eBay Sellers’ Boycott Begins Today

Tension is building up at online auction giant, eBay, for today marks the weeklong boycott organized by eBay sellers. The protest will run from February 19 to 25 against the new and “unfair” policies that will be implemented this coming February 20.

You can check out eBay’s Seller Central community to see some reactions from the sellers.

Why eBay sellers are fuming?
More than the adjustments on rates, small business owners are mad about a new policy banning sellers from leaving negative comments or feedback to their customers. This suppression might lead to numerous negligent bidders and scammers which will hurt the businesses in the long run.

Of course, eBay was quick to refute this argument. According to Bill Cobb, president of eBay North America:

Overall, the current feedback system isn’t where it should be. Today, the biggest issue with the system is that buyers are more afraid than ever to leave honest, accurate feedback because of the threat of retaliation. In fact, when buyers have a bad experience on eBay, the final straw for many of them is getting a negative feedback, especially of a retaliatory nature.

Moreover, eBay shows that eBay sellers are 8 times more likely to send negative feedback against buyers. Still, sellers do not see this as the win-win solution to resolve these problems.

Alternatives to eBay
The immediate reaction of many frustrated sellers is to bring their business to other online auction sites. Though eBay has the biggest reach, the new policies have the potential to cripple some entrepreneurs. Good thig, Fortune Small Business has lined-up some alternatives together with its pros and cons.