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“You have to realize enough.”

eBay really is an interesting company.  They’re better than Amazon.  They have lower prices and more competition.  Their money back guarantee–whatever it means or does, we’ll see!–puts eBay in the mix for just about anything, usually delivered to your door, for less than what you’d pay if you drive to a store.  eBay is also really easy to sell on.

If I were a nice guy I’d simply write “I confirmed twice yesterday, in two separate recorded phone calls with eBay representatives, at least one of whom is in ‘escalations,’ that this dispute is over.”  Well I am a nice guy.  But I also know how to write and I know a lot about customer satisfaction.  So…

The eBay guarantee actually is a real thing (i.e., it is enforceable) because it is based on the facts and evidence.  The seller provides pictures and a description–usually it is extremely brief and straightforward–and if the item differs you can/will receive a refund.  There is also a description associated with delivery and some, mostly seller-provided, information on the seller.  Normally matching-up what is described and what actually happens is not complicated, difficult, or time consuming–that’s part of the beauty of it, it really can work on a big scale.  Ambiguity is decided in favor of the evidence–this is probably loosely-defined–preponderance or even likelihood–and this greatly favors the customer.

The only major wrench in the process is eBay itself.  And that is what happened here.

I bought a VGA cable, the thing used to connect a computer to a monitor or tv.  The item was crummy from the get-go—the built in audio cable can’t be connected to a laptop because it doesn’t extend far enough from the video cable; in other words, you can’t connect both at the same time on most laptops.  I think a really reputable company would know this about its products and communicate it to prospective customers.  Oh well.  You could call it an error of omission, but it really wasn’t a wrong description.  While I did consider contacting the seller to ask how to resolve this, I didn’t think it warranted paying the price of the product to return it.  I figured I could still use the cable for video only.  But then, when I tried again to hook-up the cable it didn’t work right!  I’d experienced this before and just thought it wasn’t installed tightly; but no, the picture was inferior!  It had lines and shading.  This was now two tvs and two computers I tried it with.  I specifically A-B’d it with other VGA cables.  The picture was clearly different and poor.  Maybe it has something to do with an HDTV.  I definitely did not want the cable.  I would return it if necessary.  I wouldn’t pay for shipping; that was not worth my time and expense.

I don’t really like this model of expecting customers to do your work for you.  An item is offered on the eBay website and I buy it; eBay is responsible.  They can cry third-party all they want but eBay is getting paid and they’re responsible.  (Actually, my experience with eBay and Amazon is they are very careful not blame or badmouth their sellers; they don’t refer to sellers as beyond-their-control third parties.)  Probably eBay is legally responsible–anyone can say they’re not responsible for what’s on their website but they are…  But what is way, way more important, and interesting, is that the market demands it.  A seller must offer customers an assurance that they’ll get what they want–not necessarily what they bought–or they won’t come back.  Buyer protection is necessary for success.  Reputable companies stand behind their products and take things back.  This is the way retail works in the U.S.  This to be is what is so exciting about eBay:  They are almost there.  eBay seriously competes with local stores.

Back to the issue of sellers expecting things from customers.  Online customer feedback has come a long way but it does have flaws.  Customers don’t have to do it–I have never done it in my life–and the data are not necessarily valid or representative.  I wonder if any research has been done into the validity of online rating data versus a representative sample, high response rate, and live, verifiable survey answers.  My gut tells me the new cyber data are excellent if absorbed qualitatively and with lots of caution.  Still, I would really like to see ecommerce sites provide incentives to customers to help improve this information.

This points to the real importance of eBay disputes, which is to help eBay.  Once again, I feel that is not my duty or role as a customer.  If eBay wants something from me they have to compensate me in some way.  In this particular case I wrote two, respectful, as-long-as-eBay-allows emails to the sender only to receive a curt, rude reply–seemingly from Asia or elsewhere–requesting “screenshots” of my television.  No.  I already spent hours of different connections trying to get the cable to work.  But I participated–helped eBay–up to a point, by writing to the seller.  It didn’t work.  I don’t want to engage in or wait for more email.  I want a resolution from eBay now.

The above-referenced piece also, correctly, describes the fact that eBay does not properly monitor much of anything.  The escalation woman said this too.  Of course size or volume isn’t an excuse, but this is the reality.  When I pointed out to the escalations woman the many oddities associated with this seller and this transaction she immediately declared the dispute over.  A refund would be credited by Friday and I could do whatever I want to with the item.  The facts are the seller didn’t respond properly to my inquires; the company did not, initially or otherwise, honor their stated return policy; the company failed to divulge their location, as required; and the company appears to be foreign rather than U.S.-based as they specified.  These are factual discrepancies.  These are all things eBay could have and perhaps should have known.  eBay butt-covering?  It doesn’t matter.  It is an inexpensive item; dispute over.  It is a rational and I believe correct decision.  Ambiguity?  Not really.  The lifetime value of a customer is far more important.

The question of who, what, or where this seller is is of paramount importance.  I believe this whole episode would be less likely with a U.S.-based seller.

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So how is eBay the wrench in this process?

Post “Civil Rights” already exists.

Page “Sample Page” already exists.

Post “County Executives Knowingly Expose Residents to Poison and Toxins” already exists.

Post “Right to Petition” already exists.

Post “Tarbell and Rockefeller” already exists.

Post “Ted Mink v. Peter Pfeiffer” already exists.

Post “Ida Tarbell and the Nineteen Installments” already exists.

Post “The List” already exists.

Post “responsibility of sheriff” already exists.

Post “It Really is the Same Thing” already exists.

Post “Where to Start?” already exists.

Post “The Events of Tuesday 1/4/14” already exists.

I miss Roger Ebert.  And I like this picture.  I really hoped Patton Oswalt would play a character besides the desperate geek in this one.  Wasn’t to be.

Without spending much more it is difficult to measure or predict gluten in flour (and here).

I tried adding gluten before and it is hard to say why it didn”t work.  It does work.  This is a great explanation.  Here’s more.

… another chapter. 

“It’s all about likes,” the young teen said, so I decided to try it.  Well, kind of.  It was a go at Amazon Seller Central “support forums.”

I don’t even want to dig up the link because I never want to go back there again.  That’s what it is, social media.  No it isn’t videos of skateboarding kids, but it certainly isn’t business service.  It isn’t anything service.

My first question always is why do these people want to do this?  I can see why someone would go there if they have a real problem.  But everything else is social.  Why would someone be there, for hours a day, for any good, help, chat, complaining, or any other not in need reason?  The best reasons I can think of are boredom, loneliness, or an egotistical desire to prove their expertise.  At one point I even asked, “Why are you trying to defend Amazon when this is clearly an issue?”

I think the answer is they have become Amazon’s pawns.  They are so dependent on Amazon that they’re just intertwined.  On the forum they’re connected in this bizarre otherworld known as social media.

I would call the Amazon seller forum antisocial, or dysfunctional and pathetic, media.

Then the ubiquitous question is are the answers worth anything?  Again, I’d say the answer is social, or more precisely “sociability.”  If I wanted to be nice and believe them–this seemed like a real familiar clique–I would think their input was credible, but if I wanted to be neither nice nor accepting…  Well, they dragged me into it.  “You didn’t answer my question, did you really think Amazon would lose money?”  That discussion wasn’t exactly why I was there.

Amazon is a weird company.  I would characterize them as providing an almost-minimum product and service where nothing at all is expected.  I remember the time I was really perturbed about something and I actually got a hold of Bezos and said “You just don’t do anything that is not copyable by others.”[ref]Of course what I didn’t realize at the time was that Amazon had virtually no relationship to the products, suppliers, or manufacturers it sold (now they seem to have more proprietary products).  Interesting product concept, ‘let’s brand an idea’…  So when I complained about anything Amazon’s response was just a tad over uninvolved.[/ref]  For THINK Amazon doesn’t really provide anything more than a website and shopping cart (again, not unique); I suppose they provide a customer interface, but does the customer even realize the relationship between Amazon and the vendors on the marketplace?  With size and growth they’ve built up all kinds systems and procedures and rules and growth and that maybe does add something.  Okay, there’s the website…  So far it has produced close to nada on the sales and traffic front; for THINK, perhaps given its niche, it probably works better elsewhere and shopping carts and payment takers are…  you guessed it, available elsewhere.  Finally, building an Amazon-controlled customer review database isn’t something I covet; THINK is closer to customers–mostly dealers–and independently-capable of managing its overall positioning.

The lesson for THINK and I suppose me when I’m on the forum[ref]Boy how discussion forums have grown and changed.  Near instant responses and actual discussions even at odd hours and you see how it can become heated.  The Amazon seller forum is probably one on a scale to ten–it is a different mode of communication if not a whole new human personality. [/ref] as an Amazon seller is that there’s no business to be conducted there.  It is not useful information and it does not contribute to networking or sales.  But there is that product trial/panel thing…  I want THINK to not just be a subsistence Amazon seller; I want it to be a real company with outstanding products, employees, growth, dealers, etc.  Future accomplishments perhaps…  But the point is, don’t let Amazon dictate THINK direction!

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At 12:30 Trooper Lewis of the CSP called (returned my call).  Sgt. Baker was also on the line.  Per Mr. Baker the “we’re under contract” thing ( communicated to me by Cpl. Joe Hurt and “Trp White) was bogus.  The conversation was productive but one thing in particular is very bothersome:  Sgt. Baker indicated it is the responsibility of the EPRD (special district/county state oversight) to report crime on “their” property.  I will have more on this in another post.

Over the past several days it has been cold and has snowed.  I have noticed continued—the same—car activity in the parking lots.  There has been no enforcement by the EPRD or Jefferson County Sheriff’s department.  This problem has been reported numerous times by me and others.

At 11:00 I noticed the same dog, off leash, running around throughout the park, that I have seen dozens of times.  There was law enforcement response.  I have pictures.  This person seems to do this virtually every day around 10:30 to 11:00.

At 1:25 I saw a different man with two dogs running all over the little league field.  I took pictures.  Again, there was no enforcement.

At 1:28 the same person (the first time, above) was at it again.  I did not take pictures this time.

At 4:45 I noticed three cars, with lights on, doing all kinds of skidding and figure-eights in the closed Albertson’s parking lot (Hwy 74 and Stagecoach Road).  This too happens frequently and has been reported before.  There were no patrols or intervention by law enforcement.  At 5:20 I reported it to the sheriff’s department (as well as the dogs and park traffic violations/danger/defacement); the dispatch operator argued with me and said all animals are the domain of animal control (not accurate per statutes/ordinances).  There was no response by the sheriff’s department.  At 5:30 I reported the parking lot incident to the CSP and asked that it be brought to the attention of Sgt. Baker.  I did not see a response by them either.

It is necessary to note that this was a cold day and, per the CSP dispatch employee, there were a number of accidents when I called.  But this has been ongoing for years.  There needs to be a permanent solution.  I would further add that it is a waste of resources to continually report and respond.  Why not take action and attempt to stop it?  This is a small community and these are the same/repeat offenders.  Punitive action will likely have a huge impact.

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