Slams By The NYT

Judith Dobrzynsk’s front page headline “In Online Auction World, Hoaxes Aren’t Easy To See” greeted readers in early June. She reported the incident in which Kenneth Walton, a Sacramento lawyer, faces FBI scrutiny for shill bidding (self bidding) a bogus Richard Diebenkorn abstract painting. The NYT recycled the piece placing it in the Technology section on June 7, sporting the title, “F.B.I. Opens Investigation Of EBay Bids.” Walton was kicked out of eBay and readers are unlikely to hear anything further from the NYT or the FBI investigation. Sadly, I have never seen a feedback (FB) rating of any eBay no-good-nic when reported in the mainstream press. All eBayers know the huge gulf in confidence and credibility between FBs 5 and 55. When it comes to art hijinks, a quote from the ailing APBNews site captures shenanigans much more appropriately: “There was one guy – Raymond March – who sold fake art in the city for four decades and he had a pretty good line of bull,” Hrycyk remembers. “Basically, though, the public has been misled by Hollywood. The reality is not that the crooks are so smart but that people are so gullible.”

Teens Buy DXM

A few weeks ago, four 17-year-old students at the preppy Peddie School in Hightstown, N.J., were treated for vomiting and disorientation. One minor had purchased dextromethorphan (DXM) on eBay, an ingredient in over-the-counter remedies like Robitussan DM cough suppressant. Rather than abusing cough medicine, the students took a shortcut ingesting the active ingredient with predicable results. This resulted in an inane statement by headmaster Thomas DeGray: “That’s one of the issues with the Internet: Who polices it?” Wow! The better questions is: where were parental controls and a few grains of common sense? EBay becomes as easy target for the irresponsible actions of both adults and minors. We face the scary prospect of having government officials pass laws concerning eBay. Remember, these are the same folks who oversee individuals that lose hard drives containing diagrams of small nuclear weapons. While this nuclear secret data has not been offered for sale on eBay (at least not yet), DXM sales have stopped. Incidentally, auction of drugs is forbidden. EBay relies on “neighborhood watch” as part of community for self-policing. Although imperfect, many questionable items have been reported and removed. The press typically reports on the few items that slip through the safeguard rather than providing a modicum of balance by adding some of the many items reported and removed. Sensationalism sells newspapers.

Plenty Of E-News In July

Next month, eBay will auction a Honus Wagner baseball card. Only 50 such cards are known to exist. Bids could reach $1 million and usher in a brand new cyber-chapter in an area where most eBay items fetch $40 to $50. EBay was the chosen venue for this auction for a few simple reasons: 1) the authenticity (provenance) of the baseball card is unquestioned and 2) the eBay sales commission of 1.5 percent is considerably lower than the five to 20 percent of the traditional auction house. Jokesters planning fictitious bids may think twice when they learn of a $100,000 escrow account which must be established before bidding.

In addition, in July, the US Post Office will offer the eBay community stamp collectible items (full press sheets of Marilyn Monroe, James Dean stamps, and about 40 other items). This is not the first government sale at the popular auction site. Oregon and California have surplus property offering on eBay. E-Commerce Times reports that California claims to have received more money from auction items than it would have from selling the same items through the traditional property warehouses. A softball bat, Gucci watch, and even a used surveyor’s transit fetched high prices to surprised California officials. As word of these successes spreads, interest in eBay captures increasingly positive attention.

Larger Items

The shipping costs involved with large bulky items such as appliances, furniture, and sporting goods can discourage bidding. Shipping costs could easily overshadow the value of the item. EBay provides a solution. On the main page, a potential shopper can open a drop-down regional menu offering items closer to home. In Connecticut, only Hartford enjoys a listing. As eBay grows, more are sure to be added. That eight-foot Italian slate pool table for the recreation room could be available within an hour’s drive. You may want to run your hand over the green felt and run off a few racks before placing a bid.

How To Read eBay News Items

Unfortunately, distortion of eBay news as reported by the press will continue with distortions and errors. Keep in mind newspaper reports about eBay sellers and buyers that fail to include feedback ratings were likely penned by a staff writer. This person (and his or her editor) often lacks knowledge of the inner workings of the eBay community and the many safeguards now in place. I hope that this will change. Should you have questions about something read about eBay go to the Internet, get all the facts, or drop me an e-note.

URLs (Uniform Resource Locators) of interest:

 http://www.ebay.com

(This is the 211th of a series of elementary articles designed for surfing the Internet. Next, “The New Face of Webmillion” is the subject on tap. Stay Tuned. Until next week, happy travels through cyberspace. Previous issues of “Internet Info for Real People” can be found: http://www.thebee.com. Please e-mail comments and suggestions: rbrand@JUNO.com or editor@thebee.com.)