Ebay - the Caveat Emptor or the Tylenol Defence?
Image 1 of 1
Article Summary
November 8, 2004 After years of building up one of the most successful internet-based businesses ebay is under attack and under threat. Ebay is becoming a victim of its own success. Despite stringent codes of conduct, a few unscrupulous users are finding ways of bypassing the rules, resulting in the availability of prohibited items and in fraudulent transactions. This is exacerbated when buyers discover that the "secure" payment mechanism is not quite as secure as they thought and ebay appears to dismiss their complaints. It all becomes grist to the media mill.
The foundation of the ebay business model - trust - is being eroded and ebay need to react. But why and how?