Sellers and buyers in eBay boycott

Web alive with calls to join the mutiny


1 May 2008 10:03 GMT / By Katie Scott

Buyers and sellers are hoping to force eBay to reverse recent changes to the site by boycotting today.

An email is appearing on blogs, websites and in mail boxes around the globe today urging web users not to visit eBay from today.

Issues causing friction include changes to the feedback process, including the fact that buyers will only be able to receive positive feedback from May 2008; and neutral feedback will now be considered as negative.

Sellers also say that changes to the DSR'S (Detailed Seller Ratings) will leave them penalised unfairly for a 4.0 rating, which buyers will actually be led to believe is a positive score to give.

And PayPal is also being targeted for criticism because eBay is now insisting that sellers whose total feedback score is not more than 100 will have payments held
for up to 21 days.

And, explains the email: "Paypal is being forced on sellers and buyers as the only acceptable means for payments on ebay. Australia is currently a test for this. This amounts to double-dipping by ebay, and opens the door for future hikes in Paypal fees".

Those protesting also argue that a supposed fee decrease for buyers is actually an increase arguing that eBay has raised the FVF (final value fees) by as much as 66%, while reserve fees have doubled.

Those behind the boycott go as far as to imply that "small" sellers may have no future at eBay at all.

The email reads: "eBay is close-lipped about their substantial plans for changes. They appear to moving towards a retail site similar to Amazon.com and are planning to get rid of all of the 'small' sellers and the auction format".

eBay, however, is refusing to back down.

Spokesperson Usher Lieberman told guardian.co.uk that a "vocal minority" who are unhappy "will be routed off" the site. "We have set the bar high", he said.
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