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Boycott targets eBay over new policy

04:37 PM PDT on Thursday, June 5, 2008

By WAYNE HAVRELLY, kgw.com

Some long-time eBay users are rebelling against policy changes at the on line auction company -- they've gone as far as loosely organizing an international boycott.

EBay trading rules have changed recently and many eBay sellers don't like them. They claim the new rules threat the small time sellers who built eBay into a multi-billion dollar company.

Around 47,000 people have signed an online pledge to boycott eBay until the company changes its new trading policies.

“Our collective belief as eBay users is that eBay wants to get rid of the small time sellers that built eBay, said Ann Smith from Northeast Portland.

For ten years Smith used eBay to buy and sell antiques. She says sellers are being treated unfairly with new rules favoring buyers to the point where scam artists are taking advantage of the situation.

Jason Cole has registered mail with a signature showing an eBay buyer received $400 worth of printer ink he bought from Cole. Even so, Paypal, eBay’s financial company, sided with the buyer because Cole didn't pay extra for an electronic signature.

Turns out, other sellers claimed the buyer ripped them off the same way.

Cole said, “He robbed me of this $400 and now I have to thank him, I have to refund him the money. He gets my product and Paypal gives him the money back.”

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Another change: eBay sellers can no longer give negative feedback about buyers. EBay said it made the move to weed out bad sellers. Smith says the playing field is no longer equal and it’s opening the door to bad buyers.

Also new: when sellers get negative feedback they're now required to accept funds only through Paypal, which is owned by eBay.

“It’s like walking into Walmart and only being able to use Walmart’s credit card. E-bay needs to back off and level the playing field for sellers,” said Smith.

Until the rules change, many former eBayers say they'll use other auction sites to do business.

Last week eBay and Paypal officials said they were investigating the buyer who claimed he didn't receive his merchandise.

On Thursday they did not return calls from Newschannel 8 about the policy changes.

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