Item and/or seller location - Looming issue for eBid

[gazlannathai]

As those sellers operating here and on the other side know only too well, "location abuse" is a very hot topic over there and is realling P-ing off the buyers (as well as the sellers)

The term "abuse" refers to misrepresentation of item location - the most common being listing it as (examples) - San Francisco UK, or Singapore UK, or even China United Kingdom. This impacts the search by location facility, and the default browse results.

As eBid expands, it is starting to be seen here - I've already had a few non-UK buyers complain "Oh I thought you were in my country when I placed the bid" - LOL - I'm not even in the one they then accuse me of being in.

PROPOSAL - could we have a tightening up on the details in the Auction Headers please?

There are 3 locations needed to be shown -
- eBid home site for user
- Country of residence (not nationality) of user
- Country where the goods are located

The first two can be pulled automatically from the users registration details, but the seller has to manually select the third one. If they are not all the same, then it should warn the buyer that they have to read the description more carefully to verify where the goods are coming from ..... yes I know this will impact every one of my own auctions, yes I know it may slow sales for some people, but I feel it's possibly the best way to jump on this before it gets to the point (like on the other side) where it is dominating the forums - primarily with complaints from buyers, and damages the site's reputation.

[TaraCM]

It sometimes bugs me if the seller puts 'china, UK' i'm weary of buying things from abroad anyhow, but i HAVE bought abroad before. And it was a disaster, even now i'm still waiting for my goods i do think they need to tighten up on the matter, its up to buyers to buy from who they want and most like it so if anything does go wrong you could probably always find the 'seller' and you'd have some sort insurance you'll get your goods, you can hardly jump on a plane and go get your money that some1 abroad ran off with. I also think that sellers abroad are the worst scammers

[startthebiddinglow]

The first two can be pulled automatically from the users registration details, but the seller has to manually select the third one.

I take your point, but anything that means I have to alter existing items gets my thumbs-down.

[gazlannathai]

The disaster in the making on here is that the seller has no option to state where the goods are shipping from - unlike the other side - if you look at my auctions, you'll notice the header says I'm in the UK (that comes from the credit card statement address verified by eBid)

..... When in fact I'm 8,000 miles east of Ipswich and end up having to expand my auction description to make it as clear as possible (and thus get moaned at by Madelaine for writing "War and Peace" Auction descriptions - can't bleeding win can I?

I've also noticed one China based Chinese seller whose location shows as UK because they started their account when a student in the UK

I've noticed similar issues with listings by Aussies and Yanks - again they studied or worked in UK and went home but the system is still listing them as UK.

All very misleading for the buyers.

[doctorbiz]

It sometimes bugs me if the seller puts 'china, UK' i'm weary of buying things from abroad anyhow, but i HAVE bought abroad before. And it was a disaster, even now i'm still waiting for my goods i do think they need to tighten up on the matter, its up to buyers to buy from who they want and most like it so if anything does go wrong you could probably always find the 'seller' and you'd have some sort insurance you'll get your goods, you can hardly jump on a plane and go get your money that some1 abroad ran off with. I also think that sellers abroad are the worst scammers

LOCATION OF SELLER:
1. Sort by ITEM and by LOCATION is repeatedly becomming a must for me as a BUYER!
2. Location gives me a better idea of PROBLEMS ON
a) ADDITIONAL SHIPPING TIME
b) EXTRA COSTS
c) FOREIGN EXCHANGE COMPLICATIONS
====================

[gazlannathai]

I take your point, but anything that means I have to alter existing items gets my thumbs-down.

Lazy so-and-so

[madelaine]

I've voted yes because anything which shortens Garry's auction descriptions has to be a good thing!

[gazlannathai]

PMSL Madelaine - though I'm starting to agree with you.

On my new templates, Payment info is down to 3 lines, but try as I may, I cannot get postage into into less than 20 - location issues obviously, but also buyer unfamiliarity with why Airmail should be needed into UK, from a seller whose location shows as UK.
Plus buyer unfamiliarity with Economy Airmail, or even with why it takes more than 48 hours for airmail to deliver from here to there.

It really is becoming a pain having to constantly revise the wording to make it as clear as possible for newbies and numpties

Seriously considering stopping sales to USA - has an ASQ on the other side - "Which state is Thailand in and what is the nearest city I might have heard of?" says it all really, doesn't it? They got my usual "ever heard of a place called Vietnam? We're a little to the left of that on the map" I've given up being diplomatic about such questions.

Gaz

[kengillam]

I think that's the trouble with the US the world stops at their shores, or so most of them seem to think

[madelaine]

Garry, you sure do have problems! Makes you wonder how the USAF ever found Vietnam in order to deliver napalm, doesn't it?

And Iraq? Where do you think they think it is?