Where In the World Is The King of Spin?

As a war of words breaks out this week between eBay and Auctionbytes I am wondering; where in the world is Usher Lieberman the King of Spin?

Ina Steiner the well liked and highly respected editor of Auctionbytes wrote a post titled eBays Operation Catalog Flies Under the Radar on September 6th. This post produced an effect at eBay very similar to stirring an anthill with a stick.

Uncle Griff immediately bustled in to make a long winded and rambling point by point rebuttal of Ina's article. I am a numbers kind of gal, that is why I am no longer selling on eBay, the numbers don't add up in my favor. Just for fun, here are the numbers in this little drama. Ina wrote 258 words. Uncle Windy took 711 to say very little with at least one prevarication

There are no shortcuts. There are no special dispensations for existing policy compliance given to any eBay seller. All eBay sellers, no matter the size of their business on or off eBay, are held to the same seller standards and for Diamond PowerSeller, the privilege of selling on eBay is tied to even higher standards then the rest of the eBay seller community.

and a lot of obfuscation. As is increasingly the norm for eBay, their 'clarification' represents a 275% 'adjustment' on the back end, in their favor.

Griff then went on to say

"The view among some that eBay is somehow a protected marketplace (”don’t let in my competition!”) . . . is unfortunately, misinformed and has no basis in reality"

This is very strange because John Mc stated on Inkblog just the other week (august 20th) that Google Checkout was in competition with eBay and "So we are not going to allow Google Checkout on eBay" If that is not a protected marketplace, then what is?

Could it be a discriminatory protected marketplace?

I asked a question or three on eBayINKblog today I must be in violation because it appears to have vanished, or possibly a glitch. Maybe I will try again, although it seems pointless.

Richard or Griff, or anyone really, please could you answer the following questions, in the interests of further clarification.

• Does a Diamond PowerSeller come up through the ranks?
  
• That is register, buy, qualify to sell, attain Bronze PowerSeller, Silver, Gold etc.?
• If not is there a contractual minimum dollar Gross Sales Value per month?
• Or minimum listing volume requirement

Griff just isn't as smooth at it as Usher is and of course neither of them can hold a candle to Ms Nichola Sharpe who reigns supreme in the art of succinctly saying nowt. (a British word meaning nothing) As David Steiner points out in his response to Griff's 'clarification', it is a classic "non-denial denial". There's a blast from the past for you!





Y'all come back