iabroker
|
posted on September 7, 2000 11:17:02 PM
I have come across an opportunity to sell these wonderful import items from China on the Internet through my online estore. My question is, would it be offensive to people (eBay members), to use eBay as a forum of promoting my product. I mean, I would auction every item at a retail value, if that item sold then great, eBay gets both listing and commission$$. But at the same time I would be linking as many people as I could back to my site to sell directly off of my estore.
This may be a stupid question but I am relatively new with only a handful of items sold on eBay at this time.
Please reply as all your comments will be taken for serious review.
|
pharlap
|
posted on September 7, 2000 11:25:17 PM
I think Ebay sees this as ok as long as you aren't selling them cheaper on your website.
I think this is correct???
I personally don't have any problem with it.
|
feistyone
|
posted on September 7, 2000 11:27:50 PM
My advice. Don't do it!
If you have advertizing links in your auctions ebay will close them. You can probably add a link at the bottom of your EOA email but keep all emails focused on the transaction at hand.
|
iabroker
|
posted on September 7, 2000 11:33:15 PM
feistyone
Even if that advertisement is directed at my own inventory. Believe me when I tell you that I am not trying to argue with you, but what is the difference of an auction that has 'CLICK HERE TO VIEW SOME OF MY OTHER ITEMS FOR SALE ON MY WEBSITE'.
|
lotsafuzz
|
posted on September 7, 2000 11:36:22 PM
Last I recall (and it could have been change) the rule was you CAN put a link to your website in your auction. The only rule is that you must NOT be selling the items for LESS on your website.
Many sellers (myself included when I get my site running) link to their websites.
|
magazine_guy
|
posted on September 8, 2000 12:13:52 AM
Do it! Your eBay listings are a great way to promote your web site. Just don't sell the same item for less on the web site, and make it a simple link without major promotion (don't specify what you've got for sale on your web site) in the listing. And don't link to another auction site.
eBay permits this (they used to encourage it).
Steve
|
rampaged
|
posted on September 8, 2000 02:28:41 AM
Read this and make your decision
PowerSeller Newsletter Issue 12 - August 16, 2000
Policy Updates
Further Clarification of eBay's Linking Policies
We would like to provide further clarification on linking to your web site
from your item description.
Please remember, the intent of allowing
links to a web site from your item description has always been to
enable you to provide additional information to help you sell that particular item.
The link should not advertise other items or the fact that you may have other items for sale on your web page.
The links to your own web site must comply with the guidelines outlined in the
Advertisements policy.
Additionally, please follow the linking
guidelines, which do not permit the following:
Links to other auction-style trading sites
Links to sites offering the same merchandise for the same orlower price Links to sites offering merchandise prohibited on eBay
For additional information, please refer to the policy section of eBay.
Thank you for your cooperation in making eBay a fun and safe place to trade!
|
eventer
|
posted on September 8, 2000 05:28:50 AM
rampaged is correct, ebay has changed their philosophy regarding the linkage to your website.
It used to be it was fine, so long as you had items priced higher on your site than your starting price on ebay.
Now they are saying the linkage should be for "informational" purposes. It's too darn hard to keep up with their changes, so I just removed my links from my auction & only include them in my EOA.
|
iabroker
|
posted on September 8, 2000 01:22:04 PM
To all respondants,
Thank you very much for your input. I will have to go and check out some of your auctions. I hope you will do the same in the future. Great forum. You guys are great.
Regards, Jeff
|
abingdoncomputers
|
posted on September 8, 2000 01:35:36 PM
[i]Please remember, the intent of allowing
links to a web site from your item description has always been to enable you to provide additional information to help you sell that particular item.[/i]
The link should not advertise other items or the fact that you may have other items for sale on your web page
I interpret the bolded sentence above not to mean that you can't link to your website if you sell other items from your website. I interpret this sentence as saying you can't advertise the fact that you have other items for sale on your web site. There is a big difference.
eBay allows links to your web site to provide additional information to help sell the item in question. This can include shipping terms, return policies, testimonials from previous customers, warranty information, etc... Many sellers link to their web sites in this manner and have done so over extended periods of time without problems.
I think a link like this is acceptable:
Click here for more info from our web site
Where as this link is not:
Click here to learn about our other items for sale on our web site
It all depends on the wording and whether or not the specific item in question is for sale at a lower price from your website.
IMO, of course...
[ edited by abingdoncomputers on Sep 8, 2000 01:36 PM ]
|
pickersangel
|
posted on September 8, 2000 02:58:17 PM
It's probably like every other issue too, in that it really doesn't matter what you do until another user turns you in, and then it depends on the interpretation of the Safe Harbor staffer who works the complaint. 
|
guyuellas
|
posted on September 8, 2000 03:10:07 PM
eBay than needs to shut every power seller that has a link to his web page selling items for the same amount or less than the auction. I always click to see what they have compared to their eBay auction. If eBay really enforced it I imagine they would lose many power sellers and literally millions in listing and ending fees from these power sellers let alone little people like us.
Some are a little smarter though and tell you to go to their 'aboutme' page than link you to their web page from their 'aboutme' page.
|
Glenda
|
posted on September 8, 2000 03:14:58 PM
From the Advertising FAQ, off the Listing Policies page at eBay:
Example of a permissible link to your web site:
Please visit us at www.mywebsite.com
|
twinsoft
|
posted on September 8, 2000 03:18:13 PM
The information is here:
http://pages.ebay.com/help/community/png-list.html
You may not promote your web site in your eBay listings. You may include a non-promotional text link or small banner.
|
bhearsch
|
posted on September 8, 2000 06:47:49 PM
rampaged, when did they change the rule about allowing a link to your website as long as you weren't offering the same item for less money? I just looked on the listing rules page and it doesn't mention that you can't have other items listed.
_____________________________________________
Links
Users may place a simple link to another web page in the description portion of their listing to help provide more information about the listed item. However, the following links are not permitted:
links to other auction-style trading sites
links to sites offering the same merchandise for the same or lower price
links to sites offering merchandise prohibited on eBay
Policy: The links described above are not permitted and will be ended. The insertion fee will be automatically credited for that listing.
_____________________________________________
Blanche
[ edited by bhearsch on Sep 8, 2000 06:50 PM ]
|
susiegirl
|
posted on September 8, 2000 08:41:13 PM
Never mind about links, I had my hands slapped a couple of months ago for saying in my auctions "Please check my other auctions for more potholders, pillows, quilts, throws, and other decorative accessories."...I was told this is keyword spamming and I could only use the words "other decorative accessories". Now I just use a "click here to see my other auctions" link. Pain!
|
rampaged
|
posted on September 8, 2000 09:20:33 PM
bhearsch
All I did was post a cut and past of a powerseller newsletter I received.
As I stated above in the first post, Make your own decision
All I am trying to do is help those that ask about links. How they go about it is their business.
As far as I can tell this is the latest information regarding links. Apparently other didn't know this.
I lurk daily and seldom post unless I feel I can help others.
|
iabroker
|
posted on September 9, 2000 01:35:58 AM
Hey guy's, no need to bicker over such trivial things. You both hold valid points and I thank you. Holy #@*%, do I sound like a mediator or what.
So, how about parrothead88, linking to his store (and it is abviously a store) selling stuff at the same price. Or is he just eBay's acception to the rule.
|
reston_ray
|
posted on September 9, 2000 02:37:54 AM
The one I love, it is all over the site but most common in Dutch auctions, is "If you don't want to wait until the auction ends, click here for immediate purchase".
Same item, same price as dutch auction, clearly fee avoidance and I couldn't care less anymore. As long as the seller isn't scamming customers I don't care what they keep away from eBay.
Not a very positive attitude but as I say "Present day eBay deserves everything they don't get and a lot more".
|
