The first person logs into the site and heads straight to the buying section and lazily scroll through as if he is looking for nothing specific at first. The user is relaxed and seems to be in no hurry to settle on one commodity. He then looks for other better deals by looking at the various offers available. The eBay user seems to be very keen on checking on the postage cost.
The user does not use the sellers section at all. He says he only buys on eBay and has never had the experience of being a seller on eBay. He says that over the years he and most of his friends have bought a lot of stuff from eBay and the experience they have had has been generally good. The user also commented that the people selling on eBay have been so helpful especially whenever he had a question.
The user objects to cases where sellers on eBay will combine orders that have been individually paid for without indicating on their site that there is a possibility that they may do so (Frowning). He continues to say that by doing so the seller is advantaged since he saves on postage. He says the price he has paid for is inclusive of the cost of delivering the item. According to him, either the postage is charged separately or included since the price of the good is increased to include the cost of postage. He says he knows this by comparing prices where the same item is available inclusive of the postage cost or where free is offered.
The user spends about 40 minutes doing his shopping and finally leaves. My feelings about this observation are that the user is happy with the services offered on eBay but has a few concerns with inflated cost. The user evidently has never been a seller on eBay but enjoys shopping on the site.
Observation 2
The user is composed and seemingly aware of most things that happen on eBay. He starts by talking about multiple items choice on a single page. He says “I have no problem with having multiple items choice on one page. What I have an issue with is the inclusion of cheap items most often of little relevance to other items, just so that it can show up as cheap during searches”( shaking his head).
The user also seems not be pleased with sites that request you to leave them with five-star ratings so that they can offer you five-star services. He considers this as bribery and says “Of course I will not give them any rating. I will not give any feedback to that site unless there is reason for me to give a fair or negative feedback. I might as well never deal with them again”.
The user asks whether there is any point of having communication feedback scores when it is never available to be filled in. He says he thought that it was only available when he had to communicate to the seller personally-such as when he had a query. He however found out that this is only available when the seller sends automated messages thanking people for their orders, or alerting him people that their orders will be dispatched shortly or when the orders have already been dispatched.
The user spent about 30 minutes shopping and concludes by remarking that there are many things he has bought on eBay and that the items are available from a variety of sellers and so it is easy for him to choose where to shop. From my observation, I feel that the user is concerned about the conduct of some sellers but would buy from a good seller whom he believes is honest and reliable.
Interview 1
Q1. Tell me about your experience on online shopping?
Last year in December, after hearing about the stories and how it was simple to shop online, I decided to try online shopping. It was my first time at it. I had heard of a lot of success stories, so I went on loading my cart with nice items. For it was my first time; I took an advice from poster adverts that urged first time shoppers to start by buying cheap items. I continued shopping, but then I did not know that one needed to have a chat with different sellers and go through their reviews before making any payments.
Q2. How does eBay affect your shopping?
I enjoy shopping on eBay because it is hassle-free. As most of us know, our bosses frown upon one taking a 1 hour trip to the shopping mall. However, your superior does not have to know that you took a 10 minute cruise on eBay if you don’t tell him
Q3. Were there any issues shopping on eBay?
The first issue I had was the delay in the delivery of my goods, and this upset me because I was eagerly expecting them.
Q4. What is the most remarkable feature of eBay?
I like because I can shop any time; there is no closing time for online shops. If I can’t sleep at least, I can occupy myself by shopping online.
Q5. Is there a reason to continue or not continue shopping on eBay in the futures?
I would keep on shopping on eBay because I can make product reviews without having to bother someone with questions. I expect to continue shopping online at eBay.
Interview 2
Q1. Tell me about your experience on online shopping?
The last time I shopped online I attempted to chat with sellers online, but only one was available. He did not reply promptly as I expected, and it appeared he was too busy every time I chatted with him. The Japanese man would say that he was checking whether my goods had been dispatched only never to return. I gave up and logged out. This happened severally, and it got me anxious. He also found it difficult to communicate in English.
Q2. How does eBay affect your shopping?
One thing for sure is the eBay offers goods at much lower prices than you will find when you visit physical stores. This has made me to rely a lot on online shopping. I have recorded 100% satisfaction from shopping on eBay.
Q3. Were there any issues shopping on eBay?
The information that can help in making the decision to buy is not sufficient, and a person cannot even see the physical item. There is no completeness of the information as one would find in a physical store where he can interact with sellers, ask questions and get responses on the spot.
Q4. What is the most remarkable feature of eBay?
Everything is one place and so there is no reason to go to different floors just to get the items you need. While shopping on eBay, all the categories of items are in front of your eyes.
Q5. Is there a reason to continue or not continue shopping on eBay in the futures?
I will continue using eBay because it is time saving and saves you all the hassle of having to go shopping physically. Forget those days when you would get to the mall feeling like you just completed a marathon.
