|
-
Now
we’d like to ask you about something else…Which one of the
following best describes your experiences with online auctions?
|
I
have participated only as a bidder.
|
24%
|
|
I have participated only as a seller.
|
5%
|
|
I’ve been a bidder and a seller, but
mostly a bidder.
|
2%
|
|
I’ve been a bidder and seller, but mostly
a seller.
|
1%
|
|
I have never participated in an online
auction.
|
69%
|
-
Which
one reason best describes why you have not participated
in an online auction?
|
I'm not interested.
|
52%
|
|
I don't understand how they work.
|
9%
|
|
I haven't tried it because I'm afraid I won't get
what I paid for as a buyer.
|
6%
|
|
I haven’t tried it because I’m afraid I won’t
get paid as a seller.
|
*
|
|
I’ve browsed online auctions but I haven’t seen
anything I’ve wanted to buy.
|
12%
|
|
I don’t like the auctioning process in general.
|
5%
|
|
The items I’ve been interested in get to be too
expensive in the online auctions.
|
2%
|
|
I haven’t tried it because it’s too much of a
hassle to sell items through online auctions.
|
3%
|
|
Other reason
|
9%
|
- Which one
reason best describes why you have bid in an online
auction?
|
I'm looking for things that I collect.
|
21%
|
|
I think online auctions are fun.
|
7%
|
|
I'm looking for bargains.
|
43%
|
|
I’m looking for hard-to-find items.
|
23%
|
|
Other reason
|
5%
|
-
How
confident are you that if you are the winning bidder in an online
auction, you will get what you pay for from the seller?
|
Not
at all confident
|
1%
|
|
Not very confident
|
5%
|
|
Somewhat confident
|
54%
|
|
Very confident
|
40%
|
-
If
there is information on the auction site about the seller's track
record, how often do you check that information before bidding?
|
Never
|
3%
|
|
Rarely
|
9%
|
|
Usually
|
36%
|
|
Always
|
51%
|
- Which
one of the following most closely describes what you usually
do, or what you would do, if there were no
information on the auction site about the seller's track record?
|
I don't/wouldn’t bid on the item.
|
54%
|
|
I look/would look for information from other
sources (e.g., a government consumer agency or the Better Business
Bureau) before deciding whether or not to bid.
|
17%
|
|
I bid/would bid on the item anyway.
|
29%
|
- Which
one of the following best describes your experiences with
online auctions as a bidder?
|
I
have bid on an item before, but I’ve never ultimately bought
anything.
|
17%
|
|
I
have bid on and bought an item.
|
83%
|
- What
is the average value of the product(s) you have bought
in an online auction?
|
$0 - $50
|
51%
|
|
$51 - $100
|
24%
|
|
$101 - $500
|
21%
|
|
$501 - $1,000
|
3%
|
|
$1,001 or more
|
1%
|
- When
you have bought items through online auctions, how have you paid? Please check all that apply.
|
I sent a personal check, cashier’s check, or
money order to the seller.
|
69%
|
|
I paid the seller by giving my credit card number
directly to the seller.
|
17%
|
|
I paid through an online payment service that
facilitates payments by credit card.
|
44%
|
|
I paid through an online escrow service.
|
6%
|
|
I sent the seller cash.
|
6%
|
|
Other method
|
4%
|
- When
you have bought items through online auctions, what types of
problems have you experienced, if any? Please
check all that apply.
|
Never got the item
|
10%
|
|
Got the item but it was different than what
I was promised
|
11%
|
|
Got the item but it was damaged when it
arrived
|
10%
|
|
Got the item much later than expected
|
20%
|
|
Other problem(s)
|
11%
|
|
None - I’ve never experienced problems
|
59%
|
- What
action(s) have you taken, if any, to resolve the problems you’ve
experienced? Please check all
that apply
|
Got my money back by disputing the credit card
charges
|
8%
|
|
Disputed the credit card charges unsuccessfully
|
2%
|
|
Got at least some of my money back by making an
insurance claim
|
4%
|
|
Made an insurance claim but it was rejected
|
1%
|
|
Notified the online auction site
|
29%
|
|
Got my money back through the escrow service I used
|
1%
|
|
Complained
to the Better Business Bureau, a government agency,
and/or a consumer organization
|
2%
|
|
Settled problem through a private online mediation
service
|
1%
|
|
Tried unsuccessfully to settle the problem through
a private online mediation service
|
2%
|
|
Resolved the problem with the seller myself
|
62%
|
|
Other
|
8%
|
|
None - didn’t take any action
|
21%
|
- What
is the average value of the product(s) you have tried to sell
in an online auction?
|
$0 - $50
|
43%
|
|
$51 - $100
|
26%
|
|
$101 - $500
|
20%
|
|
$501 - $1000
|
4%
|
|
$1001 or more
|
7%
|
- How
many items have you ultimately sold through an online auction?
|
None
|
16%
|
|
1-2
|
24%
|
|
3-5
|
19%
|
|
6-10
|
9%
|
|
11
or more
|
32%
|
- As
a seller in online auctions, what types of problems have you
experienced with buyers, if any? Please
check all that apply.
Bounced check
|
5%
|
|
Never received a payment
|
27%
|
|
Late payment
|
34%
|
Use of stolen credit cards
|
1%
|
|
Buyer changed his/her mind
|
20%
|
|
Buyer disputed credit card charges with no
valid complaint
|
*
|
|
Other problem(s)
|
10%
|
|
None - I’ve never had problems with a
buyer
|
48%
|
- What
action(s) have you taken, if any, to resolve the problems you
experienced? Please check all
that apply.
|
Complained / posted a complaint with the auction
|
49%
|
|
Used a collection agency
|
2%
|
|
Consulted an attorney
|
0%
|
|
Participated in private online mediation
|
7%
|
|
Contacted the escrow service that I used to accept
payment
|
5%
|
|
Resolved the problem with the buyer myself
|
66%
|
|
Other
|
7%
|
|
None - didn’t take any action
|
7%
|
- How
many times, in total, have you participated in an online
auction, as a bidder and/or a seller?
|
1-2
|
21%
|
|
3-5
|
29%
|
|
6-10
|
15%
|
|
11-25
|
13%
|
|
26+
|
22%
|
- How
often do you use an escrow service? An
escrow service takes the buyer's payment and forwards it to the seller
when the buyer confirms that the item has been delivered and is
satisfactory.
|
Never
|
79%
|
|
Rarely
|
12%
|
|
Usually
|
6%
|
|
Always
|
2%
|
- Which
one reason best describes why you don’t typically use an
escrow service?
|
I wasn’t familiar with escrow services
|
42%
|
|
I
don't think it's necessary to use them
|
30%
|
|
I don't want to pay a fee for an escrow service
|
19%
|
|
Other reason
|
10%
|
|
