EBAY AND BLACKTHORNE SOFTWARE ARE ROBBING YOU!

Those of you who think this is simply a matter between an eBay Seller and eBay/Blackthorne are sadly mistaken.

To view the DELETED Blackthorne Seller's Assistant Discussion Board, go HERE
I was unable to retrieve all of the contents of this board, but I did get a good amount.
Just be prepared for a few 404's...

We have a new board where we are continuing our fight.
Go to the NEW Ebay-Blackthorne Discussion Forum HERE

On February 6th, eBay announced a plan to launch a new software application, Seller's Assistant and Seller's Assistant Pro.  These applications are designed to replace the existing versions of the software, currently titled Auction Assistant and Auction Assistant Pro.  These two programs will be phased out.  The catch is, to use the new versions one must SUBSCRIBE, on a monthly basis, for a fee of $5.00 permonth for Seller's Assistant, and $15.99 per month for Seller's Assistant Pro. 

Many people are probably now thinking that this isn't too bad.   Software gets updated all the time, there's always a new version.  If you don't want the upgrade, you can just stick with your old version, right?

WRONG!

In this case, anyone who does NOT switch to the new version will start to lose functionality of their old versions as eBay makes changes to their site.  They have stated this will happen, and that they will NOT support the old versions.   Again, you may be saying big deal, software gets obsoleted.  The catch, again, is that eBay OWNS Blackthorne Software.  And another catch is that people who paid to OWN the programs were guaranteed upon purchase, that minor and intermediate upgrades to their software would be FREE FOR LIFE.  This includes maintenance to keep it compatible with ever-changing eBay.  There would only be a charge for major upgrades.  This was given to us IN WRITING.  Now, since we purchased our copy in Nov 1999, we no longer have the emails from Blackthorne stating this.  Maybe someone out there does that can forward one to us?  downmeltd@aol.com or downme@totcon.com or jim@downmainelimited.com.

Ebay bills this new version as a major upgrade.  This may be true comparing the new version to the supposedly official version of Auction Assistant, and Auction Assistant Pro 1.26.  However, Blackthorne/eBay made it a practice to offer all new Beta releases of the software publicly available for ANYONE to upgrade to.   That version was up to 1.27 Beta 39.  Very nearly ALL of the new features offered in Seller's Assistant and Seller's Assistant Pro are ALREADY AVAILABLE in this beta upgrade.  So what, you may ask.  It's a beta, right?

When Blackthorne Software sold us our copy of Auction Assistant Pro in November 1999, IT WAS ONLY AVAILABLE IN BETA!  In all this time, the Frontline Beta has ALWAYS been available.  And there was never an announcement that the software was NO LONGER in Beta.  So, for those of us who purchased this software, downloading the Beta upgrades was natural, because we were never told it had progressed BEYOND beta.   It's operation was that of Beta software.  It's buggy.  It's prone to crashing.  It experiences frequent errors.  It uses too many system resources.   It's slow.  It does not shut down properly many times.  The list of problems goes on.  Now they want to charge us a monthly fee for software we already paid for.  And not only that, but they call it an upgrade to our current software that we have to pay FULL PRICE for, every year.  How many companies can you think of that charge full price for an upgrade to your current software?

Also, when we purchased this software in 1999, it was with the understanding that it was in the process of being coded to work with other auction sites besides eBay.  One month after we bought it, along with the two accompanying Megasets at a cost of well over $200.00, eBay bought Blackthorne Software.  Plans to expand it to other auction sites were immediately dropped, breaking that initial selling point.  I question how long Blackthorne knew about the upcoming sale of the company to eBay prior to selling us and others their software, with the promise that it would compatible with other sites?   They must have known more than a month in advance.

Ebay, when complained to about this, has also stated that eventually ALL MEMBERS will be paying a fee for their service.  They did NOT specify that it was just for use of this software.  Only a few weeks prior to this increase, eBay increased listing fees by a MINIMUM of $.05 each.  In our case, this translates into an increase in fees, starting when our year of free use of SAPro is up, of $29 per week.  This is barring a "subscription price" increase before our time is up.  It could be more a year from now.  Until our year is up, this is translating into an increase in fees of $25 per WEEK, $100 per month.  Rent on our warehouse just went up, by only $25 per MONTH.  Ebay wants an extra $25 per WEEK??  And this is just us at OUR volume.   How many other sellers list at the same or more volume?  Do the math, and see how much eBay is making from their listing fee increase alone.

Another bone of contention that eBay/Blackthorne refuse to address is their subscription fee model.  According to them, you can "unsubscribe" during months that you aren't using the software, and not pay anything.  So, what they're saying here is that those who don't have to use the program as much as others (read: part-time sellers) don't have to pay as much for the EXACT SAME PROGRAM as those who need it more (full-time sellers). The full time seller has to pay every month to stay in business, and the part-time guy can disappear for a couple months, pay that month's subscription, and be brought up to date with the SAME CURRENT SOFTWARE that the FULL-TIME SELLER PAID MORE MONEY FOR, because he couldn't take a couple months off and had to keep using it. Again, eBay/Blackthorne have REFUSED TO COMMENT on this.

Many many eBay users complained to both eBay and Blackthorne Software about this.   Blackthorne set up a discussion board for people to talk about these changes.   They promised they would be manned so that any questions we had would be answered.   The outrage against this new plan was phenomenal.  But the answers given by John Slocum and his staff were merely canned responses, word for word the same things we had been receiving from eBay technical support when we asked THEM about it.  John and staff refused to answer many questions pertaining to technical issues, or the future of the current versions.  3 days after opening the board, they set it to list a poster's IP address.  4 days after opening the board, some posters found thier IP addresses had been banned from the board.  And that afternoon, the board was entirely removed, all comments erased.  Anyone who tries to post a comment pertaining to this issue now gets it immediately deleted and their IP address banned from further postings.  Word is that eBay is also deleting threads regarding this issue from their messageboards, but this is uncomfirmed.  You can view the contents of the deleted board HERE

You, the users of eBay, need to begin making a choice.  Ebay is a corporation out to protect the interests of its stockholders, yes.  But they are doing it at OUR expense.  Every increase in fees must come from somewhere.  Since the sellers are the ones who bear the brunt of the expenses, they must recover the increasing losses by raising auction prices.  This means higher prices for the buyers.

Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't you shopping at eBay in an attempt to find a DEAL?  Those days are fading fast, unless we act NOW, to show eBay that we won't stand for higher fees and higher prices.  As sellers, we MUST unite to show that we can no longer abide eBay dipping their hands into our pockets to satisfy their stockholders.  Many people do not have a problem with increased listing fees.   But I have to ask them, when does it stop?  How long are yu willing to allow them to eat into your profits, little by little?  Forcing you to raise your prices, which drives your customers away slowly but surely?  Think on it, long and hard.

Enclosed here are sites you can visit regarding this issue.  I URGE you to check them out, and make your opinion known!  Of course, if you know of more SEND THEM TO ME!  They'll be posted ASAP.  The more places we know of and contact, the more this gets out there.

Contact John Stossel at ABC News:
http://www.abcnews.go.com/onair/2020/stossel_suggestions__mailform.html

Contact Tom Martino, THE TROUBLESHOOTER
http://www.troubleshooter.com
1 866-966-4357

Contact Consumer Affairs:
http://www.consumeraffairs.com/a_report.htm

Ebay's "Suggestion" Box:
http://pages.ebay.com/community/suggestion/index.html

*IF* you feel this warrants it, here is a link to report this as Mail Fraud:
http://www.usps.com/postalinspectors/fraud/MailFraudComplaint.htm

Here is a link that takes you to a page listing the websites of every Attorney General for every state.
Click here and scroll down the page for links to state attorney's for every state

Send an E-Mail to Pierre:
founder@ebay.com

Send an E-Mail to Meg:
meg@ebay.com

Ebay Phone Number:
(408) 558-7400

John Slocum of Blackthorne Software:
jslocum@cyber-quest.com
570-888-5771

Another message board for Disgruntled Users (You must sign up to use this board):
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/disgruntledusers/messages