Their statement says these books are intended for 'teachers'. We are teachers in a sense. As everyone is firing off nastygrams to ebay, is anyone going to ask if they'll reconsider, with proof of homeschooling? If enough people complain this will get changed.
I hope to heck I am more wrong than anything but... After 4 years on eBay I have learned THEY DON'T CARE. Even when you say, "I'll take my business elsewhere." They just laugh. They own just about everything and they know there really is no competition for eBay. Also, I promise you, they only make rules to prevent themselves fom loosing money and therefore it is the textbook publishers that have strong armed them. they could give a crap if a few hundred of us write them strongly worded letters. No skin off their backs. Maybe this (Insensitivity to little users) is why their stock has gone down 30% since Jan? Again, I really really hope I am wrong. But as a seller I have watched ebay turn evil to the little guy.
I agree, they don't care. The bottom line is that there ARE other places to shop. If you don't like their policy, go elsewhere. When enough people do that, they'll take notice. I've only shopped E-bay once, and HATED it. I won't be back. I'd rather get my text books, TM included, from other sources. I've not had any problems. I work directly with lovely people, HS'ers like myself, who are very nice and friendly. I know I am helping them get their books for next year, too.
This moring a search term of "Teacher edition" brings up 238 results. STILL there hmmmmm... And as far as eBay, it is like buying gas. I try to buy from the independant "Little Guy" stations, even though I know some of that money goes to the Big Guys. COntinued on next post . . . . . . . .
O, I try to buy from the smaller sellers "Mom and POP" even though I know money goes back to big ole eBay (Seller fees and such). But for four years all I have ever heard is how "If enough of us leave, they will take notice." This only works in the non-ebay world. eBay is replacing YOU with (I do not remember the exact number) about 5,000 people a DAY! YOU and YOUR problems are a liability and replaceable with freash meat from China and . . . everywhere, actually. This is what I have learned in four years, there. I used to push over $3,000.00 a month in gross sales of Dog Beds. I am still adicted...... :roll: Now as far as elsewhere.. you are right... but it is a dark alley! For example: I read a LOT and listen a LOT to other people's posts from eBay's forums and last years new place: OVERSTOCK.com's auctions. One theme was universal: No customers at Overstock. Persoanlly, while I was liting things on overstock, trying to encourage their "Take Over" of ebay's crowds.... I was screaming at the tv when their retarded "CHCIK IN WHITE" commercial would come on. :evil: If they were going to take on a beast like eBay, give your commercials some meat. Show a bunch of small guys slaughtering a giant monster!! Yea!!! Not some stupid chick talk about books in an all white room! Blah! And so, Overstock never worked for me. Not enough people.
I had to split the following message in to two, because this system said I used too many smileys and would not let me post it. I am officially freaked out.
Jen, I buy from homeschoolers direct. There is NO "middleman". All the money I make goes to the person I buy from. The sites are free. Yeah, if you go to a place like VeggieSource, you have to sift through the millions of vendors that post there, too. But those people keep VeggieSource open, so I don't complain too much. I do fine without e-bay.
Oh! Awesome! Thanks for the info! It is so cool to hear about someone doing well after eBay. Take a stroll through the forums ON eBay and even there, it is doom and gloom.
I agree with the woman in white, "O" commericals. Those are so lame. A friend of mine makes a mint on Ebay. She was trying to get me to get involved. I am not all that interested. I do however, have a business I wouldn't mind getting off the ground. Wasn't sure if that was a good place to start. I hear so many different things about Ebay.
No tomatoes......but......I can see why teacher's editions can't be sold. Kids who are "that good" at stealing, etc. know their way around a site like that with stolen credit numbers and such. Identity theft is easy now a days, and so is stealing credit card numbers. I believe Ebay just has to do their part in policing the situation. Perhaps this has happend enough on the site where a kid bought a TA book from there with a stolen credit number, and got caught. Ebay may have gotten enough complaints about it. It's not that hard to look in moms purse for a credit card, and then snoop it back after you use it ya know! Kids are also stupid (ones who pull this crap), they don't think about getting caught, until they do. I'm sure many don't know mom and dad get a credit card statement each month either, etc. What I'm saying is this: it seems to me, they have good reasoning behind it. And I really don't think they have something just against homeschooers. That idea is really just absurd, in my opinion. Carry on...
I hate to sound like a flip floper but you can do well on ebay. You really have to find a niche. The problem with eBay is, most people find it hard to continue with the original idea of an on-line garage sale. Most people have been trained by eBay (Through their PR, commercials and so foorth) that we go to eBay for WEIRD things, NEW THINGS and antquies.... If it is garage sale stuff, people will leave you negatives for things not ebing perfect, even if you describe the item as being dusty and rusty. And the fees are incredible! I can sell something for $24.95. It cost me .95 to sell it. And $1.31 for the final value fee, then about $1.40 for the paypal fee. Sigh.... Then people get mad, when you charge them ANYTHING over shipping because they FORGET the HANDLING part of SHIPING AND HANDLING. ARGH! Boxes and wrap and tape cost money. So, I get people mad at me for a .50 addtional charge for handling for a 2 pound item. So we take the negs or we eat the cost. the fees are set up only for the lower teir sellers.... Those big box stores and warehouse sellers get a DISCOUNT ont their fees... SO, now is it impossible to sell "Things out of your house" like before. Not that it is impossible, you just can't do it like before. If I tried to sell a book or .99, it would cost about that much to post it (Because no one really looks at sales without photos, admit it, we all looka t the one with the photo, first...) Then what ever it sells for, final value fee, then the fee to get the money and then the money to wrap it for shipment.... You would do better to take it to half priced books and have them buy it for $0.50. And therin leis the problem. A whole lifestyle of "Sell your dusty crap" on ebay has died over the last four years. Four years ago, people KNEW and EXPECT that if you said something had been sitting on your VCR for four years and was dusty, that it actually WAS. And they would pay for it. But it did not cost you an arm and a leg to sell it. Also, eBay has made it clear to anyone who buys.... Use PAYPAL, (Their company) or run the risk of complete financial ruin! Bwaaa haa haa! (Evil laugh). They ate up Bid Pay on purpose and are sure to make anyone who wants to write a check or money order fully aware that there are so many avenues of fraud.. that a person gives in and says, OK I will use PayPal... which means eBay again, gets ANOTHER cut of the same pie you just sold. ok, I just wne on a major rant. I still eBay... sell and buy.... But it is soooooooo not what it used to be and that bytes. Plus their stock is down 30% this year. Blah! jen
