

Fixing eBay? - chmike

eBay is unsafe when one has to buy expensive products, especially from foreign countries. This is breaking eBay's business model. What if we could use a trusted third party entity that would check that the product matches the description and that the money is there to allow the transaction ? This would have a cost, but for expensive products it would be worth to pay a commission shared by both ends for such a guarantee. Requesting to use such a third party relay could also be a proof of honesty.<p>I guess it could be possible to build such a relay network by using small shops (i.e. press) for a small side income.<p>Would This Fly ?
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ScottWhigham
eBay actually lets you use escrow services for this type of thing:
<http://pages.ebay.com/help/pay/escrow.html>

"Using Escrow.com can help keep buyers and sellers safe from fraud. When you
use Escrow.com, they collect the money from the buyer and hold it until the
buyer and seller agree that the terms of the sale have been met. Once both
parties are satisfied, Escrow.com sends the payment to the seller. Escrow.com
is licensed and regulated company, and the only escrow service that can be
used for eBay transactions. "

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jfoster
There are buyer protection programs run by eBay (in some markets) for this
purpose. How would you do better?

