The Dallas eBaybes & eMales eBay Group, founded by well-known eBay Super Seller and Education Specialist, Stephanie Inge (stephintexas), invited a few eBay staff members to their regular in-person get-together in Richmond, TX on Thursday night, May 29th. Over 100 members of the eBaybes & eMales came to the get-together. In attendance from eBay were Brian Burke, Directory of Global Feedback Policy, Rishikesh Tembe from Trust and Safety and myself, Stacy Stella and Garnor Morantes from Community Development.
Even the hospitality is bigger in Texas! The event started at 6:30 pm at the bucolic Canyon Creek Country Club. From the moment we walked into the lobby, Stephanie & company greeted us with heaping helpings of Texas hospitality. As I do every time I travel to Texas, I immediately felt welcomed and at home. From introductions and greetings we moved into the dining area of the club and its 100 foot stretch of enormous picture window that provided the event with a eye-watering backdrop of verdant rolling hills in the late afternoon sun.Our hosts provided us mounds of great barbecued chicken, corn on the cob and apple pie, and lots of libations (I lost count of the G&T's set before me courtesy of Melinda (texasdiner2004). Thank you Melinda!).
What's eBay's long-term strategy for "super sellers"? After dinner it was time for Q&A. A range of questions and comments came our way -- about the recent launch of Feedback 2.0, Finding 2.0, and eBay's long term strategy for "super sellers" (the impromptu but apt term that the Group members came up with to describe themselves). The group is made up of sellers, a majority of who are also buyers (the perfect demographic) so we had the privilege of hearing many diverse viewpoints and suggestions.
After the Q&A, Brian, Rishi and I helped as "runners" distributing the raffle door prizes, all of which were donated by Group members. There were some really great prizes and few (the rare, branded eBay Austria Thong - MWMT and definitely brand new - donated by eBetsy and John Monjott was the definite hit of the evening).
At 9:00pm, the official close of the event, we assembled for a group photo.
I say "official close" because Brian and I stayed on another two and a half hours talking with many eBaybes and eMales sharing stories, concerns and views for the future. I kept thinking it was only about 10:00 pm when I realized that my watch was still set to Pacific time. It was nearly midnight! And all of us had early flights to catch back to San Jose the next morning.
Ask Stephanie about how to form a local Group in your area
If you live in the Dallas, Fort Worth area, you should definitely consider joining Stephanie's eBay Group. The heady mix of entrepreneurial spirit, bonhomie, and hospitality of their in-person events made for one of the most memorable and exciting evenings I can remember. It reminded all of us who participated exactly what sets eBay apart from any other marketplace -- you, our Community.
If you live in another state and are interested in forming a local eBay group that meets up on a regular basis, I strongly encourage you to seek out Stephanie. She is definitely eager to provide advice and tips to anyone interested in creating a similar group.
Thanks again to Stephanie, Malinda, Theresa, Susan and everyone in the eBaybes & eMales eBay Group for your extraordinary generosity, good humor and good will. It was an honor and a delight to meet and talk with you, share stories and most importantly, to listen to your concerns and questions.
It's been almost a month since the eBay Foundation launched Community Gives, a campaign through which three worthy nonprofit organizations -- First Book, Best Friends Animal Society and Oxfam – will get $1 million (equally distributed) from the Foundation. As Bill Barmeier, our VP of Global Citizenship wrote in his original announcement, "Imagine what we can do when we all give together!"
And imagine what we can do when the causes being supported are very dear to our hearts. In identifying what kinds of nonprofits to support, the Foundation worked closely with our Community, especially people in the Voices program. No wonder eBay members have embraced the Community Gives campaign enthusiastically – contributions have come in from eBayers in 45 states and 19 countries! (Hopefully Chatter readers from the five remaining states -– Alaska, Mississippi, North Dakota, Rhode Island, and Wyoming -– will scramble to get their states on the map soon!)
The Community Gives campaign is a huge testament to the generous giving spirit of our Community, especially in the last few weeks when people have also reached deep into their pockets to support the victims of the colossal natural disasters that hit Myanmar and China.
Spread the word to friends and family! Of course more remains to be done. It always does when it comes to supporting your favorite causes. Besides contributing money (of course!) you can easily support Community Gives by spreading the good word. Here are a few ways to do this:
Blog about Community Gives on your personal blog, if you have one (for instance, check out what Danna Crawford, an eBay PowerSeller, wrote on her blog.)
Tell some friends about the campaign via email
Add a Community Gives message to your own email signature
Include the Community Gives banner on your About Me and My World pages, as well as in your listings and eBay Stores.
Add a PayPal donation widget to anywhere you have a presence on the web (it's a bit of software that lets people send money to their preferred nonprofits via PayPal)
It's very easy to do most of these things – just grab the code from the Tell a Friend page on www.communitygives.organd plop it into your email or website.
Every dollar counts! Remember that your efforts will go towards providing new books so that hundreds of thousands of low-income children can discover the magic of reading, building a puppy care center so that hundreds of abused and injured puppies can have a chance to find loving permanent homes, and supplying access to clean, safe water to alleviate poverty for tens of thousands of people in Ethiopia and Zambia.
Since I put myself out there last February with my take on the changes to our Feedback system I feel I owe it to you to check in and report on what I am hearing from sellers, now that the changes are in place. Over the coming months, I hope to provide regular updates regarding the changes (aka, Feedback 2.0) based on the emails I am receiving and any anecdotal indications of changes in seller or buyer behavior. So… our first update:
As you might imagine, May 19th was a momentous day for many sellers, especially as indicated by the volume of email I've received since then. So far, the emails, nearly all from sellers, divide up into two groups: one small but growing group of sellers who tell me that they adjusted their business practices well in advance of May 19th and are seeing a marked improvement in their ratings and in the sales. The other, admittedly larger group is still, to put it mildly, apprehensive of the changes and their consequences. One seller actually told me that they thought we would not actually go through with the announced implementation and was dismayed to see that we did.
The bulk of the emails in the second group was from sellers who wanted to express their shock and distress at seeing their Feedback percentage drop on the morning of May 19th –- sometimes by a few tenths of a point, sometimes by as much as a full point -– based on the new formula for calculating percentages (which now includes neutrals as well as positives). Brian Burke did an excellent job answering a lot of these questions his recent follow-up announcement so I will defer discussion here to his post.
Buyer who misused the policy suspended
Of all the emails I received, one was most interesting. Midday yesterday, I received the first of several reports of a single buyer who had waited until May 19th to leave negative feedback for eleven separate sellers! Our privacy policy prevents me from revealing User IDs or item numbers but I can tell you that all of the transactions took place in April and that all of the left negatives comments had the same text:
"BEWARE! Poor communication. Not even an email to thank me for my fast payment."
Upon reviewing the Feedback left by this buyer, it was immediately clear that this was exactly the type of "worst case" Feedback abuse scenario that some sellers had predicted. And it was exactly this type of abuse for which we have revamped our previous policy to allow for redress (permanent removal of all negatives left by a suspended member).
Make no mistake, we absolutely will not tolerate any clear abuse of the new Feedback rules and we will take immediate action against any member who, reported to us, is shown to have violated eBay policy regarding abuse of the feedback forum.
The buyer who left the series of negative comments has been suspended and the negative comments removed.
Notwithstanding the very bad pun in the title of this post (let the groaning begin), here's a summer event to put on your calendar. Better still, on your bidding calendar. CNNMoney.com reported today that, in June, bidders on eBay will have a chance to win a lunch with Warren Buffett, billionaire investor, stock market guru, philanthropist, and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway.
Auctioning lunch with Warren Buffett has become a six-year tradition on eBay. The proceeds from the auction always go to The Glide Foundation, which provides services to the poor and homeless in San Francisco. Last year, according to the CNNMoney.com story, two investors paid $650,100 for the privilege of having lunch with the man often called the "Oracle of Omaha." Considering the value of getting to listen to Mr. Buffett's views on how the stock market was shaping up, it was probably cheap at the price.
This year's auction will begin at 7 p.m. Pacific time on June 22nd, and will end at 7 p.m. Pacific time on June 27th. Mr. Buffett will dine with the winning bidder and up to seven friends at Smith and Wollensky's steakhouse in New York on a mutually agreed upon date.
I would love to be a fly on the wall during that lunch but, barring the unlikely event that I win the lottery, the closest I'll come to Mr. Buffet is through the Glide Foundation's eBay page. Keep an eye on this page to see the auction action in June (you can sign up to receive an email reminder). And if you want a rare shot at eating a medium rare with Mr. Buffet, you can also become pre-qualified to bid on the auction from the Glide Foundation page.
Today is Town Hall day! Your opportunity to ask eBay execs questions and let them know what's on your mind -- live, and on the air! Lorrie Norrington, President of eBay Marketplace Operations, and several other eBay execs will take your questions today from3:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Pacific time, on all things eBay.
To get the collective ear of our execs, call us at our toll-free number – 1-877-474-3302 - between 3:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Pacific time and ask us your question on the air.
If you'd prefer, you can drop us an email at townhall@ebay.com. For information on how to listen live on WSRadio or access the archives after the event, visit the Town Hall page.
As usual, I'll be putting up pictures from the Town Hall as it unfolds this afternoon.
It's now a few minutes before 3:30 pm, and our execs are taking their places on the panel. Here are Lorrie Norrington and Griff sharing a moment before we go on air:
As a dispute resolution guy, I keep my ear to the ground on any developments in the world of online conflict management. And it appears there's been a mini-boomlet in innovation as of late. First came the launch of peoplescourtraw.com, which enables people in a disagreement to upload short video clips stating their case, which is then put to the site's visitors to decide. Then a few weeks later came AllRise.com, an Israeli startup that looks quite a bit like the Community Court eBay UK announced last fall (but subsequently canceled) in that panels of online juries decide cases submitted on the site.
The question these sites raise for me is how applicable these models would be to eBay and PayPal. A little while ago a friend sent me a post by Zac Bissonnette on a stock discussion board that suggested Judge Judy would be an ideal solution to eBay's problems with sloppy sellers and fraudulent buyers. The post included a link to a widely circulated YouTube video taken from a Judge Judy episode that dealt with a dispute between two eBay members. From the post:
"Kelli Filkins appeared on Judge Judy to defend plaintiffs' claim that she had defrauded them on eBay by sending them a picture of a phone they paid $240 for. She claimed that the ad said it was for a picture only.
What ensued is possibly the greatest smackdown in the history of Judge Judy -- who told Ms. Filkins that she is an "outrageous person." The sharp-tongued judge went on to say: "If you live to 120, you're not gonna be as smart as I am in one finger. You may weigh more, but you're not gonna be smarter than I am in one figure." Burn sauce!
Given Judy's reputation as a no-nonsense judge who will crack down on shenanigans, eBay could work out a licensing deal to brand its complaint resolution system as "Judge Judy" -- and run an ad campaign where she talks about her commitment to making eBay a safe place for buyers and sellers."
Objection sustained
Now as a dispute resolution guy, watching Judge Judy gives me hives. It seems less about resolving the problem between the two parties than about providing an excuse for Judge Judy to indulge her rage-a-holic tendencies by belittling and abusing the people in front of her. For some reason, people like to watch this kind of thing. I also think that because Judge Judy uses the trappings of the judicial system (big wooden desk, robes, etc.) people think that what she's dishing out is justice. She may "tell it like it is," (a la Simon on American Idol) but I think the "burn sauce" mentioned above is unnecessary and inappropriate.
All rise for Judge Griff? That said, maybe members of the eBay Community would like to be able to bring their disputes in front of a forum like AllRise, the People's Court, or Judge Judy. Well, not Judge Judy, necessarily -- but maybe Judge Griff? If both the buyer and seller agreed to resolve their dispute that way then I don't see why eBay should prevent it. Maybe we could make it transparent and let others in the community come and review the processes as well, like this Judge Judy video.
I'd be interested to hear what readers of the blog would say about this idea (you can leave your comments on the Chatter blog discussion board). Personally, I think that resolving disputes by mutual agreement is the best way to go, because it builds trust and the members involved are much more likely to abide by a decision that they personally approved. But the judicial model does have a long track record of success, and it might be useful in some cases -- especially if it was a way for the Community to enforce the standards instead of eBay and PayPal employees.
It's Bike to Work Day today and eBayers are enthusiastically putting their mettle to the pedal. Employees have been riding in to work from far and wide, even though temperatures are predicted to hit 100 here today. (Last year a few employees actually biked all the way from San Francisco, a whopping 50 mile ride!).
Actually eBay's campuses have always had a healthy (pun intended) share of people who bike in to work regularly, thanks to the Bay Area generally having pleasant weather all year round. You can always count on seeing a few bikes parked by the stairs on the first floors of most buildings on campus. And more and more people have been getting on their bikes lately. After all, it's healthy, it's good for the environment, and it saves you money (with gas prices these days, filling up might be more painful than a visit to the dentist!).
One of eBay's regular bikers is our very own Griff, who has a "weighty" message for you delivered with the usual Griff enthusiasm. Check it out in this video.
If the recent cyclone in Myanmar wasn't enough proof of Mother Nature's power, this week's 7.9 earthquake in China certainly is. The latest death toll is an incredible 15,000 people, with many more thousands missing or buried under rubble. Rescue and relief efforts are underway, with many aid agencies from across the world rushing to help.
Similar to their move to help the Myanmar cyclone victims, the eBay Giving Works team has set up a page to support the relief efforts in China. You can help these efforts by visiting www.ebay.com/chinaearthquake
and buying or selling to benefit these organizations, or donating cash directly
to the China Earthquake Relief Fund.
I want to follow up on my call for new seller stories by sharing a few of them with you over the next few weeks. I received nearly 200 (and they are still coming in!) and I hope to feature some of the best here starting with April Puchala, owner of The Toy Bakery.
We had the pleasure of meeting April and her husband Danny last week when they visited San Jose as part of the latest group of members in the Voices of the Community program. Despite some apprehension about air travel, April agreed to fly to California with Danny from their home base in Florida in order to participate in Voices. Here is her the gist of her story:
Hey Griff :)
My name is April. I'm a stay at home mom in my late 20's. I've known my husband since we were kids. When we got out of high school he joined the Marines. After serving and coming home, we got married. Since then he's served a tour in the Army and even the Coast Guard! After living in New Orleans during and after the infamous Hurricane Katrina, he decided after 12 years of service, it was time to move our 2 girls into a more structured environment.
However, it has been at a cost. Last Christmas, we purchased a new home in a small town north of where we grew up. No longer able to depend on the benefits of being military and now my husband starting all over at a new position in a civilian job, our finances started to feel a weight we've never known.
So what else could I do to assist my family as a stay at home mom?
During the Christmas season, I had purchased some lovely play foods on eBay for our daughters as presents. After seeing their love for the newfound toys, I decided to start selling them myself. I anticipated our tax return which came the 2nd week of February and carefully spent every penny on getting this idea in the works.
I decided on a very original idea that I had been thinking about since I was a child and enjoyed my own play foods. I named my store "The Toy Bakery." Our motto is "Get the Baker's Best without the Mess!" I package all of my play foods in real gourmet boxes and wrappings. It's a very cool idea that the kids and parents seem to really love. I get compliments in my feedback and in emails a lot from my new customers.
Marketing has also been quite easy even inside of eBay. From my monthly coloring contest, to my 100% to charity auctions, I am trying hard to utilize all eBay has to offer me AND my customers. I held my first coloring contest my first month in business and sent a coloring page to my customers with their orders. To my delight, I had several entries and I named 2 grand prize winners! I had to put off my contest for April to finish working on my store, but I am already getting submissions for my May contest!
It was scary at first. Families come to rely on tax returns quite heavily and ours was no different. I really put our money at risk trying this new endeavor. But honestly, It's been about 2 months since I've been listing on eBay and I'm actually making money... already! I even have my first import coming in from overseas for some great play foods. Not only that I have made countless sales internationally to places I had to look on a map to see where it was! It's amazing how this has changed me, educated me and given me a feeling of self-accomplishment beyond the joy of being a mother and wife. I feel so blessed to be able to express myself, make money AND still be able to take care of my children and husband without leaving my home!
What other job in the world can a mother fill her orders in her PJs and stop to change a diaper than to be an eBay-mom? I have high expectations for my business, I truly believe my brand name will be known and I can say it all started right here on eBay!
Thank you for taking the time to read my family’s story. I wish you all the best!
Baker April The Toy Bakery "Get the Baker's Best without the Mess!"
Big and small sellers; full and part time sellers; high and low volume sellers; commodity and unique item sellers; every single one is an integral part of eBay's extraordinary marketplace of sellers. April is a perfect representative of the single-owner, small businesses that bring an unequaled selection of unusual and rare merchandise to eBay. They play an integral role in the eBay marketplace. Without them, there would be no eBay.
In the weeks leading up to eBay Live!, I will be celebrating and championing small start-up sellers like April for the inspiration and delight they bring to everyone on eBay, buyers and fellow sellers alike.
Here's a short video interview I did with April during her visit to San Jose.
If you've been to eBay Live! in the past few years, you've probably heard (or heard of) the eNotes. Made up of our Dispute Resolution guru -- and very own Chatter contributor -- Colin Rule, cross-border trade expert Sarah Brubacher, and Larry Friedberg of PayPal fame, they're well-known for entertaining crowds in the Community Lounge with their a cappella versions of classic love ballads modified to have an eBay twist.
But this year, we were treated to a sneak preview. We hosted a Voices of the Community group last week, and Colin and Sarah were guests at our dinner at Left Bank (Larry unfortunately couldn't make it). After some cajoling, the two agreed to do a few of their hits....well, ok, it didn't take much cajoling. We were on an outdoor patio, and I think we shattered the restaurant's record for "strange looks from pedestrians wondering what those crazy people were singing about." But at the very least, I think we entertained our fantastic server Milena and David, the restaurant manager.
Because we didn't want to limit this treat just to Voices, we did an impromptu taping of the session, so check it out below. It's a little grainy because we were using a handheld camera, and there's some lead-in to get through as they gather up their courage. But they end up doing a great job, and if you're with us at eBay Live! in Chicago this June, you might get lucky and be treated to the real thing.
The Dallas eBaybes & eMales eBay Group, founded by well-known eBay Super Seller and Education Specialist, Stephanie Inge (stephintexas), invited a few eBay staff members to their regular in-person get-together in Richmond, TX on Thursday night, May 29th. Over 100 members of the eBaybes & eMales came to the get-together. In attendance from eBay were Brian Burke, Directory of Global Feedback Policy, Rishikesh Tembe from Trust and Safety and myself, Stacy Stella and Garnor Morantes from Community Development. 
Even the hospitality is bigger in Texas!
If you live in the Dallas, Fort Worth area, you should definitely consider joining Stephanie's eBay Group. The heady mix of entrepreneurial spirit, bonhomie, and hospitality of their in-person events made for one of the most memorable and exciting evenings I can remember. It reminded all of us who participated exactly what sets eBay apart from any other marketplace -- you, our Community. 
