EcommerceBytes-NewsFlash, Number 1214 - February 10, 2006 
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BuySafe Kicks into Gear in Case of NARU eBay Seller ''GlacierBayDVD''
By Ina Steiner
A service that guarantees eBay seller transactions had the chance to put its money where its mouth is when the number-one feedback seller on eBay became NARU (Not a Registered User). Last week, the selling account glacierbaydvd became inactive, and the seller's website, GlacierBayDVD.com, was inaccessible (http://www.auctionbytes.com/cab/abn/y06/m02/i06/s03).
In its eBay listings, Glacier Bay DVD advertised itself as a BuySafe Bonded Seller, meaning the company had passed BuySafe's business inspection. Listing descriptions included the following, "When you see the buySAFE Seal on our listings, it means that you are financially protected up to $25,000 on that transaction by buySAFE and its surety partners."
BuySafe President Jeff Grass said his company is working with Glacier Bay DVD owner Randy Smythe as he winds down his business. Grass said BuySafe has sent emails to every buyer of an item from Glacier Bay DVD that still had an active bond in force, going out to thousands of buyers who had bought bonded items in the last 30 days.
BuySafe said it has been aggressively paying all buyers who it has confirmed were not sent merchandise and said as of Thursday, it had already sent thousands of dollars worth of checks to buyers of bonded items from Glacier Bay DVD.
Grass said that while the situation is unfortunate, it is not bad for BuySafe, but rather highlights why the service is valuable for the community. "BuySafe helps buyers know who to trust and buyers can have trust in us since we back up our own brand promise with a broad guarantee from a $75 billion financial institution. We firmly believe that increasing buyer confidence will help everyone in the marketplace be more successful."
Grass said he wanted to clear up the confusion among eBay users he saw on discussion boards, and said, "A situation like this is exactly why the BuySafe service comes with both the BuySafe Seal and a Bond from Liberty Mutual. The Seal lets buyers know that BuySafe has thoroughly inspected the business to ensure they are reliable, trustworthy and committed to delivering on the promises they make their buyers and that BuySafe is continuously monitoring them to help ensure they remain that way. That said, no one can ever be 100% perfect so that's why we also provide every buyer with a surety bond, to fully guarantee the transaction in case something unexpected does go wrong. In this case, we were unable to catch it early enough and so we're now stepping up to the plate to protect those buyers affected."
About the author:
Ina Steiner is co-founder and Editor of EcommerceBytes and has been reporting on ecommerce since 1999. She's a widely cited authority on marketplace selling and is author of "Turn eBay Data Into Dollars" (McGraw-Hill 2006). Her blog was featured in the book, "Blogging Heroes" (Wiley 2008). Follow her on Twitter at @ecommercebytes and send news tips to ina@ecommercebytes.com.
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