Thanks for the update…

Will you list any of other benefits of being an IMA member?

I would be happy to publish anything the IMA wants to share with the public to counter much of the bad press the organization has received of late.

Just drop me a line through the contact form, and we will try to present the other side of the story for you.

Scott

Smooth sailing now and things are back on track and going well.

Kirk

I think nobody cares about Steve and the IMA, and in thinking about it, I think that’s the best “punishment.” Let them show themselves to be so awful that people stop caring and stop joining.

They’ve just started taking departed members off their site. They’re still counting multiple people from one company, but they’re down to 213, with duplicates. There are over 1 million eBay sellers making a full or part time living selling on eBay.

In numbers, the IMA represents the tiniest fraction. In spirit and direction, the IMA represents even fewer. It will naturally go extinct unless the current Board completely resigns or is removed. Those people shouldn’t be on the Board, officers, or in any kind of power, especially after showing how they abused it.

Actually, from what I have been told, the IMA is not really pro eBay and the principles on the Board including Steve Grossberg are Internet Marketers not eBay sellers.

Of course there are eBay sellers in the membership, but less at the IMA, than at PeSA which started as an eBay centric organization and has expanded with the ECMTA to include ecommerce.

Thanks for your opinion and for contributing to the conversation.

Um, no this is an issue that effects a little over 200 eBay-centric sellers, some of whom cannot make it in the real world of ecommerce, so they need to latch on to venues like eBay and Amazon.

With that said, I think the leader of IMA is an embarrassment to himself, his family, and the organization. He has behaved in a poor manner for years on the eBay Power Seller board. This latest temper tantrum is no big surprise. It will be interesting to see who decides to keep company with this organization. You know what they say about the company you keep …..

I think this situation effects the entire eCommerce industry. The formation of the IMA started with a split from PeSA and ECMTA. There are interested merchants and eCommerce professionals on both sides of the issue and in both organizations. Many of the over 1000 members of PeSA ECMTA have been following this story, albeit respectfully and without malice. Our readership has more than doubled since we began providing a voice for the rank & file members of the IMA. I think it is worthy of my time and I will continue to follow any story I choose to follow on my publication.

I have also placed several posts into this publication in the last week which have nothing to do with the IMA. The fact that this is a hot story has simply added to the volume of articles I would normally publish here on a given week.

Thanks for following the Trading Assistant Journal and please do not be alarmed, this will not become the IMA Network. I am sure the Internet Merchants Association story will die down eventually.

And just so you know, the Trading Assistant Journal is something I do as a service for the community of Internet merchants and consignment specialists out there who choose to read this publication. It is not my primary business.

I have passed your email on to Dave White. He will be contacting you directly to make the arrangements.

Thanks for stepping up to the plate!

Steve realized this was a bad idea, he’d have to open the kimono, and decided it was easier to find a reason to continue stonewalling.

Totally expected.

If Dave would like a substitute on the other side of this issue, I’d be happy to assist.

By backing out of the radio show I believe we have our answer to the below question. Although I knew the answer because I have a copy of the proof!

DID STEVE POST INFORMATION HE RECEIVED IN A PRIVATE EMAIL TO THE IMA FORUM???