SIDEBAR
»
S
I
D
E
B
A
R
«
Fuck eBay: ChaseTheChuckWagon.com
May 7th, 2008 by Ice Cream Jonsey

One of the funniest examples of contempt for the consumer was given to us, like God’s only Son, by someone who used to work on one of Sony’s on-line role playing games. He described his base of customers as something like “walking cash registers” or “talking dollar signs” or something like that. I’m not trying to start shit here, so I don’t have a proper cite.

However, new eBay CEO John Donahoe did refer to talk of a boycott as “nothing but noise” while discussing the changes he was implementing. There’s a bunch of crazy shit over there now, apparently fees are down at first glance, but up when you really look in detail, and sellers can’t leave negative feedback and so on and so forth. And of course, Yahoo Auctions is dead in the US, so there really aren’t a lot of other options. Personally, I don’t care if a company goes out of its way to make every last buck, but sure, I’ll bristle at condescending arrogance under any circumstance.

Mike Kennedy actually did something about it – he created www.ChaseTheChuckWagon.com, which is an auction site dedicated to video games. He’s got quite a few sections on arcade games (which is how I discovered it) but you can pick up old Atari 2600 cartridges and stuff for your Nintendo as well.

The main thing that will hit you when you visit the site is just how clean it is. Seriously, eBay is a desperate, pathetic mess. Every square inch of the screen is used by eBay to beg for more money. In-house ads. Promotions. Featured items. I don’t think enough gets made of how sick people are to be advertised to constantly – there’s no option, because eBay is the biggest at what they do, but people don’t naturally become accustomed to it. It’s ugly each and every time.

(And I will never understand how marketing wins out when it comes to where customers go after a login. The engineers would recommend that, should you click on a login for “My eBay,” you should be headed in that general direction after you enter a password and hit “submit.” Not so, says the marketing department! We should direct their eyeballs to a bulletin, or some more ads, or a notice board, or anywhere fucking else! Furthermore, we should ensure that users be forced to log in every fucking time they access the site! Think of the page impressions!

Alright, enough bitching about eBay. I don’t have to extinguish their candle to make ChaseTheChuckWagon’s burn brighter. It really is pleasing to head over there. Obviously, some more work needs to be done – when someone posts that all elusive Warlords poster, I want it pushed to my e-mail when I wake up and are most prone to impulse buying and reckless decision making. So that needs to be developed. And surely, the site should partner up with a non-FDIC-insured cartel to handle the cash transactions and, ah Christ, I’m doing it again.

There’s obviously not nearly as many items over there as there is eBay, but give it a shot. You get $5 in free seller credit when you sign up. I know that I’ll be selling copies of Cryptozookeeper there, and not on eBay, when it’s finished, as more money is going to me, which lets me ask for less. Additionally, since the site is just getting started, there are less of the truly reprehensible eBay zombies and more people who can successfully complete a transaction without drama. It’s like a movie theatre that has banned cell phones.


6 Responses  
  • Milker writes:
    May 7th, 20081:23 pmat

    Also, let us not forget that having 2 people getting together to try and sell something is an exercise in who can get bent further over to take it up the feces ejection tunnel. Not only is Ebay bad, but the people on it usually turn out to be pricks as well. Hence my theory, we complain about Wal-Mart, but I have yet to ever have a business transaction for a used item or auction type transaction ever go smoothly. It is either the seller thinks he has some rare item and marks it up ungodly amounts or the buyer thinks he is entitled to rip the seller off just to boost the ego.

    I have bent over backwards on Ebay for people and they still are not happy. I guess everyone needs something to complain about. So here is my complaint, grow up people and understand how a business transaction works and that your auction site (ebay) or items can very easily be replaced or found somewhere else.

    Fuck those guys, I am going to Wal-Mart where I can buy cheap shit, feel bad about it, but avoid the headaches of somebody out to gouge me. Now for the damn idiots that shop there, that is another conversation. My lord, I walk out of that place with a migraine and serious doubt for humanity with the stupidity and rudeness displayed.

  • So Cal Mike writes:
    May 9th, 20088:52 pmat

    Came across your blog on the Chuckwagon. Thanks for the post. I appreciate the plug.

    Mike Kennedy aka So Cal Mike

  • Ray writes:
    June 19th, 200810:22 amat

    You can also sell your online gaming items and accounts. Check it out:

    WoW Level 70 Undead Warlock 3k gold Burning Crusade Warcraft
    http://www.chasethechuckwagon.com/item.c
    Starting At $149.99 Ends: June 27, 2008 12:00:00 AM EDT

    http://www.chasethechuckwagon.com for all your buying and selling needs.

  • Jasen writes:
    July 25th, 20086:47 pmat

    Let’s not forget about GameGavel.com which opened back in February, and has been rewarding everyone who visits with great contests, and a great format!

    What really sets GameGavel.com apart from the rest though, is the fact its free. There are no insertion fees, no final value fees, no fees for things like reserve prices, buy it now, offer ranges, or even item swaps. In fact, the only fees they even charge are Home Page Featured items, Category Features, and Bolded/Highlights. You do not need to charge fees to survive, and I think fellow Gamers would agree. Some people say their fees are “laughbly lower” than ebay, I say they
    still charge fees…. I’ll use GameGavel.com to F* eBay!

  • Garth's Equipment Shop writes:
    July 7th, 20091:25 pmat

    So true about eBay. It is evil. Some day it will fall and be replaced by something that wins over the hearts and minds of the masses and we can all do the jig together on eBay’s grave. We will scare our grandkids or greatgrandkids with horrifying stories of the evil eBay empire that once ruled the realms of eCommerce with it’s iron-fisted tyrannical monopoly.

  • Robert writes:
    August 19th, 200912:11 pmat

    Something to think about, if you have something thats nice and you feel is worth some money and if you list it on ebay and someone buys it and then decide they dont want it….all they have to do is ask for a refund, and they can do what ever they want to it,Trash it, anything, Ebay will tell them to return it and the hard truth is they dont even have to return it, All they have to do is return a package with confirmation…They dont have to return your item, Ebay isnt going to contest it they are just going to go ahead ahead and give them your hard earned money back and you probably wont even get listing fees or paypal fee’s, They dont even take time to check the other feedback of the buyer…In other words your just out of luck and they could care less.
    I have had the misfortune of running into a buyer – seller ” sweetescape215 ” that has a total of 65 transactions and this seller has left negative feedbacks for 4 dealers and Neutrals for 2 …..and I believe they all had to do refunds, Yes including me, After over 2000 successful transactions I had to run into this one, They have trashed 6 good dealers and they was all helpless against this…..Insurance wont even help you in this case..
    MY sale was for a new mag still in original sleeve and sealed and they said not as described,
    Paypal has put a hold on the funds and I still to this day have not gotten my magazine back,Not thats its going to be worth anything now..
    If you have the time or want go chEck this buyer out on feedback left..
    Thankyou if you have reaqd this….Good luck if you don’t.


»  Substance:WordPress   »  Style:Ahren Ahimsa