Powersellersunite.com (PSU) - New Posting Policies a Selective Police State?

[The Bar Keep]

Some idiot just posted a phone number to the President of eBay North America at PSU, so I called it. Had a nice conversation with Bill Cobb and he will be pursuing legal action against powersellersunite.com

What was it tha PSU Bob said about not having time to read every post at PSU? Sucks to be him  Has the term business interference ever crossed his mind?



Joe - The Bar Keep

[bbhc]

I added a new rule

    * Accessing this site through an Anonymous Proxy Server is prohibited

Great kill the business for your PSU stores you dumbass Bob

I actually agree with him and think banning anonymous proxies is a great security move because the vast majority of hacking attempts and credit card fraud attempts are done through anonymous proxies. If someone is accessing your store through an anonymous proxy you don't want them as a buyer.

We banned 5,000 anonymous proxies in the firewalls of our servers in November/December (and the entire country of Ghana): the result was a 95% reduction in attempted credit card fraud...there was no loss of sales.

The banning of anonymous proxies should help PSU store owners not hurt them.

What will ya do now with users who access PSU through AOL?

AOL isn't an anonymous proxy.

[2boysandtoys]

OK.....I still haven't digested all this and have no clue about the proxie stuff and never use any id but me.  So - having said all that....

1.  I'm still of the opinion that the best action is consistency.  There's a chap from jolly ole England representing ebid in a few threads over there, and I've not enjoyed many of his posts nor the insinuations. 

Have I reported him?  No - I belonged to a forum one time that was primarily folks from across the pond, and their humor is 'more extensive' than ours.  Should I?  Perhaps, cuz it's like tripping over a pile of cow crap - not able to just 'skip over it'.

So, in the above scenario, who's responsible?  Me - partially....PSU - possibly....Moderators - possibly....it just sucks - as nobody can keep up with that many folks and do justice to real moderation.

This new set of 'members' are far more 'open' than past.  I enjoy humor, all kinds of humor, but a business forum with extended gender bias and sexual innuendo is for me a 'turn off'.

Now....back to the business at hand....this issue and a few others in the past have come about because:

 - Some folks attack persons vs. issues, and then cry when they receive back what they gave (can dish it out, but can't take it).
 
 - Other folks pull the trigger on that magic blue button for stupid carp.

 - The moderators have (intentional or not) appeared to show favoritism in the past, trusting that some members who've been 'intelligent' and 'grounded' and possibly pulled posts or taken action that was not appropriate.  Don't make me name names....you all know I'm not that kind of gal.

Call me a PC (political correct) dork, but I always try to find a 'solution'.  The problem varies depending upon who you ask.  So -

The issue -------- not even moderators, and non-consistent action when needed.

The answer ------- get more moderators, and ensure they have specific guidelines for functioning.

2 moderators (plus admin) were fine when it was 1,000 and less members.  PSU is now at 10,000 members + the stores + the moderators do have other stuff.  For the best possible forum that does provide a value-benefit to it's members, there has to be a bit more control put in place - in my opinion.

I'm not suggesting 'limiting anybody's right to free speech'.  But, I don't like the name calling, I don't like the 'men' who made their remarks to the women this week and I don't like a bit of the other discussion I've watched in some threads.  Usually, there's stuff going on, and it's easy to avoid and dies down.  But - with all the new folks....I feel the only sanity check for keeping folks 'focused' in ones' own values - and we all know some are very different than others.

OK - now that I've maintained my dignity, and posted my 'opinions', you all can resume life.  I'm just so boring, as I don't let all this 'stuff' bother me - life's just too short.  And, for those who play the silly report games at PSU, you know darn good and well they do it at eBAY, and every other place. If it can't be 'their' way - then they will still the pot!   

[2boysandtoys]

Some idiot just posted a phone number to the President of eBay North America at PSU, so I called it. Had a nice conversation with Bill Cobb and he will be pursuing legal action against powersellersunite.com

What was it tha PSU Bob said about not having time to read every post at PSU? Sucks to be him  Has the term business interference ever crossed his mind?

So....the phone # was real?  I missed this!! 

[The Bar Keep]

I actually agree with him and think banning anonymous proxies is a great security move because the vast majority of hacking attempts and credit card fraud attempts are done through anonymous proxies. If someone is accessing your store through an anonymous proxy you don't want them as a buyer.

We banned 5,000 anonymous proxies in the firewalls of our servers in November/December (and the entire country of Ghana): the result was a 95% reduction in attempted credit card fraud...there was no loss of sales.

Agreed BUT, those are not the reasons for PSUNite to start banning anonymous proxies. If a disagreement of opinion is a reason to change the way PSU does business, well some things are better left unsaid. Oh by the way remember PSUNite claims ALL PSU stores are not on the same server as the forum, NOT.

So....the phone # was real?  I missed this!! 

Damn skippy the number was real, I have known the number for a long time but sure as heck would never publish it.


Joe - The Bar Keep

P.S. There were 2 threads with the phone number in it and now I only see one. I did screenshot both threads though.

[Dixie_Collections]

http://www.powersellersun...rder=asc&&start=0
and
http://www.powersellersun...hp?t=16489&highlight=

[2boysandtoys]

I tell you what - PSU is just absolutely 'crazy' right now.

I can say - I'm almost at a loss.  I can only stand the 'issues' for so long.  These folks really need to move on and 'get it together'.

I stopped over for about a min. and there's sellers who are yakking about other sellers making deals to move merchandise and knock them outa their selling spot.   I would be doing it too - for crying outloud - this is called competition.

But - so many folks seem to be 'stuck' on this week, the counts, etc.  How many are actually doing anything for 'their own business'?

If I ever sound as miserable as most of these folks, would you all just shoot me?     

[The Bar Keep]

http://www.powersellersun...rder=asc&&start=0
and
http://www.powersellersun...hp?t=16489&highlight=

Yep but there was another thread just like the second link. The first link has been there. Maybe one of the lackeys got to the other link and deleted it.

[The Bar Keep]

I tell you what - PSU is just absolutely 'crazy' right now.

I can say - I'm almost at a loss.  I can only stand the 'issues' for so long.  These folks really need to move on and 'get it together'.

I stopped over for about a min. and there's sellers who are yakking about other sellers making deals to move merchandise and knock them outa their selling spot.   I would be doing it too - for crying outloud - this is called competition.

But - so many folks seem to be 'stuck' on this week, the counts, etc.  How many are actually doing anything for 'their own business'?

If I ever sound as miserable as most of these folks, would you all just shoot me?     

Bingo Erin you get it!!!!!!!!! Did this just go off? See below:

Joe

[2boysandtoys]

I have always admitted to being a bit slower than most....I keep thinking they'll stop whining and get to a 'what now' mode and instead....the whining is gaining!!!

Or so it appears.

Again - it may be that I've lost all my patience ... and therefore just have low tolerance for ignorance today.

Who knows - light bulb moment....yah.................

[Dixie_Collections]

Some of them are making scab lists.

I started to post about the difference between a boycott and a union strike, but didn't have the energy.

[2boysandtoys]

That's what I mean by it's crazy.  And I'm sorry ----- just because you put f****** in a post doesn't mean the intent is not there.  I can cuss like a sailor if desired, but not when I'm yakking business..... 

What has the world come to?   

[The Pet Guy]

Joe and Deb

PSU donated some money to us through your efforts. We have given this a lot of thought. I hope our decision does not offend you. As much as the money meant to us my feelings about the treatment both of you received at PSU burns inside my brain. I gave it a few days to make sure I did not make a snap decission. Martha and I feel so strongly that this was wrong that we have decided to send it back to them. The term used against Deb was extremely offense to me personally. PSU did not make the statement but they should have removed it right away not just edit. I think people can and should use their 2nd amendment right as they wish. I fought to keep that a part of our freedom. That comment was, in my opinion, deeming to all women.   

We did a refund back to PSU. Below is a copy of the email I sent along with the refund. Some may say this was foolish of us but inside me, it was the right thing to do.


“I thank you for your help with our situation. However, I feel a conflict here. The apparent attack on my friends Deb and Joe through your on-line forum places me in an ethical dilemma. These postings need removing. I am a modern day man and their sexist overtones offended me. My wife and I may lose everything we have due to her medical situation. However, my honor will not allow me to keep this money.  I have made a full refund back into your PayPal account”.


Dumb, maybe, I am a traditional southern man and if you attack my family, you attack me. All of you here are part of my family. This was the only thing I could do to protest not just the posting but also PSU’s failure to correct the problem.

[knappschiles]

Erin,

I know just what you are feeling cause I feel it too. The've been talking and voting and arguing for about 3 weeks now. And Yup I bet few of them are doing anything FOR their own business.

But when we first left eBay in 05, we weren't a whole lot better for about a month or so either. It took several weeks for us as we were waiting for the WP-1 site to get going. Eventually we did start working on templates and "refining" our listing techniques while we waited. But at that time there wasn't the glut of alt sites like there is now.

I think for most of these newbies it's like the kick in the teeth you get when you just find out your spouse is cheating -- stage 1 is anger, stage 2 .... unfortunately I don't know just what the rest of the stages are.

These newbies are still in stage 1. Most of US are long past that. I'm not sure how long it will take for them to advance to the point where they will be resigned to it and learn to move on.  When THEY figure it out, then we will be able to offer help that may get listened to by at least some of them.

Carol

[2boysandtoys]

Carol - I hear ya and am trying to be patient!  I will so though that even with our frustration back then about the fee hikes, etc. we had a bit more polish and shine than some of them folk -  !!!

I'd just like to see the discussions become productive again.  PSU members vote on a boycott.  OK - then we've got folks saying, 'go to the site and report listings'.  I try to explain that traffic is traffic - and it's just ignored. Which is fine to ignore/overlook but it clearly shows that these folks do not understand the real association between traffic, visits, etc.   

I guess they got a ton to learn; I don't know that I've got the patience to keep trying to redirect their thinking towards their 'own' business.  I suspect that many 'there' will have no choice but the return to ebaY - they can't get beyond this 'entitlement' issue..

Happy Thursday all...we may have a snow day!! Not at all what the Doctor ordered!  I'll be angry if they don't cancel tho - we got ice on the roads and it's slick as slick can be!