Please help to stop discrimination at RB
Hello everybody,
Yesterday, I came to some news that are not really that new but very shocking. Please read further and help our fellow members.
The problem: RB is experiencing too much fraud and being pushed by PayPal, they have to lower the fraud ratio asap. Unfortunately, RB’s ‘solution’ is to disallow new members from certain (many!) countries to join RB, and existing members from these countries, to buy anything from RB, including their own art.
RB claims that such a solution only affects about 1% of all sales. Unfortunately, sellers are not the same as buyers, and many a good artist and honest member of the community became discriminated by this ‘solution’ only because of his/her country of residence. Such a ‘solution’ is very impolite to members of the community from those countries, who also add a lot to the community’s (and RB’s!) success; even more because of the fact that the ‘solution’ was not communicated to those members who are affected by the changes.
Also of a concern, RB claims that finding and applying another solution will take at least one month; but they know about the problem already since summer. Why didn’t they work on a better solution all that time?
You may be worried about the current situation now, as much as I am. If you are not, ask yourself: When some fraudulent people starts their ‘business’ from my country? Will my country also be banned from RB? It may happen next week…
I’ve just created new feedback suggestion Let people from all countries become members of RB community. It says:——
RB tries to prevent itself from fraud by not posting to some countries and not allowing new members from these countries. It is very important for the whole community and future of RB to find another, more appropriate solution as soon as possible. People from those countries have to have possibility to become members and share their art. Possibility to buy from RB should be assessed individually, members from any country should not be disclosed by default just because of residence in that country.
Should you find it appropriate, please go and vote to it. Can we show RB that we find this theme really important?
Have a nice day and good light,
Lenka
PS: Would you like to read all the details of the story? Please read
- JudyBJ’s journal ‘Can someone please explain what this means ?!’ here, or
- Rosalie Dale’s journal ‘A matter of concern …’ here, or
- Philip Golan’s journal ‘RedBubble Regional Geographic Member Discrimination’ here, or
- (currently locked) forum ‘Why only certain countries?’ started by Miron Abramovici here
Matt Penfold
This seems to be inaccurate, “disallow new members from certain (many!) countries to join RB”
there appears to be no impediment to joining RB, this is entirely to do with sales
Lenka replied
Matt,
Under ‘manage account’, they ask people about their residential address, but half the world is missing in the list you have to choose from. Do you want to prevent fraud and because of that pushing people to lie? I must be missing something here… Ability to sell to all countries is certainly important, but I can understand it may not be possible for some (short!) time. But when you become a member and can’t name your country of residence, that’s bad. They say that art knows no borders...
jo beerens
The message below is the standard message on RB’s support forum in reply to questions about ‘missing’ countries.
’ I’m afraid that, due to recent changes, RedBubble is no longer able to have buyers, or sellers, from countries not on the list here.
They are certainly still welcome to join the site to display their work, but are not, at the moment, able to have products shipped to them, or sell their work through us if their country is not on the list.’
Lenka replied
Jo,
Are they welcome? Under ‘manage account’, they ask people about their residential address, but half the world is missing in the list you have choose from. Trying to prevent fraud and because of that pushing people to lie? I must be missing something here… Ability to sell to all countries is one issue, but I can understand it may not be possible for some (short!) time. But when you become a member and can’t name your country of residence, that’s bad. They say that art knows no borders... Come on!
jo beerens
Just pointing out that people from banned countries HAVE the possibility to become members, share their art, comment and be commented on. To be able to sell on RB you MUST fill in the address fields. If you don’t want to sell or aren’t allowed to sell the address fields can stay empty.
Lenka replied
Nice, so they have to stay anonymous. OK, I’ve heard the argument that they may include the information on their profile page, of course, but why are they not allowed to tell us the same way as the other members? I can’t understand it and find it to be a sort of discrimination too. And why aren’t they allowed to sell?