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Paul Williamson from Deloitte »LAST month I set about creating my own retail empire.
After rummaging under my bed for old football programmes, vinyls and even a t-shirt I won many years ago on a kids TV game show I launched my ebay kingdom.
However, my dreams of becoming the next Mike Ashley - minus the pressure of shareholders and the Alan Smith shirt - were short lived.
As the ten-day selling period drew to a close, I was left with virtually nothing. No late bids came in for the footy merchandise and even the Frank Sinatra record couldn't tempt the online masses into parting with their cash.
In fact I was actually left 90p in the red due to ebay charges, and in a matter of days my online shopping empire had collapsed like a pack of cards.
But apparently I am not alone in my ebay woes. And for some online businesses where the stakes are higher than my tin-pot operation, ebay is becoming an increasingly difficult place to do business.
Last week I spoke to a number of North East entrepreneurs who have built their companies around the internet auction site and the common consensus has been one of frustration.
The main gripe is the fact that buyers can leave negative feedback for sellers but sellers can't do the same in return. According to ebay this rule was introduced to stop people abusing the feedback system and to thwart so-called 'feedback bribery'. For some, however, the new rule puts sellers at a disadvantage.
Other complaints include the increasing difficulty that some dealers are finding in getting their goods on display in other overseas market - mainly the lucrative US territory.
According to ebay this problem is being addressed although it may take a while to persuade some disgruntled punters that the US market has been completely unlocked.
There's no doubt that ebay remains a fantastic online trading tool, especially in these tough economic times when money for old rope can help pay for increasingly expensive fuel and food.
But, for those building a business around the site, the changing rules mean the game may have become that little bit harder.
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