🚀 go-pugleaf

John wrote:

>   I've seen you E-bay shills everytime someone says anything bad about E-bay in
> a Forsale newsgroup.
>   On other newsgroups, E-bay has a terrible reputation for dishonesty and
> outright lying.
>   They have over a billion dollars in stock investments they need to protect,
> and one way they do that is editing out bad comments on their service.
>   You don't really think they'll let anything really bad get put up on their
> "feedback" site, do you?

I personally *almost* bought something from a guy on eBay, but checked his feedback
first. He had comments going back over six months about how he is slow about
delivering, or never delivers at all. One feedback comment was a threat to sue him.
That sounds like "really bad" feedback to me.

Actually, it has nothing to do with EBAY'S service. They allow people to post ads,
and simply act as a conduit between buyer and seller (for a fee), as do many other
auction sites. The personal integrity of the buyer and seller are beyond eBay's
control. If they receive enough complaints about an individual, however, they will
lock-out the ID of the complainee. Can the sheister then log back on with a new ID?
Sure, but the same thing could be done with a small ad in the newspaper's
classifieds.

Is it possible that one can get screwed by using eBay? Sure. You can get screwed just
as easily using another auction site, or even this newsgroup. You might not even make
it home alive this evening -- but you get out of bed anyway. It all boils down to
common sense: if the offer sounds too good to be true, it probably is. If the seller
wants you to send a large payment to a p.o. box, don't. If the ad just gives you "a
funny feeling," don't bid. Cyberspace has it's advantages, and disadvantages. If you
don't like buying from someone you can't see... don't.

>    I have some land to sell you if you do, and some politicians for you to vote
> for.
>
>   Also, on other newsgroups you'll hear many stories of people getting ripped
> off.
>   A year ago it was very uncommen to get ripped off; but now with every brain
> dead moron with a welfare computer and AOL can get on the net, the scam artists
> have followed right on the heels of easy access.
>   What insurance?  Have you read the fine print?

Actually, no. But I've read the phrase "personal responsibility."

>   Anyone who says they'd rather buy on Ebay rather than meet face to face must
> be either a liar or a shill.  Which one are you?

Buying online does have additional risk, no question about it. Some are willing to
accept that risk for the ease of making a purchase while sitting naked in front of a
CRT and farting holes in their easy chair. Some fail to consider this risk, and
eventually learn an expensive lesson.

>   Hey!  I've sent 2000 chain letters and now I'm rich and famous and live on an
> island with 20 hula girls.
>   Right.

Do you have any to spare?
NOT CHAIN LETTERS!