It did, it used to be a lot of fun - I had what could only be termed as an addiction to eBay - at one point, I had a good 10-15 auctions that I was bidding on day-to-day. The rush of adrenaline as the clock counted down... We were all in it for the same thing, as buyers - to get a few bargains from a lovely human being, that cared to carefully wrap your items, despatch on time, and often had even included a wee note to say thanks - when I'd already been wildly, deliriously happy with my purchases, that was the cherry on top. There was that courtesy. Even the communication has dropped off - so many sellers nowadays don't respond to queries pre-auction, which I find infuriating; in the past, you could almost guarantee a seller would be hovering in messages, ready to respond to you before the auction ended, which, in that flurry of activity, only added to the rush. Even sellers of Buy-It-Now items, don't bother to respond to simple things like despatch queries - if I can't be certain of the courier, I am not going to buy. Royal Mail local-to-me are abysmal, so untrustworthy, I much prefer to avoid them. Also, the details about an item are not as complete as they once were, yet more simple information not forthcoming, like an underarm-to-underarm measurement (crucial when talking about ladies' garments, as we are not all the same size up-top); it's not there, has to be asked for, only for the question to be ignored. As eBay have made it harder for the private seller, the knock-on effect is their lack of interest in engaging with buyers. This is most telling in the widespread use now of AI-generated item specifics, which are anything but - its intelligence is indeed, artificial! The personal touch, as alluded by others to be eBay's humanity, has been lost.
The fact the directors listed are in their 40s, is an eye-opener - so, these people should have the apt knowledge and understanding, of how eBay used to work, an understanding that it did work, very well, for all of us - it seems this extreme departure from how it was, has been consciously driven, by people that do not appreciate, much less care, what eBay used to be, yet also have little-to-no idea, of what they want it to be now. They clearly do not have focus groups, made up of sellers and buyers, where proposed changes are suggested, their viability discussed, problems foreseen negotiated, and a solution that suits all is agreed upon - not landed on us out of nowhere, with us expected to just roll with it. I doubt any of it is politically-motivated, but I fail to see how these changes could be financially-motivated, when it's clear to all, that it is having a negative impact on sales, thus, revenue. The only thing I can surmise from the retention of seller's funds, until delivery has been confirmed, is it's an effort to earn extra interest on accrued funds in their accounts. That's callous, greedy and a massive turn-off, especially when considering, that most sellers use their revenue to help pay their household bills, not to purchase a fortnight in the Seychelles.
Con te partiro - indeed.
