Complaint Department
The public version of Ebay’s claims is now available.
We will file our formal response in the next few weeks, and until then will do our best to abide by protocol in not responding to specific assertions made in Ebay’s complaint.
As those who know us best will recognize, every measure we have taken has been for the sake of protecting the long term well-being of the craigslist community.
Sadly, we have an uncomfortably conflicted shareholder in our midst, one that is obsessed with dominating online classifieds for the purpose of maximizing its own profits.
It’s a conflict of interest worth keeping in mind if you decide to give this filing a read.
April 30th, 2008 at 3:44 pm
This information is currently being posted all over seller central on Ebay. Being a Powerseller on Ebay, as well as the occassional poster on Craigslist, I can say that I hope Craig et al. kicks major Ebay butt. Anyone that knows anything about Ebay….knows the Ebay is just a GREED MACHINE trying to monopolize on all things…from online payment methods, online checkouts and now classified ads. Ebay is the EPITOMY of the WORST that capitalism has to offer. If Donahoe has his way about it …..he’d have all workers in the U.S. making $2.00 a day (charging room board out of that)….like he did to workers in China. It’s time to take a stand….and I for one (like many other sellers on Ebay) are tired of this BS from Ebay. I am coming here soon to sell what I use to sell on Ebay and I would rather give my money to Craig (& net neutrality) that to let CAPITALISTIC PIGS like Whitman & Donahoe take over all selling on the internet. If Craig (et al) decide to take up a collection for legal expenses…COUNT ME IN AND LET ME KNOW, BECAUSE I WOULD BE GLAD TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE LEGAL DOWNFALL OF EBAY!! Stay strong Craig, et al…..there are many of us behind you!!
April 30th, 2008 at 4:05 pm
p.s. A bunch of powersellers on Ebay WOULD ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT, if Craigslist would get into the AUCTION BUSINESS!! We think it would give Ebay SERIOUS competition!! Just thinking…. This thought was posted on Ebay’s Seller Central AND GARNERED MUCH FANFARE!!
April 30th, 2008 at 6:32 pm
If craigslist did an auction site, I wouldn’t hesistate to move all my inventory over off ebay.
April 30th, 2008 at 7:16 pm
Well, what can I say. The Craigslist team is nothing but sincere hard working folks who are not money hungry. I pray their philosophies never change. I remember the good old internet days. Solid source of information without all these pop-up’s, banners, membership fee’s. Heck, corporations ruined the internet. Ebay is not the only one guilty! They just rank higher on the list of attempted greed. $$$SQUEEZE$$$ is all they know or care about…so sad.
Again, I applaud the team at Craigslist! Bless all of you for letting us participate somewhere on the internet without being price gouged. I hardly sell anything but mostly read the forums. Thank you for those being ad free and membership free!!!
April 30th, 2008 at 9:29 pm
Holy Crap! I just read about this on Google news. What happened to “peaceful coexistence”? Ebay really IS money hungry– their attack on Craigslist is SUCH bad joo-joo. Give ‘em hell, Craigslist! The bad press and bad Karma may be enough to make E-bay slink back to their cave!
April 30th, 2008 at 10:16 pm
After reading ebay’s claims, it seems that CL is all in the clear unless I misread something.
May 1st, 2008 at 12:05 am
After reading the claims.
Will somebody please tell Ebay to quit crying like a baby. They made the choice to start a directly competitive site. They are a minority shareholder. Last time I looked that means they are ruled by the majority. If they don’t like something they can leave.
So instead of being responsible adults what do they do, sue.
As a former seller on EBay I rarely if ever sell anything anymore. Its not worth competing with all the import/export can’t make a dime, and all the fees soak up what you do make! Much prefer Craigslist, warts and all.
Looking forward to EBay getting the black eye. Unfortunately they are the 800lb gorilla and will likely roll right over the defendants. Its either that or make them spend so much money defeating the crap that t drives craigslist under. Either way EBay makes its money!
Go craigslist!
May 1st, 2008 at 2:22 am
Ebay should off the face of internet. They are too greedy. They want to own everything so they can control everybody. Just a typical corporate lust for money, power, and control.
If management of Craigslist establish a legal fund to fight these eBay bastards, I will contribute. Meg Whitman and eBay gangs, I hope you all go to hell!
May 1st, 2008 at 3:53 am
count me in as support. wonderful idea. ebay needs to keep their moneygrubbing hands out of every pocket in the u.s. (in their dreams). go craig!
May 1st, 2008 at 4:14 am
“After reading ebay’s claims, it seems that CL is all in the clear unless I misread something.”
It’s hard to say without seeing the full Shareholders’ Agreement. The lengths that eBay’s team of vampires are going to in trying to invalidate and downplay the Shareholders’ Agreement in the wording of their complaint says a lot to me though. The “poison pill” is eBay, and Craigslist is calling Poison Control! eBay can take their “good faith” and shove it.
May 1st, 2008 at 5:27 am
Ebay is unfriendly inside outside its community and everywhere it reaches out to… (Smiling at you all the while its stabbing you in the back) I’ve been an Ebay Seller since 98, 10 years and would love to shift gears to some other auction site and watch their ultimate demise from a distance…
May 1st, 2008 at 7:07 am
Hmmmm, just got some spam from Ebay suggesting I check out Kiijijiijiji (kijiji.com).
Here is the subject line: “kijiji.com: Free Local Classifieds”.
Strange timing for Ebay to start spamming it’s users with a craigslist wannabe.
May 1st, 2008 at 7:16 am
How refreshing CL is. Making a profit without being greedy. Making changes for the betterment of their community and not to maximize profit.
I also brought up the subject of CL doing auctions also. Only to make a point that a business does not have to alienate, separate and punish it’s users to make money. Also to point out the fact that a company can make money, satisfy it’s users and still have morals. I have nothing but deep admiration and respect for 2 thirds of the owners of craigslist. It appears to me they have been prepared for the antics they knew ebay would come up with. Yes CL outfoxed the fox.
My hats off to you CL.
May 1st, 2008 at 7:47 am
hi, i am a minority shareholder in ebay and i do not agree with what they are doing. keeping my fingers crossed for craigslist.
i like the idea of craigslist launching its own auction site
perhaps a joint venture with a payment merchant?
May 1st, 2008 at 7:49 am
eBay = eBaby?
May 1st, 2008 at 7:52 am
Anyone who has been with Ebay from several years knows that honesty and integrity are not words you can use in the same sentence with the word ebay. (Unless of course to say they dont have any.)
From the fee increase to the DSR’s where everything is kept hidden from the users every change ebay has made is solely to benefit ebay. But then, no transparency to sellers fits right into ebays pockets.
If CL is not interested in starting a auction site, how about expaning your site to allow week long ads in all your markets? I could run ads now from the items I used to sell on ebay but I can only list the item say in the LA area for a week then I can list the same ad elsewheres. Its a ton of work to track 500 items as to which area its listed in and where it should be listed next.
May 1st, 2008 at 8:43 am
It’s time for Craigslist to get into the auction biz.
The opening stock would set records!!!
May 1st, 2008 at 9:14 am
Everyone knew when Ebay was able to grab shares of Craig’s brainchild their real goal was to take it over…and then ruin it.
As a user of Craig’s List from the beginning I stand with Craig and the hard working people which have built and maintained the most empowering site on the web.
The people are with you Craig. Let us know if there is anything we can do to help.
May 1st, 2008 at 9:40 am
I can not agree more with other write ups here that eBay is nothing but just another greedy Big corporation that cannot stand the fact that CL is offering people a real choice, in this case choice regarding selling
on-line.
That is all Big corporations, from eBay, to Exxon, to Google, etc. cannot stand people having (real) choice. That is they say they are capitalist, but that really goes as far as them making Billions of Dollars and having multiple $30Mill homes, and $100Mill private jets, etc., but when it comes to real competition to them that is whether CL to eBay or Plug-in Hybrids to Exxon or Anoox to Google, etc., they will do everything to kill such choices.
So if CL decides to have a legal fund to fight off eBay, you can count me in too.
May 1st, 2008 at 9:43 am
On March 31st ebay changed its policy regarding the sale of eBooks and digital-delivery products. They can no longer be sold in the regular or buy-it-now listings and can only be sold in the CLASSIFIED AD listings (not the free kijiji, but the PAID $9.95 per month classified ads). I wonder if/how this might play into the other @#%! they are pulling?
I just stumbled upon this news today and I find it quite interesting as I am a full-time digital-delivery eBook seller on ebay. Since they have implemented this rediculous policy, my income has dropped to 1/10 of what it was a month ago! THOUSANDS of digital sellers have been affected by this change and we are all suffering greatly and needlessly thanks to the almighty Greed-Bay!
They announced the change 7 DAYS prior to it going into effect! Gave us no time to regroup and make other plans! Some sellers even had employees and were forced to lay them off because they are now out of business for the most part. Many sellers have already closed their stores all together and are selling in other venues / other auction sites and some have started their own websites - waiting patiently for Craigslist Auctions!
I have to wonder, HOW CAN EBAY AFFORD to lose all of the money that digital sales used to bring them??? Not only are sellers leaving, but so are many customers who loved buying digital goods! Those sellers who are still around are only making about 10% of what they were before. I know I alone as a small time seller was paying ebay around $200.00 every month in fees (and don’t forget the money that -eBay owned- PayPal takes when I receive money). There are digital sellers that were paying thousands of dollars per month in eBay fees! Now times this by thousands of sellers! It just doesn’t add up. Surely they would not just purposely flush all that money down the drain! How could they??? As greedy as they “appear” to be, it would be completely out of character for them. What DOES eBay have up their sleeve????
All the explanations ebay has given for this change have been BOGUS……they seem to change their story or add to it quite often. They have given us very little guidance on how to proceed with selling in their classified ads which BTW get next to NO TRAFFIC! And to make matters worse, eBay does not even let anyone know the classified ads exist! No link, button, banner or announcement on the home page! I am convinced they are essentially trying to hide them….but WHY???
The only way to find the class ads is on the yellow, left hand side of an ebay page where it says “Narrow Your Results” > “Search Options” > “Show only” > Place a check in the box next to “More Buying Options” > Click the blue drop-down arrow next to “More Buying Options” > Select “Classified Ads” > Scroll down and click the “Show Items” button. Now HOW IN THE WORLD would anyone -newbie or experienced ebay user- find the classified ads???? And this is what we pay $9.95 /month for.
We are expected to know the new “rules” which basically do not exist. Many digital sellers have been on the discussion boards for the past month trying to pick up the pieces of the latest ebay train wreck and we are basically having to LITERALLY figure out the “rules” ourselves (I’m not kidding).
Whenever someone contacts Live “Help” they are given wrong information. Basically it depends on who you talk to and on what day - the story is never the same. One seller said she mentioned the head honcho’s name (the one who came up with these new bright ideas) and the live help rep didn’t even know who he was! She told the rep to ask her manager if he knows the head honcho’s name and the manager said “I’m not sure, but the name sounds familar”. WTH! He doesn’t know his own boss’ name??? Unbelievable!
I don’t know what they are up to over at eBay, but it is causing unmeasurable amounts of grief (to put it lightly) for many, many people. There are so many who counted on eBay as their main source of income and as a result of this latest stunt, have very little or no income. I don’t think this helps our economy either!
Please Craigslist, start an auction site!
May 1st, 2008 at 9:44 am
ok this is about you jerks at craigs list leave my posts on line you morons
On Friday May 2nd, there will be a gas strike!
Do not buy gas on that day.
We could cost the United States 2 billion dollars.
We have to get the message to them somehow so.
Help get the message across.
Send this to everyone you know
May 1st, 2008 at 9:44 am
On Friday May 2nd, there will be a gas strike!
Do not buy gas on that day.
We could cost the United States 2 billion dollars.
We have to get the message to them somehow so.
Help get the message across.
Send this to everyone you know
May 1st, 2008 at 11:04 am
[…] Craiglist fired back in a post: We will file our formal response in the next few weeks, and until then will do our best to abide […]
May 1st, 2008 at 11:09 am
As an eBay Powerseller I would like to echo the sentiments of many posters here. I would move my eBay business to Craigslist in a heartbeat if they had an auction site. Like eBay, Craigslist gets plenty of traffick form all over the world. This is the one fact that would make it a viable alternative to eBay. Most of my sales on eBay are to countries outside of the US due to the current weakness of the dollar. Craigskist is the only other site I can think of that would have the international traffick to keep my sales going. EBay fees have become ridiculous, costing me ~20% of the profit from each one of my sales. Please do not let eBay ruin Craigslist! Get them out of your boardroom and start competing with them on their own turf!
May 1st, 2008 at 11:17 am
Uhhh
“one that is obsessed with dominating online classifieds for the purpose of maximizing its own profits.”
Isn’t that you and craig? you dominate the online classified market. Why do you try to project onto others, and try to hide that fact that you dominate and make millions?
May 1st, 2008 at 12:09 pm
Craigslist is an extremely important and valuable feature of the internet. Your integrity and consideration of the users and the broader community are a much needed anchor of respect and mutual aid in a world bursting with shameless profiteers and violent competition.
Thank you.
I deeply hope you manage your way through Ebay’s heartless attempts to change, control, run down and/or profit from your organisation.
in support,
Eli
May 1st, 2008 at 12:28 pm
[…] Sadly, we have an uncomfortably conflicted shareholder in our midst, one that is obsessed with dominating online classifieds for the purpose of maximizing its own profits.[From craigslist blog » Blog Archive » Complaint Department] […]
May 1st, 2008 at 12:30 pm
I read the complaint, and while I certainly like Craigslist, I think they might be in some trouble here. That was certainly some devious, behind the back behavior. I realize you were trying to protect the community, but that was a very riskyact. Ebay’s claim of dilution hinges on whether or not Kijiji is found to be a competitor. Ebay is claiming that they they took adequate measures to ensure that it was not, but Craigslist claimed that it was. If Kijiji is not found to be a competitor, I don’t think the future is all that bright.
May 1st, 2008 at 12:54 pm
“As those who know us best will recognize, every measure we have taken has been for the sake of protecting the long term well-being of the craigslist community.”
Unfortunately, with shareholders involved, Company Directors do, in fact, have a responsibility to protect the interests of shareholders first, not a dreamed up concoction of a ‘community’. Even if those shareholders are the big “greedy” pig, they do have rights.
May 1st, 2008 at 11:04 pm
Dear “uhhh” (nice name…),
Get out of here. We don’t need cheerleaders like you on Ebay’s payroll (what, $2/hr in China?). craigslist is a great company with..hm…ETHICS AND INTEGRITY. Something Ebay does not have!!!!
PLEASE CRAIG MAKE AN AUCTION SITE. WE NEED YOU! I’ll buy stock in it!
May 1st, 2008 at 11:19 pm
Jennifer says:
“…craigslist is a great company with..hm…ETHICS AND INTEGRITY.”
Huh? CL pimps for prostitutes and you think they have ethics and integrity?
I’m an eBay power seller (soon to be former) who has moved to a new venue; I wouldn’t list a thing on a CL owned auction site.
May 2nd, 2008 at 7:34 am
When eBay says “in good faith” let’s consider the soruce, please. What has ever been done by eBay in good faith? Is it even compatible with the notion of “rip-off”? I don’t think so.
I am still waiting for some internet whiz to take matters seriously and create an auction site profitable for everyone, it will be a real moce, in real time and space, not just disgruntled talk.
If CL does open as auction site, I am in, with all my specialty fashion items…we will all make money and get rid of this destructive eBay ferrywheel.
Good luck, CL! Don’t let them buy you out!
May 2nd, 2008 at 9:36 am
Brian Mingus Said:
“Ebay’s claim of dilution hinges on whether or not Kijiji is found to be a competitor.”
Does anyone know what would qualify Kijiji as a competitor? I mean, what would Kijiji have to be doing in order to be found guilty of competing with CL?
“Ebay is claiming that they they took adequate measures to ensure that it was not, but Craigslist claimed that it was.”
I wonder what they mean by “adequate measures”. Perhaps they had to keep the number of class ads running at any time under a certain amount, so that they always had less ads running than CL?
May 2nd, 2008 at 10:31 am
I still think eBay’s recent, hasty new policy regarding the sale of digital-download items has something to do with the CL lawsuit in some way, shape or form. EBay’s new policy which went into effect March 31, 2008 states that digital-download items/eBooks can ONLY be sold in the CLASSIFIED ADS section (the $9.95/month classified ads). The policy affects all eBay sites worldwide.
This policy has in effect herded THOUSANDS of digital sellers into the Classified Ads section which BTW is not openly advertised anywhere on the eBay site. Hmmmmm…….
I don’t know how or in what way eBay’s new digital-downloads policy could be related to the CL lawsuit, but you have to admit the timing is suspicious. Also suspicious is the fact that they kicked digital sellers off the main auction site & are forcing them to use the paid classified ads instead.
Why didn’t they create a seperate category for digital-download products? Why didn’t they just tell us to use Kijiji instead? (I can already answer that one, $$$). Why didn’t they simply eliminate feedback for transactions involving digital-download items? There are so many alternatives they could have chosen that would have actually made sense. Could their hasty new policy change be a CYA move on the part of eBay?
It is obvious to everyone affected by the new policy that very little or no planning went into the new policy. There is agreement among many eBay members that the whole thing appears to have been hastily/urgently thrown together, like they had to do it right away for “some” reason.
They still insist the new policy was created to curb feedback manipulation & to prevent the sale of cheaply-produced counterfit downloadable software (they added this later). While both of these instances do occur on eBay, they certainly don’t warrant a “blanket” ban on all digital-goods (this includes people who use their own computer software to create one-of-a-kind website templates, eBay storefronts, etc.).
It’s easy to see why the latter excuse is flawed; software can be counterfited by burning it onto a cd & shipping it in the postal mail just as easily as it can be digitally reprocuced & download from the Internet.
EBay’s behavior & attitude regarding this new policy has been very strange since day one. All of us digital sellers have been highly suspicious of their true motives & real reason for the change. A good majority of us have always had the feeling that something bigger is behind it, but all we have been able to do is speculate thus far. IMHO, I think the CL lawsuit may be one piece of the puzzle.
Maybe it’s all a coincidence, maybe I’m reading too much into it. I hope someone will share their ideas on this subject as I haven’t heard anyone else drawing a comparison between the two events. With all of the “coincidences” here, I can’t help but wonder!
Sorry for the long post!
May 2nd, 2008 at 2:28 pm
eBay is an evil, arrogant and monopolistic entity that will stop at nothing to perpetuate eBay.
eBay corralled PayPal, and now uses them to help in it’s efforts to dominate online commerce, everywhere.
The deceitful, dangerous, questionably legal and increasingly menacing antics of the terrible duo of eBay-PayPal needs to be reined in.
Donahoe and his gang must be stopped. The angst, anger, and ill will generated by these people is widespread. eBay and PayPal are absolutely out of control.
My best wishes are with Craigslist. Ill regards to eBay and PayPal.
-sciencefare
May 2nd, 2008 at 2:47 pm
As a longtime seller on eBay, I was alarmed when I first heard that you’d gotten into bed with them. My fears are now realized. I so hope that you are able to work things out to YOUR satisfaction - and that you can remove yourself entirely from their clutches.
I’ll keep my fingers crossed for you - Jeanne
May 2nd, 2008 at 3:44 pm
Jeanne. You are mistaken. It is not CL that got into bed with Ebay. It is Ebay that got into bed with CL. They (Ebay) were able to convince a lone solo shareholder to sell to them. While the other shareholders may not have objected publically, what could they really do, I am sure they were not reall happy with it.
May 2nd, 2008 at 3:45 pm
OK - I just read most of their letter. I’m blown away. Well, they’re clearly making a run at acquiring all shares by trying to break whatever legal protections the two of you have set in place. Interesting that they threw the poison pill at you - as if you shouldn’t try and maintain control of the company you founded which was only breached because someone screwed you over. Gotta love the citations to Craig’s appearance on Charlie Rose - as if what he said was a bad thing - and clearly Meg Whitman is planning a complete takeover.
If eBay wants to talk poison pill you should hire the lawyers that invented that in the first place, namely, Marty Lipton at Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen and Katz in NYC. This situation is their specialty (so I hope they don’t rep eBay):
http://wlrk.com/Page.cfm/Thread/Attorneys/SubThread/Search/Name/Lipton%2C%20Martin?CFID=206968&CFTOKEN=50537902
In 1982 Mr. Lipton created the Shareholders Rights Plan (“Poison Pill”) which has been described by Prof. Ronald Gilson of the Columbia and Stanford Law Schools as “the most important innovation in corporate law since Samuel Dodd invented the trust for John D. Rockefeller and Standard Oil in 1879.”
Good luck and sorry your good will and corporate ethics are being attacked.
May 2nd, 2008 at 6:16 pm
I don’t agree with many things that Craigslist is or does. Referenced is my want-to-buy add for a specific old firearm. Deleted several times. BUT, I totally love Craigslist for many other things. But I totally support Craigslist protecting itself from the competitive actions eBay has taken over the last year
Though I was concerned initially about the eBay investment (purchase) of some Craigslist shares, I also thought,,, ok well eBay is actually going to try something nice for a change.
Then came the current lawsuit news, and the not so current rehash of the Kijiji site launch. I have to state I think eBay is evil and is being an a**! Diluted shares?? Maybe. But eBay brought this on themselves and any issue eBay has with what they think is their percieved share value should be viewed as a self-imposed penalty for trying to dilute,,, no, steal Craigslist’ theme, business, and community.
I certianly know that eBay has generated enough ill will lately so that Kijiji will not be successful. I only hope they realize in time sad fact the more they (eBay) tries to steal or destroy business from established sites, the more current users like myself will engage alternative sites to eBay for the purpose of auctioning goods. In other words,, eBay is going to kill of their own core business by trying to destroy other sites. I feel justified in stating this because I already use Google to search alternative auction site when looking for an item. So there is no longer a need to use eBay as my prime auction search location. I also feel comfortable in posting my items on other pay and free sites when selling as well.
I hope others join me in supporting the contiunance Craigslist for what Craigslist is, and can become in the world of free ads, job searching, and forums.
Chris
http://www.Vectrex.com
(also user ID vectrex.com-net-org on eBay)
May 5th, 2008 at 10:16 pm
FUCKING SMART!!!! Way to go to get an indemnification clause. SO either way eBay is still paying your legal fees since they are shareholders. HA FUCKING HA!!! These pricks are pissed cuz you guys covered your asses.
1st mistake bringing kijiji into US. They fucked themselves now they are pissed.
YOU GUYS WILL SOO WIN THIS. Either way they will pay for your fees and theirs lol!!!
Can I buy stock in CL? I don’t know all the legal mumbo jumbo, so I am not sure if I can buy stock or not..
YOU GUYS R CRIMINAL GENIUS! They are pissed cuz CL plays the same game they do. Except you guys are legit. HOSTILE TAKEOVER anyone? FUCK EBAY
May 7th, 2008 at 8:45 pm
Dear Craigslist,
I think karma is returning back to ebay ten-fold. I read the pdf file and I all I could do was laugh and then get a little weepy.. because what they are saying you did is what buyers and sellers have been saying for the longest time that ebay is doing. They are effectively killing off little by little any existence of the small independent online seller. If you can’t sell in volume then you dont matter, your exposure or ratings are calculated and in jeopardy. Sellers with little inventory have very few alternatives, and Craigslist is one of them. I just can’t help but think that ebay looks at where sellers are going and then it begins a race to conquer the recieving site.
I can’t think much about a company that dilutes its own business principles. Who sees people not as individuals but as “share of wallet”. If they can’t monetize off of you then you dont matter. It is not a good feeling to be talked to with a crooked lip about how you (ebayers) matter and then see them shaking sellers by the ankles to get the last dime.
I think that everyone bends over and gives ebay what they want. The FTC and even the BBB dont see sellers who pay fees as consumers. They just ignore us, we have no voice. So you either comply or you go away… and in truth there is no other venue to go to. Ebay wants it because they are all about snatching up companies and tainting it. Ebay rules by brute force and a heavy hand.
May 7th, 2008 at 8:49 pm
oh hey I just realized, is kijiji the same as their “ebay local” project they put up on the announcements and on ebay motors. I can only imagine the recent activity ebay is doing now with the latest battery of changes, that more sellers will have no other choice BUT to go to those ebay classified ad format listings. Because we’re living in fear of how feedback is being deployed, classified ad format would be the next choice. And it makes sense you know, that it would be the smaller independent sellers who would have to use this. Those are the same types of sellers who would use craigslist.
hey Mr. Craigslist Blogger, will you email me please? You have my contact info. Thank you
May 8th, 2008 at 11:41 am
I was a silver power seller for quite some time over at ebay. They started deleting my auctions. I called (oh lucky me, I paid them enough to get a phone number!) to ask why. I was told that my $1 to 2.00 handling charges were “excessive” and against ebay rules. I asked them what they considered “reasonable” as it didn’t say in their rules. They said they made the determination on a case by case basis. I asked again, on a case by case basis, what was being considered reasonable. They refused to tell me and then proceeded to tell me, a silver seller with reasonable prices, not outrageously overpricing shipping, 99.8% positive feedback with a 45% repeat rate that I wasn’t the kind of seller they wanted at eBay.
I went and examined the auctions they removed, discovered that in every single case they deleted, the shipping charge would have put me over into their next fee percentage category, therefore increasing my fees. They apparently thought if they forced these types of auctions to add the handling fees to the auction price that they could increase their income.
So I left as they suggested and haven’t sold or bought anything on their site now since then.
I would LOVE a new auction site with some visibility and would jump on CL if they joined the movement. I understand if you don’t want to though.
Either way, I hope you kick FeeBay’s butt from here to China and let them go their with their cheap, sweatshop junk and stolen goods.
May 11th, 2008 at 12:00 pm
I hope Craig kicks Ebays Butt!
If Craigslist needs to make a little more profit I wouldn’t mind them charging like $1 or some subscription small rate to post ads and keep off the rif raf.
Next, keep up the good work, especially on donations to the Diabetes Foundations, ETC THANKS I need a cure!
May 12th, 2008 at 5:44 pm
ebay is a greedy scumbag of a corporation.
i am finshed with them.
May 13th, 2008 at 5:45 am
The legalese of the complaint lost me, but I could gather from the comments that since acquiring CL stock in a surreptitious manner, eBay has been planning a hostile takeover of CL, and this lawsuit (along with the launch of kijiji) is simply part of their long-term plan towards this end.
I hope & trust that Craig & Jim had top-notch legal help in taking the steps they did to protect CL last fall.
Craigslist is one of the best things about the internet, and the philosophy demonstrated by its founder is all too rare in corporate America.
May 14th, 2008 at 10:58 am
Is there a way for us to financially contribute to your lawsuit against eBay? I love this site and I’d hate to see anything that can negatively impact our community here.
Regards,
Allen
May 21st, 2008 at 3:32 am
Ebay are the biggest CHEATERS on the internet, all they want is money money and more money!!! Count me and all other sellers on ebay, including my daughter and all my friends, for any support!!!!
Ebay needs to sort themselves out, it’s about time!!!
May 29th, 2008 at 10:43 am
Even if Craigslist didn’t START an auction site…if they could just get on board with an existing one to give them some PR and backing I think that might be enough. If a decent alternative existed, I would move my 500+ auctions a month to it!