I just looked up my first eBay ID. It was created July of 2001. All positive feedback at 200, which is more than I have on my current ID because people are SUPER lazy now and don't leave feedback (even though I leave feedback for every transaction as soon as the buyer pays). Unfortunately, it looks like they very recently made some changes on feedback, like not showing the date the feedback was left (or links to the auction the recent feedback is for), so I can't see when the first transaction was. I know I started out only buying at first. The thought of selling on there never crossed my mind. However, I still have printouts from every auction I sold from Jun of '02 on up with that user ID. First one I see is a '91 - '93 HUD which I started at $9.95, and got bid up to $275 + shipping. My personal best on a HUD (same style) was $324 shipped. Also sold a really nice condition Buick LeSabre T-Type spoiler. Picked it up from the yard for $14, started the bidding at a penny, and it went for $280 shipped. *sighs* Those were the good ol' days.
There was a manifesto written by a supposed eBay employee who was part of their "think tank" years back.
http://www.ebaysucks.com/
It basically said that eBay is trying to become "Amazon Lite", and wants guys like us out of there. They want actual retailers who sell new products with set shipping charges, return policies, etc. I don't know if it was legit or not, but if you read through it, despite some of what he said never coming to fruition, the general gist of what he suggested has definitely taken shape. They haven't put set amounts on shipping, but they HAVE capped what you can charge for shipping in certain categories (i.e. video games), and the final value and PayPal fees are also taken from that shipping charge. And while they haven't set a standard for shipping times and return policies, they HAVE made it mandatory that you select a handling time (anything over 3 days will flag an "exceptional handling time" to buyers on your auction listing), and must clearly state return policies. You don't HAVE to take returns, but the only way you can do that is if you sell the item as "broken/for parts only". Otherwise, regardless of what you select for a return policy, a seller can file a claim and win his/her money back. If you DO accept returns, you cannot pick a time period less than 14 days. The manifesto was also right about the bar for discounts on listing and final value fees being set so high that only high volume retailers can hit them, meaning the people who made eBay what it was in its heyday won't be getting any discounts off the outrageous fees.
It's really disappointing and frustrating to see what has happened to eBay over the last 7 or 8 years, and I know MANY, many people feel the same. That is why, as I said before, now is the prime time for a competitor to come along and strike at them.
