Note of Thanks
We really appreciate the outpouring of encouragement we have received in the last few days from craigslist users, from Ebay users, and from the general public.
Especially touching have been the messages of support from Ebay employees, one of which I’ll share here:
As an engineer at ebay, all I could think when I saw the news was, “Surely, there’s another place to work.” Frankly, I doubt that CL is always right about everything, but for eBay to sue CL is off the charts stupid. eBay had no business grabbing that 25% in the first place. It’s a shame, because my co-workers are really nice, sweet people. But it’s as if I am working for ********* or something. I feel dirty. I’ll be updating my resume this weekend.
For anyone interested in recent press coverage, here is an MSNBC article from earlier today.
April 29th, 2008 at 3:53 pm
We love CL!
I was a power seller on ebay. Due to ebay’s weird and atrocious policies they destroyed my reputation. I sold electronics. I decided to venture out on sell another item (clothing) and was suspended for 7 days. It was my fault that I was ignorant. I didn’t know that I couldn’t sell desinger jeans as new with out the manufactuer’s permission. Even though others sell this same item on a daily basis.
The 7 days suspension did not allow me to log into my ebay account to respond to messages. The suspension also stated that I was no longer a registered user. So all of my customers thought that I had ran with the money. I had over 60 disputes, got 13 negatives during that week and had 12k locked up in paypal. All these negatives were left because the customer thought I ran with monies.
I was still able to ship items but not able to communicate with any of my customers. So Ebay’s own policy and procedures cost them my 2500 a month invoices and paypal’s 1.9% Since I did over 50k a month in business. Cut of their nose to spite their face.
They destroyed my business.
Since then I have used you guys as a way to sell items. Thank you CL! Fight the beast with fury and class!
April 30th, 2008 at 7:35 pm
Let’s see, nine letter definition of a rapacious technology company, starts with asterisk. Who could it be…?
April 30th, 2008 at 7:41 pm
Ebay is no different now than the US Federal Government, Oil Corporations, Pharmaceutical Companies, Communications Companies, and the Insurance Companies. They’re after one thing and one thing only!! Your MONEY!! They’ll lie, cheat, and steal to get your money. I have no problem with any business whether big or small trying to make money, however it’s how some of these companies make their money is what I have a problem with.
I’ve been selling on Ebay for almost 10 years now and I can remember the good old days when they were like Craigslist and it was fun to sell on that venue, but ever since they went corporate they started crapping on us sellers and it just gets worse every year. I feel like I’m working at a thankless job under the directive of some power hungry ego maniac of a jerk boss!!
I commend Craigslist for standing up to the corporate bullies like Ebay!!
May 3rd, 2008 at 4:47 pm
I just had a post deleted in the Ebay buyers forum about my success buying on craiglist. Now I am really fed up with Ebay. Ebay had no business buying stock in craiglist but what monopoly ever plays by the rules? Shipping costs and “handling fees” will be the end of Ebay and local sellers on craiglist are the new order.
May 3rd, 2008 at 10:02 pm
I thank Craigslist, as do many of my fellow ebay + Paypal boycotters-here in the USA and Australia-where Paypal iS trying to be the only game in town- and run the other Payment group “PAYMATE” out of town… NO WAY! EBAY, PAYPAL..ETC. are just a bunch of greedy so and so’s.
We believe in ya! Personally- family, friends and myself have dealt with craigslist on numerous occasions-buying ,bartering and chatting and the CONCLUSION WAS ALWAYS A POSITIVE AND PRODUCTIVE EXPERIENCE. Kudos Gentlemen ! CL also goes above and beyond to warn people of various scams etc. On CRAIGSLIST- we were able to “search” for what we WANTED — unlike Ebay - with their “best match” trying to limit our choices/options of shopping. We won’t buy or sell on ebay. We’ll stick with Craigslist. As for all media reports- hooey on that- all of you readers know how the media manipulates things. To Craig and Jim- you set wonderful examples for the youth today… You’re both idealists. Too bad the third shareholder turned out to be a “traitor”- and dealt with a bunch of Pirates (Ebay).
CL has also opened a window for others to communicate with the rest of the world-Absolutely wonderful!
To Jim and Craig: Ebay has many ’secrets’- why don’t you guys- do some digging - and find out where their Skeleton closets are… and what’s in them. MW decides she’s going into politics- all of a sudden-doesn’t that strike anyone as rather “ODD”? - and Corp.’s that dealt with ebay- making/already made (and available for public viewing ) contributions to McCain’s campaign… meanwhile MW is still advising JD. Ebay has no respect-and doesn’t deserve it. Craigslist is for REAL.
Fellas- just find out what they’re hiding. No one goes through life With a ’skeleton free’ closet… time to be on the “Offensive”. You guys will pull through… just look for the skeletons.. There’s at least 125 EX EBAY unemployed workers out there (just to start with)- who have the keys you’re looking for. Ebay is NOT known for their “generosity,honesty,corporate dignity ” or “moral standards”- SO FIND THE SKELETONS.. OR THE KEEPER OF THE KEYS TO THE CLOSET/S
We’re routing for ya! Drag EBAY THROUGH THE MUD AT ANY COST! TAKE EM DOWN! TAKE NO PRISONERS! Your SITE AND YOU GUYS RULE !
GO FOR IT.
May 4th, 2008 at 12:41 pm
It seems like people support CL’s move in purposely diluting eBay’s stock for the sole reason that eBay is a business that tries to make money. I find it hard to believe CL’s claim as trying not to be commercialized, but in fact they are not even a non-profit organization. The two founders probably made more money hiding behind the so-call non-commercial CL office and counting their cash. eBay purchased the 28% stake knowing that CL is a FOR PROFIT company, and for CL to dilute their stake is plain unethical. AND for those people that love to complain about how much eBay cost, and how eBay is charging them so much. They are a business! They are not a charity! So stop complaining when you are trying to sell your $.50 car charger for $20 and charge $15 for shipping. Not everything in this world is free. If CL is as “giving back to the community” as they claim, why not convert to a non-profit organization and stop pretending to be one when they aren’t.
May 4th, 2008 at 6:31 pm
i have used craigs list since i heard about it about 1.5 years ago. since then i don’t use ebay as much, i don’t really have a complaint about them, i just get a much better response from cl. thank you for being there and giving us an alternative. it’s too bad ebay feels so threatened by you that they feel they must tie up the courts w/ frivolous lawsuits. good luck and if there is anything we (your patrons) can do to help let us know.
May 5th, 2008 at 1:28 am
Not to be annoying, but it’s spelled “eBay” and not “Ebay.”
I wish you all the best with this silly lawsuit!
May 7th, 2008 at 8:15 pm
Jake, are you a EBay seller? Do you have any credential to even attack EBayer sellers? If you ARE those who buy $.50 charger and sell for $20, charging $15 for shipping, you’re pretty good at blood-sucking!
I AM a EBay Power seller and I tell you it’s NOTHING like you described. What I encountered is that Ebay shppoers are NOT naiíve like you describe. THey would go for $.10 different in shipping, only willing to pay $1.99 for shipping first class mail and expect the item to be delivered as Priority mail.
My goodness, one time I experiencing a different selling strategy by listing the item I normally start at $9.95. shipping $3.80, to listing at $.99 and shipping for $9.95. Bottom line difference is about $2.80 less.
I got emails from Ebay shoppers asking to lower the shipping cost. I turned them down and one fo them sent me nasty email, threatening to report me to Ebay of my “unethical conduct”, trying to deceive customers of my prices. There argument is that “Ebay is a place for bargain” and I dont honor that. Holy crap, they think EBay sellers are either stupid or its a place they can hunt for freebies!!!!!!!!!!
Now let’s get to the actual facts: An average seller would have about 30 to 45% successful listing rate. Anyone with 50% and above is consider very high successful rate. Mine is around 66% to 73%, which means about 2/3 of my items would sell.
This makes over-all EBay fee about 15% of total sale, which means all the fee for items that sell and items that do not sell (yous till pay certain fees for items that do not sell). For those sellers who have less successful raet than me (30 to 45%), this fee percentage will be even higher.
Now, 15% of total sale for advertsing!!! can’t you see it’s too much? When I ran Google AdWord, it’s about 5%,and that is industry standard for ecommerce marketting.
Before ranting and bashing on people on a subject that you are so uneducated about, do some research first!!!!!!
I don’t complain about Ebay. I am simply moving away from it. I am not a big time player there, I only avarage about $10K a month. Ebay certainly can afford losing me, but there are MANY who are selling at my level or less, and we simply move away. And THAT is a loss to Ebay!!!
May 7th, 2008 at 9:04 pm
Craiglist you should open up a message board so we can show you just how much we love and support you. We cannot express our true feelings on that message board because you risk being pink slapped by ebay and LIVE WORLD moderators. You make an avenue for us to compare some notes and we’ll bring it in droves! choo-choo