L@@K AT THIS!!!! EBay To Offer Health Insurance To Biggest Sellers
	found on: MSNBC written by Octane, edited by Nick (Plastic) [ read unedited ] posted Tue 25 Jun 6:35pm
		"Online retailer eBay has announced that it intends to start offering health insurance to sellers who make between $2,000 and $25,000 a month." notes Octane. "The company claims that these 'power sellers,' who use eBay as their prime source of income, are "critical to their success" and therefore should be eligible for the same benefits employees are offered in regular companies." And no-one wants a sudden illness to threaten that 973-positive, one neutral rating, do they?

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show almost all: 8 commentsbest: 2 comments by oldest first (ignore threads) newest first highest scores first oldest first newest first (ignore threads)

1.  Negative   by bitekman       at Tue 25 Jun 8:06pm score of 4.5 funny     I ORDERED MY KIDNEY THREE WEEKS SAGO IT CAME BROKEN NEVER USE THIS SELLER FRAUD F---- I'm full of bees...who died at sea -- Sparklehorse   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]

2.  I'm torn...   by elforman       at Tue 25 Jun 9:17pm score of 1.5 nuanced     On one hand this is a brilliant idea and a great reward to those who have helped make EBay as profitable as they are. But, there's the voice in my head that says not to make any judgement until the details are revealed. What type of plan(s) will be offered? How much will the insured have to pay? Will there be cafeteria-style options available to help compensate for different insurance availability throughout the country? I've worked in the medical insurance industry and I know that frequently employees are better off buying insurance on their own than going through their company plan. But it is a classy move and I applaud them for it.   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]

3.  That's all well and good...   by Etoile       at Wed 26 Jun 7:25am score of 2 informative     ...but eBay is really ignoring the people that got them started. The focus has shifted to favor power sellers in just about every area, leaving the little people like me - who are looking to unload some stuff, and pick up neat new items - by the side of the road.   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]

8.  Re: That's all well and good...   by thefadd       at Wed 26 Jun 12:53pm score of 1   in reply to comment 3     I agree 100%. I have ebay feedback of 44 (exactly the same as my plastic karma, btw -- oooh, spooky!). Of those transactions they are pretty evenly divided between buyer and seller. Ebay has certainly catered very heavily to power sellers (for obvious bottom-line reasons). However, as a seller and as a buyer, I don't like this it all. I don't get as much for the stuff I sell because I can't get noticed as much and it takes that much longer to find a good deal from an honest person in the same boat as me just trying to unload something used but still in good condition. Maybe people at my middling level just aren't important to them anymore. That's certainly the way I feel and I'd already be gone were there a decent alternative (Amazon and Yahoo auctions suck, IMHO). If they continue to look more and more like a store ("Buy It Now," "Ebay Stores," "Power Sellers"), I will eventually leave. Maybe when my Karma and Feedback are both exactly 69, I'll just give up the net entirely ;-) I'm skeptical of any fairy-based morality system.   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]

5.  Collectible Insurance Plan STILL IN BOX!!!   by digit       at Wed 26 Jun 8:14am score of 1.5 witty     Soon to be seen on eBay: Almost MINT Health Insurance Plan! This is a dedicated Health Insurance plan. The plan is in better than average condition. There is some wear on the term life as you can see from the side pictures. The plan works perfectly and has good coverage and drug benefits. The plan looks a little washed out in the pictures, but this is only because of the lighting. The plan actually looks a little better than the pictures represent. There are lots of pictures below, so you can see its condition. The plan comes with a new folder and manual and is ready for your hospital. Email with any questions.   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]

6.  Gotta do $2000 a month in business   by CalBob       at Wed 26 Jun 9:16am score of 1     This is great. I too am a seller on eBay, not a POWERSELLER - that gets you into this realm. I think this is a great idea. You see insurance for self employed people on every light pole in my town. It can't cost that much. I know of people paying eBay between $800 to $2200 a month in FEES alone. The insurance is a small token compared to a reduction on their fees (come on eBay). That increase, plus the new postal increases are profit sucking creatures that might put some of those sellers back into the real-job market. Know your toys - John Bell 'Widespread Panic'   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]

7.  The next step...   by WufPup       at Wed 26 Jun 11:33am score of 1     will be when eBay signs up all its new buyers for dead peasant insurance policies. -------------------kinky is using a feather. Perverted is using the entire chicken.   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]

9.  users as workers?   by wrongrrl       at Fri 28 Jun 1:00pm score of 1     it should be interesting to see how other online sites react to eBay's new move, and whether and how others will follow suit. many of the best online sites, after all (from amazon to slashdot and plastic, and similar news discussion sites), generate value from user-generated content and contributions. although this doesn't necessarily translate to direct economic compensation to users, as it does for eBay users, it does generate value for the online site itself. (and although users' transactions on sites like this one or slashdot, for instance, are primarily informational exchanges rather than economic exchanges, who's to say that information exchanged on such sites can't operate to the economic benefit of users -- by being information that can usefully be applied in one's job, for instance.) eBay's move seems to make an explicit turn toward treating users as workers of the site - a progressive and innovative move, perhaps, and certainly one way for a web based operation to compensate the productivity of its users. but i wonder how other web-based companies are reacting to this decision and whether they too think it's such a good idea to regard users like companies have traditionally treated employees?   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]