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TAGnotes Fri 2 Feb 2001 Vol 3 Number 17 Issue 278

The Auction Guild Notes for Fri 2 Feb 2001
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ebaY on posted on 31Jan at 15:52:30 PT that the international site
home pages were intermittently down and users were getting broken
images on ebaY pages, but the problems had been fixed.

The ebaY system was for regularly scheduled maintenance on Fri
2 Feb between 01:00 PT and 03:00 PT. The file credit utility was
down until 04:00 PT, for maintenance.

ebaY reported on 1 Feb at 21:40:18 PT that the category listing
page updates were running behind, but were expected to be current
by 23:59 PT. ebaY took down the Weird Stuff category for
approx 30 minutes starting at 22:00 PT.

On 2 Feb at 01:22:23 PT the ebaY homepage, title search, seller
search and bidder search were intermittently unavailable between
23:25 PT and 23:55 PT, before ebaY took the site down at 01:00.
On 2 Feb at 06:32:28 PT ebaY posted that viewing ended items
was down. ebaY restored it at 06:46:31 PT. ebaY reported search
down at 12:31:33 PT. An alternative route was available at
http://pages.ebay.com/search/items/search-old.html, or from the
home page search box. It was also possible to access search if you
disabled javascript on your browser. They reported it fixed at
12:47:53 PT . Users reported search not working from 12:12 PT
until 13:39 PT.
TAG strongly recommends that anyone who feels their auctions were
negatively impacted by any of these problems apply for credit. Request
listing, special feature and Final Value Fees. Go to the form at
http://cgi3.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?
SendSupportEmailShow&subject=Credit%20--%20How%20can
%20I%20receive%20credit%20for%20insertion%20fees%3F%20
Send -
* The item number(s) of the ended auction(s)
* The specific fee(s) charged for them
* Your seller's email address or User ID
* The phrase, GIVE CREDIT in the Subject line
This can also be accessed from
http://pages.ebay.com/help/basics/select-support.html
Persist in the face of ebaYs NO. A different support person may
give you a different response. If you are sure you are not going
to get a refund, report ebaY to the FTC for taking your money
whilst not giving the paid for service.
http://www.ftc.gov/
In addition, since you are now paying for a 10 day auction, you
should apply for a refund anytime that 10 day auction is not
provided by ebaY. If refused refunds, report to the FTC.

ebaY is changing the requirements for allowing sellers to sell in the
Dutch format. Currently sellers need to have a credit card on file
with ebaY, have a Feedback Rating of 10 or above, and be a
registered user on ebaY for at least 60 days. The new requirements
for sellers to use the Dutch format are, have a credit card on file,
have a Feedback Rating of 50 or above, and be a registered user on
eBay for at least 60 days, or be ID Verified. These requirements will
be applied to both new and existing sellers listing on the U.S and
Canada sites in the Dutch format. International users selling on these
two sites will need to meet the requirements 1 through 3 since ID verify
is not available to international users. These new rules go into effect
starting in the last week of February. You can list up to 10 identical
single item listings at any one time, before having to use a Dutch
format.

Title search is currently running approx 3 hours behind, title and
description search is running approx 6 hours behind. To see
a pattern of lag times, demonstrating the time it takes from listing,
to the item showing up in search, go to
http://www.geocities.com/codclass/content/lag.html

TAG continues to get reports that the ongoing ebaY problems are
still affecting users. To review the list go to
http://www.auctionguild.com/generic.html?pid=32

TAG recommends that whenever ebaY users feel that ebaY
has not provided the service paid for, and ebaY refuses to refund fees
you file a complaint with the FTC. If you have complaints
about what you feel might be restraint of trade policies, this would
also be one appropriate place to file a complaint.
http://www.ftc.gov/

ebaY Contact Information, analog mail and email addresses and
phone numbers, regular and toll free.
http://www.auctionguild.com/generic.html?pid=17

Approx 5.6 mil auctions inflated by approx 6% due to double
category listings yielding 5.2 mil auctions
* * * * *
Yahoo Auction still does not have a clear refund policy posted on
their site. TAG still has no call back or email response.
http://user.auctions.yahoo.com/html/guidelines.html
Quick reference page
http://help.yahoo.com/help/us/auct/asell/asell-21.html

Yahoo announcement board
http://auctions.yahoo.com/phtml/auc/us/promo/announcements.html

Yahoo site map.
http://auctions.yahoo.com/phtml/auc/us/promo/sitemap.html
http://auctions.yahoo.com/

Yahoo Contact Information
http://www.auctionguild.com/generic.html?pid=38

Current Auctions approx 904529 thousand calculated formula total
a drop of 1.44 mil auctions since the fee announcement on 2 January.
31 Jan counts 865373 by
http://www.dtmagazine.com/auctioncounts.html
http://list.auctions.yahoo.com/
* * * * *
Amazon Auctions, zShops and Marketplace
Amazon now has a Seller Announcements board, though the information
posted on it is not comprehensive.
http://amazon.remarq.com/read/16791839/q_ahqKZbwyrMAAABh

Customer service has been reduced to email only. There is no longer
telephone live support.
http://auctions.amazon.com
* * * * *
TIAS the folks who run ebaYs Virtual Antique Mall
http://www.ebay.com/antiquemalls/
and long time established industry antique and collectible shops site,
have had to reassess their Internet Sales Coordinator (ISC) program.
The ISC program placed professionals in 13 antique and collectible
malls at diverse locations, acting as a channel whereby people could
bring their items in and have the ISC list the item on ebaY for a
commission. TIAS has now had to lay the ISCs off and end the
program, since sales were not meeting expectations. There was an
article about this in The Antique Weekly in the 29 Jan issue.
Unfortunately the title of the article led some people to believe that
TIAS had ended it's relationship with ebaY. This is not true, TIAS is
still maintaining its Virtual Antique Mall relationship with ebaY.
http:// www.tias.com
* * * * *
SmoothSale.Com has added features with the SmoothDealer 2.0.
· A more simple interface
· Single, centralized lobby
· Single chat room for all products
· Quicker start up
· Page Pushing capabilities
· "Notes" section on SmoothOffers
· "Alerts" window that lets you know when someone is looking
· SmoothPoints - bonus points just for being online
SmoothDealer 2.0 download is at
www.smoothsale.com/download.html.
http://www.smoothsale.com
* * * * *
An Online Auction Industry CoOperative Auction and Trading Site?
There has been talk of an OAI/OTI Co-Operative for at least a couple
of years. It appears that there are now enough voices expressing
interest that a few groups are taking a serious look at the feasibility
of such a venture. Interested in getting involved?
Start here with the wheel already well invented
Information on co-ops -
Primer-
www.cooperative.org/dates.cfm
How to Start
www.cooperative.org/getstart.cfm
Want to put your two cents in? Online Auction co-op Discussions
http://pub16.ezboard.com/fauctionopinionauctionopinion.show
Message?topicID=77.topic
http://pub51.ezboard.com/bletsbuildacoop
http://pub51.ezboard.com/bonlineauctionsellerscooperative
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this list, please email us at ta-@theauctionguild.com
Have any information for us? email us at ta-@theauctionguild.com
TAG Subscribers have often contributed to information reported on in
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         TAGassist Contributors -
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http://www.valeriet.com
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