eBay isn’t the fun it used to be

Once upon a not-so-long-ago time, eBay was an exciting place for your average punter to make a few pounds (and clear out the house a bit). You could list your daughter’s once-worn, well-kept dress bought from a reputable retailer and get a pretty decent return for it.

Then a couple of things happened that put paid (all puns intended) to that.

Firstly along came another reputable (but low-price) retailer – let’s call it P***ark.

Ahhh, thought browsers. Now why pay a small price for a secondhand dress they couldn’t touch, let alone try on (or send back in the majority of cases)? Here was an opportunity to buy new, at fantastically low prices, having tried on for size and bought with a guarantee for return.

P***ark undercuts charity shops, never mind eBay with all its postage costs. OK, the fabric may not be quite the same quality but at pocket-money prices that’s overlookable

So your outgrown, unwanted clothes are now best off back at the charity shop where you used to take them because you’re less and less likely to find customers on eBay.

And then there are eBay stores. I could be very wrong but the owners are what we used to call market traders, aren’t they? Didn’t they used to huddle under awnings in the street (close by the fruit and veg) flogging end-of-line wares that they buy up from I-don’t-know-where.

Don’t start thinking: I see, she’s against these people making a living from the Internet. I’m not. I’m just pointing out that it makes it a damn sight more difficult for you or I to sell a faultless beanbag (albeit sat on once or twice) that’s been stored in a cupboard for a few years if we’re competing against traders who have brand new versions in all sizes, shapes and colours.

The only time ‘used’ beats ‘new’ is in the antique category – and what is new stuff doing in there anyway?

No moan is complete without a suggested solution and this is mine: eBay is so huge now there needs to be a distinct line between your regular punter’s stuff and trader’s gear.

In short: eBay needs to level the playing the field and create two separate sites so sellers are pitching like against like and we all feel enthused again. Sorted?

Spam, spam – I’m sick of spam

Even as I write, messages will be pinging into my junk mailbox. I’ve trained it quite well so over time it has become to recognise spam for the junk it is.

That’s not the end of it though, is it? Somehow penis enlargement ads filter through to one of my mailboxes while bona fide emails from friends/family/colleagues slip into ‘Junk’. Result: I can’t even delete my junk mailbox without going through it to check that nothing important has fallen through into it. OK, so I end up wasting time – but here’s the question.

Why are these companies bothering? Do they believe it’s simply a numbers game and, if they send out enough messages, somebody, somewhere will have their penis enlarged? Or reply to an email informing them money has been left to them in the will of a person they’ve never heard of – and in the process give away bank details.

Oh and this is a good one: we should all be millionnaires by now from simply doing nothing but blogging – except we have to pay for the privilege of unlocking the secret (I suppose that’s fair) by buying a book that will tell us no more than a good blogging system already explains anyway (That’s not fair!)

I suppose there’s no answer? In the absence of internet police people can post anything they like onto the web. Clicking onto the unwanted link (if you feel so angry you want to reply) only serves the purpose of making you a participating recipient.

So guess the best tactic is to have a cup of tea, remember Mondays shouldn’t start with a rant and return to the computer a little calmer. Put it in perspective, I suppose (and let they who want to waste their money – what’s the trouble in hitting the delete button when you need to…)