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TAGnotes Thu 7 Jun 2001 Vol 3 Number 67 Issue 328

The Auction Guild Notes for Thu 7 Jun 2001
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$$$ FREE LISTING DAY ON EBAY CANADA $$$
Sunday 10 Jun 2001 between 12:00:01ET and 11:59:59ET
Only listings in Canadian Dollars on eBay.ca. Insertion Fees only
will be free. All other fees - final value fees, optional reserve price
fees, gallery and feature fees - apply. Usually, double category
listings are also free http://www.ebay.ca
http://pages.ca.ebay.com/promos/freelist.html

On 5 Jun ebaY's email system was intermittently down and other
infrequent error messages were reported by users throughout day.
ebaY took the ebaY announcement boards down on Wed 6 June,
from 08:00 PT to 09:00 PT for maintenance. Users reported on
6 June at 08:52:25 PT that the feedback system was down.

ebaY continued to update the problems with listing and ebaY pic
services on 4, 5, 6 and 7 Jun 2001. Some ebaY users continued to
have problems with the pic services, which caused problems both
with images showing on auctions and with the ability to list at all.
ebaY recommends downloading their ActiveX file and using their
enhanced pic services, but TAG does NOT recommend downloading
ebaYs ActiveX file. In TAG's opinion users are much better off
using one of the multitude of third party pic hosting services, or their
own ISP provided web space, either free or for a fee. Sellers with
listing problems can try to use an older version 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

AOL and CompuServe users might be able to list by using Microsoft
Internet Explorer or Netscape outside of AOL or CompuServe. Mister
Lister might also work as an alternate listing route. WebTV users
appear to be the most negatively impacted by these problems. WebTV
users may not be able to view ebaY pic services hosted images, providing
incentive for all sellers to consider alternatives to ebaY pic services
for at least some of their images.

ebaY took the threaded boards down at 22:00 PT on Thu 7 Jun, so
they could move the boards to the LiveWorld platform. ebaY expects
this change to be completed by 18:00 PT on Fri 8 Jun. The threaded
boards will be viewable but you will not be able to post.

ebaY conducted regularly scheduled maintenance from 0100 PT to
0300 PT on Fri 8 Jun. They also did maintenance on the Billpoint
web site during that time.

ebaY has been testing their storefront pages. Users were able to
follow links from a test auction on ebaY listed by ebaY's eWatch
team. Some associated URLs
http://cgi3.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewStore&id=21673095
http://pages.ebay.com/storefronts/seller-landing.html
Some of the info gleaned from these test pages were that a seller
must accept credit card payments for fixed price listings, fees will be
based on a closing price final value fee, $25.00 or less 5.0% of final
sale price $25.01 to $1,000.00 $0.00, plus 2.5% of final sale price over
$25.00 $1,000.01 or more $0.00, plus 1.25% of final sale price over
$1,000.00. Listing duration 3, 5, 7, 10, 20, and 30 days. Users that
found this info and opened a test store received a message that "The
store you opened has been closed by eBay. You may have seen a test store
that was open for a short time used by eBay for testing some functions,
but it, too, has been closed now that our
testing is complete. The stores area is not available to the public,
yet. We will have an announcement shortly. Please watch the Marketing
Announcements Board for more information in the near future. Will King
eWatch" All this information is still in the test phase.

ebaY has once again changed their interpretation of their unwritten
rules for linking to sites outside of ebaY from the auction listing.
On 7 Jun at 16:06:26 PT, ebaY posted that sellers could link to a page
including the terms & conditions of the sale for an item when extensive
terms and conditions exist. ebaY wants sellers to have at a minimum the
terms and conditions of sale in the description block of the auction
listing: Shipping information - including how it will be calculated;
Payment types accepted; Terms of payment - when payment is expected;
Handling charges; and any taxes that may apply.

$$$ WARNING TO SELLERS - BILLPOINT FRAUD ALERT$$$
TAG continues to caution users about Billpoint. Though Billpoint
claims to verify credit card and shipping addresses, reports from users
do not back this up in practice. TAG is advising users DO NOT
USE BILLPOINT until Billpoint comes up with a seller protection plan.

The Spanish Internet media giant Terra Lycos and ebaY Inc.
announced on Wed 6 Jun that they would incorporate ebaY's auctions
into the Lycos Auction site http:/auctions.lycos.com. However, ebaY
in an incredible flash of what appeared to TAG as hubris, ebaY said
it has grown to the point that it does not necessarily consider other
online auction sites to be its main competitors anymore. ebaY also said
than half of the merchandise sold on ebaY now comes from things
other than collectibles, and ebaY said it is competing with many
traditional retailers and manufacturers that sell more practical things
like clothing and big ticket items like computers. For article go to
http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/nm/20010606/wr/tech_ebay_dc_2.html

On 9 ebaY Live Auctions will host two sales for collectors of Oriental
rugs and North American Artifacts. At 08:00 PT, ebaY will sell through
their site over 150 handmade wool and silk/wool Oriental carpets and
rugs. At 13:00 PT, ebaY will sell North American First Nations Art &
Artifacts, collected from Vancouver and Vancouver Island estates.
Preview at   http://www.ebayliveauctions.com/

ebaY's new home page is now live. http://www.ebay.com

Pink Quote of the Day posted by Katy@ebaY on 4 Jun 00:16:04 PT,
in a conversation with users about the ebaY recommendations
SPAM program said, "I suppose because you are paying a listing fee
to sell one item and we are not set up to collect FVFs or offer Feedback
or insurance protections on items you sell to underbidders. eBay, on the
other hand, is not a seller on the site but owns the site, and offers
features to direct bidders to sellers' items in general through Search,
Browse, Watch, marketing emails, and links on the home page. This is
just another way of doing that. Make sense?" So ebaY sees SPAM as equal
to Search, though they specifically prohibit sellers from doing exactly
what ebaY is doing. On the threaded boards on 4 Jun, Reed@ebaY said,
"We are in the business of trying to get buyers to find items that are
most relevant to them and their interests. While we would never link
folks off of the eBay/Half platform to recommended items we believe it
is fine for us to link folks to relevant items that meet their needs
after an auction has ended." ebaY is going to SPAM auction bidders with
links directed to
Half.Com items - despite the fact that auction sellers pay listing
fees and Half.Com sellers don't. This is both SPAM and bottom
feeding, and both directly violate the rules of good net citizenship,
and ebaYs own rules. Further concerning TAG is the relationship
between ebaY and Dynaptics. The SPAM feature now requires
you to allow ebaY to place and keep a long term cookie on your
computer. Dynaptics uses such cookies and other more insidious
files planted in users computers to track their activities online,
and use that information for financial gain. This gathered info
can also be combined with Equifax info to make complete files
on users, and ebaY already has written into their user and privacy
agreement their ability to share this information with their "partners".
This could include the likes of Disney, ReturnBuy and other
corporations.
http://www.dynaptics.com/newsevents/pressreleases/pr_000619.html
TAG is now recommending ALL users place ebaY in your most secure
internet zone. In MIE, go to Start, Settings, Control Pane, Internet
Properties, Security, Restricted, Sites, and add all the ebaY URLs. You
might need to adjust this setting to allow you to use some features on
ebaY, but should keep settings as secure as possible. All users should
also install ZoneAlarm on their computers - http://www.zonealarm.com/

TAG finds ebaY's recommendations SPAM and view like items link
on ended auctions reprehensible and unethical, and possibly an invasion
of privacy. In addition they violate both the user agreement and
privacy agreement. Buyers should email sellers and tell them you no
longer bid on items on ebaY and when the seller post the item elsewhere
to let you know so you can bid on it. All users should report the SPAM
to http://mail-abuse.org/rbl/reporting.html or
http://spamcop.net/

TIAS.Com has reported that prices on ebaY have fallen. An article
on this can be found at http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/cn/20010607/tc/
glut_of_goods_lowers_some_ebay_prices_1.html
and a related thread on the subject on Auction Watch
http://www.auctionwatch.com/mesg/read.html?num=2&thread=380697

TAG editorial on ebaY's links ban, and what you can do about it.
ebaY Cuts The Threads of The Web? FIGHT BACK!!!
Updated almost daily - more info, more companies to watch.
Join our fight to help level the playing field so the users who built
ebaY have a chance and fight against ebaY's new corporate
favoritism program. http://www.auctionguild.com/generic.html?pid=57

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/

ebaY continues to try to get users to offer Billpoint. The latest
effort is a sweepstakes when buyers use their Visa card and ebaY online
payments between 1 June 13 July 2001 you are entered to win one of 100
NASCAR prizes, including a trip to the DAYTONA 500.
No purchase or obligation necessary. For details and rules go to
http://www.billpoint.com/promotion/nascar.html
http://www.billpoint.com/promotion/nascar_rules.html

Gifs you can Use page, has an ebaY compliant About Me page
button, with the HTML code you need to add to your auction
descriptions to make it a clickable link. A lighter side GIF you
can copy and use is now on the website, as is an ebaY compliant
PayPal logo.   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 5.3 mil auctions inflated by approx
6% due to double listings yielding an actual count of approx 4.98 mil
On 7 Jun 2000 ebaY had approx 4.62 mil auctions
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BidVille.Com has added BidVille Motors, so users can buy and sell
cars, trucks, boats and other transportation products. BidVille
offers their users auction transfer from many other sites to BidVille.
Email customer service for assistance. BidVille currently has approx
635,000 items for sale.   http://www.bidville.com
* * * * *
Amazon Auctions, zShops and Marketplace
Some sellers have received erroneous "Sale Remains Pending" e- mail,
after first receiving "Please Ship Now" notification, during the evening
of Tue 5 Jun. All "Please Ship Now" notifications are correct.
Announcement Board - http://amazon.remarq.com/list/16791839

Amazon has added TABS to their zShops, a long asked for feature.
The next feature desired by sellers is a Vacation Button.

Amazon live telephone customer service 16 hours a day
Toll-free in U.S. and Canada: (800)201-7575
http://auctions.amazon.com
* * * * *
Auctionweiser.com has launched several new marketing campaigns
with companies such as Infopia, Vision Network, Juno, Earthlink, and
others. Auctions listed on Auctionweiser.com, will also be listed in
meta search engines such as BidFind.com, AuctionOnTheNet.com,
Compares.com, and AuctionHawk.com. Auctionweiser offers
different services for their members. Members can check financial
data, store up to 50MB of files on their Auctionweiser.com Internet
Hard Drive, check real time prices on a variety of different products,
play games, listen to music, chat with out members, register domain
names, and search the web at no additional charge. Auctionweiser.com has
also partnered with SquareTrade, MasterCard, Visa, BizRate,
WebTradeInsure, and others to provide services. Auctionweiser.com does
not charge a listing fees, charges a FVF,
and value added extra feature fees. If you have any comments,
concerns, or questions about Auctionweiser.com or its services, call
1-877-639-1333 http://www.auctionweiser.com
* * * * *
Eppraisals.Com has closed their site. In an email to their users sent
on 6 June, Eppraisal wrote that they were no longer in business as of
7 Jun2001. "If you have a pending Eppraisal, Second Opinion, or Ask an
Expert question, we will do our best to complete it by the close of
business on June 7th. If we cannot complete your request, you will be
notified via email and your credit card will NOT be charged. All
Personal Advisor requests will be cancelled and your credit card will
NOT be charged." To print out completed Eppraisals certificates, go to
www.eppraisals.com and login to Your Account. The Eppraisal
certificates will be available through 15 Jun2001.
* * * * *
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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***PLEASE NOTE: Many long links we post in TAGnotes must be
copy/pasted into your browsers URL/Address box in pieces, with no
extra spaces, to get them to work due to HTML limitations****
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If you would like an Auction House or Service Provider added to
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
TAGnotes. Visit their auctions.
         TAGassist Contributors -
http://cgi6.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewListedItems&userid
=bllamb&completed=0&sort=0&since=-1

http://www.longlocks.com

http://www.antique-central.com/welcome.html

http://ourworld.cs.com/_ht_a/losttracks1/id18.htm
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