Letter from eBay's Founder

The following is a portion of a letter that eBay’s founder, Pierre Omidyar, posted on the Web site February 26, 1996. It reflects the founding values that continue to guide eBay today.

I launched eBay on Labor Day, 1995. Since then, this site has become more popular than I ever expected, and I began to realize that this was indeed a grand experiment in Internet commerce.

By creating an open market that encourages honest dealings, I hope to make it easier to conduct business with strangers over the Internet.

Most people are honest. And they mean well. Some people go out of their way to make things right. I've heard great stories about the honesty of people here. Occasionally you may meet people who are not honest. It's a fact of life.

Here, those people can't hide. We'll drive them away. Protect others from them. And this depends on your active participation. Become a registered member. Use eBay's Feedback Forum. Give praise where it's due — make complaints where appropriate. Let everyone know what a joy it was to deal with someone.

Above all, conduct yourself in a professional manner. Deal with others the way you would have them deal with you. And remember: at eBay, you're usually dealing with individuals, just like yourself. People sometimes make mistakes. That's just human. We can live with that.

We can deal with that. We can still make deals with that.

Thanks for participating. Good luck and good business!

Regards,

Pierre

Registering

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Registration is easy and free. As a member, you'll be able to shop on eBay and participate in the world's largest online community of buyers and sellers.

Checking or confirming your email

In order to complete registration, you need to receive a registration email from eBay and follow the instructions inside.

Registering at eBay is free and easy.

You only have to register once. Just follow these three steps:

1. When you register at eBay, you'll be asked to provide your basic contact information. Your information will be kept private on eBay's secure servers.
2. Check your email - eBay will send you a message with a link and instructions for confirming your registration. Please follow these instructions.
3. For security purposes, you'll choose your own User ID and password for signing in to eBay.

That's all there is to it!

If you don't receive your confirmation email or you forget your confirmation code, you can request help.

Getting Started

Welcome to eBay, the world's largest online community of buyers and sellers! It's your place to buy what you want, sell what you have, and make a few friends while you're at it.

If you're new to eBay, learn more about:

1. How to Find Items
2. Watching Items
3. How to Bid
4. How to Sell
5. Why eBay Is Safe
6. Updating Registration Information
7. Building a reputation