Reuters is reporting today that a US Federal Judge has ruled in eBay's favor in the lawsuit Tiffany & Co. brought against eBay regarding the sale of fake Tiffany items on the site.

Recently eBay lost a similar suit in France brought by LVMH Group and the sale of fake Louis Vitton and Dior, Guerlain, Givenchy and Kenzo brand name products.

How this might affect the possible appeal in France is unclear at this point, but certainly will bode well for the upcoming Q2 report due this week.

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Larry Phillips To Be Our Guest Saturday

As many of you already know, citing personal and business reasons Steve Grossberg President and Treasurer of the Internet Merchant Association has cancelled his scheduled interview on ebay & Beyond: Basics To Business this Saturday. 

In response Larry Phillips, eBay PowerSeller and former IMA Board member has agreed to appear. Larry agreed to be interviewed with just one condition. His condition is that we announce the following: "I want it to be made clear that I am only agreeing because Steve cancelled.  The current and former membership still have questions, and deserve answers".

We again invite everyone to join in on this hot topic this Saturday from 10 AM to Noon ET by going to www.basicstobusiness.com. Be sure to make note of the toll free number 866-357-7746 and join us.

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Steve Grossberg, President of IMAMerchant.org has just confirmed via email that he will be our guest on ebay & Beyond: Basics to Business radio, this Saturday, July 12th at 10:15 AM ET.

Please join us and listen in and participate in this interview.

We hope to see you then!

        

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There has been much chronicled in blogs and forums regarding recent controversy and events within the membership of the Internet Merchants Association (IMAmerchant.org). Last week, I spoke with Steve Grossberg by telephone. He indicated that there was some controversy, but also said that it is against the assocaition's by-laws to discuss membership issues.

With the growing number of blogs discussing this situation, I sent an email to Steve yesterday, requesting an on air interview regarding the issues. Steve replied "Surely, when would you like to do this?" I replied that I would like to do it this coming Saturday, July 12th during our regular radio program. I have yet to receive a response or confirmation.

I am therefore issuing this open call to the Board of Directors of the IMA to appear on our radio program and explain their side of the situation, and what is being done to resolve any issues.

In my opinion, any trade association must be open and transparent. They must be working towards the betterment of their members, and improve the businesses that belong. Threats and accusations are everywhere. This situation can do nothing but divide an organization whose main goal and purpose is to bring unity.

The ball is now in your court IMA. Our toll free phone lines are open during the program. The Board of Directors has the opportunity to help resolve this issue, whether they take it or not is yet to be seen. ...<< MORE >>

auctionbytes, tradingassistantjournal, IMAmerchant, ECMTA, ecommerce, AsWas, << MORE >>

ebay creates shopping community<< MORE >>

Our associate Scott Pooler of iBusinessLogic.com and his client Cornerstone Supply have become just one of the latest victims of the BLACK HOLE of eBay's Trust and Safety department. In his Trading Assistant Journal blog, Scott details his experience in the past few days with eBay's Customer Support.

The "BLACK HOLE" of eBay's customer support and more importantly the Trust & Safety department is legendary and notorious. The canned responses that come from CS and T&S leave the user few alternatives. There is no phone number to call unless you are a PowerSeller, no reliable immediate way to resolve issues that effect peoples livelyhood. This BLACK HOLE simply tells users that their issues will be addressed usually within 24-72 hours. Quite often it take much much longer.

I brought this exact issue up with eBay managers in a "Bloggers Meeting" at eBay Live in Chicago. I told those attending that when eBay T&S contemplates or takes action against a seller, there MUST be a way for those affected to deal with the situation, get an explanation, and correct, if they can the problem IMMEDIATELY! The 24-72 hour response is simply not acceptable in todays ecommerce environment. In this meeting I asked why, if T&S has a concern can they not contact the seller by phone prior to taking action? In it's current form, T&S acts as judge and jury without the chance for a defense or explanation. Whatever happened to due process? Are eBay sellers considered guilty until proven innocent?

I completely understand the need to move quickly when there is a perceived threat to protect the buyers on the site. I commend eBay for their efforts to make a safer buyer experience. I understand that there needs to be a balancing act, protecting the buyers, but they also must do everything in their power to ensure that actions taken against a seller are fair, just, and more importantly expediously dealt with. When eBay takes a unilateral action that effects or limits a person's or businesses livelyhood, there MUST be immediate recourse for those affected.

Lorrie Norrington implored the attendees in one of the eBay Live sessions to "give us a chance". (paraphrasing)

What remains to be seen is what if anything eBay will do to fill the 'BLACK HOLE" of CS and T&S and how fast they will do this.

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Fresh from eBay Live 2008 in Chicago, where his presentation was very well received in a packed room of ecommerce sellers Jay Berkowitz author of The Ten Golden Rules of Internet Marketing will be our guest this Saturday. Listen in as Sparky and I interview Jay about his new book, his experience at eBay Live and the trends in ecommerce marketing.

Be sure and register to win an autographed copy of Jay's new book by going to www.basicstobusiness.com and click on the Contest Page tab!

Jay Berkowitz, CEO Ten Golden Rules

Jay Berkowitz is a small business internet consultant with more than 20 years of marketing experience. He has been behind the marketing for Fortune 500 brands: McDonald's and Coca-Cola, developed online and offline strategies for AT&T, Sprint, and managed the marketing department for leading health and fitness website eDiets.com.Mr. Berkowitz is the CEO of Ten Golden Rules, a B2B internet marketing agency based in Boca Raton, Florida, specializing in internet advertising and marketing consulting services.

Mr. Berkowitz is the Past President of the American Marketing Association South Florida Chapter, a Founding Board Member of the South Florida Interactive Marketing Association, and was a member of the Toronto International Film Festival Board of Directors.

He is a popular presenter at conferences and events such as: The Association of Internet Marketing and Sales, The Direct Marketing Association, The American Marketing Association, The Affiliate Summit, Ad-Tech, The CEO Roundtable, The Washington Weight Loss Marketing and Obesity Conference, and The Global Benchmarking Council.

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As eBay closes the doors on eBayLive 2008, reportedly the last eBay Live event until 2010, they continue to keep the doors closed to many reporters and other media outlets. When ebay & Beyond: Basics to Business requested media credentials for the event the credentials were granted. We received an email confirming the credentials and included in that email was the following: << MORE >>