[quote author=bargainbloodhound link=topic=3775.msg63629#msg63629 date=1186724288]
Quote:Then, the physical verification and the phone ID thing came on board.
Taking steps to screen out potentially fraudulent buyers is good BUT it's only good if you implement the fraud prevention measures in a way that is completely transparent to buyers and doesn't slow down the purchasing/checkout process (examples of "buyer friendly" fraud prevention measures from the ecommerce world: credit card AVS/fraud screening checks during checkout, manually checking orders after they are placed, etc). Ray has failed (badly...very badly) in making the fraud prevention measures "buyer friendly".
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DITTO, BBH!!!!
Take air travel, for example, where fraud and identity protection measures are paramount. Imagine having to go through the metal detector and security checkpoints BEFORE planning a trip and making a reservation -- or even before you could research the airline's website for travelers' comments on service, on-time arrival stats, complaints, etc. Ray doesn't care about attracting buyers -- period. It was as plain as day one, as stated in WP's "philosophy" page, which said something to the effect of "it's your ship, we're just here to stear it". Translated to mean, "Give us your money every month and we'll give you space on our site. It's your job, not ours, to bring buyers."
Apart from Ray's dopey registration system being buyer unfriendly, it is also seller candidate unfriendly, as many sellers will brouse forums to get a "feel" for the site --and may even post a few questions to other sellers regarding site performance, buyer issues, sales, etc. before diving in with time and energy to list and/or set up a store. They may even brouse the buyers' forums to see what issues buyers are facing and how their concerns are being addressed or check site announcements and other community information that might help them assess the site's potential in terms of benefitting their businesses. Making these people jump through hoops before checking out the site only serves to keep potential buyers and sellers from accessing information Ray doesn't want them to have (e.g. the buyers' forum is a ghost town, there is no advertising and none forthcoming, no info on the owners, their experience/qualification/background, sellers are holding semi-monthly listing costests as the only motivation to list, etc.), and possibly screen out "miscreants" and "trolls" from re-registering and infecting loyalists with a reality check. Under the guise of "fraud prevention", WP's registration procedures -- as well as most ALL WP policies, for that matter -- from the "zero tolerance" posting policy to intercepting PMs -- are rooted in, and reflect, Ray's hyper-paranoid nature. For this reason alone, WP will
NEVER, EVER, no way Jose, be successful.Â
Edit: I'd like to add that this hyper-paranoid personality disorder is characteristic of tyrants and hated dictators throughout history. These folks are always having to watch their backs and insulate themselves for self-protection from former loyalists who have rebelled against their tyranny and are now their mortal enemies. It becomes a vicious cycle of tyranny leads to rebellion leads to paranoia leads to more restrictive policies, which leads to further rebellion and so on. The spiral continues until the regime is overthown or the tyrant self-destructs. Toward the end, some loyalists will recognize that it is in their best interests to get fake passports and secretly high-tail it to Brazil, while a few who feel viscerally connected to their leader, largely due to having no identity outside of his shadow, will go down with their leader. All this is happening at WP.
2nd Edit: Hey loyalists, your esteemed leader has abandoned you. He has self-destructed and resurrecting himself with a new identity. He doesn't even want to be a part of you any more. All he wants is your money. Stop defending a ghost and standing in a ghost's shadow. While you are hanging on to false hopes with rah, rahs and listing contests,
Ray has LISTED ANOTHER 96 MORE ITEMS in his eBay store in the last day, and he did it WITH YOUR MONEY.
WAKE THE FRICK UP! Â