A QUESTION FOR ALL TO PONDER

[str8razor]

IT HAS BEEN BROUGHT TO MY ATTENTION THAT THE USERNAMES FOR BIDS ON EBAY ARE NOT THE FULL USERNAME AS IT USED TO BE. THEY ARE A SHORTENED VERSION OF ONES USERNAME. I BELIEVE THAT EBAY IS DOING THIS FOR SECURITY REASONS. IN OTHER WORDS YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHO IS BIDDING PLUS YOU WILL NOT KNOW IF THEY ARE MEMBERS OF SRP OR NOT.

THE QUESTION IS DO WE NEED THE LIST OF EBAY USERS FROM SRP?

I knew about the above but just didn't relate the two.....
I probably know the answer but just wanted your opinion.

[Jimbo]

Well, is this the case on all ebays worldwide? Also, they don't hide the seller's id do they? Having the list may still be useful for that I guess.

James.

[Sondheim]

As far as I'm aware, that's at the discretion of the seller. They have a choice on whether to hide the buyers names to 'protect' them or what not.

~C

[Doc]

seems like a waste of time to me. you don't know who's bidding now till the end and then only the winner.

[ewanhuzarmie]

IIRC, weren't some SRP ebay sellers giving discounts on shipping for other SRP members? If so, the list would still be useful for that.

[Ockham]

I think it is usefull, even more if we don't know against whom we are bidding... Let me explain:

1) it is good to know if the seller is a member of SRP (could be understood as some sort of label quality)

2) when the bidding stop, the seller can know if the buyer is a member of SRP or check on the forum if the buyer is saying so... (could be useful when the seller is giving discounts for other SRP members)

3) it is often better not to know that we are bidding against fellow SRP members, to avoid such discussions as "you knew it was me, why did you overbid me?", "why did you bid if you knew that I was already bidding for it"... etc. I think it could help remaining free to bid for whatever we want without feeling guilty or ashamed.

4) Those who want to advertise members in the Auction Talk... eBay, etc. thread can do it with their member's names and be recognised.

[ChrisL]

I think the easiest thing to do rather than have someone maintain an everchanging and growing list is to have SRP members who are sellers on Ebay make a note in the listing description on the first or last line such as: "SRP member Chrisl"

Chris L

[SR-CMT]

I think the easiest thing to do rather than have someone maintain an everchanging and growing list

Don't we already have that though? Used to be in the library section on the main page.

[hoglahoo]

I like having access to the list.

[str8razor]

If I am not mistaken ALL of the bidders on eBay's usernames are coded, so to speak, so one does not know who they are bidding against until the item is won and then and only then does one know the username of the winner.
Also, I am going to assume that if a seller is offering a shipping discount to an SRP member then that seller is either a member of or knows about SRP. Therefore, if an SRP member does buy an item that has this shipping discount applied then the SRP member/ buyer needs to inform the seller that he/she is an SRP member and also pass on his/her SRP name to the seller. The seller, possibly being familiar with SRP, can check in the Members List to see if the buyer is an SRP member. The seller should then send a PM to the SRP member to see if this is really the member that bought the item as anyone could take an SRP name and send it to the seller. This could possibly do away with the Ebay Names list.