Auction Sites Whose Users Are At Risk of Identity Theft By Using the Sites...

[bargainbloodhound]

A list of Auction Sites Whose Users Are Putting Themselves At Risk of Identity Theft By Using The Sites because the site owners care so little about safeguarding their users' personal information that they haven't bothered to properly secure all registration, login, and user account pages.

If you don't mind your identity potentially  being stolen by packet sniffing hackers because the following site owners care so little about user security, then by all means rush on over and register at all of these sites.

Sites with unsecure registration, login, and user account pages
Plunderhere.com **
Blujay.com Site's checkout is also unsecure**Self-signed SSL expired on 4/23/07
BiddersNSellers.com **SSL Expired 1/29/08
HiBidder.com **SSL Expired 5/5/08
PatchAuctions.com **
UBidRight.com **
AuctionFire.com **
OvernightAuctions.com **
AtOncer.com**
DealGates.com **
BookAuctionz.com **
KaQoo.com **Self-signed SSL expired 1/26/07
Squeagle.com**

Sites with unsecure login and user account pages
AuctionQuests.com  (unsecure registration is also possible by clicking on the register link on the unsecure login page)**

Sites with unsecure login pages
DomesticSale.com **
AuctionsWorldWide.net **

Sites with unsecure registration pages
iOffer.com **
Loudfrog.com **

LEGEND
**Site owner can't afford the $15 it would take to buy an SSL certificate
**Expired SSL: Site owner can't afford the $15 it would take to renew an SSL certificate
**Site has an SSL certificate but site owner hasn't properly secured all registration, login, and user account pages

note to site owners: If you don't like having your name on this list too boinking bad.  Try taking proper steps to safeguard your users' personal information by securing all registration, login, and user account pages if you want your site removed from this list.

[regic]

HiBidder might want to think about removing the deceptive "Secured by RapidSSL" seal they display on all of their pages

www.hibidder.com uses an invalid security certificate.

The certificate expired on 5/5/2008 7:56 PM.

(Error code: sec_error_expired_certificate)

[sneakymagenta]

Hey Teddy Beartard!

Subtract Plunderhere.com from the list
Add Alsoshop.com and TheTradersPost.com to the noSSL list

[BellisimaJ.]

Hey Teddy Beartard!

Wow. Are you getting soft in your old age, Sneak? That's way nicer than the things you usually call him. lol. 

[let the truth be told]

A list of Auction Sites Whose Users Are Putting Themselves At Risk of Identity Theft By Using The Sites because the site owners care so little about safeguarding their users' personal information that they haven't bothered to properly secure all registration, login, and user account pages.

Bolding mine.

Hey Teddy Beartard!

Subtract Plunderhere.com from the list
Add Alsoshop.com and TheTradersPost.com to the noSSL list

Bolding mine.

I trust I don't have to explain the difference between an auction site and a classifieds site but in any case TTP will be taken down. You may have missed my original post in regards to TTP where I stated we did not want to be an alternative or viewed as an alternative because the only alternative to "eBay" is yourself.

The TTP script was purchased with one reason in mind, to provide a source of extra advertising within a classifieds site to allow people to link to there other sites, mainly websites. While what was originally planned never quite took affect inside TTP the site did serve a profound purpose for 2 very special TCH and TT members. If you remember back around early 08' we ran the SHS promotion through TTP which benefited "Flying High & The Pet Guy" ( Martha And Harold ) through a donation system which went towards Martha's recovery from Cancer. Although the site didn't have a, never could have a & never will have an SSL it did provide for 2 very special online sellers.

As Martha's recovery progressed we turned our attention away from TTP in the hopes of building them a business of which we did.

All while that was going on we were working to correct the SSL issue of which we later found out was not possible but decided to leave the site up for the SHS promotion as we did provide quite a bit of financial support when they needed it most. In any case TTP is no more.


Let the Truth be Told

[BellisimaJ.]

So you're saying that in order to help one individual, it was okay to place all of the users of TTP at risk? That doesn't seem to make a whole lot of sense.....am I missing something?

[sneakymagenta]

I trust I don't have to explain the difference between an auction site and a classifieds site

BBH's list in the first post contains several classified and non auction sites: domesticsale.com, blujay.com, ioffer.com, loudfrog.com. 

EDIT: TTP was also a member of the United Best Network Alliance Auction Network of EBay alternative sites.
http://www.unitedbest.info/core.htm

my original post in regards to TTP where I stated we did not want to be an alternative or viewed as an alternative

Joining United Best negated the public statements in the minds of many OAI users and indicated to most OAI users that the site was an Ebay alternative.  If I hold up an orange and publicly state that it's an apple it's still an orange.

summary: I think this was the appropriate thread to mention the lack of an SSL certificate.

EDIT SOME MORE:

It is/was unique in that it was set up as an advertising outlet.

All classified sites by definition are advertising outlets. 

Anywhere you place an ad for a product, service, or website is an advertising outlet for that matter whether it be TTP, craigslist, Ebay, a blog, or an email campaign.

who are you to decide what is right or wrong or what is good for the membership of any site?

There are thousands of pages of posts and dozens of threads on both TT and TCH where TT and TCH users are voicing their opinions about what they feel is "good for the membership" of different sites.  Why is it OK to "decide what is right or wrong" for members of sites like Wagglepop, Plunderhere, Ewaey, or Ebay but we should shut our mouths about other sites?  I didn't realize there was a list of sites that it was taboo to mention.

[The Pet Guy]

I hardly ever post here but this somewhat involves me. What I don't understand is who are you to decide what is right or wrong or what is good for the membership of any site? TTP was never intended to be an alternative site for anything. It is/was unique in that it was set up as an advertising outlet. This was stated when it was first set up and reaffirmed several times during its life. It was working for us. Now this advertising has been taking away from us when we needed it the most.

Thanks a lot

[BellisimaJ.]

I hardly ever post here but this somewhat involves me. What I don't understand is who are you to decide what is right or wrong or what is good for the membership of any site? TTP was never intended to be an alternative site for anything. It is/was unique in that it was set up as an advertising outlet. This was stated when it was first set up and reaffirmed several times during its life. It was working for us. Now this advertising has been taking away from us when we needed it the most.

Thanks a lot

Sneaky did nothing wrong. It is the owners of TTP that did something wrong. Who are we to judge? I venture to say that most people would agree that it is wrong to knowingly put people at risk of identity theft when they have trusted you with their information. Seems very simple to me.

No amount of good intent makes it right.

If I recall, you and Rat, etc., certainly went after Ray for less. I could be wrong, but I do believe he at least had an SSL.

[maggie777]

who are you to decide what is right or wrong or what is good for the membership of any site?

The reply I used to give Bidbay and Ebay cheerleaders when they questioned my right to criticize shortcomings at their chosen venues was "The first amendment gives me the right to do it.  My desire to help sellers makes me do it".

an advertising outlet

Sorry. I don't understand the logic of using a free channel like Traders Post with 1,351 monthly uniques which requires you to spend time listing indvidual items while you ignore free channels like TheFind, ShopWiki, MSN Shopping, Jellyfish, Microsoft Cash Back, and MyCoupons that collectively have several million uniques.  These free CSE's will list your entire inventory with minimal time required on your part.  I couldn't find your items on any of these sites.

Read the articles in the CSE forum or start a new thread if you need help using these channels.  I guarantee these free channels will work better for any seller than a site with 1,351 uniques.
http://community.tuliptoo...ex.php/topic,18081.0.html

There are thousands of pages of posts and dozens of threads on both TT and TCH where TT and TCH users are voicing their opinions about what they feel is "good for the membership" of different sites.  Why is it OK to "decide what is right or wrong" for members of sites like Wagglepop, Plunderhere, Ewaey, or Ebay but we should shut our mouths about other sites?  I didn't realize there was a list of sites that it was taboo to mention.

Exactly.  Why were there no objections to the listing of SSL-less sites when the names involved were Plunderhere and HiBidder?

[RiverRat]

Exactly.  Why were there no objections to the listing of SSL-less sites when the names involved were Plunderhere and HiBidder?

Maggie...

Neither Joe nor I had any problem with the no SSL being mentioned here.  It was the implication that we had 'swept it under the rug' or in some way tried to hide this fact. 

We were very open and stated publicly when we first set the site up that it had no SSL.  Our members (whom the site was set up for) were well aware of this fact.


Sneaky...

Yes, when we were contacted by United Best, we did agree to "join" (i.e. exchange banners).  I guess some may have perceived that as us being an "alternative to eBay" site.  That wasn't the intent behind our joining nor was it implied when we were invited.

So just because an orange happens to end up mixed in with a bushel of apples, that doesn't make it an apple does it?

[BellisimaJ.]

So just because an orange happens to end up mixed in with a bushel of apples, that doesn't make it an apple does it?

The orange didn't "happen" to end up mixed with a bushel of apples. The orange chose to jump in to the bushel. 

[amy]

Sorry. I don't understand the logic of using a free channel like insert any rinky dink name here with 1,351 monthly uniques which requires you to spend time listing indvidual items while you ignore free channels like TheFind, ShopWiki, MSN Shopping, Jellyfish, Microsoft Cash Back, and MyCoupons that collectively have several million uniques.  These free CSE's will list your entire inventory with minimal time required on your part.  I couldn't find your items on any of these sites. icon_scratch

Read the articles in the CSE forum or start a new thread if you need help using these channels. 
http://community.tuliptoo...ex.php/topic,18081.0.html

I thought of your post when I saw a thread on another forum where a buyer had paid for a premium listing in the AvidCat directory--a site with 311 monthly uniques almost all of whom you can bet are sellers. The number of monthly visitors she'll receive from that paid listing will be significantly less than 311--the number of conversions will be practically non-existent.  At AvidCat all she is getting for her money is a description of/link to her website and a thumbnail of her website. Meanwhile her products are nowhere to be found on TheFind, ShopWiki, etc--sites which will list her products (including product images) for free.  Let's just say that the number of visitors I receive for free from TheFind each month is significantly more than the 311 uniques the entire AvidCat site receives. 

Paying for a premium listing at a site like AvidCat, the WPSSU stores directory (where each store gets its own page with a site thumbnail, description, and link), the many sites that consist of a bunch of store banner ads/logos, or any of the other similar tiny directories/malls, etc is a complete waste of money for the same reason that listing at sites like YourHighBid, Milbid, etc is a waste of time--buyers have little interest in these sites and the majority of traffic is other sellers.

The sites are essentially nothing more than link farms and buyers have little interest in looking at/visiting a site where all they'll find is "a site thumbnail, description, and link".  Buyers want to see products (and guess what, the conversion rates from a clickthrough on a CSE product listing are much higher than those from a clickthrough on a directory/mall website listing).

These type of sites have been around since the '90's and have never generated significant conversions for sellers--that's not going to change. The site owners will try to tell you otherwise because they want your dollars (or traffic or want to sell you one of their other services)  but they're full of sh.it. Comparison engines on the other hand that list merchants' products (rather than just their websites)  do generate significant conversions and many of them are free. 

Why waste your time at rinky dink general auction sites general store directories/malls/etc when there are much better choices available?  Devoting time (and/or money) to the wrong channels (i.e. ones whose historical track record SUCKS) will limit your business's growth potential.

[BellisimaJ.]

Great post, Amy. 

Why were there no objections to the listing of SSL-less sites when the names involved were Plunderhere and HiBidder?

Because it wasn't their name? 

[amy]

free channels like TheFind, ShopWiki, MSN Shopping, Jellyfish, Microsoft Cash Back, and MyCoupons that collectively have several million uniques.

Pronto (almost 10 million monthly uniques) also includes a small number of  free listings but they don't allow submissions.  Their crawler finds sites and then they pick the sites that are included themselves. The sites they pick tend to be established sites with traffic, a professional appearance, site seals (TRUSTe, HackerSafe, BuySafe, etc, etc).  We have about 600 free listings from 2 of our stores included on Pronto.