Re: Sometimes, I feel bad for people...

["Michael J. Mahon" <mjmahon@aol.com>]

vbriel@oh.rr.com wrote:

>      I Ebay every now and then just to
> do a little marketing and I try to knock a couple bucks off the price.
> I don't want too much business, my hobby would be like work. Although
> with the new feedback system I may stop using ebay.

Vince, do you really have that much trouble with buyers?  Or is it
just a matter of principle?

The reason I ask is that the old system made it very unlikely that
a dishonest seller would get bad feedback, because of the likely
retaliation.  That undermined the whole principle of feedback
reflecting actual experience, making it much less useful in
engendering trust.

eBay's new seller rating system provides even more helpful information
to a prospective buyer.

Many sellers will always be willing to take some risk to make money,
while buyers need never take the risk of buying from an unknown
seller (and many do not because of adverse stories)--which would
damage the market.

This is analogous to the "brick and mortar" market, where businesses
are rated and have reputations to protect, while their customers just
walk in off the street.  A credit card is the only "reference" they
might need.

-michael

AppleCrate: An Apple II "blade server"!
Home page:  http://members.aol.com/MJMahon/

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