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TAGnotes Fri 25 May 2001 Vol 3 Number 62 Issue 323

The Auction Guild Notes for Fri 25 May 2001
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On 21 May (updated) at 07:23:06 PT users reported cgi 5 was down.
At 10:02:15 PT the ebaY email system went down. At 15:56:15 PT
users reported error messages coming up when trying to access
various ebaY pages. Cgi 3 was intermittently unavailable and
users reported that AOL hosted images were not showing on auctions.
From 16:00:36 PT to 16:12:49 PT many functions across the site were
not working, and At 16:29:14 PT Mister Lister went down. These
problems appeared intermittently throughout the day.

22 May brought only a couple of problems one at 07:50:56 PT
when user reported cgi 6, and My ebaY down, and at 21:17:20 PT
the seller's list was down. Both problems were noted infrequently
and intermittently during the day.

On 23 May at 08:06:23 PT users reported cgi 3 being intermittently
down.   My ebaY was down and giving 'Invalid access to memory
location' messages. At 09:17:31 PT users reported problems with
seller search. At 10:10:17 PT cgi 6 was intermittently down and at
14:48:30 PT network errors were showing up. At 16:51:23 PT My
ebaY was again reported as down as of 21:20:59 PT.

24 May bought at 14:03:45 PT Network error Unable to read URL
from host pages.ebay.com: no response from server messages. At
15:06:31 PT users noted problem with listing and relisting, with these
functions down all day due to code changes. The changes disabled
most third party service providers. This included ebaY's own Seller
Assistant (SA) and Sellers Assistant Pro (SAP) programs. Those
users who purchased the Blackthorne license for what is now
SA and SAP, are finding they can no longer use their programs at all.
For a workaround to the very complex and bloated list your item page,
go to http://cgi5.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ListItemForSale
Login&item=0&category=1&oldstyle=1&page=2
List and relist were still not working when ebaY took the site down
for maintenance.

On 25 May ebaY took the system down for regularly scheduled
maintenance from 0100 PT until 0300 PT.   Users posted at
03:26:29 PT that My ebaY was down, and at 03:26:29 PT that
listing was not working. ebaY employees acknowledged the problems
at 04:19:50 PT, but ebaY did not post anything to the SAB until hours
later. At 07:30:30 PT ebaY posted that Gallery Items were
intermittently down. Users reported My ebaY down at 06:16:41 PT.
At 13:22:31 PT ebaY posted that there were problems with the
new Sell Your Item form. These problems included
** WebTV users were unable to relist items using the new SYI form.
** Users submitting listings with PayPal, and attaching the PayPal logo
which contains JavaScript could not list due to the ebaY stripping the
JavaScript out of item descriptions.
** Macintosh AOL 5.0 users are unable to use the new form to list.
For those having problems ebaY recommended using older versions
of the Sell Your Item Form at
http://cgi5.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ListItemForSaleShow
&oldstyle=1&category=0
http://cgi5.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ListItemForSaleShow
&oldstyle

Despite ebaY's claims to the contrary that the glitches had been
solved by mid day for most users, reports from users reflected that the
problems persisted throughout the day.

TO REQUEST REFUNDS from ebaY go to
http://www.auctionguild.com/generic.html?pid=33
Don't take no for an answer, keep requesting until you get them.

Information from ebaYs annual stockholders meeting, reported in
the news, yielded some interesting information. ebaY is going to
combine Half.Com into the ebaY site. ebaY chief executive and
president Meg Whitman said it didn't make sense to have ebaY
and Half.com remain separate, with users having different
identities and reputations on each site. In answer to a query from
a stockholder that ebaY claims they have 29 million users, and the
stockholder wanting to know how active those users are, ebaY
spokesperson Chris Donlay said the company's customer
numbers included the total number of customers who have registered
with ebaY, no matter how active they've been in recent months. The
number also includes customers of ebaY's overseas sites, including
those run by recently acquired iBazar.   

On 23 May ebaY disabled the use of certain JavaScript on ebaY.
**You may not use a JavaScript to drop or read a cookie on any
ebaY page.
**You may not use a JavaScript that redirects the user from ebaY
to another page (such as the "replace" script).
**You may not use a JavaScript Include.
These scripts will be disabled on all eBay pages where text can
be entered, including the Sell Your Item form, the About Me
pages and certain other areas of the site. In addition, ebaY will
disable all JavaScript on the general chat boards.
The changes to JavaScript may impair certain third-party auction
management tools. The PayPal link is one of the links that uses a
JavaScript, and needs to be modified to allow sellers to list their
auctions. TAG feels this policy is very hypocritical of ebaY, since
ebaY uses all kinds of JavaScript and ActiveX programs to infiltrate
users computers and track their activity.

For sellers who feel they have not had adequate refunds, that ebaY is
restraining trade, defrauding sellers by not providing the services
paid for, or other situations not dealt with to your satisfaction,
you can file reports with The Attorney General of California and
also in your home state
http://caag.state.ca.us/piu/mailform.htm
The Better Business Bureau
http://www.bbbonline.com
The Federal Trade Commission
http://www.ftc.gov
The Office of Consumer Affair, US Department of Commerce
http://www.consumer.gov/sentinel/index.html
File Complaint
https://rn.ftc.gov/dod/wsolcq$.startup?Z_ORG_CODE=PU01
The FBI's Internet Fraud Units
http://www.nipc.gov/contact.htm#arrow,
National Fraud Information Center
http://www.fraud.org
eComplaints http://www.ecomplaints.com/

TAG editorial on ebaY's links ban, and what you can do about it.
ebaY Cuts The Threads of The Web? FIGHT BACK!!!
http://www.auctionguild.com/generic.html?pid=57

Another ongoing glitch to watch for - when you revise a listing, the
revision information is not showing up correctly, so what was
revised in the auction does not always reflect reality, including
the date the revision was made and the content of the revision.

Some users are reporting that on their closed auction pages below
the description is a statement that "This page is available on ebaY
for a limited time only. Please print a copy for your own records."
TAG wonders if this foreshadows some change to the availability
of closed auctions.

ebaY Motors has updated its Help pages. ebaY is also planning to
add more listing tips in the near future.
http://pages.ebay.com/ebaymotors/help/overview.html

ebaY is doing away with it's Remarq discussion boards and
switching to LiveWorld. ebaY announced that it has contracted
with LiveWorld (www.liveworld.com), to deliver its discussion
boards. In early June, the discussion boards will be moved over
to the new LiveWorld platform. ebaY believes this change will enable
services for its international user community, and add new features,
as well as moderated live events and online polls.

On 23 May ebaY again posted a revision to its linking policy
On May 10th they announced they would increase enforcement of
their policy on links from the View Item auction listing page, as well
as modify our links policy on the About Me pages. ebaY now claims that
the intent of the View Item page is to describe a specific item listed
for sale. It is not to advertise other
products or businesses.   This is a major policy switch that has not
yet been written into the user agreement.
*Sellers may link to their email address from the View Item page.
*Sellers may link to their ebaY or Half.com listings grouped in
a picture gallery or similar format as long as there are no
specific non listed on ebaY products listed for sale on the gallery
page.
*Sellers may link from the View Item page to a site with
additional information that isn't item specific, such as a
gemstone grading system or clothing size guide. However, it
will be considered the one link that further describes the item
listed and must not contain any specific non-eBay products listed for
sale.
*Sellers may link from the View Item page to organizations such as
the Better Business Bureau, Squaretrade or OAUA, provided the
seller is a member of the organization and it is relevant to their
business or the item being sold.
*Sellers may link to their About Me page from the View Item page,
however they may not include specific product promotional text in
describing their About Me page.
*All logo style links from the View Item page may be no greater
than 88x33 pixels. The only exception to this rule is the link to your
ebaY or Half.com listings.
For more info go to
http://pages.ebay.com/help/community/png-adsfaq2.html.

ebaY is changing its home page again. They have sections called
Welcome New Users; Search; Categories; What's New; Hot Picks;
Local Trading; and Browse By Themes. The preview is at
http://www.ebay.com/preview/previewhome.html
If you have any thoughts or comments about the Home Page
changes go to http://remarq.ebay.com/ebay/transcript.asp?g=discuss
%2Eebay%2Ethe%2Debay&tn=323979&sh=fd75e657116e43ce&idx=-1.

ebaY is implementing the previously announced changes to the
Sell Your Item form - the auction listing form.
The changes are
* Login prior to accessing the Sell Your Item
* Integration of eBay Picture Services into the Sell Your Item form.
You will still be able to use alternate photo hosting.
You may be prompted for an ActiveX download the first time you
visit the new Sell Your Item form. This optional download enables
you to preview, crop, and rotate with Picture Services directly from
the Sell Your Item form. TAG does NOT recommend allowing ebaY
to place this ActiveX file on your computer, as it gives them a
direct link into everything you do, and they have proved themselves
unworthy of trust on many occasions. These changes will also
seriously disable many third party service providers until
adjustments can be made to the changes.

On 30 May ebaY Live Auctions will have two sales. At 2:30 AM PT,
they will host an archetypal English auction with property from British
estates. At 9 AM PT, they will host Oriental, Faience, Porcelain,
Glass, and Silver. Featuring of a mixture of European and Scandinavian
modern and antique furniture, decorative objects, fine art, and jewelry.
To preview and register go to http://www.ebayliveauctions.com/

ebaY is changing the Dolls & Bears Categories.
**All vintage Barbie categories will be together, including
Accessories and Friends and Family. Categories for Ken and other
Barbie friends/family have been added.
**A By Brands and Manufacturers category will group together
all the makers categories.
**A By Materials category will group together the existing
materials categories, such as Cloth and Bisque.
**A By Themes, Types category will consolidate existing types
of dolls, such as kewpies, international, and nesting dolls.
**Several categories are being added.
To see the proposed changes go to
http://pages.ebay.com/preview/chg-dolls.html
Send feedback to dol-@ebay.com

Pink Quote of the Day at 13:54:36 PT on 24 May while some users
were proposing possible ebaY legal workarounds for ebaYs linking
prohibition Katy@ebaY said, "I need to point out that eBay has made
some exceptions to the rules at the request of our members. These
include the email links and links to trade organizations. We were also
concerned about allowing IDs with URLs in them because some
members had used these for quite some time and were known by them.
However, like all things in life, a few abusers of the spirit of the
rule can ruin it for everyone. I hope that if eBay does find it has to
make additional rules, everyone will understand why. It is not because
there is any wish to do that, but if you encourage circumvention of the
rules in this way, you leave few alternatives. So I hope no one will be
surprised.....:(.....................Katy" TAG sees that ebaY continues
to feel that threats and intimidation are the ways to keep their users
in line, and that any kind of mutual cooperation for the common good
between ebaY and its users is dead and buried.

Gifs you can Use page, has an ebaY compliant About Me page
button you can freely copy. We have even provided the HTML
code you need to add to your auction descriptions to make it a
clickable link. An amusing GIF or two will be forthcoming
http://www.auctionguild.com/generic.html?pid=58

Announcement Board Marketing - (MAB)
http://www2.ebay.com/aw/marketing.shtml
Announcement Board Status (SAB)
http://www2.ebay.com/aw/announce.shtml

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

Approx 5.15 mil auctions inflated by approx 6% due to
double listings yielding an actual count of approx 4.8 mil
On 25 May 2000 ebaY had approx 4.56 mil auctions
* * * * *
Amazon Auctions, zShops and Marketplace had ongoing problems
with zShops Storefront browse path functions on 23 May.   There
was also a search malfunction on 24 May, when Auctions searches
were down during the morning. of May 24.
Announcement Board - http://amazon.remarq.com/list/16791839

Amazon live telephone customer service 16 hours a day Toll-free
in U.S. and Canada: (800)201-7575
http://auctions.amazon.com
* * * * *
Yahoo Auctions effective 30 May has revised their event ticket
guidelines. All Yahoo! Auctions listings for event tickets must
include in the description, the location of the event (venue,
city and state), the date of the event and the face value of the
ticket(s).
If the location of the event is in Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut,
DE, FL, Georgia, IL, Kentucky, Louisiana, MA, Michigan,
Minnesota, NJ, NY, NC, PA, RI, SC or WI, the seller must restrict
sale to the face value of the ticket(s), enter the face value of the
ticket(s) as the buy price during the auction submission process.
Ticket auctions not in compliance may be removed at Yahoo!'s
sole discretion. Event tickets are regulated by state and/or local
laws in many jurisdictions and compliance with this policy does
not ensure that your auction is legal or allowed on Yahoo!. It is
the responsibility of sellers and bidders using the Yahoo! Auctions
platform to locate, understand and act consistently with any and
all applicable federal, state or local statute, ordinance or regulation
that may prohibit or restrict the sale of an item to be listed for
auction.
http://auctions.yahoo.com/phtml/auc/us/promo/event_tickets.html
http://auctions.yahoo.com/
* * * * *
Free Image Hosting
http://b.postmypic.com/b.nsf/Post
http://www.geocities.com/auctionexaminer/Auctiontools.htm
http://www.auctionpix.co.uk/free.html
http://www.auctiontalk.com/imagehosting.asp
http://www.baypal.com/
http://www.boomspeed.com
http://www.freepichosting.com/
http://www.lycos.com/l/?1j
http://www.pichost.com
http://www.relevantsites.com/
http://www.storagepoint.com
http://www.tupics.com
http://www.zing.com

Free Sites for WebSite/Storefront and Customer List
http://www.signup.auctioninsights.com/cgi-bin/signup
http://www.hypermart.net/index.gsp
http://www.spree.com
* * * * *
Online Auction Users Association
Interested in volunteering and serving the Online Auction Community?
Check out http://www.auctionusers.org/volunteerop.shtml
http://www.auctionusers.org
* * * * *
Online Auction & Trading Site Co-op
Interested in an OAT Site Co-op?
Interested in getting involved?
Information on co-ops -
http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/rbs/pub/cir55/cir55rpt.htm
http://www.wisc.edu/uwcc/

More action on the co-op scene coming soon!
Go to http://www.auctionpie.com
They host live chats every Sunday night at 8:00PM EST

Vintage Items Co-Op info can be found at
http://www.ali-baba.org./ and
http://pages.zdnet.com/juststuff/vintmarket/
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Have any information for us? email us at ta-@theauctionguild.com
TAG Subscribers have often contributed to information reported on in
TAGnotes. Visit their auctions.
         TAGassist Contributors -
http://www.antique-central.com/welcome.html

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