Home : Community : Founders Letter
From the founder:
I launched eBay on Labor Day, 1995. Since then, this site has become more
popular than I ever expected, and I began to realize that this was indeed a
grand experiment in Internet commerce.
By creating an open market that encourages honest dealings,
I hope to make it easier to conduct business with strangers over the net.
Most people are honest. And they mean well. Some people
go out of their way to make things right. I've heard great stories
about the honesty of people here. But some people are dishonest.
Or deceptive. This is true here, in the newsgroups, in the classifieds,
and right next door. It's a fact of life.
But here, those people can't hide. We'll drive them away. Protect
others from them. This grand hope depends on your active participation.
Become a registered user. Use our Feedback Forum. Give praise where it is due;
make complaints where appropriate.
For the past three years, we have dealt with complaints among participants.
But those complaints have amounted to only a handful. We've had over 12,000,000
items offered on eBay since opening. And only a few dozen complaints.
Now, we have an open forum. Use it. Make your complaints in the
open. Better yet, give your praise in the open. Let everyone know what a joy
it was to deal with someone.
Above all, conduct yourself in a professional manner. Deal with others
the way you would have them deal with you. Remember that you are usually dealing
with individuals, just like yourself. Subject to making mistakes. Well-meaning,
but wrong on occasion. That's just human. We can live with that. We can deal
with that. We can still make deals with that.
Thanks for participating. Good luck, and good business!
Regards,
Pierre
|