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Back by popular demand, we are pleased to present a Live Event with Rob Chesnut, Vice President of eBay's Trust and Safety Department, on Tuesday, June 10th from 5:00 - 6:00 PDT.
Rob will discuss and field questions about site policies and the proactive steps that eBay is taking to combat fraud and maintain a safe online marketplace. Want to ask a question about Feedback? Not sure how to distinguish a spoof email from a legitimate one? Join us for the Live Chat and get the answers to your questions.
eBay member exclusive live chat with Rob Chesnut, Vice President of eBay's Trust & Safety Department.
About Trust and Safety: The Trust and Safety Department is dedicated to maintaining eBay's status as a safe online marketplace by providing the assurances that buyers and sellers need to make informed decisions with confidence and trust. The Trust and Safety Department is responsible for changes to eBay's site rules and policies in areas like non paying bidder, feedback display and feedback removal; eBay's proactive efforts to detect and prevent fraudulent and abusive activity on the site; and, cooperation with law enforcement and regulatory agencies to encourage lawful activity on the site and prosecution of wrongdoers
Rob Chesnut is Vice President and Deputy General Counsel of eBay Inc. Before starting eBay's Rules, Trust and Safety department, Rob was a member of eBay's legal team for over three years, overseeing domestic legal issues for eBay. Rob joined eBay in early 1999 after spending 11 years as a federal prosecutor with the United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Rob served as the Chief of that office's Major Crimes unit, and handled several noteworthy espionage cases including the prosecution of CIA employee Aldrich Ames. He is a graduate of the University of Virginia and Harvard Law School.
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Back by popular demand, we are pleased to present tonight's event with Rob Chesnut, VP of Trust and Safety.
Rob will field questions about site policies and discuss proactive steps that eBay is taking to combat fraud and maintain a safe online marketplace. Want to ask a question about feedback? Not sure how to distinguish a spoof email from a legitimate one? Submit your questions now. Welcome, Rob! Rob Chestnut: We've gotten several questions about two new recently announced trust and safety enhancements, let's start off the chat talking about them. The first one, the Trust and Safety additions to end of auction notices and end of transaction notices, was announced last week and should roll out shortly. Both these emails will include the first initial, last name, city and region of your trading partner. For example, if you win one of my auctions, your end of auction notice will let you know that you should be paying R. Chesnut, in San Jose, CA, USA. This change will let buyers who they'll be hearing from to complete the deal, and who they should pay. Including only this information will protect your privacy while providing valuable information to your trading partner - the emails will also include some new trust and safety messaging, including tips about safe payments. I'm generally in favor of providing users with more information so that they can make better, more intelligent trading choices - that's why I'm so pleased with the new trust and safety email project, as well as other recent changes like the seller feedback percentage on the view item page. The second enhancement, limit email lookup, goes in the other direction. In short, this project prevents anyone in the world from coming to eBay and looking up members by their email address. Until yesterday when this feature rolled out, users and non users could use eBay to create or confirm email address lists, gathering information about users' feedback and transaction history - that fact has generated a number of complaints from users who felt that such transaction information should not be made available to anyone in the world who had their email address. Worse, these email lists were often used to spam eBay users with unsolicited marketing emails ("spam"), as well as fraudulent emails made to look like they have come from eBay or PayPal that, in fact, contain links to obtain passwords and other account information when clicked on by unsuspecting member recipients ("spoof" emails). After carefully looking into the problem, we had to reluctantly conclude that limiting email lookups was, over the long haul, the best way to prevent such abuses. I want to apologize to the community for releasing this enhancement without prior notice - that's not our style - but we felt that such notice would only give folks with bad motives the opportunity to speed up their efforts to beat any announced deadline. To reduce the pain here, we created a feature that will enable you to look up users by email address for any user that you've recently had a transaction with - in addition, this new feature gives you access to more limited information about any user. Sorry to go on so long, but I know that these changes would generate a number of questions, and I wanted to talk about these up front. We've got a knowledgeable, passionate team here in the Trust and Safety department, and we're working hard to do the right thing . Let's do some more questions. I sat down last night and looked at questions that you submitted in advance...I read over 200 of them. I sent some to our support team to answer more personal questions directly, and tried to find a good balance of tough questions covering a lot of different issues. I'll also grab some questions that come in during the chat, but I'm obviously only going to get to a fraction of the questions - I'll do the best I can. blue67t: I have been getting a few E-mails that looks like that its from eBay requesting my password for my eBay account and other information. How do I know if it is really from eBay or not? Today I got another E-mail that looks like its from eBay fraud team I really need help. buckeye*pride: The email scams that have been circulating seem to be a huge problem. eBay does a good job of saying "we don't ask for passwords." But I think a warning on the My eBay page as a reminder might be a good place to reach more people with the message. Are there any plans to post warnings in more prominent places on the eBay site? secure: my id is secure@bitstorm.net. Due to the posted warnings about using email add. I have changed email. Now I want to change my ID since people still use it. Can I do so with out losing my standing? madrew42: Why can't eBay stop the security requests with eBay logo on the e-mail internet?? Talk about fraud!!! Rob Chestnut: blue67t, those emails aren't from eBay. madrew42, these emails aren't as easy to stop as you might think. Unfortunately, it's a simple matter for someone with bad intent to copy an eBay logo and eBay messaging and place it into their own email - that can't be stopped. They can also send an email that appears to have a return address from eBay. We took a big step in addressing this issue with our latest email lookup release yesterday. These people will no longer be able to validate email addresses and feedback on eBay. For users, I'd recommend that if you receive an email - any email - asking for your password or personal financial information, you should assume that it's fraudulent and forward the entire message to spoof@ebay.com. If in doubt, go directly to eBay and sign in to your account and follow the appropriate path on the eBay site map to have your question addressed. Do NOT click on the links in these emails. Three quick points: First, this is an industry-wide problem, and many other companies on the internet are facing these same challenges. We're discussing a variety of options with others in the industry. Second, we have had tremendous success working closely with law enforcement to track down and bring these people to justice. In the last several months, our proactive work with law enforcement has resulted in several arrests in the United States, but also in the far east, eastern Europe and the middle east. Third, you'll see even more messaging from eBay that is educational in nature, designed to help users avoid these sorts of problems, not only on the announcement board, but in end of auction notices, the sell your item process, the completed item page, and checkout. whophdg: I have been trying to find an email address for eBay itself. My purpose is to report what appears to be a scam, emails purporting to be from eBay and requesting account information. These have been identified as spam by my service provider. Unfortunately extensive search of the eBay website reveals no electronic contact so I am resorting to this. adrienne42: It was my experience that the eBay live help representatives weren't always knowledgeable regarding the fraud and SafeHarbor process, and the information on the site was not straightforward or easy to navigate. What are you doing to change and improve the current fraud reporting system? Rob Chestnut: First on email addresses for eBay. eBay now has over 100 policies, and our support representatives have become quite specialized. Using general email delays our ability to respond, since two representatives have to read each email. What we've done is to use a web form which asks members to specify the nature of their question first. This significantly improves the speed with which we can respond to our members. Getting to the web form is simple. From any page on eBay click on the Help button, then click on the Contacting Us button. Follow the instructions and your message will get directly to the right person. The web form will also ask you for all appropriate information. Rob Chestnut: For spoof emails, we've created a special email address, spoof@ebay.com. Please forward suspicious emails directly to that address. Beginning this past January, we established a team of trained fraud representatives who are now available approximately 16 hours a day in Live Chat. They can be reached through our Help system and following the instructions for contacting eBay when something goes wrong in the account theft area. We've gotten some great feedback from users who regularly use this Live Chat feature to get in touch with us in an emergency. Rob Chestnut: And I agree, adrienne42, we can make our help and SafeHarbor process easier to use. We're in the process of examining different options right now. drivenputt: What does eBay intend to do about this rash of non-paying bidders. eBay should have a better system for us to collect our final fee credit on every non paying bidder. Square deal is a waste of time. karlr: The current NPB procedure evidently does not allow for a situation in which a bidder legitimately is refusing to pay because of a change in TOS or unreasonable surcharges. Does the appeal procedure allow for a review of the transaction or is it simply a rubber stamp of the seller's allegation that the buyer has refused to pay? lqqkmanobids: Why are non-paying bidders allowed to leave feedback??? lqqkmanobids: Why are there no bidding restrictions placed on new accounts in the same manner as there are selling restrictions??? Rob Chestnut: Let's now address a question from someone who appears to be a fellow golfer, drivenputt, on non-paying bidders. First, what we've found is that most non-paying bidders are generally good users - that's the result of a recent extensive analysis that we've done of the subject here in the department. We have taken steps however to deal with those who are serial offenders. First, last December we introduced bid limits for members who have -1 or worse feedback scores. They may buy or be high bidder on just one item every 10 days. Second, we have introduced immediate payment for fixed price bidders. This feature is available in the Tickets and Media categories, and this feature eliminates non-paying bidders for the items that offer it. We're evaluating it now, and may roll it out to other areas on the site later this year. We've also introduced non-paying buyer that appears when a non-paying buyer signs in after a seller has filed for a final value fee credit. In the future, we'll be expanding our tools to target educational messaging and more buying limits for higher-risk bidders. We will also expand out popups to pop up after a seller files the non-paying buyer alert. We will be talking about non-paying buyers and the details of our analysis at eBay Live! in Orlando, but let me give you a preview of a few things that sellers can do to limit the likelihood of having a non-paying buyer: - State the actual shipping and handling charges in the listing or in shipping details. - Use the non-paying buyer reporting system. - Help new members through the process - many new users just aren't familiar with how eBay works. - And I know these last two will sound self-serving, but the facts show that sellers who use eBay Checkout or offer PayPal, simply have a lower non-paying buyer rate. And karlr, the appeal procedure does allow for a review of the transaction. It's not a rubber stamp. Also lqqkmanobids, non-paying bidders need to be able to leave feedback because there are times when the sellers refuse to sell the item, or attempt to change the terms of the sale after the auction. djstephens: Can there be something set up for buyers and sellers to dispute negative feedback? There are some that give it just to be mean which isn't fair. mbhoule: Doesn't "Private" feedback defeat the whole purpose of the feedback program? mickyme2: Please tell me why someone who has about 80 negatives is allowed to continue to sell on eBay? mickyme2: Would like to know why repeat buyers' feedback do not count! Also why is there no way of taking or working a negative feedback off? Honest mistakes do happen. You offer 2nd chance for items what about 2nd chance for negative feedbacks if circumstances change. Rob Chestnut: djstephens, the answer is yes. Something is already set up. First, we have a feedback removal policy which gives users a chance to get feedback removed if it was left by a previously-suspended user, a user who has provided eBay with false contact information, or for a host of other reasons. To get the full list, just click on Rules and Safety, and in the left column click on the Feedback Removal column. Even if those rules don't apply, you can always go to www.squaretrade.com and use their processes for a $20 fee - they're often able to get two parties to agree on an amicable solution to their dispute, which includes feedback removal. For mbhoule, private feedback still shows details about the user, including the percentage of positive feedbacks. Only the comments are private, and that fact alone may make some bidders uncomfortable with bidding. For mickeyme2, we have some excellent sellers on the site with several hundred negative feedbacks. The real issue is how many positive feedbacks they have. It's very difficult to conduct hundreds or thousands of transactions over the years without having some dissatisfied customers. A better measure is the positive percentage feedback. And repeat feedback is not counted towards the final number for one simple reason: it prevents a user from building up their feedback numbers fraudulently, or with only one or two trading partners. We hope to make repeat business a more prominent feature on the feedback page in future design changes, some of which will be discussed at eBay Live! Have I mentioned yet that I will be at eBay Live! in Orlando Florida later this month? cogicreate: Shill bidders aren't permanently suspended the first time they are caught. Wouldn't permanently suspending shill bidders the first time they are caught send the message "don't shill on eBay," as opposed to sending the message "don't get caught shilling on eBay more than once"? Rob Chestnut: This is a tough one. Unfortunately, in real world auctions sellers are allowed to bid on their own items. It's a common and lawful practice. For old-timers you may remember when sellers were allowed to bid on their own items on eBay. The approach we've chosen to take is to educate, rather than banning sellers from the marketplace on the first offence. We require sellers on a first shilling offense to provide eBay a proof of identity before they can be reinstated on the site. This prevents them from coming back to eBay under new identities later. For more serious shilling cases we take more serious action, and have even referred matters to law enforcement for prosecution. If anything, I think you'll see us getting more aggressive on this later. sodano: How does eBay feel about people using Western Union Money transfers and getting scammed on auctions? destiny*3: What steps should an individual take to avoid fraud on e-bay? Rob Chestnut: As a buyer, start with the seller's feedback. Look at it carefully, both the percentage positive and the actual comments. If you're contemplating an expensive purchase, look at the seller's item history carefully to see whether they've sold items in this price range before. You might even approach the seller about using escrow.com as a service, but be wary if the seller suggests using any other escrow service - we have seen a number of fraudulent escrow services recently. You can even contact the seller by email or phone for high priced items to get additional assurances. For payment I recommend PayPal as a safe way to pay. Many credit cards also offer great protection. Western Union instant money transfers, MoneyGram transfers, are not appropriate payment methods on eBay. Such services are designed to send money to people you know, and we've noticed a number of users reporting bad experiences when paying for items, particularly high value items, through these services. I'd stay away. arizonatj: When is eBay going to start taking action against illegal items, such as counterfeit goods? Rob Chestnut: We've made this a top priority in the last couple of years. Our Trust and Safety team monitors our site throughout the day and night looking for items that appear to be improper, and we take them down. For counterfeit items it's a little tougher, since we can't be experts on every brand name of watch, pen and handbag. To help, we've enlisted help from private industry, and we have several thousand companies who participate in our VeRO (Verified Rights Owner) program. They help us identify improper items, and I think our site is safer for our internal efforts and the assistance of private industry and the community. prl67: Salutations, Sir. Regarding the e-mail lookup - will sellers be limited to lookups if they were indeed involved in a transaction with the person they are trying to look up? Also, why is it being phased in to have this same enhancement apply to feedback lookup (i.e. feedback that needs to be left to a particular person through the Feedback forum)? Thanks in advance for your answers and time. --Michael Rob Chestnut: For your first question, you are not limited to lookups only with persons you've had a transaction with. In addition, you may look up information with up to 10 members a day, transactionally and non-transactionally. So, to be clear, you can look up information on any user, regardless of whether you've had a transaction with them. Note, users with zero feedback will not be able to use this feature for security reasons. bradsbargins: How do I get a buyer's phone number? Rob Chestnut: Click on Search at the top of any eBay page, then click on the Find Members box. Type in their user ID in the Contact Info box, and you'll be able to get information about any buyer you've had a transaction with, and this includes their phone number. robertkrall: Hello. I currently have a listing that will end next Sunday. I have been contacted by one of the bidders and he wants me to end the auction and sell him the item flat out. Is that legal? Thanks. Rob Chestnut: Hi Robert. It is not proper under eBay rules to take an item off eBay and do a deal off of the website. If the buyer is that interested, you'll probably get a better price leaving it up, and the buyer will be able to take advantage of feedback and the eBay protection program. In the future you might consider using Buy It Now so that an interested buyer can buy it early, at a price you'll be happy with. www_bpccomputers_com: You say that eBay has a feedback removal policy...with all due respect I've never had any luck with it. I spent 4 hrs one night sending emails regarding 150 negative feedbacks...none were removed and eBay's support staff was not helpful at all. Rob Chestnut: bpccomputers, thanks for the follow-up question - makes this feel more like a chat. I can't address your specific situation without looking at the negatives involved, but I'd suggest reading the feedback removal policy carefully. It does place limits on the negative feedback that can be removed. Try to pick one or two that are most closely addressed in the policy and take those up with support to make your case. You may have a better result. jaybardee: Mr. Chesnut, how did you begin your career with eBay? Rob Chestnut: Finally you guys gave me an easy one! I was a federal prosecutor in Virginia, prosecuting drug dealers, spies and bank robbers. And I was looking for a change of pace. I stumbled onto eBay back in 1998 after work one night, and used it to buy some camera equipment - I was immediately hooked. I wrote eBay an email, unsolicited, asking for a job, and two months later I was moving to California. meyer_dist946: What do you love most about working at eBay? Rob Chestnut: I love the marketplace, and I love being in a position that helps me make it better for millions of people around the world. It's a little corny, but I really believe in the things that eBay does - creating an efficient marketplace and bringing people together from around the world with common interests. When I get up every morning I feel as good about what I do as when I was in my last job. And eBay is a terrific place to work. There are a lot of smart people here who really care about the marketplace and are trying to do the right thing. You can't ask for more than that in a job. Rob, thanks for being here to answer these important questions. Unfortunately, we're almost out of time. Do you have any final thoughts, before we have to close? Rob Chestnut: I appreciate everyone taking an hour from your busy schedule to spend with me today. It's important for me to hear your concerns and respond to them. And did I mention I'll be at eBay Live! in Orlando Florida in three weeks? If you grab me there, I'll answer any questions you may have. Uh oh. You guys have my picture, don't you?! ;-) Thank you all for joining us this evening, we hope that we were able to get to all of the questions that you had. Please join us again next week on June 18th at 4:00 PM Pacific, as we chat with Jim Griffith, Dean of eBay Education. http://www.pages.ebay.com/event/griff/index.html A Production of LiveWorld. Copyright 2003. All rights reserved. |
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