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TAGnotes Wed 4 Jul 2001 Vol 3 Number 76 Issue 337

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The Auction Guild Notes for Wed 4 Jul 2001=20
************************************************************
The TAGnotes archive is available in a searchable format at =20
http://www.escribe.com/business/TAGnotes/
Interested in more information about TAG? Go to our website at
http://www.auctionguild.com
************************************************************
On 2 Jul at 07:17:16 PT ebaY went down and was back at 07:42:06 PT.
At 12:02:46 PT the site had another short crash lasting until 12:10:22 =
PT. Billpoint, revise and search were reported down at 12:11:52 PT. At =
12:16:34 PT ebaY reported View Item and Bidding were intermittently =
unavailable. ebaY posted at 12:36:51 PT that View Item, Bidding, Real =
Estate, Motors and ebaY Premier were intermittently unavailable from =
12:00 PT to 12:09 PT. Users continued to report problems at 12:37:30 PT =
with "This function is currently unavailable" messages appearing when =
trying to access the site. At 12:49:27 PT users reported My ebaY down =
and problems with the deadbeat bidder pages (NPB). =20

At 13:47:23 PT ebaY posted about the problems with ebaYs Billpoint=20
online payments defaulting on ebaY listings. ebaY claims the problem=20
is in relist, and that they are working on fixing it. TAG finds this=20
very interesting in light of the email from Billpoint that stated this =
was an intentional default on the part of ebaY. It is curious that ebaY =
can't get its lies in order before they publish them, so that even =
though the conflicting statements remain lies, they appear to possibly =
be the truth.   TAG strongly recommends you carefully check your =
auctions when you list, after you list when you relist and after you =
relist to make sure ebaY has not defaulted to Billpoint even though you =
did NOT select it. You also need to make sure that your Billpoint =
account is set to NOT accept automatic Billpoint payments. To disable =
the automatic payment feature go to the Billpoint homepage at =
http://www.billpoint.com and log into your My Billpoint account. Click =
on the "Preferences" link found in the navigation bar on the left-hand =
side of your Billpoint summary page. On your preferences page, you can =
choose the account preferences you wish to activate or deactivate. TAG =
has had unconfirmed reports from users that even though the seller had =
opted out of Billpoint on their auctions, the buyer by using buy it now, =
and possibly clicking on the pay via Billpoint link in the end of =
auction notice, were able to generate a Billpoint invoice which added a =
Billpoint logo back on the closed auction. This forces the sellers to =
accept Billpoint, unless they did a screen capture of the auction when =
it ended to prove they were not accepting Billpoint on that auction. It =
appears to TAG that the only way you can currently avoid being forced =
into accepting=20
Billpoint is to close your Billpoint account altogether.=20
If you have questions about ebaY Billpoint, or want to close your=20
account, go to http://www.billpoint.com/customercare/index.html

At 13:50:48 PT users continued to report the site slow. This cleared up =
and the site functioned until 18:15:58 PT when users reported =
intermittent problems with ebaY images.=20

On 3 Jul at 14:38:35 PT ebaY posted that graphics and images were
not working properly on the www.ebay.com site. ebaY recommended
users turn off automatic loading of images in their browser options,=20
so pages could download without the images, which cause the pages=20
to hang up. ebaY claimed at 15:41:55 PT that the problem was fixed=20
as of 15:35 PT. TAG feels that since this problem prevents items from =
being viewed or bids placed, unless the buyer is sophisticated enough to =
know how to circumvent the ebaY image outage, that ebaY should consider =
this an essential function and provide refunds on all effected auctions. =
=20

ebaY will take their system down for regularly scheduled maintenance
from 0100 PT until 0300 PT on Fri 6 Jul . Billpoint will also be down
during this time frame for scheduled maintenance.
=20
TO REQUEST REFUNDS from ebaY go to
http://www.auctionguild.com/generic.html?pid=3D33
Don't take no for an answer; keep requesting until you get them.

ebaY resumed their Discover the Collector promotion on 2 Jul at=20
19:04:46 PT

Users continue to report difficulties getting past ebaY picture services =
while listing. Decline the Active X control and choose to opt to not =
use ebaY picture services by going to=20
http://cgi5.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ShowPhotoOption&page=3D167=20
This takes you to a listing page that skips over the ebaY image hosting

Full details on Shooting Star Jacket Auction with links, seller =
comments, details and editorial on the TAG site at=20
http://www.auctionguild.com/generic.html?pid=3D61

On 3 Jul at 16:15:25 PT in the face of widespread user criticism and in =
TAGs view, faced with the threat of mass numbers of users adopting Ad =
Subtract software, ebaY backed down on their usage of flashing ads on =
sellers listing pages. ebaY called these ads "dynamic content", and =
claim that it was "an unintentional technical issue".   TAG has watched =
the intentional development of these flashing banner ads over the last =
few months, with ebaY slowing the time lag down so that they appeared on =
the listing page, and were up for long enough to be clicked on. ebaY =
claims they will fix this "as soon as possible". There are several ways =
to work around these annoying flashing ads that slow down searching. =
The primary and most effective way is to go to http://www.adsubtract.com =
and download their software. This will stop you having to view banner =
ads, and will also protect you from unwanted cookies, and other even =
more invasive files planted on your computer. Another method is to go =
to your Internet Explorer options, look under multimedia and turn off =
the image option. When you search ebaY you won't see any images =
including banner ads. If you want to view an image on an auction, right =
click your mouse and select "show picture". If you hold down the shift =
key when you hit your back button when going from the item back to the =
search list, this should also circumvent the flash ad. You can also set =
your IE browser to open a second window when you click on a link, so =
that you don't have to use your back button, just close the newly opened =
window after you view the auction and resume your search.

ebaY Cuts The Threads of The Web? FIGHT BACK!!!=20
info, links etc can be found at
http://www.auctionguild.com/generic.html?pid=3D57

ebaY contact information including analog mail and email addresses=20
and phone numbers, regular and toll free, refund info and insider=20
trading info etc can be found at=20
http://www.auctionguild.com/generic.html?pid=3D17
* * * * *
Amazon Auctions, zShops and Marketplace=20
Processing problems have created closed auction relisting and email =
notification backlogs, resulting in delays. Amazon is processing the =
backlogs, and will relist all closed auction listings set to =
auto-relist. They will also deliver all email notifications associated =
with completed auctions.=20
Announcement Board - http://amazon.remarq.com/list/16791839=20

Amazon sellers are expressing concern on the Amazon chat boards=20
about being penalized by their buyers on their feedback, due to the=20
frequent Amazon problems. Since sellers are dependent on Amazon=20
for payment, this puts the seller in a bad position, and careful=20
communication with buyers appears to be the tool sellers have to
mitigate the effect of Amazons problems.
http://amazon.remarq.com/list/2962249?nav=3Dn&tn=3D29422&i=3D24=20

Amazon live telephone customer service 16 hours a day=20
Toll-free in U.S. and Canada: (800)201-7575=20
http://auctions.amazon.com=20
* * * * *
USPS new mail rates went into effect as of 2 Jul 01
* * * * *
Online Auction Users Association
Interested in volunteering and serving the Online Auction Community?
Check out http://www.auctionusers.org/volunteerop.shtml

Live Chat for July
Thursday, July 5 , 9 p.m. EST - Diversification. Let's talk about=20
selling elsewhere
Thursday, July 12 , 9 p.m. EST - OAUA night! Why join? Come
find out more about us.
Monday, July 16, 9:30 p.m. EST - TRIVIA NIGHT with the=20
TriviaMaster
Thursday, July 19 , 9 p.m. EST - Let's discuss incentives for your
buyers
Thursday, July 26 - 9 p.m. EST - Tentative chat with AuctionHog.com
http://www.auctionusers.org
* * * * *
Online Auction & Trading Site Co-op
Interested in an OAT Site Co-op?
Interested in getting involved?
Information on co-ops -=20
http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/rbs/pub/cir55/cir55rpt.htm
http://www.wisc.edu/uwcc/=20

Vintage Items Co-Op info can be found at
http://balder.prohosting.com/vintcoop/
*********************************************************
***PLEASE NOTE: Many long links we post in TAGnotes must be
copy/pasted into your browsers URL/Address box in pieces, with no
extra spaces, to get them to work due to HTML limitations****
*********************************************************
If you would like an Auction House or Service Provider added to=20
this list, please email us at ta-@theauctionguild.com
Have any information for us? email us at ta-@theauctionguild.com
TAG Subscribers have often contributed to information reported on in
TAGnotes. Visit their auctions.
TAGassist Contributors -
http://www.antique-central.com/toolbox.html

***********************************************************
THE AUCTION GUILD
and eTRADERS GUILD
www.auctionguild.com
Not just a venue=20
877-SAFETAG=20
READ TAGnotes
Have the most current information at your fingertips through
our almost daily email synopsis of announcements and changes from=20
the Online Auction Industry. Subscribe today at-
http://www.auctionguild.com
or email us - ta-@theauctionguild.com
***********************************************************
All trademarks and brands are the property of their respective owners
Copyright 1999 - 2001 The Auction Guild Inc All rights reserved=20
=20

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<DIV>The Auction Guild Notes for Wed 4 Jul 2001=20
<BR>************************************************************<BR>The =
TAGnotes=20
archive is available in a searchable format at <BR><A=20
href=3D"http://www.escribe.com/business/TAGnotes/">http://www.escribe.com=
/business/TAGnotes/</A><BR>Interested=20
in more information about TAG? Go to our website at<BR><A=20
href=3D"http://www.auctionguild.com">http://www.auctionguild.com</A><BR>*=
***********************************************************<BR>On=20
2 Jul at 07:17:16 PT ebaY went down and was back at 07:42:06 PT.<BR>At =
12:02:46=20
PT the site had another short crash lasting until 12:10:22 PT. =
Billpoint,=20
revise and search were reported down at 12:11:52 PT. At 12:16:34 =
PT ebaY=20
reported View Item and Bidding were intermittently unavailable. =
ebaY=20
posted at 12:36:51 PT that View Item, Bidding, Real Estate, Motors and =
ebaY=20
Premier were intermittently unavailable from 12:00 PT to 12:09 PT. =
Users=20
continued to report problems at 12:37:30 PT with “This function is =
currently=20
unavailable” messages appearing when trying to access the =
site. At=20
12:49:27 PT users reported My ebaY down and problems with the deadbeat =
bidder=20
pages (NPB). </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>At 13:47:23 PT ebaY posted about the problems with ebaYs Billpoint=20
<BR>online payments defaulting on ebaY listings. ebaY claims the =
problem=20
<BR>is in relist, and that they are working on fixing it. TAG =
finds this=20
<BR>very interesting in light of the email from Billpoint that stated =
this was=20
an intentional default on the part of ebaY. It is curious that =
ebaY can’t=20
get its lies in order before they publish them, so that even though the=20
conflicting statements remain lies, they appear to possibly be the=20
truth.   TAG strongly recommends you carefully check your =
auctions=20
when you list, after you list when you relist and after you relist to =
make sure=20
ebaY has not defaulted to Billpoint even though you did NOT select =
it. You=20
also need to make sure that your Billpoint account is set to NOT accept=20
automatic Billpoint payments. To disable the automatic payment =
feature go=20
to the Billpoint homepage at <A=20
href=3D"http://www.billpoint.com">http://www.billpoint.com</A> and log =
into your=20
My Billpoint account. Click on the "Preferences" link found in the =

navigation bar on the left-hand side of your Billpoint summary page. On =
your=20
preferences page, you can choose the account preferences you wish to =
activate or=20
deactivate. TAG has had unconfirmed reports from users that even =
though=20
the seller had opted out of Billpoint on their auctions, the buyer by =
using buy=20
it now, and possibly clicking on the pay via Billpoint link in the end =
of=20
auction notice, were able to generate a Billpoint invoice which added a=20
Billpoint logo back on the closed auction. This forces the sellers =
to=20
accept Billpoint, unless they did a screen capture of the auction when =
it ended=20
to prove they were not accepting Billpoint on that auction. It =
appears to=20
TAG that the only way you can currently avoid being forced into =
accepting=20
<BR>Billpoint is to close your Billpoint account altogether. <BR>If you =
have=20
questions about ebaY Billpoint, or want to close your <BR>account, go to =
<A=20
href=3D"http://www.billpoint.com/customercare/index.html">http://www.bill=
point.com/customercare/index.html</A></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>At 13:50:48 PT users continued to report the site slow. This =
cleared=20
up and the site functioned until 18:15:58 PT when users reported =
intermittent=20
problems with ebaY images. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>On 3 Jul at 14:38:35 PT ebaY posted that graphics and images =
were<BR>not=20
working properly on the <A href=3D"http://www.ebay.com">www.ebay.com</A> =
site.=20
ebaY recommended<BR>users turn off automatic loading of images in =
their=20
browser options, <BR>so pages could download without the images, which =
cause the=20
pages <BR>to hang up. ebaY claimed at 15:41:55 PT that the problem =
was=20
fixed <BR>as of 15:35 PT. TAG feels that since this problem =
prevents items=20
from being viewed or bids placed, unless the buyer is sophisticated =
enough to=20
know how to circumvent the ebaY image outage, that ebaY should consider =
this an=20
essential function and provide refunds on all effected auctions. =
</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>ebaY will take their system down for regularly scheduled=20
maintenance<BR>from 0100 PT until 0300 PT on Fri 6 Jul . Billpoint =
will=20
also be down<BR>during this time frame for scheduled=20
maintenance.<BR> <BR>TO REQUEST REFUNDS from ebaY go to<BR><A=20
href=3D"http://www.auctionguild.com/generic.html?pid=3D33">http://www.auc=
tionguild.com/generic.html?pid=3D33</A><BR>Don't=20
take no for an answer; keep requesting until you get them.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>ebaY resumed their Discover the Collector promotion on 2 Jul =
at=20
<BR>19:04:46 PT</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Users continue to report difficulties getting past ebaY picture =
services=20
while listing. Decline the Active X control and choose to opt to =
not use=20
ebaY picture services by going to <BR><A=20
href=3D"http://cgi5.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ShowPhotoOption&;pag=
e=3D167">http://cgi5.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ShowPhotoOption&;pa=
ge=3D167</A>=20
<BR>This takes you to a listing page that skips over the ebaY image=20
hosting</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Full details on Shooting Star Jacket Auction with links, seller =
comments,=20
details and editorial on the TAG site at <BR><A=20
href=3D"http://www.auctionguild.com/generic.html?pid=3D61">http://www.auc=
tionguild.com/generic.html?pid=3D61</A></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>On 3 Jul at 16:15:25 PT in the face of widespread user criticism =
and in=20
TAGs view, faced with the threat of mass numbers of users adopting Ad =
Subtract=20
software, ebaY backed down on their usage of flashing ads on sellers =
listing=20
pages. ebaY called these ads “dynamic content”, and =
claim that it was “an=20
unintentional technical issue”.   TAG has watched the =
intentional=20
development of these flashing banner ads over the last few months, with =
ebaY=20
slowing the time lag down so that they appeared on the listing page, and =
were up=20
for long enough to be clicked on. ebaY claims they will fix this =
“as soon=20
as possible”. There are several ways to work around these =
annoying=20
flashing ads that slow down searching. The primary and most =
effective way=20
is to go to <A =
href=3D"http://www.adsubtract.com">http://www.adsubtract.com</A>=20
and download their software. This will stop you having to view =
banner ads,=20
and will also protect you from unwanted cookies, and other even more =
invasive=20
files planted on your computer. Another method is to go to your =
Internet=20
Explorer options, look under multimedia and turn off the image =
option. =20
When you search ebaY you won’t see any images including banner =
ads. If you=20
want to view an image on an auction, right click your mouse and select =
"show=20
picture". If you hold down the shift key when you hit your back =
button=20
when going from the item back to the search list, this should also =
circumvent=20
the flash ad. You can also set your IE browser to open a second =
window=20
when you click on a link, so that you don’t have to use your back =
button, just=20
close the newly opened window after you view the auction and resume your =

search.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>ebaY Cuts The Threads of The Web? FIGHT BACK!!! <BR>info, links etc =
can be=20
found at<BR><A=20
href=3D"http://www.auctionguild.com/generic.html?pid=3D57">http://www.auc=
tionguild.com/generic.html?pid=3D57</A></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>ebaY contact information including analog mail and email =
addresses=20
<BR>and phone numbers, regular and toll free, refund info and insider=20
<BR>trading info etc can be found at <BR><A=20
href=3D"http://www.auctionguild.com/generic.html?pid=3D17">http://www.auc=
tionguild.com/generic.html?pid=3D17</A><BR>*=20
* * * *<BR>Amazon Auctions, zShops and Marketplace <BR>Processing =
problems have=20
created closed auction relisting and email notification backlogs, =
resulting=20
in delays. Amazon is processing the backlogs, and will relist all closed =
auction=20
listings set to auto-relist. They will also deliver all email=20
notifications associated with completed auctions. </DIV>
<DIV>Announcement Board - <A=20
href=3D"http://amazon.remarq.com/list/16791839">http://amazon.remarq.com/=
list/16791839</A>=20
</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Amazon sellers are expressing concern on the Amazon chat boards =
<BR>about=20
being penalized by their buyers on their feedback, due to the =
<BR>frequent=20
Amazon problems. Since sellers are dependent on Amazon <BR>for =
payment,=20
this puts the seller in a bad position, and careful <BR>communication =
with=20
buyers appears to be the tool sellers have to<BR>mitigate the effect of =
Amazons=20
problems.<BR><A=20
href=3D"http://amazon.remarq.com/list/2962249?nav=3Dn&;tn=3D29422&=
i=3D24">http://amazon.remarq.com/list/2962249?nav=3Dn&;tn=3D29422&=
i=3D24</A>=20
</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Amazon live telephone customer service 16 hours a day <BR>Toll-free =
in U.S.=20
and Canada: (800)201-7575 <BR><A=20
href=3D"http://auctions.amazon.com">http://auctions.amazon.com</A> <BR>* =
* * *=20
*<BR>USPS new mail rates went into effect as of 2 Jul 01<BR>* * * * =
*<BR>Online=20
Auction Users Association<BR>Interested in volunteering and serving the =
Online=20
Auction Community?<BR>Check out <A=20
href=3D"http://www.auctionusers.org/volunteerop.shtml">http://www.auction=
users.org/volunteerop.shtml</A></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Live Chat for July<BR>Thursday, July 5 , 9 p.m. EST - =
Diversification.=20
Let's talk about <BR>selling elsewhere<BR>Thursday, July 12 , 9 p.m. EST =
- OAUA=20
night! Why join? Come<BR>find out more about us.<BR>Monday, July 16, =
9:30 p.m.=20
EST - TRIVIA NIGHT with the <BR>TriviaMaster<BR>Thursday, July 19 , 9 =
p.m. EST -=20
Let's discuss incentives for your<BR>buyers<BR>Thursday, July 26 - =
9 p.m.=20
EST - Tentative chat with AuctionHog.com<BR><A=20
href=3D"http://www.auctionusers.org">http://www.auctionusers.org</A><BR>*=
* * *=20
*<BR>Online Auction & Trading Site Co-op<BR>Interested in an OAT =
Site=20
Co-op?<BR>Interested in getting involved?<BR>Information on co-ops - =
<BR><A=20
href=3D"http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/rbs/pub/cir55/cir55rpt.htm">http://www=
.rurdev.usda.gov/rbs/pub/cir55/cir55rpt.htm</A><BR><A=20
href=3D"http://www.wisc.edu/uwcc/">http://www.wisc.edu/uwcc/</A> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Vintage Items Co-Op info can be found at<BR><A=20
href=3D"http://balder.prohosting.com/vintcoop/">http://balder.prohosting.=
com/vintcoop/</A><BR>****************************************************=
*****<BR>***PLEASE=20
NOTE: Many long links we post in TAGnotes must be<BR>copy/pasted into =
your=20
browsers URL/Address box in pieces, with no<BR>extra spaces, to get them =
to work=20
due to HTML=20
limitations****<BR>******************************************************=
***<BR>If=20
you would like an Auction House or Service Provider added to <BR>this =
list,=20
please email us at <A=20
href=3D"mailto:ta-@theauctionguild.com">ta-@theauctionguild.com</A><BR>Ha=
ve any=20
information for us? email us at <A=20
href=3D"mailto:ta-@theauctionguild.com">ta-@theauctionguild.com</A><BR>TA=
G=20
Subscribers have often contributed to information reported on =
in<BR>TAGnotes.=20
Visit their auctions.<BR>TAGassist Contributors -<BR><A=20
href=3D"http://www.antique-central.com/toolbox.html">http://www.antique-c=
entral.com/toolbox.html</A></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>***********************************************************<BR>THE =
AUCTION=20
GUILD<BR>and eTRADERS GUILD<BR><A=20
href=3D"http://www.auctionguild.com">www.auctionguild.com</A><BR>Not =
just a venue=20
<BR>877-SAFETAG <BR>READ TAGnotes<BR>Have the most current information =
at your=20
fingertips through<BR>our almost daily email synopsis of announcements =
and=20
changes from <BR>the Online Auction Industry. Subscribe today at-<BR><A=20
href=3D"http://www.auctionguild.com">http://www.auctionguild.com</A><BR>o=
r email=20
us - <A=20
href=3D"mailto:ta-@theauctionguild.com">ta-@theauctionguild.com</A><BR>**=
*********************************************************<BR>All=20
trademarks and brands are the property of their respective =
owners<BR>Copyright=20
1999 - 2001 The Auction Guild Inc All rights reserved </DIV>
<DIV> <SPAN =
id=3D__#Ath#SignaturePos__></SPAN> </DIV></BODY></HTML>

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