Exercise Safe Internet Shopping This Holiday Season With Virtual Feedback

Edge: Work-Group Computing Report, Nov 15, 1999

Virtual Feedback (http://www.virtualfeedback.com) helps Internet buyers and sellers find out more about their online neighbors before executing transactions.

Earlier this year the Internet Fraud Watch (www.fraud.org), operated by the National Consumers League, noted complaints increasing 600 percent since 1997. Online auction's filled the number one slot of registered complaints in 1998.

Last week, Robert Guest, a southern California man was sentenced to prison for 14 months and ordered to pay more than $100,000 in restitution to unsuspecting bidders on eBay Inc., an Internet online person to person auction site. Guest posted several items up for bid but failed to deliver the merchandise after receiving payments.

"Having been taken once already at an online auction, I am apprehensive to bid again if the seller doesn't have a strong feedback rating. If there is one more place I can stop and search for feedback on a seller, I'll take the extra 2 minutes and look!" says Erica Osborne, a registered user of Virtual Feedback.

Virtual Feedback, a free online website offers a place for buyers and sellers to rate their online transactions. Users ratings can be touted on their websites, at online auctions or other places on the Internet where transactions may occur.

"The biggest obstacle to having a successful Internet business is fear of the unknown. Potential customers wonder if they're ever going to get the item they paid for, or if they've just been swindled by some con artist. Virtual Feedback is the first site I've found that addresses this issue. It's the perfect vehicle for consumers to check my credentials with other customers who have done business with me in the past, and affords me the opportunity to have my good reputation on record and available to responsible shoppers," says Rosemary Trietsch, proprietor of The Glass Cupboard.

Internet shoppers do not have to be registered to view prospective sellers feedback, but must be registered to leave ratings.