You've found the famous Dave's Garden website! Join this friendly global community that shares tips and ideas for home and gardens, along with seeds and plants!
Check out the DG homepage for a brief overview of what you'll find in this gardening mega-site.
Login
If you don't have an account yet, visit the registration page to sign up.
I looked for the PS vendors forum, but can't find it, so I thought this would be a good place.
Admin, if this violates TOS for promoting my company, please understand that is clearly not my intent. Thought other sellers that may be unaware of this new rule should know, as this cost me a couple of bucks in listing fees.
Anyone hear the new rule that you can no longer "solicit" paper payments on ebay, i.e. checks, money orders, etc. I had 65 auctions yanked last night for TOS violation, and this was the reason. You can no longer state that you accept checks, etc.
"Ebay is going paperless, and sellers can no longer solicit payment methods other than PayPal, ProPay, or Credit Cards through an on-line merchant account." I stated in my auctions that we accepted checks, money orders, and cashier's checks. It caused them to get yanked. The person on the phone stated it was posted on the message board starting in Nobember, with a final compliance date of January 15th 2009. Told her I didn't read the message board, because it's impossible to filter through the 99% of garbage on there. They could care less.
Here is my new payment section on Auctions.
Payment: Per Ebay's new rules, we can only state in the auction that we accept Paypal or Credit Cards that are processed through our On-line merchant account which can be paid via phone at 813-857-8839 (Visa, Master Card, and American Express). We are "allowed" to accept paper methods of payment (though the rules prohibit us from stating what those methods are in the auction) at the customers request, and will GLADLY honor such requests. Email chris@buried-treasure.net if you would like other payment options.
I'm so livid with Ebay right now. They frustrate me often, but rarely do they get me this riled up.
I know exactly how you feel. I'm about sick of Ebay myself. They keep raising there fees and at the same time want a bigger slice of the pie. I have a few auctions running. The final value fees they charge for Flat Price items is ridiculous!!!
Ebay sure isn't what it used to be!!!!!!!!!!!!! It used to be fun selling stuff on Ebay, not anymore!!
Yes, I knew about this and know exactly why. "Feebay" is doing this because they own paypal and they want the other slice of the pie "payments" They do not make any money when customers pay using checks,money orders,cash etc. They force us sellers to take paypal... So, now they make money when you list,sell, and when u get paid. Which makes them money on listing fee(when u list stuff) .35 cents,then final value fee(when your item sells) which the fee depends on how much your item goes for, then last but not least,their bread and butter, PAYPAL which I think charges 4%!!! Triple Wammy Welcome To The New FeeFeeFeebay!!
I can definately see Country Garden dropping Ebay if the Marketplace continues to grow.Notice that none of the changes there,in the past year,have been for the benefit of sellers.All the benefits now lean in Ebay's direction with just a few to buyers.
I've gotten to where I use ebay less and less to sell. Yet another reason to Not use them.
Glad I stumbled across this thread, I had no idea you couldn't accept paper money any longer. Their getting rediculous. Daves garden Market place is going to get larger and larger.
Why so angry at Ebay for yanking your 65 listings? You had plenty of warning about the new policy and time to change the payment to Paypal, or credit card. Ebay sent a message and deadline to every seller. I received it also. On receiving that, I changed all my listing to Paypal only. That was 2 or more months ago.
I prefer payment with Paypal. It is quick and more secure. I don't accept personal checks since I have been burned a few times. MO's are ok and I will accept them by request.
I'm more annoyed at the new feedback policy, than the fee structure.
I'm angry by no means. I don't have any reference in my inbox, and no warning was given once it was found I wasn't in compliance. They told me it was posted on the message board as well. Have you ever tried to read through the garbage on there to find anything useful?
After 10 years on there, and 6 years as a powerseller, is a warning too much to ask for? It wasn't a lot of money, but losing $130 in listing fees doesn't make me happy.
We all have certain things that irk us. Just because my irk is different from yours, doesn't make it wrong. I have no problem with the new feedback system. It's just like GardenWatchdog, so I've had 6 years of that scene that prepared me for it. The fees on the other hand are getting outrageous. There's a reason why 100% of my business was done through Ebay 7 years ago and is now down to 5% even as sales continue to grow.
I'm not one that gripes and does nothing. I thought there may have been some others that missed this gem, and brought it to their attention.
Don`t put your email in there or they will yank those too. A phone number might be risky. Also, putting you "are allowed to" accept paper payments but can`t say it in the auctions is risky because they could yank those too again. Ebay is very stickler in enforcing rules.
Because of the fees I never do more than .35 cent auctions or I don`t bother at all.
They are concerned about "fee circumvention" or additional sales generated on ebay being completed outside the ebay system to avoid fees from the Paypal payment system.
I guess because of the crooks this means some honest people like you and me will be inconvenienced by their new policy.
I`d be very upset about losing 130 dollars! This is one time when the rules really can hurt you in the pocketbook! Ouch!!!
I agree, I am way more angry about feebay's feedback/DSR's! It is really one wayed! I have a lot of really great customers but there are a few that are completly wrong! A couple weeks ago I sold a bulb on ebay, when the person recieved it they said it was something else and gave me a negative.There was nothing I could do! 1st of all what they said that I sent would have been a more valuable plant! and 2 I only have select few of this plant that they said I sent, and it is in my personal stash and the bulbs look totally different! So, I am 100% sure that they got what they paid for 100% without a doubt!! Used to, I could give them a negative then maybe they would want to mutually withdraw their false feedback later but not now and I'm sure when they give you a negative that they lie on the dsr's too and that bumbs you down in search! I also don't think it is right to let them score you on shipping charges either because when a buyer pays they are agreeing to your asking price so how can they critisize your price later. If you don't like the price don't buy! My shipping charges are reasonable and I don't make anything off shipping. There are bad sellers and bad buyers!
So I just don't understand why this is like that, I think every seller has had a bad buyer who deserved a negative!! I also would like to say that I hate to give neg. feedback to anyone especially a customer but understand that I am talking about the very few bad buyers that I have had! I still have very good feedback but it has'nt been easy!
Chris..I stopped selling on E-bay a year ago...was not worth the money for the problems you get...I make a h--- of alot money at my farmer and trade day sells...
I could make money on my .com if I could get it up and running..paying on it for two years..I put some plants on it to work out the kinks... but it didn't work out...lol
Take care not to put in phone numbers,emails or links that go outside to another site even if your intentions are good because they will get on that like a duck on a june bug.
As for feedback:
I agree, sellers are more vulnerable to crook - ed buyers who are mean spirited. But a buyer can scar their own reputation and give sellers a reason to cancel bids if they neg too much.
You can reply to the negative and explain your side.
I have had a buyer give me a positive(to hide their ID) but mark me down underservedly.
Everybody got their carefully assembled orders in 3-4 days but someone hiding behind a positive marked me down on all counts for shipping time and service just for meanness!
It will always be what it's become for us, which is an advertising venue. We do a lot of penny auctions, loss leaders, etc, that we then use to draw people to our site. We won't go away from it entirely, as to do so would be foolish.
If they hadn't made it so costly and cumbersome for buyers, they would have continued to be a major venue for my business. As I said, 100% of my business went through them at 1 point. It wasn't narrowed down to 5% because they were doing everything right by my business. I would have gladly stuck with them, and I think they would have found the fees collected from me would have been much higher by allowing ME to grow my business, than by taking a greater percentage of the business they would lose from me quickly over time.
I will continue to visit there too if I have something in too short of supply to stock and a .99 cent or 1.99 starting bid is a cheap auction to run so there isn`t much to lose if they get yanked for whatever reason. I do try to follow all their rules and find I have to read it all again if I have been away for a while.
The crooks and unethical low lifes finding ways to take advantage is keeping ebay busy making rules that end up hurting the honest people just trying to make some extra spending money.
They have problems with people that send fake emails to a person`s regular email with payment instructions so that the thief gets paid while the seller finds the customer is claiming "I already paid you and will not pay twice" which turns into a mess. And that is why they ask you not to put your email or even mention outside payement methods in the auction. It is what con artists are shopping for on ebay. A con artist could send a similar fake email to try and fool your customer into sending the payment to them. This is one reason why they don`t want sellers giving customers payment instructions,phone numbers or emails outside the ebay system. It makes the con artists begin to work on a way to try and get your money by abusing the system.
The DG system is more private in that people can`t see who all bought something and how much it costed. The feedback gives clues but not much. You don`t get the ego boosting wow factor of what a great success you are as a seller with all the details of great sales and glowing comments but I think it is important to find the line between how much advertising and reporting of "success" details is balancing with does this open a door for your privacy and safety to be comprimised?
As soon as ebay makes another rule it makes everybody upset and meanwhile the scammers are pondering another way to get around it.
Feebay NEVER did have any seller protection (or buyer protection), I quit years ago because right after they made me a power seller the nonpaying bidders got up to 50%, and if a bidder is kicked off feebay for nonpaying (it takes 3 or 4 times) they can reregister with the SAME name addy etc, just a new alias and email, if you turn them in for it Feebay just says "what fraud? I see no fraud" This happened several times, and the deadbeats would just bid again on my stuff. I found it more economical to quit growing most of the plants I used to sell.
My website is free and even I managed to make it work, they are good at answering help questions. It has some drawbacks, esp. for selling plants but you won't lose anything but time (and maybe temper) for tying it, they also have a couple of paid for hosting options if you want to upgrade.
I have shopped faithfully on ebay for over a year. I am through for sure after reading this thread!
I hate paypal and from now on, I am going to both buy and sell on DG and try not to take paypal if I don't have to.
When anything is forced on a person for the benefit of only one side, then I have a big problem. Paypal is what I use when I am in a hurry. From now on, I am not even going to visit ebay to be tempted.
DGers have the same merchandise if they would only sell on DG so that we could buy the plants, leaves, seeds,etc.
Perhaps sellers will join us here. I am going to contact all the sellers I usually buy from and tell them I am protesting Paypal greed and will not be back to shop. Then, I will casually suggest they also sell on DGMarketplace.
*****edited to say: Gardener2005, why are you using DG to tout ebay? That is not a very endearing thing to do to those of us love DG.
Quote gessiegail:
*****edited to say: Gardener2005, why are you using DG to tout ebay? That is not a very endearing thing to do to those of us love DG.
gessigail: I do not understand your statement. You do not know me and have come to some conclusion based on very little or no information on what I have been through. I rarely auction on ebay (for a reason). That is what I mean by not putting all the eggs in one basket. I don`t trust the uncertainty of the ebay environment to put very much business into it.
I'm an Ebay seller and I'm already here. Your ideas sound good. Unfortunately, not all Ebay seller sell only plants, seeds, and other garden related items. They sell other items also that I don't think you can sell on DG Marketplace. Ex. clothing, dolls, baby items, toys, house decor, etc.etc...
Gail, Today is beautiful here. I noticed how gorgeous the fresh green tree leaves against the pastel blue sky was. I`m already feeling Spring today. We are going to some kind of bird fair to look around. The kids are hollering at me. :) bye/bye, Karen
