Hello everyone, I just wanted to let you know that we have clarification on the email address issue. These will stil be
allowed in text form, just not as a clickable link...................
posted on May 10, 2001 05:01:32 PM
Well THAT is stupid!!
I sometimes run custom auctions, where the person customizes the item they want. (No, it is not a choice auction, and yes it is allowed, I checked with the powers that be).
The only catch is that I cannot list the customization choices in the auction, I MUST tell them to e-mail for details!!
With the way the "ask the seller a question" works, or does not work, I may not EVER get mail.
Sheesh. I guess they don't really want to run an auction site any longer. They are really treading the line of "only a venue".
posted on May 10, 2001 05:10:52 PM
It's just like we all said. Slow tightening of the screws.
Brings up another definition for the word "screw". Which is all EBAY Corp is going to do to every one of the small sellers.
posted on May 10, 2001 05:54:59 PM
reddeer:
>Posted by [email protected] on May-10-01 at 16:05:53 PDT
Thanks. I read all the new rules about links, and found no mention of email links. I had to hunt to find where Katy posted this, but I found it. (DNF board, 'eh?)
victoria:
>It's just like we all said. Slow tightening of the screws.
Looks like it. Johnny Cash said "Tighten the screws down on me, and I'll screw right out from under you."
kidsfeet:
>Sheesh. I guess they don't really want to run an auction site any longer.
They are trying their best to make us funnel as much of our business thru them as possible. But my guess is they are treading on thin ice. I made a living selling stuff before ebay was even dreamed of, and I can make a living with out them. If it gets to the point where it isn't worth it anymore, I'll move on. It's a shame to see a CEO like Meg come into a company, and and make things harder and harder for the customers just to squeeze the last nickle out of them.
deichen:
>If this is just in today, hopefully they won't cancel ongoing auctions?
posted on May 10, 2001 06:58:30 PM
I'm sorry. I'm stupid. Obtuse. Call me what you will, and I don't care. I have a greater need to "understand."
I have an email link in my auctions. It's pretty typical ("if you have any questions, please email me" -->>linked button). It makes some sense to me to do this:
1) some folks can't figure out the "ask the seller a question" link at the top of the auction (hell...some folks can't even *see* it, the print's so small)
2) some folks, who know what's going on, don't want to have their email going through eBay. Personally, I don't think they read it, but what they hey...make it easy, since they can't get an email addy anymore.
3) I want to give every possible opportunity to those who might have a question.
Bottom line...I'm not linking to a place with something for sale. I'm linking to a bleeding email address for the luv o'God.
So....S-L-O-W-L-Y...could someone 'splain this to me?
A. I can't put a clickable link to my email in an auction?
posted on May 10, 2001 07:22:06 PM
I agree with ferncreek. I appreciate that eBay won't give my email address to anyone who wants it, but if I want to put it in my listings, I feel I should be able to. Heck, I just learned enough HTML to start making a clickable link in my listings and now it looks like I won't be able to do it.
posted on May 10, 2001 07:29:39 PM
Wait a minute... if I'm selling collectables on eBay but I also run a small webpage that has a few dinky items on it, I can't put a link to my homepage from the eBay auction listing?
posted on May 10, 2001 07:39:06 PM
>So....S-L-O-W-L-Y...could someone 'splain this to me?
>A. I can't put a clickable link to my email in an auction?
That's what the lady said. I had to hunt on ebay to find what reddeer was talking about, but was there. I Just checked again, and it's scrolled off the bottom of the DNF board, but that place is fired up right now
>B. Why?
So's we can't comunicate with each other unless we do a deal on ebay (and ebay gets a cut.) Problem is, we need to comunicate in order to make a deal *ON* ebay, and earn Ebay a little money.
>Thank you.
Your Welcome.
Pocono:
>WAIT! The additional "screws" coming in the next two-three weeks will REALLY give you something to howl about.
Wouldn't surprize me.
>Small sellers... pack up your shop, cause you are are about to be S.O.L
Depends on what you sell.
It's like this, ebay has the buyers, and where there are buyers, there will be sellers. Depending on what you sell, the market might get real tight sooner than you think. Some merchandise will still do good.
Question:
Would your merchandise be conducive to a packed house brick and mortar auction?
If the answer is yes, you won't get hurt too bad, just inconveinced <sp>.
If the answer is no, then I might look at the new storefronts ebay is planning.
If you can't roll with the punches, I'd get out of the game as soon as I could.
posted on May 10, 2001 08:27:56 PM
Microbes- It is not a "roll with the punches" situation that small sellers will be facing.
What is happening to eBay is the same thing that happens when urban areas are "gentryfied"sp?.
The lower income people are forced out by market forces, and there is nothing to roll with, except roll yourself right out of the market.
As eBay attempts to reach its $3 billion in revenues, they will do everything within their power to make real estate on eBay as expensive/valuable as possible.
eBay would rather have 1 seller that does $100,000 a month in sales than 1000 that do $100 a month in sales.
eBay will cater to the large concerns. The big corps that are already at eBay already enjoy "secret" agreements with eBay regarding fees and services.
The coming competition on eBay is going to be for prime real estate. If you wish to list on a site that has large name brand vendors, you will not be paying current listing fees. It will be the equivalent of having a storefront right next to Wal-Mart or Marshall Fields, and it will be very expensive- ever play Monopoly ? eBay may institute a minimum amount of sales per month to remain on the site as a seller.
In any event, eBay must reach the revenue growth to meet this $3 billion projection or the stock will fall faster than you can say " Meg is gone".
posted on May 10, 2001 09:27:44 PM
They do it with books on Amazon. However the pricing model may could be better than a B&M including shipping.
They may also do it by variety. Not every B&M can carry all product lines in every store.
eBay will not purposely erode the viability of the small sellers, and definitely will not spurn them until they have the revenue to replace them.
It will be a gradual process as huge vendors come onboard.
eBay knows that the antique/collectables market is not further scalable, it is self limiting as far as growth, and ebay has reached or surpassed the limits of how far it can go with this genre' for revenue growth. You don't see eBay out trying to recruit new antique dealers.
It wants vendors that can service thousands of sales a day for an indefinite period of time. Antique/collectables can't do it.
Antiques/collectable are not a sustainable growth industry, eBay realized this several years ago.
posted on May 10, 2001 09:33:22 PM
IMO the antique & collectible market is what made eBay the household word that it is today, and without the small mom & pop sellers it will become a retail ghost town.
The vast majority of buyers come to eBay for two reasons.
1. To find unique items that they cannot buy locally.
2. To get good deals
For the most part the buyers that flock to eBay on a daily basis aren't looking for mass produced retail items, and if that's what eBay has planned for their future, LOL, good luck!
Some of these smaller sites that have never been able to give eBay a run for their money, just might be in the near future.
posted on May 10, 2001 10:15:22 PM"Antiques/collectable are not a sustainable growth industry, eBay realized this several years ago"
If that's true, why are they co-sponsoring the Antiques Roadshow on PBS? An ad for them now introduces the show here in Oklahoma, just before Chubb Insurance. I think they just want to have their cake and eat it, too. Everything I sell and everything I buy is getting older by the minute. And everything in my house that is now considered mass produced junk, will eventually be coveted by somebody. We are hunter/gatherers by default - hard-wired that way.
"For the most part the buyers that flock to eBay on a daily basis aren't looking for mass produced retail items, and if that's what eBay has planned for their future, LOL, good luck!"
Yes. More isn't always better. Everybody likes a bargain, but nobody wants to be bored to tears by a constant parade of nothing special.
If it was a critical mass of buyers for unique things that made them what they are today, it should surely hint at the notion that a critical mass of sellers of not-unique items might be problematic. I moved my own business over to Ruby Lane eight months ago and never looked back. I got tired of listing antiques on eBay, in their correct categories, and getting buried in downloads of starlet photos, reproductions and tennis shoes. No offence intended to those who happen to sell any of those things, but I sell antiques and never felt comfortable being cheek and jowl with everything but. I've found a home now. And, like Dorothy suggested, there's no place like home!
posted on May 10, 2001 10:15:29 PM
Hi Neil. I think we saw this one coming. What do you want to bet that ALL links to any off-eBay sites that they don't control will be next to get the ax? There go the web site links. I don't think we needed to try deciphering the "two click" rule since we obviously won't be able to use it soon. I can't believe I wasted my time on that!!
Soooo, it's pure greed after all. The new eBay message system really had nothing to do with stopping spam but had everything to do with eBay's bottom line. What a shame!! I suspected that was their agenda but was actually hoping to be wrong.
posted on May 10, 2001 10:49:16 PM
Hello Blanche, long time no see. Big surprise about the links, huh?
Yes Reamond, I've been reading your posts here on AW for quite some time. My head never was in the sand, when the grass turns yellow on eBay, I'll simply move to a new pasture where it's green. And as far as the 50%, those numbers could drop to 20% within two years. I guess we shall see what we see?
posted on May 11, 2001 03:55:00 AM
reamond:
>The lower income people are forced out by market forces, and there is nothing to roll with, except roll yourself right out of the market.
I think (just MHO) that if you sell new stuff, you'll be pinched hard, but if you sell good used merchandise (how many corperate giants deal in used merchandise?) you will have to roll with the punches, but you should be ok.
posted on May 11, 2001 04:21:21 AM
After taking about a year off from eBay I started running auctions again in March. I run about 100 each week and I have a clickable link in my auction listings for people to contact me with any questions. Over the past 2 1/2 months I have probably had about 6 - 10 people ask me questions. Every single one of those people used the eBay "ask Seller a Question" link. Not one used the clickable link in my auction listing - Even though 2 of the people with questions had been prior customers.
When I, as a potential bidder have a question for a seller, I always use the eBay link too. The main reason I do it is that when you send the email to the seller the "subject" line is already filled in and all I have to do is ask my question.
So as a practical matter elimination of the clickable link will have no impact on me. I will still keep my email address in the listing though for those who might want to contact me after the auction is over and you can no longer use the eBay link.
Having said all that, though, I do not like what eBay has done. Too much Big Brother in my mind over a silly little email link.
posted on May 11, 2001 04:58:17 AM
The situation with eBay is because of unrealistic expectations from the investors.
eBay was profitable and successfull when most other web businesses were not, but was that enough? NO.
Inorder to get the sales volumes (billions!)they want it will take more than BIG SELLERS to generate it, It will require BIG BUYERS!!! They have to change the whole nature of the business to achieve that and for some reason can't see that there is no guarantee it will still work after such huge changes.
They should have just said "This is a good model but we need to start up a NEW auction with different sellers and buyers who can generate some serious money."
That would have left the successfull business they are destroying intact.
If you read eBoys the book about how eBay was financed it will show you the saddest slimy face capitalism can put on.
posted on May 11, 2001 05:21:53 AM
Not surprising that clickable links for e-mail are history. I don't think eBay is trying to do in the small seller with this one.
I think eBay is making a concerted effort to control any links that will take a user off of the eBay site for any reason.
I also think this is part of the planning for the storefronts for fixed price sales that eBay announced are in the works. I think if a seller wants to have links and whatever it is going to have to be on an eBay storefront, which of course, a seller will have to pay to have.
When eBay makes *any* changes there is only one thing to remember.. the prime directive.........follow the money.
posted on May 11, 2001 08:02:00 AM
New link policy is on AB
"***Links off eBay Policy Update***
The intent of the View Item page has always been to describe a specific item listed for sale. eBay has inconsistently enforced this policy over the past few years. This inconsistency has lead to confusion among our users regarding the purpose of the View Item page. And it has led to the mistaken impression for many users who close transactions outside of the eBay platform that they were still covered by our policies and trust and safety provisions.
In an effort to bring our policy and enforcement into alignment, beginning May 31, 2001 we will:
1. Clarify and consistently enforce the View Item page links policy;
2. Permit only links to eBay or Half.com listings and links to third party credits from the View Item page;
3. Modify the policy and allow users to link off their About Me page to their homepage or storefront.
These changes apply to all items listed on eBay including our International sites, eBay Motors and eBay Premier.
For the text of the new policy, click here.
We recognize that these changes may directly impact some of our sellers. It is important to recall, however, that the intent of the View Item page is not to advertise other products or businesses, but to describe the specific item listed. By focussing on the item listed, the View Item page provides sellers a space to engage and inform buyers about that item. It also clearly denotes that the item is on eBay and that the buyer will have access to all the services eBay offers, such as feedback and insurance.
The place to inform the community about other aspects of a user’s business or interests is through the About Me page, the free space we provide all of our users. For information on how to create an About Me page go here.
By working together, eBay and our sellers have created a robust marketplace. Sellers that attempt to divert buyers off eBay potentially decrease the value of the marketplace to the entire community. We believe that by clarifying and enforcing this policy we will strengthen the marketplace for everyone.
posted on May 11, 2001 08:36:08 AM
Let me see if I got this straight.
eBay does NOT ALLOW:
1.) New users to use their e-mail addresses anymore as ID's. (already existing e-mail ID's are OK for NOW)
2.) Links to your Web Page is a BIG NO-NO (a few years ago it was encouraged)
3.) NOW...NO e-mail link to your e-mail address on your auction page. (I would think they would encourage it to take the load off their system)
This has all come about because of SPAM, is that correct?
How stupid do they think we are?
As a matter of fact, I have gotten more e-mails through their system then I ever got before.
I believe this is not going to stop the spammers. They just have to work smarter & faster to get our e-mails.
And what that does is leave US SELLERS at the mercy of eBay. We have to rely on them to get us the "Important" questions in a fast and timely manner as we all know the last hour or 2 are critical to the auctions outcome.
I've been doing this for over 3 years and it just amazes me how paranoid and dictative eBay has become.
As it stands right now they are the BIGGEST & the BEST we have. WHY are they trying so hard to alienate everyone?
One more thought while I'm at it.
I for the life of me can't figure out how the sellers of retail can make it on eBay. I myself if I want new(that includes anything from VHS to computers) I'll go to town and buy it where I can have a hands on look and get service if I need it, AND not have to pay postage.
A while back I bought a VHS off eBay with a BUY IT NOW, because I needed it for a gift, and I thought I'd have it in 3 or 4 days(plenty of time). WRONG...buyer took 2 weeks to get it to me and in the mean time I went to town and got the same video for 1/2 what I paid on that one LESS shipping. NEVER AGAIN!
Only thing I can think of is that the BIG BOYS are using eBay for a tax write off.
They build and close a year later around here all the time just to get a hefty write off on their taxes.
posted on May 11, 2001 08:47:18 AM
The real point of all this is that eBay is trying to become the next Microsoft. eBay is attempting to control every aspect of our ability to sell online. That's simply it. Control the communication, control the links to the outside, put anyone who doesn't comply out of business, and there you have it. The only way to stop eBay now is through the legal process, (possible restraint of trade violations) unless folks REALLY are ready to go someplace else. However, this hasn't happened yet and this is why eBay is willing to take the gamble this time. There will be an uproar, folks will scream and hollar and then in a couple of weeks, it will be back to business as usual except that eBay is now another step closer to being the next Microsoft. Simple, straightforward plan and it will probably work.
posted on May 11, 2001 08:54:59 AM
Hi, packer...I totally agree with your point about "buying new retail merchandise on-line"...why pay shipping, wait for merchandise to arrive, and have nowhere to go when item is not working properly....! I wanted a new fax machine. Saw something at Office Depot...Went online to check for more info on that particular machine and do a price comparison. Although one of the ONLINE PRICEs was considerably less than anywhere else, the SHIPPING would have beenn $45.00!!!!
But It would seem that many people believe "If I buy online, it will be cheaper..."
Not so anymore. In the beginning, perhaps because of the novelty of it...but "it ain't necessarily so.." anymore..
Well, nice seeing ya..TTFN and Sorry for derailing...
********
Gosh Shosh!
About Me
[ edited by Shoshanah on May 11, 2001 08:57 AM ]
posted on May 11, 2001 09:07:36 AM
Clickable e-mail links will NOT take people away from eBay's site. All it does is open a new box for e-mail with the to address already filled in, like this:
Anyone who finds eBay's new policies are unfavorable to your business needs to start thinking about weaning themselves from eBay. And weaning is an apt analogy. Most of us who use eBay are beginners, who don't know much about business, or e-commerce, and eBay is like a momma to us. Now that momma is trying to kick us out of the nest, and we either have to learn to live on our own, or die. I don't see any other momma like eBay out there that's going to make it easy to sell, although there are plenty of other auction websites.
