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.
On Friday, April 25th, the Community Development team held a special event in the eBay Café to launch a very special new program. Normally, I don't blog about internal events since they would be of no real interest to anyone but employees. However, this is one that I think every buyer and seller will find of interest.
eBay employees say "Hello" to you!
I am a lucky guy. I have the honor and privilege of talking to thousands of eBay sellers and buyers in the course of a year, either in person or via email or through eBay Radio. Through our constant conversations, I learn volumes about you and your experiences with eBay and other eBay members. What I learn from you allows me to do my job well (as an instructor, guide, ombudsman and "ear.") I consider my connections with you to be priceless and the reason I get up in the morning. In fact, when anyone asks me what I love most about my job, I do not hesitate telling them that it's my daily interactions with you, our Community.
Many of my teammates in Community Development are equally as fortunate, as they, too, get to meet with so many of you throughout the year. But for many other eBay employees, the opportunities for direct interaction with you are limited. It's not that they are unwilling; the majority would love to learn more about you. For them, the obstacles are "how" and "when." Since we in Com Dev are experts at the "how" and "when," we created a special program to help every eBay employee who so desires or needs, to meet and talk with you. The program is called Customer Connect.
Customer Connect will facilitate a myriad of different connections between eBay customers -- that would be you -– and eBay employees using existing features like the Community forums, live events like eBay In Person, our Voices program as well as new features like home visits and customer support "listen ins." Our hope for the program is that it will bring more employees into direct contact with eBay buyers and sellers so that they, the employees, can attain a better understanding of your needs, your own challenges as either sellers or buyers, your suggestions for improvements and changes and in general, a better picture of your day to day experiences using eBay's marketplace.
The launch event was a resounding success. In two hours, our team members spoke individually to over 200 employees and signed up nearly that many as "early members" who expressed interest in connecting with you through one of four main channels: Voices, Visits, Forums or Community Communications. We gave away lots of specially branded tchotchkes like big glass mugs, t-shirts and tin flower pots with real grass seeds to water and grow (like a chia pet!).
Signing up employees for Customer Connect
In addition, we had four local eBay members come to the event to meet with and talk to employees (a special thanks to them!).
Employee Lisa Laursen (Lulu) speaks with eBay member Randy Hicks during the event.
We received quite a bit of interest from employees in all aspects of the program but especially in becoming "pinks" so that they could chat and converse with you on our forums (a definite need in the Community!) I feel confident in predicting that in the coming weeks and months, you will notice more employees actively engaging with you both on and off the site.
I need to take a break for a moment from answering the avalanche of email I have received from my call for stories on Friday to thank all those folks who have taken the time to write out their own personal tales of starting to sell on eBay. I was not prepared for the sheer number of stories or the array of hardships conquered they contained. So many of you have weathered such extreme difficulties and have overcome them, with help from a little opportunity provided by eBay and a whole lot of dedication and passion for believing in yourselves, in spite of the odds. I was, at times over the weekend, overcome myself reading them.
Rest assured, I will respond in the coming days, to each and every person who emailed in a story. It may take a few days so I thank you for your patience in advance.
Thank you again for taking the time to bring your testaments to life. You remind me over and over why working for you is such an honor and privilege.
Are you a new or even "new-ish" seller on the eBay?
Has recent news about the world economy motivated you, after maybe months or even years of putting it off, to start finally listing items on eBay, maybe to supplement your income or to convert your unwanted possessions into a nice little cash reserve (finally freeing up enough space in your garage to fit your car)?
Then we want to hear your story! Well, not just us, but the whole world. We're looking for a few good stories to share with with the media in the coming months. This is an excellent once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to share your story and put your eBay listings in front of millions of potential buyer eyeballs!
So if you are relatively new to selling on eBay and your main reason for taking the plunge was concern about the current state of the economy, and you don't mind reaping the possible rewards a national news story could generate for your listings on eBay, then why not email your story to me at griff@ebay.com today!
I started my eBay adventure way back in 1996 as first, a community member and shortly afterward, as eBay's first customer support rep. Although my actual position and responsibilities have changed over the years, I still proudly consider myself, at heart, an eBay customer support rep. I constantly remind all of my colleagues here that no matter what our job titles might be, we are all first and foremost, support reps. From the top exec to the newly hired, every eBay employee's purpose is to serve our customers -- eBay buyers and sellers.
Every day, I receive email from buyers and sellers and I consider it an honor and a delight to respond to each and every one. And I like to know how it goes with our customer support employees; what issues they face, their take on the current needs and concerns of our sellers and buyers, etc. So when our customer support team in our Vancouver, BC office asked me to come up and help them celebrate their 5th anniversary last week, I was more than happy to oblige (and I see that my friend Julie scooped me by blogging about the celebrations first!). I love a good party (and the salmon in BC is unequaled -- I ate so much I thought I would at any moment start swimming upstream to spawn). But more importantly, I would never miss the opportunity to meet up and share stories and experiences with my fellow support reps.
I flew up to Vancouver last Tuesday night and spent two full days (and one very late night graveyard shift) meeting and chatting with all of our fellow support reps. Our BC office houses several key eBay support teams including but not limited to, our Buyer teams (the bulk of our Seller teams including PowerSeller support are housed in our Salt Lake City office), Live Help Chat, Southeast Asia and Australia Support teams, and the lion's share of our Trust and Safety department.
It was quite a visit! The dedication, talent and enthusiasm our reps show for their jobs and for you, our Community, never fails to astound and inspire me. This trip was no exception. No one has a better take on the pulse and needs of our Community like our support employees. This was continually evident with each and every rep I had the pleasure of meeting and following as they went about their daily tasks.
It was definitely a week to celebrate. In five short years the BC office has grown from a small initial group of 30 to over 1,000 with an ongoing new hire training program. During my visit, the BC team was training a group of brand new reps destined for our Australia support team (Welcome guys!) As you can see from the photos (including some that Julie shared), we had a great time. I ate only a few of the cupcakes. Yes, just a few.... The separate teams decorated their respective office areas and cubes and we had a "Best of" contest (I was one of the judges). Special mention goes to John who manned the moose mascot suit for hours at a time.
I came back to San Jose totally energized and completely amazed by the men and women who make up our support teams both in BC and around the world. No matter what their job or there location, they take their responsibilities to you extremely seriously and I want to thank them for their hospitality, generosity and dedication and give them a moment to shine here.
As you might imagine, I have received some email this week about the recent announcements, especially with regards to changes in the Feedback system. The majority of the emails sent, were by sellers with various levels of concern (ranging from high-pitched vehemence to eruptive volcanic rage).
Almost all of the emails I received in the last week start or end with something like, “…Griff, I know as an eBay old timer, you don’t agree with these changes and I am hoping you can use your voice to have this decision reversed…”
The truth is I am 100% in favor of the changes to Feedback. In fact, I have been hoping for this type of change for quite a while now. Please put down those stones and give me a moment to explain.
For those of you who have been around since the early days, you remember that in its first incarnation back in 1996, the eBay Feedback system, as intentionally designed by Pierre Omidyar, was wide open. Any registered eBay user could leave Feedback for any other registered user, for any reason.
You could leave Feedback for a buyer, a seller, or even for someone who may have helped you with a question on the eBay chat boards. Alternatively, you could leave a negative to someone who might have offended you on the chat board.
That original version of Feedback wasn’t perfect. There were the occasional abuses, but for the most part, the first version of eBay Feedback worked, primarily because the Community back then was smaller in number and the occasional Feedback abuses were easier to spot and remedy.
By 1999, our Community had grown to a size that made the old system unworkable as a reliable reputation record. The incidence of Feedback padding and Feedback flame wars started to get out of hand. Therefore, after nearly a year of careful deliberation and planning, the first major change to Feedback rolled out; the ability to leave Feedback was restricted to only the buyer and seller in a transaction.
There was of course, quite an outcry from long-time eBay members who were unhappy with the change (making Feedback transaction related) but buyers and sellers adapted quickly and the revised version of Feedback worked well, for a few years at least.
Since 2000, all good sellers have strived to maintain the best possible Feedback score and percentage possible. Maintaining a 100% positive rating became the main driver behind many sellers’ eBay selling strategies. Who could blame them? As the online marketplace grew in depth and breadth, a good, reliable measure of reputation was critical to a seller’s success.
Some, in fact, many sellers maintained a 99-100% positive Feedback rating by building their whole business strategy around “customer first” by providing the best possible experience for all their buyers. Let’s call them “A1” sellers. The majority of these “A1” sellers left Feedback for their buyers upon receipt of payment (thus removing the possibility of their giving a retaliatory Feedback to a buyer).
Many other sellers maintained a 99-100% by exploiting the system’s inherent built-in weakness: the implied threat of retaliation for a received negative. These sellers – we’ll call them “A2” sellers – never left Feedback first, but always waited to leave Feedback after the buyer left Feedback for them.
Many eBay buyers also became aware of the system’s inherent weakness through first either hand experience or deduction. Some buyers figured out that if they did have a less than pleasant experience with an “A2” seller, they would be “dinged” in kind. These savvy buyers stopped leaving deserved negatives for these sellers. Other eBay buyers learned of the system’s tilt only after leaving a negative for a seller and receiving one in kind. These otherwise good buyers, soured on their experience with retaliatory Feedback, were immediately leery of making future purchases on eBay. Many even stopped using the site altogether.
As the issue of retaliatory Feedback continued to grow as a Community concern, our remedy was to introduce Mutual Feedback Withdrawal which de-scores the negative comments left by a buyer and seller for each other, thus removing the effect of those negatives on the member’s percentage rating. As the number of active buyers and sellers grew on eBay, the “A2” sellers discovered that Mutual Feedback Withdrawal had some shortcomings, with the ability to “extort” a removal of a negative from their profile.
The unfortunate result of both the system’s retaliation weakness and the exploitability of Mutual Feedback Withdrawal was a slow and steady erosion in Feedback’s accuracy and efficacy as a reputation guide for buyers to rate sellers.
In my opinion, the fault for this erosion does not lie with sellers or buyers. The fault is ours (eBay). When we changed the system back in 1999 to one tied to a transaction, we should have had the foresight to implement then, the bold change that we announced a few days ago.
This is why I was relieved and excited to hear the news that the system was undergoing a major change, but I worried as well. It is human nature to resist change and I knew that this was one change that, although necessary for the health of our marketplace, would generate much seller consternation and in some cases, outright shock and anger.
We aren’t just talking about a policy change here. For all of us inside the eBay universe, this is a major cultural change; in fact, the most ground breaking of any change ever made on eBay including the first major change to Feedback in 2000 – Transaction-related only Feedback.
So why am I blogging this? Good question. My opinion about the Feedback changes, no matter how well stated, will not easily assuage the fears and anger of many sellers nor do I expect it to persuade those who are absolutely determined that restricting sellers to leaving only positives for buyers is a good thing for business. But, after listening to hundreds (thousands if you count my archived email since 1996) of buyers and sellers on the topic of retaliatory negatives and knowing that ultimately, the old system would continue to drive away buyers at an alarming rate. I believe this is the right and the only path to take, and I urge everyone to give the changes a chance to work.
Starting in May, as buyers begin to leave more honest Feedback and the spread between Feedback scores opens up over time (yes, many of us with lily-white 100% positive scores will loose them), the trust that buyers have in the entire eBay marketplace will increase as well. If we evolve our Feedback system so that it provides a more accurate and reliable gauge of a seller's business and customer practices, I know that buyers will become more confident in their purchases on eBay and most importantly in our most valuable asset. You.
- Note: Griff's blog piece was posted by Brian on behalf of Griff due to some technical issues.
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.
[Do you have a negative or two? Ever wonder when you might receive enough positives to push your Feedback score back up to 100% positive? Well, I thought I might share with you a recent email regarding exactly how eBay calculates the "positive percentage" displayed next to a member's Feedback score. Warning! 5th grade math ahead! -Griff]
Hi Griff,
I recently noticed a seller who has received 3 negatives this month yet his feedback still shows 100% positive. How can this be?
A concerned seller
My response:
Hello Concerned,
Nothing amiss here. Let me explain, step-by-step, how the percentages for eBay Feedback are calculated.
First, here is the section of the seller's feedback page for reference:
Feedback Score: 3254 Positive Feedback: 100%
Members who left a positive: 3255 Members who left a negative: 1
All positive Feedback: 4161
The seller has indeed received three negatives but they are all from the same User ID. When calculating percentages, multiple feedbacks from the same User ID count only as one negative. That is why the page states "Members who left a negative: 1"
With this fact in mind, eBay uses a straightforward formula to calculate the number displayed as "Percentage of Positives":
In this case, the seller has received unique 3255 positives and 1 unique negative. That results in
3255 ÷ 3256 = 0.99969287469287469287469287469287
In this equation, 100% is indicated by a score of 1. The rule is, we round up the number based on the amount of number in the fourth decimal place to the right of the decimal. In this case, the fourth place shows a six so round the number to 1.00000 etc.
By the way, if the seller had two unique negatives, the equation would have read 3255 divided by 3257 which equals 0.99938593797973595333128645993245. Since the fourth decimal place to the right of the decimal point is a 3, we would not round it up thus the seller's feedback percentage would drop to 99.93%. Since we only show to the tenths of percentage, the number would display as 99.9%.
One of our intrepid members has actually created an online Feedback calculator that implements this formula in an easy-to-use format. Using it shows us some interesting facts. For example, if a seller has one unique negative, their percentage score will go back to 100% once their unique positives reach 1999. As for our seller, if he receives a second unique negative, he will have to earn a total of 3998 unique positives (and no other negatives) in order to reach 100% again.
If you didn’t see my last post, the eBay Community is being presented with a Webby Award in June. The Webbys are an annual award ceremony honoring the best of the internet – and there’s almost nothing better on the web than the eBay Community! Even shopping for my favorite antique rugs falls short, and that’s saying a lot.
The problem is that we need your help with the acceptance speech. Meg (our CEO) will be accepting the award on the Community’s behalf, but as part of Webby tradition, the speech can only be 5 words long. If you’ve heard any of us here at eBay talk, you know we can’t limit ourselves to that, so we’re looking for your ideas. After all, it’s your award!
We’ve gotten some great suggestions already on our Chatter discussion board, and we’re looking for more. Go ahead and post to this thread if you have any ideas.
You might have heard of the The Webby Awards – it’s an annual award ceremony honoring the best of the Internet. Or to take it directly from their website: “Established in 1996 during the Web's infancy, the Webbys are presented by The International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences, a 550-member body of leading Web experts, business figures, luminaries, visionaries and creative celebrities. Reflecting the tremendous growth of the Internet as a tool for business and everyday lives, the 11th Annual Webby Awards expands the mission of the Webby by honoring excellence in over 100+ Website, Interactive Advertising, Online Film & Video, and Mobile categories.” It’s quite the cast of people on the panel, ranging from internet pioneer Vint Cerf to Virgin mogul Sir Richard Branson to The Simpsons creator Matt Groening. Check out the details here.
So what does this have to do with eBay? Well, this year they’re going to be giving a Lifetime Achievement Award to the eBay Community! Meg Whitman (our CEO) will accept the award on behalf of the Community on June 5th in New York.
I wanted to take a minute to talk about what this means to me personally. Most you know that I’ve been here since the beginning, and I sometimes just look around and marvel at how this place has grown. When I found it, eBay was a unique, interesting place with a small group of passionate members and built on admirable principles, and I loved it from the start. But you never knew what would happen – no one had any idea how long it would last, although we all hoped it would be forever. And now here we are. Years later, eBay is still a unique, interesting place, the founding principles haven’t changed, and it now has millions and millions and millions of passionate members around the globe. It’s truly been life-changing for me, and tons of buyers/sellers everywhere. I’m extremely proud to have been a part of it. This award is a testament to this cool little idea called eBay that we all helped get off the ground, and is a special recognition of your personal accomplishments and especially your contributions - as the world's most vibrant community - to this amazing website so many of us call our online home.
But there is one piece of intrigue still left. It’s Webby tradition that acceptance speeches are limited to 5 words. Brevity is not always our strongest suit, so I’m curious what Meg will decide on. I’m just glad it’s not me – I’d be the first Webby recipient to get the Oscar treatment and get “played off” by the music.
I received an email last week from long time eBay member Neila with a special request. After reading the email and seeing the attached photo, I knew immediately the best way to grant Neila's request. Read on:
Hi Griff
On January 24th my daughter, Katie, called me and said she was getting married! Her fiance, Adam, who is in the Army Reserves, had gotten his order to deploy in March. So I had to plan a wedding in about 3 weeks! It is on 2/17. I could not have done it without the help of my extended Ebay family.
I began ordering all those nice details (as you know a wedding is in the details) from my fellow eBayers. Within 48 hours I had sent numerous questions out through My Messages, told sellers I would need items ASAP for a rush wedding for a soldier and his girl. The responses were amazing. One person who was retired from the Army, doubled my order because she was sure the bride could use extra. I bought and quickly received: rolls of ribbon and bows, balloons, tissue paper, favor containers and tags, Jordan almonds, personalized toasting glasses, monogrammed napkins, specialty embroidered napkins for the cake table, the bride’s veil and finally from a 73 year old lady, personalized embroidered hankies for the mothers of the groom and bride, just because after all these years, finally our kids are getting married.
Most arrived with an email preceding them wishing the couple good luck and especially with prayers for Adam and his safe return. (he will be gone for a year) So I was wondering if I could leave a general thank you to each of these 30 sellers someplace on eBay where it would be read by many and the sellers could get the benefit of a special thank you and the buyers could know they were just the best people. Thank you very much to:
A few weekends ago, while searching eBay for treasure (what else is new?) I came across a few things that really caught my eye. They were listed on eBay of course but were also part of a real live auction house type auction. You can tell which eBay items are offered in a live auction setting by the little blue paddle icon next to the title (an example is to the right).
Many auction houses around the country now utilize the Live Auctions technology to extend their potential buyer base beyond the confines of their local markets. I have bid on a few items listed on Live Auctions but only via the computer from the comfort of my home office. Since this sale was not too far away (San Rafael Auction Gallery, San Rafael, CA), I decided to make the trip north and attend the sale in person to see first hand how the technology works from the auction house end. Years ago, I used to attend at least one auction every single weekend but it had been years since I went to a real live auction. This seemed like the perfect opportunity to revisit an old pastime.
Anyone in the antiques and collectibles business understands how important it is to arrive early at any live sale in order to preview the items carefully. I made it to the sale at 9:00 am and had a full hour to preview the lots.
It was fairly obvious from the type of furniture and decorations that it was an estate sale. And not a shabby one at that! I made a list of a few of the things on which I wanted to bid and took my seat. (High on my list was that cute little Italian mirror. I eventually won it but not for cheap!) Burton Hem, the auctioneer and owner of the San Rafael Auction Gallery (pictured below and to the left), took the podium at 10:00 am sharp and after a quick run through of the terms of service, began with lot one.
Off to the side of the podium sat two assistants at PC's who acted on behalf of bids submitted via eBay. I expected some online competition and was initially very proud and excited whenever an eBay bidder won a lot...but what was surprising to even an old timer like me was just how robust and determined the eBay bidding was throughout the entire day! Many times I or someone else on the floor was outbid by an eBay bidder.
600 plus lots and 7 hours later, tired and sore from sitting in metal chairs, all of us live auction winners stood in line to pay for our purchases (Along with some beaded flowers, Canton china, and the Italian mirror, I also bought a lot of old, lichen-encrusted cast stone garden pieces and could barely drive home from the weight in my poor car!) At the end, I was able to talk a little with the proprietor of the auction house who told me that the rate of eBay bidding has grown steadily over the past few years. At least 20% of all the lots in any of his sales go to eBay bidders. Burt also said that providing a presence on eBay has helped him win the better estate sales in the past few years.
Clearly, eBay buyers are growing more and more comfortable with bidding at live auctions through the Live Auction technology. Give it a try! Although attending the sale was fun in some ways and definitely brought back memories of long ago auctions, I think I would have been happier sitting at home, bidding from my computer, anonymously and without having to dress up up to go out, sitting all day on a hard metal chair waiting for my favorite lots, standing in a long line to write out a check, and finally, worrying about putting my back out from lifting heavy cement bird baths.
Big, Happy Crowd At First eBay University Event of 2007
The registrants for our Basics of Selling eBay University seminar--which took place Saturday, January 27-- were eager to begin learning how to sell on eBay when their instructor (yours truly) took this photo of their smiling faces. You can just see the anticipation and excitement in their eyes!
We were also eager to see how our revamped Basic of Selling content would "play" in front of a live crowd. All went well. In fact, the response from the attendees was proof positive that the new content was a success! Here are just two of the many emails I have received so far from satisfied attendees:
Dear Griff: Just wanted to tell you how much I enjoyed the Basics of Selling eBay U seminar today in Raleigh, NC. I came today to not only learn how to sell but to be motivated; both goals were met. Thanks again for caring about the ‘people success factor’ on eBay.
Hope
and one with praise for our Beyond the Basics course: Dear Griff: I just wanted to let you know how impressed I was at the Ebay University Beyond the Basics class I attended on the 27th of January in Raleigh, NC with Michael Kaiser. I learned a lot of stuff and everyone thought that I already knew everything...lol...boy were they wrong.
I brought my fiance with me who was also able to follow even though he was knew to it all...please keep the classes coming and would love to know if there will be any more classes coming anytime soon that will got beyond the Beyond the Basics course..again keep up all the hard work...it is appreciated.
Here at eBay, being here for 10 years is almost unheard of. That means you rubbed elbows with Pierre as you walked the halls (almost quite literally, considering how small the office space was), and were here before even Meg came on board. But Griff, the #5 employee in the company, hit that milestone last week. That sure made me feel like a rookie considering I only have 5+ years under my belt.
As you know, Griff has a special place in the company. He was literally eBay's first customer support employee, and even though that role has since changed, he's always been the Community's #1 advocate. He's said numerous times that "he's addicted to answering emails," and nothing makes him happier than helping out a member. My team is lucky to sit near him every day - his enthusiasm and attitude honestly make it easier to get through some of the rougher days, as he truly embodies everything that is good about eBay.
So to celebrate his achievement, the company threw Griff a party last Thursday (normally you'd expect him to be the one to write about it, but he's been hit with a rare bout of shyness to talk about a party thrown for himself). We showed a video that highlighted many of the "Griff moments" we've had over the years, from him appearing on the Today show to interviewing members at various eBay Live! events, and both Meg and Bill Cobb roasted him with stories. Then it was the highlight of the night - time for a gift. Thanks to a seller right here on eBay, we had had a bobblehead doll custom-made of Griff. When he first opened the box, he started laughing hysterically, while exclaiming, "Seeing my face poking out of that box scared me half to death." A picture of Griff and his figure are to the right.
After the party, I asked him how he felt: "After 10 years, I have seen many things that have changed about eBay but one important aspect of eBay has never changed: I still love answering member emails! [Jeff note: see, I told you]. I treasure the special bond I share with our Community and never lose sight of the responsibilities that come with this bond. And, after ten years, I still am amazed and delighted at the accomplishments of so many of our members. It is an honor to share in their dreams, to help with their efforts, to address their occasional frustrations and to celebrate their countless successes."
Congratulations Griff on a fantastic 10 years gone by, and here's to another 10 just beginning.
I figured it was time for me to dig into my mailbag to answer a few questions, so here goes....
Editing Invoice from the Seller
Q: Dear Griff,
I have purchased an item and they had "Insurance not offered" on the invoice. When I try to add insurance or edit the invoice, it will not let me. I do not sell so I do not know all there is to know about invoicing. Should that be done by the seller. I want to use PayPal and he is asking me to send a money order.
Thanks, Sandra
A: Hello Sandra,
A seller sets the terms of the sale with regards to insurance, accepting PayPal etc. A seller also determines if a buyer can edit an invoice for shipping amounts.
A buyer must be sure to know the seller's terms before they commit to a purchase or bid. Especially when it comes to payment. Although we encourage all sellers to accept PayPal, sellers are currently not required to do so.
Sellers who accept PayPal are clearly indicated as such in search and category lists by the blue PayPal icon:
Also, item description pages for PayPal sellers will indicate the fact under the Buy Safely section:
My advice is to email the seller and ask them if they will insure the parcel at your expense. You could also request they reconsider taking a PayPal payment but, if they refuse, you are obliged to complete the transaction per their terms, in this case, a money order.
This is my favorite time of the year. The buzz, the frenzy, the anticipation, the excitement of it all. No - I'm not talking about the TomKat Italian wedding (Not so much as an invite! Can you imagine? The cheek!). I'm talking about tackling our holiday shopping! You've got a list as long as my arm so it's time to make with the shoppin'! But you're worried. Will we find that perfect gift for every special person on our lists? Will the shops in the mall have everything we need to make this Holiday the best ever for our very lucky friends and family?
Not to worry. That's the great thing about eBay - you really don't have to get all anxious about the shortage of hot holiday gifts - plenty of smart savvy eBay sellers are buying up all the available stock of hot items and are selling them right here. From my count, Playstation 3 is probably the hottest item on eBay right now, as well as the Nintendo Wii, new iPods and the TMX Elmo doll. Of course, there are plenty of old holiday standbys on the site - such as socks, classic board games like Monopoly or Trivial Pursuit, and even FRUITCAKE (note to all: Still working on last's year. Mmmm. Yum. You shouldn't have. No, really. You shouldn't have. Don't send more. Please. Thanks.) Either way, you definitely don't want to be the parents who don't satisfy their tiny tots this Holiday season. Could you really bear the look of disappointment on little Billy's face when he doesn't find that much-hinted-for special gift under the tree this year? Or picture little Susie when she opens her present, finds yet another scarf, manages a wane smile and an "Oh, a scarf. How warm." How will you live with yourself knowing you have completely failed your otherwise deserving little angels?
Don't mall it! Make like Uncle and shop eBay for all your Holiday gifts. It's so fun and easy to do. Remember - eBay is open 24 hours a day. So, now that you've (hopefully) finished off the turkey sandwiches and had some well-deserved, L-tryptophan-infused rest, enjoy this Cyber Monday and the rest of the shopping season, avoid the maddening crowds at the mall, and jump on eBay. And from here through the holidays, while others are jockeying for parking spaces and jostling each other in the aisles, you will be bidding and buying on eBay in your pajamas! (How eBay got into your pajamas, I'll never know.)
How do you say, "How much will it cost to ship this parcel to Italy?" in Italian?
As more and more eBay sellers expand their markets beyond the borders of the United States, many are finding language to be a particularly thorny challenge. Although English is in many ways the lingua franca of the world, there are still millions of people who don't speak it. A good portion of these non-English speaking people are using eBay.
Luckily for us English-speaking members, there are workable, free translating tools online that can help facilitate correspondence between our buyers and sellers located in other countries. However, the effectiveness of all online translation tools is limited. Anyone using them must do so carefully to avoid confusion or worse, inadvertently insulting someone with an unintended rude or provocative turn of phrase.
Although not the only one available, I like the AltaVista Babel Fish Translation tool. It works fairly well when translating the most simple of English words, sentence structures and most importantly, syntax. However, Babel Fish, like most other on-line translation tools of which I am familiar, does not handle colloquialisms and figures of speech very well. With this in mind, here are basic tips for using on-line language translator tools.
1. Reduce your sentences to subject, verb and object. Be as brief and to-the-point as possible. If you must use modifiers (adjectives and adverbs), always choose the one that is the least ambiguous.
2. Use the most common words for nouns and verbs. For example, in English we might say: "This jewelry box is in perfect condition and still has a good finish." However, pushing this sentence through an online translator from English to another language could result in a sentence that states something along the lines of: "This casket for the jewels is perfect on condition and still has a good ending."
3. Avoid figures of speech and especially avoid any and all English/American slang. Figures of speech almost never translate into something that makes sense and slang can often translate into something unintentionally rude or insulting.
Over the Labor Day weekend, I received an email from a member regarding a recent purchase. In brief, someone pretending to be the seller of an expensive item on eBay sent her an email solicitation for direct purchase (bypassing eBay). She responded, expressing her interest. The "seller" proceeded to email her explicit "eBay approved" instructions for completing the transaction via Western Union. The person also included several assurances that the transaction was protected by eBay, etc. They even included an "eBay Fax number" for sending a copy of her drivers license, etc to verify that she was a legitimate buyer! Assured by the unsupported claims of security, the buyer sent the complete stranger a large sum of cash through her local Western Union office.
After the "seller" stopped responding to her emails, she emailed me for my advice on how to contact the person so she could check up on the item's deliver status. What proceeded was a lengthy back-and-forth email correspondence between myself and the victim. With a sympathetic tone, I explained exactly what had happened; why her transaction was not an actual eBay transaction, why she was almost certain to never receive the item (or her cash) and why she needed to contact her local law enforcement authorities. However, even after outlining for her in detail exactly what had actually occurred ("...lady, you have been swindled...robbed...defrauded..."), she was still somehow convinced that she was going to eventually receive the item or if not, at least a cash refund from the seller or compensation from eBay. She was also certain that the item was probably lost or delayed in transit and that the seller's email was "down."
I was left shaking my head in disbelief. How could someone who, by her emails, otherwise seemed reasonably intelligent, willingly volunteer for what to the rest of us, was clearly a scam? Who in their right mind would send a large amount of cash to a total stranger? I am sure you have often wondered the same thing. We tend to assume that the people who fall for Internet scams are either blinded by greed or burdened with incredible stupidity. Or both.
The truth however, is much often more complex. Check out this recent New Yorker article. It gives new meaning to the old saw, "There are no victims. Only volunteers."
Live help
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:
