Question
From Auction Bytes Newsletter AuctionBytes.com!
ISSN:1539-5065
http://www.auctionbytes.com
"The auction description read in part, "I (and many of the other major
sellers on eBay) constantly beg eBay to consider qualifying their
bidders, asking for verifiable contact information (like a driver's
license) and requiring all bidders to have credit card or bank account
on file."
Hershenson says he has rung up $2,174,162.88 in sales on eBay in 2004.
He told AuctionBytes in an email, "I am just about ready to quit
selling there," citing eBay's refusal to qualify bidders as one of the
main reasons"
I have long thought Ebay should qualify bidder identity to our user names. You could still have mulitples,but if there was a problem, Ebay could eliminate all. I have wondered if this would lower sales at all.
Answer
A definite maybe.
From a seller's point, I understand the want/need to verify bidders.
But from a buyer's point of view I really have a problem with it. I left AW board when they required a CC just to post. I have a big problem with giving out confidential information as a form of identity check, and I think I am not alone. I think a whole lot of bidders will leave (including me) when or if this is required.
They would have to come up with a different way to verify than confidential financial information.
Answer
I have wondered if this would lower sales at all.
Given that Ebay has never come up with a way of verifying sellers outside of North America and (if I remember correctly) England, it would be unworkable. If you stop registrations from those countries without a verification process in place, it would affect sales. If I had to have my own credit card on file, I wouldn't have been able to register on Ebay until 2.5 years ago (I used a friends card to pay my account until then, when I got my own).
Plus everything that BlondeSense said.
Cheers, Kevin
Answer
What eBay really needs is more bidders. A lot more bidders.
Let's not scare any new ones away.
Answer
Isn't ebay giving sellers to option to exclude bidders without a paypal account? What more qualification is needed?
Answer
I dunno, I'd like to have a $2.00 cover charge on mt listings since so few actually buy anything.
Freeloaders, I tell ya...
Answer
I answered no. How would they? Credit cards? ALOT of people in the world are smart enough to NOT have those danged things. And while not in the same league with ebay, Yahoo did something like that with requiring everyone to put a cc on file-and it died. I haven't bought anything since, and rarely go to even look.
What ebay need to do is refund listing and FVF with NPB bidders.
Answer
I'm not sure how, but they could start with the bidders "names". If someone signs up with a name like "idontpay", that could mean a problem!