Internet Auction Blog

I just looked at one of my completed listings, which I started as a “fixed price” 30-day listing, with Free Shipping. Now I go look at the completed auction and it is full of external links to other peoples stuff for sale.

Not cool, eBay. You are supposed to be helping us sell our OWN stuff, I still have other items on auction, but yet my completed listings have a huge box for “Check out similar items from all eBay sellers” and then below that another huge box of “Sponsored links” that take youaway from the eBay site entirely.

Then, under all that, is a huge box saying “Find more items from the same seller. Bid or Buy Now!”

Thanks eBay, that is lame.

Well, maybe I spoke too soon with my previous posts about Gozbay.com, as they are now back online, and will hopefully be here to stay. Here is a copy of the eMail I received from them.

Hello Everyone,

Great News! Very much has happened with GozBay since November 2008. We realized that scalability was an issue as our server was experiencing millions of hits and our site was dramatically growing. I’ve had a variety of people and companies approach me with resources and now I’m confident we have an outstanding management team that is ready to take on anything.

Shortly after we took the site down, the owner of a successful IT company contacted me about GozBay. We have put an exceptional team together capable of providing the security, scalability and resources required to make GozBay a successful auction website. This team consists of security experts and IT professionals, Attorneys, and expert programmers along with me. Each of these key people has a stake in GozBay and together we have been re-building GozBay and have released an extremely aggressive new GozBay.com. Our #1 goal and our attention will be directed towards site stability and usability, after which we will focus on design and feature requests. Rest assured we have the resources and capability to grow this site into a successful auction website which meets your needs.

We publicly went live with GozBay on June 1st of 2009,and would like to welcome everyone to chat in the new GozBay forum at http://gozbay.com/community/. If you have anything that you would like to see in the new GozBay please make a post in the forum, using the same username and password that you use on GozBay. If you have forgotten either of these please point your browser to http://gozbay.com/retrieve_password.php to retrieve your info.

We want you to know that even though this is a new site, we still have all of your information that you entered when you signed up for GozBay and if you were one of the first 2000 VIP users you will still have no fees for life. Your grass roots marketing effort is what made GozBay successful and our success is your success, as all of us build this into a powerhouse site.

There are many new features that you will have an opportunity to explore as soon as you log into GozBay. An important one, which we highly recommend using, is the ability to start your auctions on the first bid rather than when you list the item. When this feature is enabled your auctions will be live but the auction duration will not be active until the first bid is placed. This will ensure that your auctions will not end without any bids. We have additional features and functions that will come online over the next few weeks.

As a parting note, the site name may change in the next few weeks. Although our lawyers are confident we don’t have an issue with the current name, we are going to play it safe and change names. We have registered a few domain names and are in the process of choosing the one we want to go public with. We will announce the change before it occurs and the existing urls will redirect accordingly for a period of time. Thanks for your support and understanding.

I am fully aware that you may have moved on but I hope that everyone will try out the all new GozBay.com. If you have any questions please either post in the forum or feel free to contact us.

Thanks for your support,

Zach

I really want to see the website succeed, although it will be nearly impossible. Check ‘em out at www.Gozbay.com.

While leaving a feedback on an item I purchased, I noticed a new feedback system in place. Luckily, I took a screenshot image of it, because it seems to be gone now. It only happened for me on 1 item, and the stars weren’t working (I couldn’t fill-in the stars). Here is the image below, I’m not sure when they’ll put it in place permanently. (Click the image for a larger view)

I saw this guys “About Me” page posted on a forum today. His eBay username is “noexcusebuyer.” He is easily one of the biggest idiots I have ever seen on eBay, and he’s obviously never had to run any kind of real business for himself. Also, he typed all this crap in just two paragraphs. I will paste this idiot’s rant below:

TO ALL MY SELLERS

I DO NOT CARE ABOUT YOUR PERSONAL LIFE, PERSONAL PROBLEMS AND ISSUES, THAT IS YOUR CONCERN! I HAVE PAID YOU PROMPTLY, IN FULL WITH US CURRENCY, THIS IS A BUSINESS TRANSACTION, WE ARE PERFECT STRANGERS, I WANT MY ITEM SHIPPED QUICKLY, NO EXCUSES, PACKED WELL AND DELIVERED SAFELY IN A PROMPT FASHION! I DO NOT WANT TO BE YOUR FRIEND OR HAVE A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP, I WANT WHAT I PAID FOR, PERIOD. I DO NOT PURCHASE HARD TO FIND, RARE, COLLECTABLES OR ITEMS ON EBAY, I AM NOT AN IDIOT. EVERY ITEM I PURCHASE HAS MULTIPLE PAGES OF ITEM LISTINGS, EVERY ONE OF THEM! I AM NOT IMPRESSED WITH THE “BLOCKED BIDDER” LIST THREAT, LET’S BE CLEAR HERE, I AM A BUYER, I HAVE CASH TO SPEND, THAT CASH SPENDS EVERYWHERE, YOU AS A SELLER HAVE AN ITEM TO SELL, YOU ARE SEEKING CASH FOR THAT ITEM, I AS THE BUYER HAVE THE ABSOLUTE UPPER HAND IN THIS SITUATION, I KNOW IT, YOU KNOW IT, LET’S NOT WASTE TIME WITH WORD GAMES. When I pay for priority, And you send by first class, I will neg you because you pocketed the difference. I will also leave you 1s on ALL your DSR ratings. Sames goes if you send me a damaged or missing item and refuse to fully refund or replace the item, at your sole expense! I am deadly serious about this, I WILL NOT BE RIPPED OFF!! ABOUT FREE SHIPPING, PLEASE DON’T INSULT ME BY TRYING TO SHAME ME WITH YOU SENT MY ITEM, FREE SHIPPING. NO SUCH THING EXISTS UNLESS YOU ARE AN IDIOT AS A SELLER! YOU HAVE INCLUDED ALL YOUR SHIPPING COSTS IN THE PRICE OF YOUR ITEM. YES, I know ebay gives you enhanced search results when you offer free shipping, THAT is your choice and between you and ebay, has nothing at all to do with me.

I expect that you, my seller, will respond to my communications, that I can communicate directly with you through ebay, that you will provide me with a DC# for my purchase and if asked for it, will respond quickly. IF you say in your ad that you ship in ONE BUSINESS DAY, THREE DAYS IS NOT ACCEPTABLE. ESPECIALLY IF YOU DEMAND PAYMENT BY A CERTAIN TIME. When I buy, I AM NOT LAIDBACK and I DO NOT RESPOND WELL IF YOU HAVE MY MONEY AND GET LAIDBACK ABOUT SHIPPING MY PAID ITEM. SOME OF MY SELLERS ARE NOT TAKING ME SERIOUSLY, CHECK MY FEEDBACK LEFT PAGE, I AM AS SERIOUS AS A HEARTATTACK, REALLY! ONE FINAL THING, DON’T SEND ME ANY RELIGIOUS LITERATURE, TELL ME GOD BLESS OR WHATEVER, I AM NOT IMPRESSED, I DIDN’T BUY FROM YOU IN ORDER TO GIVE YOU THE OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE YOUR PERSONAL RELIGIOUS BELIEFS WITH ME, I NEG FOR THAT, BE AWARE. I DON’T WANT TO HEAR ABOUT HOW MUCH YOU LOVE GOD, JESUS, BUDDAHA OR WHOMEVER OR WHATEVER YOU WORSHIP, I DON’T CARE, I DIDN’T PAY YOU FOR THAT NONSENSE! YOU ARE PUSHY, OVERBEARING AND DOMINEERING WHEN YOU TRY TO INTRODUCE YOUR RELIGIOUS BELIEFS INTO A BUSINESS TRANSACTION, THERE WILL BE CONSEQUENCES FROM ME FOR DOING SO!TO THE SELLER WHO IS SO UPSET ABOUT THE NEG LEFT WITHIN HOURS, YEA I LEFT IT. FIRST OFF, YOUR PAYPAL EMAIL ADDY WAS UNREGISTERED, WHICH FOR A SELLER WITH YOUR RECORD WAS MORE THAN STRANGE. SO I PULLED YOUR CONTACT INFORMATION AND CALLED THE PHONE NUMBER THAT YOU HAD LISTED ON YOUR EBAY ACCOUNT, SEEMS THAT THE PERSON WHO ANSWERED HAS SPORADICALLY GOTTEN CALLS FOR YOU OVER THE PAST FOUR YEARS? SEEMS THAT EVEN YOUR NEW SON-IN-LAW WITHIN THE PAST 3 WEEKS TRIED CALLING YOU AT THAT NUMBER, ONLY THIS WOMAN AND HER HUSBAND HAS HAD THIS NUMBER FOR FOUR YEARS? YOU COULDN’T BE REACHED BY EMAIL. I HAVE THE PAYPAL EMAILS AND THE EBAY CONTACT INFORMATION EMAIL, AS WELL AS THE NAME OF THE WOMAN WHO ACTUALLY HAVE THE PHONE # YOU LISTED WITH EBAY. CRY ME A RIVER HERE, OK! Thank You!