Sorry I mentioned it......


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Posted by Chris Jordan on October 09, 1999 at 16:29:29:

In Reply to: Report from the neighborhood posted by Chris Jordan on October 05, 1999 at 10:06:17:

I had no idea my off-hand comment about ebay would spark such
lively debate. I’m sensitive to the commodity of webspace, but
since my name’s somewhere near the top of this thread, and I don’t
want all my PW cyber-pals to think I’m the weenie this debate’s
made me out to be, I’ve got to respond. First of all, to Mark, who
said:

“Chris Jordan represent(s) the "NEW AMERICAN WAY". Blame
everyone else for ones own personal stupidity, naivety, and
actions”

You don’t know me, Mark, and I don’t know you, but I’m going to
afford you a courtesy you did not afford me: I’m not going to make
any assumptions about you based on those remarks. I want you to
know, Mark, that Personal Responsibility means alot to me.

To various suggestions that I don’t have any auction experience:

I have been to many live auctions on business. I don’t get ripped-
off at auctions (or anywhere else) because I always protect my
interests. This is how my last auction experience went: I needed
to equip a restaurant. An outfit in Houston that conducts semi-
annual restaurant-specific auctions was liquidating the contents of
several Olive Gardens and who knows what else. This auction was
to run six days from from morning to night. It took place in a huge
warehouse. Thousands of lots. I drove the flatbed up the day
before. I presented the required Bank Letter of Credit (in leiu of a
cash deposit) and got my number. They don’t let window shoppers
in this one. It took me all day to look at every lot. I noted the ones
I was interested in bidding on. I put additional notes in the corner
about condition, etc. Most importantly I wrote down my top dollar
(which I never bid past). I made out like a bandit. Got everything
I needed at 10-15% the cost of new equipment. I love auctions and
I’ve never suffered any dishonesty that I know of.

And just on the subject in general:

No, bad business is not ebay’s fault. My only gripe with ebay is
they have pages and pages of rules. By posting those rules they are
implying to participants that those rules will be upheld. I know
better. Right now ebay has over three million items for sale. They
can’t keep up with any of it. It’s anything goes. I just feel like
ebay, as a business, should just call like it is, not disguise this e-
commerce phenomenon as a traditional auction on-line, but instead
just say “hey, we don’t know what it is and we can’t control any of
it so you’re on your own...”
Anyway, the only two rules at an auction that count:
1) the high bidder pays what he bids
2) the seller hands over the lot to the high bidder

The rest is in the details.






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