h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Entry: eBay - A1054928
Author: Cyzaki - U223973

This is a rescued entry from the flea market, feel free to be brutal cos most of it is someone else's!

Hmm, this might be a little bit too close to advertising a commercial service for Auntie Beeb's liking... How about starting the entry off with a "History of E-Commerce and E-Bay" paragraph then adding a few more less-practical details - "What's the weirdest thing ever sold?"

Padding out the practicalities like that might make it seem less like an advert.

Hmmm... yeah... didn't see it like that. I'll add a bit on what people have sold in the past (like Arrows sold tours of their factory, and I think a famous American baseball player tried to sell his appendix or something similar, but wasn't allowed...).

If it's not suitable for the edited guide, that's fine... is there somewhere else it could go?

The main problem with this entry is that eBay is under constant evolution as it adds to the range of services it provides. Therefore an edited entry is going to be out of date very quickly.

Still, I do think there's room for an unbiased guide in the Guide to what eBay is and how the uninitiated should approach it... the best tactis to adopt when bidding for something, and so on.

Yeah, fair enough, is there anywhere else for it to go then?

Okay, I'll try to make it more a guide to eBay than an advert.

I've added some more bits, what do you think?

the main problem I can see with it is that you don't mention the problems.

for example, you have to arrange payment between the buyers and seller, but if I as the seller say "cash or check", and the buyer decides to pay with paypal (I know people this has happened to) then you as the seller can end up with bad scores against you for not delivering properly.

also, if the picture shows it to be complete, and the seller delivers it without a vital part, you can be given bad scores for daring to complain.

both of these incidents have happened this year, and ebay's response was less than helpfull.

Okay, will add some down-sides. Thankyou!

You need to mention the word 'auction', preferably in the first paragraph.

Any thoughts on xyroth's downsides, cyzaki?

Added a bit on that, anything else?

I'v browsed through ebay, but never used it before. Your entry does a nice job of walking through the process from all aspects. The risks are well covered.

Nice job.

Friar

Your Guide Entry has just been picked from Peer Review by one of our Scouts, and is now heading off into the Editorial Process, which ends with publication in the Edited Guide. We've therefore moved this Review Conversation out of Peer Review and to the entry itself.

If you'd like to know what happens now, check out the page on 'What Happens after your Entry has been Recommended?' at EditedGuide-Process. We hope this explains everything.

Thanks for contributing to the Edited Guide!

Well done!

Ooh, that was unexpected! Yay me!

Great job!