drinker!).
And they don't come any older than this bottle either. Back when Sir Ted was sinking pints (and no doubt living up to his name soon afterwards), the year was 1852. That makes this the oldest, rarest bottle of beer in the world. I have that on authority from the Brookston Beer Bulletin, a rigorous, scientific, peer-reviewed (and beer-reviewed) publication whose focus seems to be coverage of beer-related news around the world. (And a nobler occupation would be hard to find.)
Naturally, the world's rarest bottle of beer was sold on eBay, home to the world's most avid collectors, whether it's beer or any of our other many Collectibles categories. The winning bid -- and I can only hope it wasn't the bidding equivalent of drunk-dialing -- was a whopping $503,300!
It's an amount many of us may ponder on as we stagger out of beer-dispensing establishments late on Saturday night with the urgent desire to eat pizza with lots of cheese, hug the nearest lamp-post, or look on complete strangers as our best friends.
A big reason why I came to work at eBay are the Community values that Pierre placed at the heart of the company from the beginning. We all carry them around on our badges all day, and they're even painted on the walls around here, so you know we take them seriously. #1 on the list is "We believe people are basically good." I think that eBay can be viewed as a huge sociological experiment to test that hypothesis, and we have demonstrated again and again that it is true. Successful transactions outnumber problems by a factor of more than a hundred to one on eBay, and that's pretty strong evidence to back up Pierre's original contention. (I've written about this topic on my personal blog as well.)
That said, there are some hooners out there who, for one reason or another, are driven to treat others (be they transaction partners or fellow posters in the discussion forums) disrespectfully. Believe you me, I have read some dispute threads that would singe your eyebrows, they're so bad. Why people are motivated to talk to complete strangers this way continues to mystify me, particularly when their transaction partners have the ability to publicly rate and comment upon their behavior through the feedback system.
The ugly mask of anonymity I think it has something to do with the anonymity of the internet. Individuals type things into emails that they'd never say face-to-face, probably because they aren't thinking about the other side as a real person, and they are insulated from the reactions their comments elicit. Also, people are quick to jump to conclusions about the other side (they're a criminal, they're a liar, etc.) and they don't take the time to connect with their transaction partners on a friendly level -- they just jump right in to the accusations and threats, as opposed to saying "Hi, how are you? My name is Colin..." or the other things we'd say if we met a stranger face to face.
This issue isn't unique to eBay and PayPal, of course. The blogosphere has been wrestling with this issue for some time. Earlier this year the writer of a popular web column, Kathy Sierra, was victimized by some terrible online harassment. Many people were upset by what she experienced, and spoke out against the type of behavior that targeted her. It led to some serious introspection (led most visibly by prominent blogger Tim O'Reilly) about whether we needed an Online Code of Conduct.
Subsequent to that issue I attended a conference in England on online dispute resolution where many conversations took place in the halls about this topic, particularly regarding what happened to Ms. Sierra and how momentum could be built behind keeping communication respectful online. After several break out drafting sessions, a joint statement was drafted and adopted unanimously by everyone in attendance that encouraged internet users to be more thoughtful in their virtual interactions.
Online code of conduct To support the statement, the National Center on Technology and Dispute Resolution at UMass-Amherst has launched a website, RespectPledge.org, that has the full text of the statement and offers a Respectful Communication Pledge that anyone who visits the site can sign. (Full disclosure: I helped to put the site together, and I'm a longtime supporter of the Center.) The goal of the site is to promote respectful communication online by offering a pledge that can be taken voluntarily by individuals. Also, it has a little icon you can put on your blog, website, Me page, or item listing that indicates you have taken the pledge.
Obviously, not everyone online will be interested in taking such a pledge. In fact, many of the worst offenders may think such a pledge is laughable. However, stating these principles clearly and giving individuals a way to publicly affirm them may help to build a critical mass that promotes and sustains a culture of respectful communication online.
RespectPledge.org seal I'd love to see eBay members being more proactive about this issue. I think SquareTrade seals have helped to advance this cause for the past 8 years, and maybe this new RespectPledge.org seal will serve a similar purpose. I suspect that taking the pledge will urge some people to think twice before they jump to conclusions about someone online, or before they send a message that they would never say face-to-face. And perhaps seeing an icon on the listing of a seller indicating that the seller has taken the pledge will urge a buyer to begin a communication regarding a transaction problem with a constructive tone instead of an accusatory one.
Hello all. I'll be posting pictures throughout today's Town Hall...Just refresh your browser to see the photos I post during the course of the Town Hall. If you want to
listen in to the live event go to eBay.com/townhall.
Here's our emcee, Griff talking with Kip Knight, VP of Marketing:
As you all know, Apple opened the floodgate to iPhone mania on June 29th at 6:00pm PT, and eBay was there. Sunny Li, who works for the eBay Developers Program wrote this review of this iPhone web app - try it out for yourself!
SilkSystem quickly jumped on the iPhone opportunity by creating an eBay shopping assistant application that enables iPhone users to find items, bid, view your eBay Watch List, and check auction status. See this ZDNet blog post for more feature details.
This iPhone application really speaks to the eBay crowd, especially the diehard fans, because it is a "must have" shopping assistant if you want an upper hand in winning an eBay auction.
The application user interface is optimized for the iPhone experience so if you find the zoom function cumbersome, worry no more since zooming in/out is not necessary with this visually optimized application. For those users who have way too many passwords in their heads, that is no longer a problem either because you are only required to use your eBay password once.
The bottom line is -- the iPhone is great, having the ability to shop eBay on it is even better. Equipped with an iPhone and an eBay application that is designed to help you win auctions, you can now go win yourself another iPhone on eBay.
"People. People who need people, are the luckiest people in the world."
Remember that song? It used to play in a music box I had as a kid. Though it's a vintage tune now, the message is still contemporary.
I got to thinking about how eBay is all about people. People who need people (and their products!) are certainly what makes the eBay marketplace work. People are just as integral to making eBay work behind the scenes, too.
Specifically, eBay people -- Community members like you -- have been providing us feedback in a variety of ways. We visit you in your homes and places of business to see how you use eBay and to listen to your suggestions. We invite you to our labs to watch you try out new features and to see what you like and what you think we can improve. And we run multiple variations of eBay pages on eBay itself; many of you have been in test groups and we've monitored how easily you've been able to find, bid, and purchase what you want on the eBay site. Of course, this cycle of feedback is the way in which eBay lives and breathes.
Yesterday, Josh Loftus gave you an update about how we're continuing to refine the new Finding Playground. Hilary reports that Window Shopping is testing well. And if you've been following Sneak Peek, you know that a better eBay home page is coming.
"Tailored." "It's about ME." "There's a connection."
That's how people in test groups have been describing the new home page. This is one of my favorites:
"I like it... it's more visual... you can zero in on what's hot... it's more personal."
I think that pretty well sums it up: the new Home Page is more personal. People-centric. It's a quick way to see the things you've been desiring and considering, and is a great way to see relevant things you're likely to find interesting. The new home page will be driven by your individual activity, so each eBay home page will be as unique as each eBay member.
Watch for the new eBay home page coming in the next couple of weeks!
By the way, is it just me, or is "people' one of those words that makes you smile when you say it a lot?!
Ever since Jeff King announced the Finding Playground, our test lab for trying out what works best for people finding stuff on the site, debate has been raging in our discussion forums, notably on the Search discussion board. Jeff and Josh Loftus have both been posting actively, answering people's questions and explaining what we're testing and why.
From the clamor of people expressing their opinions about the Playground, it's clear that Finding is something we need to approach carefully. And that's precisely why we launched the Playground: so we can learn from the Community what works and what doesn't, before making it available widely. Yes, trying something new can be annoying, to say the least (like trying on new shoes that don’t "feel" right – at first). As Josh says, "Even though change can be exciting, it can also be a little disruptive."
The good news is that we're learning fairly rapidly what's working and what isn't. We got a pretty candid perspective from Josh about the reasons why we're testing so carefully on the Playground (watch the first video right below).
A little later, Josh also told us about the Finding team's … well… findings from the Playground. As we test more, we’re getting a better idea of the direction in which Finding is headed. For instance, we're learning that showing "landing pages" selectively is better than showing them always.
What are landing pages? Well, if you search "vintage" from the home page or the header on eBay today, you see this landing page: http://buy.ebay.com/vintage. We show that page instead of the search results for "vintage" when you type that word into the search box (http://search.ebay.com/search/search.dll?satitle=vintage). We do this because buyers are typically more successful at finding what they want after narrowing their search by a category. On Playground, the new experience will use a self-learning system to determine when to show landing pages.
The more we test things like this, the more sure we are whether something works or can be tossed out. Watch Josh's second video to get an idea of what we've learned.
My esteemed eBay colleague Colin Rule's recent Chatter post has some excellent information on how eBay and PayPal handle FNAD Claims (Yes, I just coined yet another eBay/PayPal acronym. "FNAD" stands for "False Not As Described." However, as astute as my dear friend and compatriot's post might be, it begs the question, "How do I avoid the aggravation and loss from both FNAD and regular old NAD claims?" and if there is one thing I cannot resist, it's a begging question.
Over the last 11 years, I have collected a few simple tips and listing strategies that, although not absolutely guaranteed to provide 100% protection from false NAD claims, can nevertheless significantly reduce the chance of their occurring to you, an eBay seller. Some are really obvious (but I will mention them nonetheless). Others are probably less known.
The devil is deterred by the details
Describe the item in minute detail in the text of your listing. Leave nothing out. If there is the smallest chip to that piece of china, mention it. Call it out. Take a photograph of the chip.
Pack the item as securely as possible. I always err on the side of caution when I pack. We could spend an entire post on proper packing but there are many sources of this information on eBay so I will instead encourage you to seek them out later.
Make insurance required for all your items. (Or at least, all your expensive or fragile items).
Highlighting the unique helps avoid FNAD claims Many but not all, FNADs are filed for items that are not unique. For example, an electronic device or a china plate from a larger set or from a known china pattern. Some (very few) buyers with mischief on their minds might have an identical item in a "lesser" condition which they plan on switching out with your item. Your task is to find a unique aspect of your item, no matter how seemingly insignificant or small, and feature it prominently in your listing description.
For electronic devices, appliances, etc., include the serial number in both text as well as with a sharp close up photograph. For china or glass, look for at least one (more if possible) quirks or faults in the firing or glazing. Something that you can mention and can also display on the listing page in a clear, close-up photo. By detailing in text and photo, the serial number or something else unique about the item, you will discourage those unscrupulous buyers from buying your item and using it in a FNAD claim.
Here's my guess at the #1 seller resolution frustration scenario out there right now:
A seller sends an item they are very confident is as-described. However, once it arrives, the buyer files a not-as-described (NAD) complaint. Maybe the buyer legitimately disagrees with the seller about the item condition, maybe there's something more nefarious going on -- who knows. After several back and forth messages with PayPal customer support to get the facts of the case, PayPal decides for the buyer, telling them they have to ship the item back to the seller in order to get their refund. Eventually, the buyer does ship back the item, but much to the seller's chagrin, it's now either damaged or incomplete. The buyer then gives the tracking number to PayPal and they get their money back, but the seller is out the shipping and insurance -- plus, they have an item that has lost most of its value.
This is not a new issue -- I have seen examples of this kind of situation for several years. In contentious, not-as-described cases, PayPal will usually tell the buyer to send the item back to the seller, and once delivery is confirmed PayPal will release the funds to the buyer. In most cases, we’d call it even at that point, as the buyer and seller are out the same amount. For example, say the buyer paid $15 plus $5 for shipping ($20). Then the buyer shipped it back to the seller (presumably at a cost of $5). Then they got their original payment amount back, which was $20. So the buyer is out $5 (the return shipping) and the seller is out the $5 for the original shipping, but they have the item back. The transaction was unsatisfactory, so PayPal pushed the “undo” button as best we could and shared the cost between the members.
Returned item is damaged
However, what if the buyer damaged the item before they shipped it back, so the seller is out more than just the shipping? As if the seller wasn't frustrated enough with the time spent on the claim process and the decision by PayPal, now the damage to the item adds insult to injury.
Let me be clear that PayPal does not relish the role of playing decision maker in cases like this. We're not able to look at the item directly, which makes determining the appropriate outcome in a not-as-described case quite difficult. We’re asked to make the call because the buyer and seller can’t work the issue out directly, and we work hard to make the best call we can in each situation. But someone is going to be disappointed by the decision, and we don't like disappointing our customers.
It's understandable for members to suspect foul play, even when there might be none at work. For instance, an unscrupulous buyer could send an empty box or a box of junk just to get the tracking number (just as a fraudulent seller sometimes does). Once the buyer has the tracking number they can present it to PayPal to get PayPal to release the funds back to them. I've looked into this particular scam and found very few actual examples of it happening, but customer service is aware of it and prepared to handle it should it arise.
Let me be clear, though (as I was in my prior post when I was addressing sellers): if a buyer does try something like this, it is clear buyer fraud -- just like if they were to send a fake money order or file a false protection claim. I don't think we need any buyer who would act like that in our marketplace.
The good news is that the odds are very high we'll catch any buyers that try this little scam. We track the number of PayPal claims a buyer files. Only a tiny percentage of buyers file more than one claim a year (the majority files none). If a buyer files multiple claims, particularly multiple SNAD claims, they will stick out like a sore thumb. Also, sellers have the ability to report suspected buyer fraud if they lose a SNAD claim – just click the “report buyer fraud” link on the right hand side of the closed claim in your Resolution Center and you'll see the link to do so.
Send me your experiences
I've been chatting with some folks at PayPal about ways we might be able to offer help to sellers victimized in this way in a more systematic fashion. I think PayPal needs to get on top of this issue, because it's a particularly bad experience for sellers. Until then, let me know in the Chatter discussion forum if you've gone through a situation like this one. It's helpful for me to learn more about individual cases that may fit this pattern so we can determine how best to address it.
Hi Everyone, sorry it’s been so long since I’ve last blogged. I’ve been pretty busy here in Vancouver and I’ve finally gotten back on track since the excitement and energy of eBay Live! in Boston. By the way, It was great meeting many of you in Boston. It was fun to meet some of you that had read a few of my blogs, face to face! Today I’m going to spotlight an employee here at our Vancouver Customer Support office – Jason Luu. Jason has a very unique job, we call him our “Spoof Ninja”. I sat down with Jason last week and interviewed him. He was thrilled, and very honored, to get to share a little bit about what he does with our loyal Chatter readers. Enjoy!
Julie Drossos: How long have worked for eBay?
Jason Luu: Wow! I was bamboozled when I checked my work records here, according to them, I've been here for roughly 1158 days (that’s roughly 3 years and 2 months). The root of my amazement isn't that I'm surprised to have been gainfully employed here for such a solid amount of time. On the contrary, it's more to do with the fact that it doesn't feel that I've been here for that long. The constant challenges presented to us here along with the rewards that come from meeting those challenges, really make every day here seem like a new day. Interestingly enough, according to those same records, it says that I'm a great performer and admired by many, so those records could have been tampered with.
JD: What areas have you worked in?
JL: I have had a very colorful career so far at eBay, having been introduced to many different work groups and fortunate enough to be involved in several important projects. I've been involved in Reactive Fraud, Spam/Spoof, Account Security, and, of course, Spoof Handling. Before working in the area I’m currently in (which is a job I LOVE), I have to say that my favorite department to date has been working in Account Security. It was like a roller coaster ride that never ended. Every day was interesting.
JD: What is your job/role currently and what exactly does it entail?
JL: My current role at eBay is that of a Spoof Ninja (more formally known as a Spoof Handler)! You might be thinking that that sounds pretty crazy. And you'd be right! The governing principle behind my job is simple: to diligently protect you, our members, from phishing sites and maintain the integrity of the eBay site. The existence of phishing sites and fraudulent listings that manipulate users to visit a phishing site are serious issues. We treat such issues with a great deal of urgency. We play an instrumental role in monitoring phishing site trends and, by working very closely with ISPs and networks globally, getting these sites off the grid. It's a Ninja thing.
Hey all you baseball fans out there! I'm sure you're closely following Barry Bonds' chase for the Home Run Record of 756 home runs. The current record is 755 career home runs held by Hank Aaron.
You may recall when Bonds passed the legendary Babe Ruth's mark of 714 home runs to officially take over second place in the record books, the 715th home run ball ended up being sold on eBay.
I'm sure you're wondering if # 756 will be sold on eBay if the lucky fan who catches the ball wants to sell it. We'll just have to wait and see. Barry's team, the San Francisco Giants, are currently playing the Los Angeles Dodgers in L.A. so be sure to check your scores each night to see if Barry has tied Aaron with # 755.
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Hi everyone!
Today's Member Spotlight is focused on tootsiegirls. 
Hello all. I'll be posting pictures throughout today's 
