Successful eBid sellers might want to reply to this woman.

[Teddyrose54]

That's one of my main points, they may be way off the mark but it is how many see eBid, unfortunately. Like I said earlier, eBid has an image problem.

Most folk here would be over the moon to see eBid become a bigger success, but we've been saying the same for several years now and with eBay announcing that the number of their members who exceed a million pounds a year turnover has almost doubled to 127 sellers from 66 in the last 12 months and with eBay set for a advertising blitz next month on TV, the side of buses, on billboards, as well as other places it is going to make things even more difficult for other sites.

I know that I sound like I am eBid bashing, I don't mean to, I'm just trying to point out what I see as problems which need addressing. It's all well and good us all supporting each other and patting each other on the back for the odd sale or two but looking at the site through rose tinted glasses will not help it succeed, folk need to be realistic and point out anything that they think is a problem and holding the site back. It's up to the management if they take any notice or not or what they do about it, but at least we're doing our bit by pointing things out and discussing them.

Well said Frank.

Rose tinted glasses we don't need~ sound common sense, yes.

And a way of convincing people that Ebid can deliver. And that buying on here is safe.

Too many are asking how to get their money back from absent sellers.

And too much advice is given , to wait for your invoice, so you know the seller is still around.

That doesn't look good.

Buyers want a smooth hassle free transaction. Buy, pay and receive asap.

No one has time to chase sellers. Why should they?

We need to let them know, we can offer a better service than any other site.

Buyer's don't give a t*ss, what a sellers fees are. They don't have to pay them.

So a free site, is only free to the seller~ what's in it for the buyers?

[somersethedge]

in reply to delta on #19

I'll give the guy I know his dues.... he never has less than 30,000 cards listed and sells at least 3,000 (around the £10,000 mark) of them a month, so he must be doing something right :-) with that type of turnover the bay seems to want to keep him as his fees band are quite low etc etc. so maybe in his case he is right to stay there (better the devil you know etc).... mind you he is about the only (non big boy) I know who is sucussful there.

[TonyBridger]

Too many are asking how to get their money back from absent sellers.

And too much advice is given , to wait for your invoice, so you know the seller is still around.

That doesn't look good.

Buyers want a smooth hassle free transaction. Buy, pay and receive asap.

No one has time to chase sellers. Why should they?

I like eBid but rarely buy on here, unless I know the seller, simply because I cannot be bothered with the hassle of contacting a seller then waiting for a reply, that often never comes, before buying. By the time all that happens I could order, pay and have the item delivered by sellers on other sites.

[bykimbo]

And too much advice is given , to wait for your invoice, so you know the seller is still around.

That doesn't look good.

I don't think the solution to that is to stop giving good advice or start lying to buyers. eBid has started solving the problem, but until that clear-up pays dividends, waiting for an invoice is still sensible and I'm going to keep saying so. A happy buyer will buy again, a buyer given poor - or no - advice will not only not use the site, but will badmouth it to friends.

[Teddyrose54]

Too true Kimbo, but we shouldn't need to tell buyers that.

That was the point I was trying to make.

And how many people are put off buying when they read things like that?

We'll never know, but there most be quite a lot. I know I would be one, if I was new to Ebid.

[lejoueurdepipeau]

I'm pretty sure I am right in saying that the author of that article is/was a seller on e*** France which is smaller than some other e*** sites and a bit of a law unto itself but there is still no comparison with eBid France which remains miniscule. So if she is talking about making a living via her local eBid site as opposed to her local e*** site - she is absolutely right - there isn't a hope!

I have yet to meet anyone in France who has heard of eBid before I tell them about it. It is true that some buyers are finding things via Google search (don't forget Google Products isn't available to France - as if I'd let you forget that!). It is also true that e*** isn't the first name on the lips of the French when it comes to selling or buying - there are two other sites used more widely than e***. One is already used by many sellers here and the other is available only to sellers living in France so not worth me telling you about! As you all know I have come to terms with the fact that I am not going to sell vast quantities from eBid France with very little local interest and have widened my selling to other venues (not e*** !) face to face and online and now view eBid sales worldwide if I get them as a welcome bonus in exchange for being able to list a great variety of items at no cost until I make a sale. Of course I would be even happier if the site did take off like a rocket - or even a roman candle!

I am not eBid bashing either - I like it here but it is so sad to see so many people come - full of enthusiasm and then go...there are so many absent forum friends even in the time I have been here. OK I know some people will have "fledged" and flown the nest but I feel pretty sure it isn't very often for positive reasons. I often wonder whether this concerns those at HQ? If we could only bottle all that good will towards eBid - if success was directly linked to the hopes of members for success - Wow!

I agree that the pleas for help from buyers who have been let down appearing within the forums all too often don't help. A newby seller on eBid France has been appearing in popular auctions with mobile phones - iphones whatever that means?? - with no reserve price but stating he will not accept less than 500 euros for the item in the listing. He has attracted many bids - it is a "popular auction" but another batch of people who think they have won are heading for disappointment as he presumably won't agree to sell at that price. This isn't a misunderstanding caused by language differences either - as he says the items are being sent from the USA where he actually lives (although he has joined eBid from an address in France ) and his English is good. I'm sure that similar things happen on e*** but if that is your first experience of eBid......