Power Sellers Unite

damaradeaella · Joined: 23 Jul 2006 Posts: 501

I have just been contacted by chopsueysisters (CSS), aka Fruit Helmut from eBay Match Ups...

She was given a 7 day vacation from the eBay boards for confronting a pink (Avery)... To be seen if it will just be 7 days... I know several powersellers who have come back from "vacation" to be completely suspended from eBay...

Paraphrasing her email, basically she was slapped for outright confronting the pink on his opening topics for discussion, then moving to another thread... She sugggested he do a Brown Bag Luch... She also brought up concerns that Live World (the company that actually moderates the board for eBay) is privy to our personal information...

The reason they gave for the suspension? The same one they gave me for posting troll busting logos:
"* Public Board Abuse: Including profanity, vulgarity, hate speech, disruptive or hostile comments, interpersonal disputes, or threats of violence in a post."

When are we going to really stand up and say we aren't going to take this anymore? Every powerseller that has confronted this monopoly has been silenced over the past few months and also watched their sales plummet...

What a complete crock!!!

alanasbooks · Joined: 28 Oct 2005 Posts: 169

Oh NOOOOOOOO!!! Chops has been very dignified in her request for answers on those boards. This was totally uncalled for!

2BOYSandTOYS · Joined: 14 Mar 2005 Posts: 10095 Location: Kansas

I so agree - that is such a shame......darn it any how - and she raised very good points!!! We now have our personal information at the hands of yet someone else, without approving it!!!

:cry: :wink:

AlterEgo · Joined: 26 Sep 2006 Posts: 560

I have read a lot of CSS (ChopSueySisters) posts mainly on the Ebays Stores Forums. She is informative, caring to other board members, and a bit of a stickler to eBay (but for good reasons and good causes).

I have never posted on Ebays Forums because I know that forums are databases and databases now can store information almost forever.

THANKS
PSU and Admin for creating the PSU Website so we can talk freely without having to worry we might be damaging our online businesses effecting our livelihoods and/or our love ones in the process.

Damaradeaella, can you Invite CSS to spend more time over here? Now that she has some free time... :wink:

Red Rover, Red Rover, let ChopSueySisters come over.

Maybe Ebay should have a MIRANDA WARNING FORM that they make you fill out the first time you Post on their Forums.

It could go something like this…

You have the right to remain silent.
Anything you post or say can and could be used against you in the Court of EBay.
By Clicking on the [I Agree] Button you forever release all your rights altogether. :D

fruity · Joined: 28 Jul 2006 Posts: 375

Hi Everyone,

Well 7 days is more like 7 days so they can delete all the posts and then permanently ban you. That's what I've heard anyways. As of this moment I cannot see even the forum index. I posted a reply to Avery post in which he said if the consensus was he was moving around too much then he'd stop. In the past week or so, he's been vibrating all over the boards creating these threads then abandoning them. His stance was that he thought large threads would be difficult to follow after awhile (awhile being a few hours apparently). I'm sure most of us can reasonable say we don't chase after trains and communication shouldn't involve a scavenger hunt.

They slapped me then a few minutes later sent me a banned email saying I had been warned and I didn't listen. This is habitual, they wait then they pile it up. I think it's pretty obvious that the day that ebaymatchups rolls me off after being #1 for a month, they redesign that then I get suspended. I have over a thousands posts there, they could of picked the ones I posted on July 19th, but I suspect they didn't want more ebayers getting upset during that time, especially with the auctionbytes article...

Anyways, I love ebay. I hate what they have become. Below is my thread that was pulled and it's from the thread on the policy boards: 10/16/06 Boards Policy and Moderation Discussion: Follow-up Thread. Because I love to blog you can read up what I'm posting here, http://ebayers4change.typepad.com

* Avery, why don't you just stay in one place and actually answer the questions given to you. If you are sincere about hearing us, then why be a moving target. Schedule this as a brown bag session and then just get this over and done with. it's downright inconsiderate of you to play a moving target and not responding to dozens of questions given to you when you opened up the conversation. We have questions and for months not one of the pinks spoke to these issues

* I'm not happy with liveworld and what they're doing. It's either Liveworld or it's the pinks you manage (or who manage themselves). Whomever is banishing ebayers for no good reason (and yes there are piles of examples to prove it) and playing hands off accessibility is just wrong.

* Ebay made available the community forums not only for discussion but for information. On a regular basis site wide community announcements are linked directly to the forums. Where are they going to get the information that ebay makes available then? Some of these sellers can't even access the screen any longer? It is not equitable to go on a pink slap binge and target individuals. The community learns by example. If you allow something to go on chronically, it's accepted understanding.

* I am not at all pleased with LiveWorld requiring my login information to access this board because I don't trust them, their practices of deleting active posts that have no violation or the inability to get someone to respond. It would be more secure to have a 3rd party token

* I woke up at 8:30 this morning only to find I had a few minutes for the Q&A. You don't even answer your emails Avery

fruity · Joined: 28 Jul 2006 Posts: 375

and I hope everyone who still posts on the boards puts Fruity on their sig line to protest the censorship and vendetta that the forum moderators are doing. It directly conflicts with Ebays Community Values of an open and honest environment.

psunite · Joined: 27 Jan 2005 Posts: 6213 Location: Columbus OH

AlterEgo
Thank you. That is one of the many reasons I created PSU. You will most likely get censored if you talk negatively about ebay on their own boards

ChopSueySisters
I have heard many positive things about you. I hope you decide to spend some more time at PSU.

damaradeaella · Joined: 23 Jul 2006 Posts: 501

Yes, thank the gods for PSU...

I knew when the idea came up on the stores board about a new boycott (which I was slapped for discussing) I couldn't try for a third time rallying anyone there...

And PSU graciously allowed me to "rally" here... It's been slow going, but it's going, and wow, no pink slaps yet!!

Glad to see you here, CSS... These boards are watched as well; Keep fighting...

Never give up...

Happy · Joined: 29 Aug 2006 Posts: 260

So glad to see you here CSS!

This will be your home away from home.

2ndhandrosefrommo · Joined: 23 Feb 2005 Posts: 456

Hi CSS,great to see you here. How dare you post the TRUTH on the boards over there what were you thinking!!! PSU is not home away from home it is home for me. E-You,Later!

fruity · Joined: 28 Jul 2006 Posts: 375

Thank you all, I plan to stick around here. This site is search optimized that's terrific! I have been outspoken, but I also have treated ebayers with friendship and compassion

Their system is set up to be barriers, you see that in every segment of their business. From LiveHelp being a bunch of bookmark pushes, to CS sending you in circles on whether you can or cannot put your website link on your about me page.

It is no longer a company that wishes to enable small business to thrive and be successful. It is the beginnings of a large scale sweat shop when you look at their behaviors

BlackJade36 · Joined: 06 Sep 2006 Posts: 6

quote
PINKS!!!!! MY STORE HAS BEEN ERASED 0 ITEMS AVAILABLE HELP!!!!!
dsigns1301 (875 ) View Listings | Report Oct-17-06 13:14 PDT
MY ENTIRE STORE IS GONE, JUST ERASED WITHIN MINUTES. EXPLAIN WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

pinks

he got narued!

why ???

because of this
quote
dsigns1301 (875 ) View Listings | Report Oct-17-06 09:45 PDT
This is just a train wreck. I don't know if many others are having the same issues that we are at this point. This is getting ridiculous. Our store used to gross between $3500.00 and $4500.00 a month, now were lucky if we break $1000.00. We have tried everything, Auctions (Which are a complete lost cause) cutting inventory (Which gives the buyer less selection to choose from) Advertising our store on our own (Nobody seems to enjoy the ebay experience anymore).
This is a complete lost cause. We are barely making ends meat every month and are now finding it to expensive to even consider ebay as a venue anymore.
I myself have been doing business here on ebay for the last 5 years and never expected to be saying this ever. After Christmas I am done, we will be moving our products somewhere else. Don't know how good we'll be but it's worth a shot. It hurt me deeply to watch how ebay has destroyed this site. It is a complete shame and I just can't beleive how stupid they are.
Ebay was the most common household venue. Everybody used it, everybody sold on it and everybody bought great items off it. Now 8 out of every 10 people I speak with about ebay are to confused with the new search platform and have been ripped off so many times (with no help from ebay) that they dont even think to look here for things they need anymore.
It's going to be a long cold and dissatisfying Christmas everyone. I wish all of you the best of luck, and hopefully some of us can benefit greatly from the shopping season.
As for us, after Christmas were out.
Thanks for everything ebay, it's been fun. Unfortuneately you have lost touch with your community and reality. Greed will get you nowhere.

Have a great and prosperous day everyone!

Joe Iosco
President
D'Signs Plus

soooooooooo, this means, they rule now with iron fist! reminds me of Nazi Germany

if you ask me, I will NOT come back to the board when my vacation time is over!
I can simply NOT afford to get narued, I need to sell, sell, sell, so that my warehouse is empty when I am moving back in January to Germany

for all who know my email addy, you are quite welcome to email me, or email me through the message board, but click on email open!

Store Board is becoming more and more bad, and I am sorry for everyone who this happens to :-(

Annie

2BOYSandTOYS · Joined: 14 Mar 2005 Posts: 10095 Location: Kansas

I do agree with all that you've said. I'm 'small time' there and always was. However, I recently had 2 issues, one never did get resolved - I gave up, and the other....they reset my password - which had nothing to do with what I requested!!! :evil: :roll:

Nobody there knows which way is up and which way is down...it's a shame too cuz it used to be hopping, fun and a great place to buy and sell. Now - it's confusing and anything you find that may be a 'deal' has to be scrutinized as every facet of the business has been 'jacked with' - down to feedback.

I'm glad you're here - there hasn't been censorship here - ever! And, I can't see it happening anytime soon! :D

BTW - your blog is awesome - great reading....

BlackJade36 · Joined: 06 Sep 2006 Posts: 6

I forgot to mention,
if someone wants to buy something from me, which would be HIGHLY appreciated,
just let me know that you read this here, and you will get 30 % off (please use best offer, if not available, message me! )

Thank you,
Annie

goodstuff4you

Hey all!
I saw a program about ebay last night and they mentioned PowerSellerUnite over and over as a place on the net that unhappy ebayers were going to discuss ebay issues.
I think a lot more people may now know the perils of ebay. Meg and some others were put on the spot but not as much as they really should have been.