If You do eBay, You Need Nerves of Steel

As unimportant as my life is, I love it very much. But eBay, or should I say certain individuals on eBay, can drive you crazy. Some claim they sent an item but you never receive what you have ordered. Then you check and see there are a number of other users who had the same fate. You think: The mail does not lose anything that often! So either the person lives next to an extremely unreliable post office or he just does not send certain items. I think it must be the latter. Maybe I was too hasty to write this in his profile, which I marked as neutral, but he gives me a minus.

But generally I think people on eBay are very slow in replying to e-mails and sending items. Right now I have won four other auctions but I have not heard from the seller after writing an e-mail inquiring the exact postage. (That has been a week ago)

I absolutely disagree with the respondents in the 2004 Ponemon Institute and TRUSTe survey that found eBay to be the most trusted website.

eBay's community-based approach to e-commerce is likely a major factor in instilling trust among its users. The combination of feedback — comments that helps users build credibility and establish positive reputations — and an in-house customer support team create a safe environment whereby users feel protected.

As for me, I think I have lost my trust and prefer from now on to rely on Amazon, where it may cost more to sell items but where there is also more security if you do not receive an item!