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'Bear' Bottoms OriginalsHow about this? eBay has set a new policy with PayPal that they are HOLDING my payment received. It will be released when I 1. receive positive feeback OR 2. 3 days after a CONFIRMED delivery AND no dispute OR 3. 21 days after auction end with no dispute. This is 'suposed to protect the buyer from inaccurately described items or items not shipped'. That's all fine and dandy, BUT doesn't PayPal already offer buyer protection? and also, I feel like it's a lazy way of handling the issue. How about target those with less than stellar feedback, or complaints of not shipping etc. instead of punishing us artists who WORK HARD to keep our feedback score up AND keep eBay in good standing???
Did you all know that eBay DOES NOT (a PayPal supervisor told me this) have a general customer support number?? BUT, they DO have a number ONLY for their power sellers! And HOW long has eBay been in business with no customer support phone number? Sounds like another bit of laziness on eBay's part. Gosh, and I thought eBay made enough off of us to provide us with customer support!
I did call PayPal and complain, and they told me, "Sorry, it's eBay's new policy..." and repeated to me when I can receive my payment. Thanks, already read and heard that 10 times!
Kimberly W.
White Forest BearsIsn't that awful? They started that a few months ago. It hasn't happened to me, but I keep reading on the ebay message boards that it happens all the time.
'Bear' Bottoms OriginalsYES! Now, don't get me wrong, I am all about keeping eBay safe for buyers! BUT, it's unfair to those of us who really do our part to offer the best service possible! It boils down to this... eBay doesn't want to do the extra work of targeting the 'bad sellers'... So instead we are punished.
One other teddy bear artist (and friend) besides me has experienced this same thing... And when this is our livelihood, it hurts!
Ouch, now that sucks.. you know if you have good feedback why do they think they should hold funds???.. and now with them making that the only way to pay for things.. well they have people over a barrell. 
Sad what ebay has come to. I think people will stop using it... I have really noticed a decline in listings in things I look
at. Where there use to be over 2000 most are down to under 600
Hugs,
Melanie
Wow! What a cheek! I don't think I'd trust my sales through Ebay any more under these terms. I don't use Ebay very often and it will be even less often now.
Kimberly I am so sorry! I believe once your feedback hits 100 that they do not do this anymore... plus no negs or something like that.
Country BearsAwww Kimberley.... :hug: :hug: Sorry this happened to you hun.
I want to know what protection SELLERS have, to my mind, NOTHING!! There are unscrupulous buyers out there conning honest sellers like me (2 in the last 2 months!!) and I've no leg to stand on - HATE HATE HATE Ebay at the moment - someone tell me where else I can try........ :pray: :pray:
I think the 100 milestone will allow immediate payment..but my with it problem is this; there is no need for buyers or sellers to even bother to leave feedback any more..unless they are intending to sell anything, what is the benefit to them in leaving positive feedback. I have some lovely customers on eBay and all have left sparkling feedback but others...not I might add bear customers in the main, but those buying the other items I sell with equal attention to good service, they often don't leave feedback..and nor do those I buy from..especially the bigger shops. I now buy from a different eBay account and to date I have bought about 6 things but only 2 sellers have had the courtesy to leave feedback despite instant payment and glowing feedback left by me for them. I am now disinclined to leave feedback till they leave me some ...which is ridiculous.
I thought it was about good service and quality products but now sellers have to leave good feedback or none and buyers have a way of not paying with eBay helping them...add to that free postage and we may as well just give our work away to ebay and they keep the money!!
'Bear' Bottoms OriginalsJenny, I couldn't have said it any better! I bought something recently (a book for my sister) and paid immediately. In the special notes I asked that it please be sent to her and not me. Well, I got their automated 'Thank you for purchasing and we will leave you good feedback when we recieve good feedback'. WHAT? So was I to either lie about bad service or fear that they would unfairly retaliate? I think eBay should make it where if a buyer doesn't leave feedback for many items, then their buying and selling is supsended somewhat until they leave it? I'm not saying this to be mean, just to remind them that they need to give the feedback, you know? By the way, the seller that I bought the book from apparently never read the special notes, because they shipped the book to me.
As for PayPal no longer holding my money once I reach the 100 milestone.... I have to sell 70 more bears before I can clear this? Soooo, sometime in about two years I can expect to get my funds straight away.... 
Oh yeah, and Clare... One of my dear friends and Teddy artists had a buyer who kept on retracting their bids! Well, that looks bad on her, and she couldn't do anything about it! Artists walk a fine line between trying to protect themselves, and make their collectors happy! And yes, eBay does little to make it a good place for sellers.
What we need is a new, good site for marketing and selling our bears. I have an ETSY account, and they are VERY reasonable, but will the collectors follow? That's the only thing that I fear...
Bear Bottom Heirloom BearsYou guys are scaring me! I was looking for a thread on how to set up those fabulous looking pages that you guys create to sell your gorgeous bears on eBay.
OMG I have been selling on eBay for several years now. A few of my antique bear collection and some other odds and sods. So far, I have never had a problem with anything I've bought or sold or with feedback or payment. But that's probably because of lack of volume on my part. I was hoping to change that 
I think I'm finally ready to start selling some of my work to a broader market. However, now I'm a bit leary...I've only reached about 70 pos feedback with no negs or neutrals.
I'd be joining Kimberly on the "waiting to receive $$ list!" And that would be a pain in our collective "Bear Bottoms" :crackup:
Clare, I wonder if we started an email or write in campaign complaining about how eBay is treating it's non-volume sellers. Or do you think eBay has become just too big and powerful to care?
You sure have given me somethng to think about.
PS.
I'd stilll like to know how to set up a fab page when and if I do list a bear.
Gail G
'Bear' Bottoms OriginalsHi Gail! I set up my auction pages with Dreamweaver. It's software that lets you type up and create pages totally simply, and add pictures and such, and automatically converts it to HTML format for your auction. I got it from my sister's now ex-boyfriend, so I'm not sure how much it costs... But I LOVE it.
Considering the fact that eBay doesn't even have a customer support phone number (where you can actually speak to a human being) for their general users... BUT they have a phone number for their power sellers!... Tells me that they don't so much care about us little guys. Perhaps we should petition still... And remind eBay that we ALL helped build eBay, big or little. If everyone who was unhappy left eBay, they'd have a small handful of power sellers, who would soon leave as well because the market would have died. Just a thought!
Posts: 1,836What we need is a new, good site for marketing and selling our bears. I have an ETSY account, and they are VERY reasonable, but will the collectors follow? That's the only thing that I fear...
That right there is the question.
I think collectors are where the bears are. I think those bidders who truly want the thrill of "the win" might not follow, but how many collectors fit that exact box? I don't think many.
Artists just have to ask themselves how much they're willing to endure in order to have the auction option. I get that auctions are appealing, but at what cost to your own business plan, financial state, and sanity as an artist? I see this all happening and I think of Stockholm Syndrome. All the abuse and we're still loyal to the captor.
I know how much we value our collectors we've met via ebay, but collectors and ebay are separate. It's ok to leave ebay, dislike ebay and still remain loyal to collectors and value collectors. We needn't apologize to collectors for not liking ebay and their new standards! They are not one in the same. I was in a waiting room yesterday and the big tv was set to CNN. CNN was doing a story on Ebay and how it's going against everything it initially set out to do. It's not just us, it's being noticed by major news talkers. Personally I see them as a sinking ship, can they fix the damage..that's yet to be seen. It's always good to have a backup plan. I don't think too many of us have all of our eggs in one basket at this point, many of us have diversified our selling and marketing outlets. That's always good 
Bears by EdieI think collectors are where the bears are.
Exactly, Chrissi! And as I just mentioned on another post when the only options to ebay are a number of much smaller venues I just can't see getting all the bear sellers to move to ONE other site and have all the collectors follow them - which is really what we need. Other than ebay everything is too spread out and watered down and so bear sellers will go and give them a try but there are so few sellers and collectors there that they eventually just go back to ebay where the big action is. We would need everyone - all bear sellers and collectors - to move enmasse to ONE place and that would be the only way to beat ebay - just can't see it happening!
Bear Bottom Heirloom BearsWhat we need is a new, good site for marketing and selling our bears. I have an ETSY account, and they are VERY reasonable, but will the collectors follow? That's the only thing that I fear...
I'm wondering if TT "Teddy Bears and other Friends" sale page could be honed and expanded to make it "THE" place to buy and sell bears!!! I'm sure it's one of the biggest if not the biggest blog on bears on the internet!
Another question: Many artists who don't sell on ebay who list their bears on TT link to their websites. I am wondering if that generates many sales. I haven't been on this site long enough to figure that one out.
Gail G
Bears by EdieGail, I always list my bears for sale on TT's Teddy Bear and Friends but I haven't EVER sold a bear from having it listed there. Of course I don't have a web site to link to and all of the ones I've posted there have been on either ebay or bid4bears so I have no way of knowing if the TT site has directed some buyers to my auctions - which of course is quite possible. However, all the bears that haven't sold on the auction are still posted on the TT site and have not generated any contacts for me - so I don't know if collectors do really come here to look for bears to buy?????
'Bear' Bottoms OriginalsActually, maybe TT COULD be an awesome place to actually sell bears! Edie, I hear ya... I wonder if maybe they set up something would it help? I mean, I know that you already can 'buy from TT' to some extent, but if they could set something up that is similar in style to eBay, they could target those collectors that just really like the auction style set up.
One big thing about eBay and why it is so popular is that people are creatures of habit. eBay has become the norm and what's 'comfortable'. No one, collectors OR creators, want to stray from what we know has the results we are used to. One of the reasons I've always stuck with eBay is the same reason I 'stick with Wal-Mart'... it has everything I need and I know where everything is.... does that make sense? SO, if an auction style site could be set up that really has a similar feel and layout to eBay (without copyright infringement), I think that could do it. Ijust think about what goes through my head when I go to a new site, etc. "Okay, now where IS everything?? How do I do (this) or (that)??"
I hope I'm making sense! lol 
Bears by EdieI don't know, Kimberly, bid4bears is really very similar in style to ebay and although it has periodic bursts of support it isn't looking like it could replace ebay any time soon. I think people go to ebay because that is where the most NEW (as in current and recently made) bears are listed. We really have no idea how many collectors come to TT - I know there are some registered members and there will be a lot of occasional lookers but really I feel the majority of users are the artists, not the collectors.
I think what you girls have been discussing is a brilliant idea. I wonder if there is any chance of us getting a "For Sale" section on Teddy Talk, and pay Quy if we list a bear specifically for sale. All purchases could be done direct through the artist if a link was put onto each bear for sale direct back to the artist. Teddy Talk wouldn't be involved in the actual transaction, it would just be a venue to list specific bears with a set price. Any other girls got any thoughts. Ebay is becoming more and more difficult isn't it.
Bears by EdieChristine, that is exactly what the Teddy Bear and Friends section we have on TT now is for - bears that are for sale:
Teddy Bears & Other Friends
Artist teddy bears & friends available for adoption NOW!
But I just don't feel enough collectors are using it as an option to buy bears to make it a viable alternative to ebay - unless it is just me who really doesn't seem to sell bears from there?????
bears by beesley TMHi Kimberly. I hear you Girlie!
Frustration all the way. We can only voice our frustration to the right people and know it will go NO WHERE! 
Hang in there though and don't let this bully discourage you.
Hugs Louise
Bears by EdieKimberly, just a thought but if instead of having people just go to PayPal and pay for your auctions, what if you went into the PayPal site and sent them a PayPal invoice for the item? Would PayPal still be able to track that it was an ebay sale or would their system just think it was a charge for goods from anywhere and the transaction would go right through???. I've noticed a few auctions where sellers have instructed not to pay through ebay but wait for them to send an invoice - so maybe that is the reason, I don't know, but might be worth a try - anyone else have any experience with this to know if it would work?
Lakeland TeddiesI have mentioned this before, but had no comments. What about listing on The Teddy Patch auction site? It's FREE to list - can't get any better than that? You can even have your own store. I think we have something great right under our noses and are not taking advantage of it. Why try to invent the wheel when it's already been invented. We just need more artists/collectors to join and give it a try. I have decided to do that. Any comments?
Peggy
Kimberly, just a thought but if instead of having people just go to PayPal and pay for your auctions, what if you went into the PayPal site and sent them a PayPal invoice for the item? Would PayPal still be able to track that it was an ebay sale or would their system just think it was a charge for goods from anywhere and the transaction would go right through???. I've noticed a few auctions where sellers have instructed not to pay through ebay but wait for them to send an invoice - so maybe that is the reason, I don't know, but might be worth a try - anyone else have any experience with this to know if it would work?
I bet that would work Edie.. but then they won't have the whole "buyer protection" thing.
Hugs,
Melanie
desertmountainbearI tell people when buying from my ebay auctions, that if they are purchasing more than one item to let me invoice them. That is so I can combine shipping, and get the proper weight, You can bill directly through paypal, but the invoice is still set up to be connected to ebay. Ebay is allowing cash and check for pick up only, so you could offer that option in your payment options, and somehow word it in such a way that the buyer will understand you are still taking a check. I don't know if that will matter anyway because buyers will know they cannot bid without a credit card. I am just going to get my own merchant account and also offer paypal. Paypal will also take an echeck for customers without cards. It takes about 5-7 days to clear.
I really believe ebay is trying to protect both sellers and buyers. I have been unpaid twice, and both times it was a customer with a check. I have also twice been very unhappy with purchases, and if those sellers can not keep a 4 star rating across the board, they will have their accounts suspended. I like the sound of that.
I do a lot of business through ebay, all my business, I am thinking this as a good thing. There is still no other place anywhere where I can get the amount of people from all over the world to see my bears and supplies. I prefer people pay with a card, I do take checks, but I am not happy to do it. It is always a risk, now I won't have to worry about that anymore.
Joanne
I have reservations about ONLY using Paypal...I do think it's best for international sales but this week I sold an airbrush and the girl has paid by Paypal e-cheque...which has bounced. Now she is representing a new e-cheque. I am sure her intentions are fine but it's no good for me. There is no more protection with a Paypal cheque but at least I haven't sent the item yet. I usually send a separate invoice anyway as, though my auctioms are on ebay.com in dollars, I prefer to be paid in pounds as paypal exchange rates are an absolute rip-off...it costs the customer the same ...paypal just rip me off when they convert the amount to pounds..then they keep a big chunk for doing it too.
So now I have not been paid..even though I offer paypal...and I can't even reflect that in my feedback...not fair. This is biased toward the buyer once again with sellers carrying the can while ebay make money, because when I do eventually get paid paypal/ebay get their slice even though I have had to wait weeks...even though I don't want to. These 'rules' are all well and good for buyers who play the game ...but for those who don't it's a way to get away with things the normal shops would not allow.
