Is Anyone Interested in Exploring a Class Action Lawsuit Against eBay?

gemint

I'm planning to talk to a lawyer about whether eBay is violating any laws with their top rated seller program rules. I'm still trying to dig my way out to get back to a top rating after a few people dinged me for shipping costs. I'm being penalized by eBay even though my shipping policy was the same or cheaper than most of the top rated sports card sellers at the time I got dinged. Now I'm forced to offer free shipping, even on cards with starting bids less than the grading fees just so I can avoid any more less than 5 star shipping ratings. They are using an unreliable scoring system and the result is some sellers have to pay higher FVFs, get excluded from listing specials and get their items buried behind the top rated sellers who treat customers no better than the smaller sellers who get dinged despite having similar or better policies than many top rated sellers. This puts these businesses at a competitive disadvantage.

I wonder if there are any others on here who are in a similar situation and would be interested in pursuing this. I've never done anything like this before so I'm not even sure of the process or how many people need to be involved to initiate a class action lawsuit. I'll invest some time and do some research though as I've had enough after being pinned down by eBay for going on 6 months now.

Toro

From what I see on today's eBay, as a seller, you must provide free shipping and not initiate contact with the buyer to get five automatic stars. I think the issue that burns me is the shipping costs. I usually do USPS but it's getting ridiculous, to ship a size 10 pair of athletic shoes, $14 to$20 in addition to the cut eBay gets. Anyway, to get back on topic, this sounds expensive.

gemint

<< <i> Anyway, to get back on topic, this sounds expensive. >>



I don't think so. There should be good lawyers out there who would take on a case while getting their fees out of the settlement.

Bigjohn69

price fixing is a crime, im in

sportscardtheory

I don't think it would work. It's an incentive program. I don't think that they legally have to keep an incentive program membership-friendly. Now some of their other shady business practices I can see being defined as "not all that legal" from a "fair" business perspective.

Ironmanfan

the only people in class action lawsuits that make money are the lawyers

i'm out

IMF

gemint

<< <i>the only people in class action lawsuits that make money are the lawyers

i'm out

IMF >>



I'm not in it to make money. The lawyer can have the money. I just want to force a change to their business practices.

HoneyBadger

I'd be in for one that eliminates safety bids by respected board members.

Anyway, go for it & let us know how it works out

sportscardtheory

<< <i>I'd be in for one that eliminates safety bids by respected board members.

Anyway, go for it & let us know how it works out >>



Obsess much?

brianwintersfan

<< <i>

<< <i>I'd be in for one that eliminates safety bids by respected board members.

Anyway, go for it & let us know how it works out >>



Obsess much? >>



Alts gonna Alt!

sportscardtheory

<< <i>

<< <i>

<< <i>I'd be in for one that eliminates safety bids by respected board members.

Anyway, go for it & let us know how it works out >>



Obsess much? >>



Alts gonna Alt! >>



Yeah. Dude needs to get a life.

HoneyBadger

Don't taze me bro!

Like I said, I know you got no chance of being a respected board member if you disagree with them here!!!!

gumbyfan

<< <i>I'd be in for one that eliminates safety bids by respected board members.

Anyway, go for it & let us know how it works out >>



Hey Mr. High & Mighty, how about you share your eBay IDs so that the stalkerish folks here can comb through your history for years old mistakes? Something tells me that you won't share your IDs, and even if you did, you wouldn't own up to your own mistakes as the respected board member did. There's a reason that member is respected and just one of them is willingness to own up to a mistake. Another is not hiding behind an alt account to harass other members.

You're a hypocrite and a fool.

gumbyfan

<< <i>Don't taze me bro!

Like I said, I know you got no chance of being a respected board member if you disagree with them here!!!! >>



And like I said, you got no chance of being respected when you're nothing but a meddling troll on a baseball card message board. Way to set the bar high, kid. Don't let your mother see the way you harass people here or she'll take away your internet privileges for a day and put you on timeout.

HoneyBadger

Awww.....don't hate, gumbyman.....I'll share my info when everyone else hiding behind a handle does!

I suggest the respected board members go first

gemint

<< <i>

<< <i>I'm planning to talk to a lawyer about whether eBay is violating any laws with their top rated seller program rules. I'm still trying to dig my way out to get back to a top rating after a few people dinged me for shipping costs. I'm being penalized by eBay even though my shipping policy was the same or cheaper than most of the top rated sports card sellers at the time I got dinged. Now I'm forced to offer free shipping, even on cards with starting bids less than the grading fees just so I can avoid any more less than 5 star shipping ratings. They are using an unreliable scoring system and the result is some sellers have to pay higher FVFs, get excluded from listing specials and get their items buried behind the top rated sellers who treat customers no better than the smaller sellers who get dinged despite having similar or better policies than many top rated sellers. This puts these businesses at a competitive disadvantage.

I wonder if there are any others on here who are in a similar situation and would be interested in pursuing this. I've never done anything like this before so I'm not even sure of the process or how many people need to be involved to initiate a class action lawsuit. I'll invest some time and do some research though as I've had enough after being pinned down by eBay for going on 6 months now. >>



Hey gemint, what was your shipping price before you switched to free shipping? And did you offer a combined option? >>



It was $3 for the first graded card and $1 for each additional graded card. This is in line or cheaper compared to what DSL, 4SC and others charge. The ones I got dinged on were high grade 71s (PSA 8 and 9). Most of those cards sold for $100 or more and someone thought $1 a card was too much for shipping. I also picked up the insurance on high $ orders which was the case for most of the shipments I made around the time I got dinged.

WalterSobchak

<< <i>

<< <i>

<< <i>I'd be in for one that eliminates safety bids by respected board members.

Anyway, go for it & let us know how it works out >>



Obsess much? >>



Alts gonna Alt! >>


I have no verifiable information that would tell me one way or the other whether or not he is an alt, but I do think I have seen enough to tell me that he is a one-trick pony. It seems like his last 50 posts or so have been used to express the exact same thought.

It's so far past the point of 'boring' now that it's actually starting to turn the corner again and become intriguing.

TNP777

<< <i>if storm888 were still around, he would speak the gosh darn, absolute, unadulterated, no holds barred truth on the propriety of such a lawsuit against ebay. >>

immediately after Googling the information

gumbyfan

<< <i>

<< <i>if storm888 were still around, he would speak the gosh darn, absolute, unadulterated, no holds barred truth on the propriety of such a lawsuit against ebay. >>

immediately after Googling the information >>





I could not agree
more
.....................................

grote15

<< <i>

<< <i>

<< <i>if storm888 were still around, he would speak the gosh darn, absolute, unadulterated, no holds barred truth on the propriety of such a lawsuit against ebay. >>

immediately after Googling the information >>





I could not agree
more
..................................... >>



Where is storm these days anyway?

jeff8877

gemint,

I am with bubbebathgirl on the shipping charges. I think $1 is too much for additiona cards and have also gone to $.50.

If you get $3 for your first card and $1 for the next one thats $4 to ship two cards when the USPS fees are $1.80 ish...more than double the actual cost. Obviously, if it is a high dollar card then forget my comments.

Jeff

gemint

<< <i>gemint,

I am with bubbebathgirl on the shipping charges. I think $1 is too much for additiona cards and have also gone to $.50.

If you get $3 for your first card and $1 for the next one thats $4 to ship two cards when the USPS fees are $1.80 ish...more than double the actual cost. Obviously, if it is a high dollar card then forget my comments.

Jeff >>



Jeff, they were high dollar cards. In any event, I've already gone to free shipping but it will take me months to get back my rating. Whether it's free shipping, $0.50 or $1.00 per card, eBays rating system is arbitrary and unreliable. That's what I'm focusing the legal analysis on.

soundgard

I used to love ebay. Now they are a complete pain in the rear if you sell stuff. Hate them and especially hate paypal. Someone should shut them down. Very crooked company. ebay treats sellers like crap. Poor customer service. If you call them 5 times, you get 5 different answers. So I dont even bother anymore calling if I have a problem.

AUPT

Good luck with that.

gemint

I was thinking more along the lines of this.

CDsNuts

A lawsuit implies they are doing something illegal. If the basis of this lawsuit is that they are giving their higher volume clients preferential treatment, then we could sue every successful business that's ever existed. Simply put, they can give discounts to whoever they want to for any reason except race, religion, gender, age, etc... And even these sometimes don't apply as discrimination (Senior citizens specials, Ladies Night, etc...).

CDsNuts

if storm888 were still around, he would speak the gosh darn, absolute, unadulterated, no holds barred truth on the propriety of such a lawsuit against ebay.



///////////////////////////////////////////////

Yup.

jlzinck

<< <i>the only people in class action lawsuits that make money are the lawyers

i'm out

IMF >>



/end thread