posted on May 22, 2001 11:19:47 AM
EBay's new link policy doesn't allow DIRECT links to your website on the auction listing page if your site has items for sale outside of eBay. One way to keep your website URL visible on the auction listing page is to use that URL AS your eBay user ID. You can then use this ID to watermark your photos. This was posted by Daphne (eBay pink)on the eBay Trust & Safety Board May 18:
AND again by Daphne on the same day and same page in response to the following question:
QUOTE
"DAPHNE: Thank you for all of the clarifications you've provided. If someone has multiple userids, with at least one of them being a www address, can the auctions of these multiple userids provide hypertext links (utilizing the www userid as the text) to each others auctions within eBay?"
END QUOTE
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
QUOTE by Daphne:
"If the web address is a User ID, that's fine... we allow User ID's to be web addresses for now, so we wouldn't prevent linking to that user's auctions that way."
END QUOTE
So, if you think the visibility of your website is important on the auction listing page, you can use that URL for another user ID. If eBay changes the policy of allowing web addresses for user ID's, it's quite likely that they will grandfather the folks who already have these ID's and only prevent new users from signing up with a URL ID.
I have little doubt that email and URL IDs won't be around for long. I even question if sellers will be able to send their own EOA at some point in the future.
But I'd use the loop hole as long as they allowed it.
posted on May 22, 2001 12:05:37 PM
Well how about this ... add your business URL to your images with your graphics program. It's not a clickable link, but your address is out there and eBay's "bots" won't pick it up. Then have an identical image handy without the URL so that if eBay taps you on the shoulder about it, you can do a swaperoo and say "Wha...? wha...??"
posted on May 22, 2001 12:25:26 PM
Hi marble. I don't think eBay allows ANY advertising of your web address in the auction listing page even in text form UNLESS it's also your User ID. This was posted by Daphne on the Trust & Safety Board in the same thread as the posts I mentioned above:
QUOTE
"In that same vein, you can't advertise your web address in your item description at all.. even in just text form. Remember, you CAN put it on your About Me."
END QUOTE
I found the last three pages of that thread on the T&S Board to be very helpful in clearing up some of the vague language in eBay's new linking policy and in explaining exactly what IS and what IS NOT allowed.
posted on May 22, 2001 12:28:45 PM
Hi Blanche. I know, and what I recommended above about hiding your URL within your image (so it's not searchable text) would definitely be against the rules. Perhaps it was too flippant a suggestion for this topic, and I'm sorry. But give me a rule, and I'll try to find some way to circumvent it. I can't help myself.
[ edited by marble on May 22, 2001 12:29 PM ]
posted on May 22, 2001 12:32:15 PM
Hey, I GOT IT!!!
Have several dozen beverage coasters made up with your business URL clearly printed on them. Run a Dutch auction for them (with a nice clear photo of the item of course) and be sure you have this auction running all the time. Keep re-listing it. Then in your regular auctions, be sure to direct your viewers to "Check out my OTHER auctions on eBay!" (which is OK, right?) and they'll see your coaster auction and see your URL and ...
posted on May 22, 2001 12:32:37 PM
Thank you for the update, Blanche. I was a bit nervous after changing my feedback-laden user ID to my web address in a fit of pique.
posted on May 22, 2001 12:34:34 PM
Question - I know the policy of no website links goes into effect on 5/31/2001. Can anyone tell me if this is for any active auctions or only auctions launched after that date.
Also, if I have a link from the view item page, the link cannot be a page to offer things for sale. However, if I read it correctly, I am allow to put on that linked page (not the view item page) a link to my website which can offer things for sale. Am I correct?
posted on May 22, 2001 12:34:42 PMmarble, I thought it was a good idea and breaking a rule here and there is certainly not beneath me, especially if I think the rule SUCKS!! But I think finding a legal way around the rule is even more fun.
Blanche
[ edited by bhearsch on May 22, 2001 12:36 PM ]
posted on May 22, 2001 12:49:22 PM
Hello commentary. Yes, you can have a link to your site with items for sale outside of eBay as long as it isn't a DIRECT link from your auction listing page. So, as an example, you can have a link on your listing page to a page that gives more info on the item you're selling and then you can also have a DISCRETE link on that page that leads to your website. This is unofficially called the "two click" rule.
By "discrete" they mean the link can't openly advertise the fact that you have other items for sale outside of eBay. You can say "please click here to visit my website" but you cannot say "please click here to see other items for sale. You also still need to follow eBay's guidelines regarding acceptable merchandise and not pricing items lower on your website than in your auction listing.
posted on May 22, 2001 12:55:30 PM
Blanche - thanks.
I was going to have a linked page for terms on consolidated shipping and than a link to my website on there. Hopefully, ebay will view this as supplying more info on the item being sold.
Do you know the answer to my question about the cutoff date? Is 5/31 cutoff for auctions launched before that date or for auctions active on that date?
[ edited by commentary on May 22, 2001 12:57 PM ]
posted on May 22, 2001 01:02:12 PM
Hey vargas, I'm glad your fears have been alleviated but I'm sure you know the interpretation of eBay's rules can vary depending on which support person you're dealing with so it's a good idea to archive any comments made by the pinks that support your position. I have an arsenal of archived posts and emails from "pinks" or other support personnel that fills one CD - that's a LOT of posts. LOL
I may end up losing the battle but I'm not going to enter it unprepared.
When will the new policy go into effect?
"The new policy will go into effect May 31, 2001. At that time, any users that violate the policy may be subject to having their items ended, their About Me page removed or their eBay account suspended."
posted on May 22, 2001 01:20:56 PM
LOL...Sadly, I know exactly what you mean.
I have some auctions ending on the 31st, which have BidPay text links...just the word BidPay, itself. Now, I gather they're iffy, so I'm going to copy the bidder's emails on the 30th...just in case.
I wish eBay could at least manage to be clear about their constantly shifting edicts...
posted on May 22, 2001 07:08:34 PM
Hi toke. I don't understand why you think your BidPay text link would be considered iffy. As long as the link is to a third party service that you're using in that particular auction and it doesn't contain more than 10 words or have a font size LARGER THAN 3, it should be acceptable to eBay. The font size can be #3 but no larger.
QUOTE
"eBay will permit listings that contain a small, discrete identification or "credit" to third parties that provide services or products directly connected with the particular listing or that allow a seller to aggregate their eBay listings.
The credit may only contain one of the following to identify or credit the company offering the product or service:
Text (HTML font size 3) OR
A logo (88x33 pixels)
The credit may not contain promotional material or other information about the company.
The service being credited should only be one that the seller is using within that particular listing.
The text may contain no more than 10 words, and may be no larger than HTML font size 3. Examples of the text portion of a credit permitted within a view item page:
"Photo hosting, provided by ipix.com"
"eBay Online Payment solutions."
"Free Counters by Honesty."
END QUOTE
posted on May 22, 2001 11:33:34 PM
Hiya Neil. Things have been a bit hectic here so I haven't been online much. I've had company staying with me for almost TWO WEEKS!! I'm going to finally be reprieved on Thursday, thank God, and then I'm definitely putting out the "NO VACANCY" sign. LOL
Concerning the back-up User ID containing your web address, well, it sure can't hurt and it may actually come in handy.
posted on May 23, 2001 02:00:15 AM
I guess if one is hosting one's own pictures with the website, one cannot give oneself credit with a comment like "picture hosted by xxx.com".
posted on May 23, 2001 06:30:49 AM
Another way to get a URL showing is to use an 'ALT' tag on your images.
If you put your image location right in the description like I do try this:
<img src="http://www.myimage.com"
ALT="www.myurl.com">
When a cursor is placed on the image the specified url will show in a small pop-up.
Probably agaist the rules too, but fun.
posted on May 23, 2001 07:03:21 AM
I was gazing into my crystal ball last night & can foresee the day when ebay finally drops the other shoe.
I fully expect NO web addresses to be allowed as IDs. No links AT ALL whether on your auction view page OR your AboutMe page.
Meanwhile I'll play w/in the rules as they change but won't be surprised when that final days comes.
Like so many others have recommended, I've put my website link in my EOA rather than anywhere on ebay. But, eventually, they'll probably find a way to control all the EOAs from their site as well.
posted on May 23, 2001 10:15:20 AMtoke, I didn't actually see the auctions in question in that thread so I can't be sure of the problem but it was probably the size of the BidPay link or logo. You can have the BidPay link as long as it conforms to the rules concerning third party links that I mentioned above. You should be OK if your font size is 3 or less. I have a feeling that eBay will eventually allow the BillPoint logo to be LARGER since they own 65% of the company.
It's almost too much of an effort to try to keep up with all of the constant policy changes. I like the KISS principle myself but eBay doesn't seem to understand that concept.
posted on May 23, 2001 10:08:59 PM
Blanche, you said, "Yes, you can have a link to your site with items for sale outside of eBay as long as it isn't a DIRECT link from your auction listing page. So, as an example, you can have a link on your listing page to a page that gives more info on the item you're selling and then you can also have a DISCRETE link on that page that leads to your website."
From the looks of overstock.com's listings (one of the biggies that eBay is courting), you can put SEVERAL links to your About Me page in your listing as long as EACH LINK is either no more than 10 words of size 3 type OR is no larger than 33 X 88 pixels (as in their website logo). In fact, they even have a PROMOTIONAL line in their listing, "Save an additional $10! Click here", which eBay specifically disallowed back when PayPal was giving money to new sign-ups (you could mention PayPal, but NOT their offer). Overstock's current auctions are over before May 31st, so it will be interesting to see if they make any changes in future listings. If they DON'T make changes, and eBay ALLOWS everything they're doing....which includes:
having a URL for a user name
having a promotional link to the About Me page
having a 33 X 88 pixel LOGO link to the About Me page
having a 10-word link to the About Me page
having an About Me page with BLATANT advertising link to the user website (complete with a flashing promotional banner)
....then it would only be fair for THE REST OF US to be allowed to do the same in OUR listings. Understand, their listings have no DIRECT LINKS to their website, and their links to their About Me page are no larger than allowed, but there's nothing DISCREET about any of it, and they're very OBVIOUSLY inviting you to go to their website to make off-eBay purchases.
I haven't looked at any other Big Corporate listings yet to see if they all do this....but it would make sense that the big companies eBay wants to lure would ALL want similar links in THEIR listings.
I, too, used to think that URLs would eventually be disallowed as user names and that links to user websites would eventually be disallowed on About Me pages, but now I don't know....I think eBay is going to HAVE TO let sellers keep those if they want to keep the big companies listing....and if they let the big companies do it, then they have to let EVERYONE ELSE do it, too.
Blanche, you also said, ". I have a feeling that eBay will eventually allow the BillPoint logo to be LARGER since they own 65% of the company."
If they do, they can expect lawsuits from PayPal, PayDirect, BidPay, c2it, Money Zap, EnergyFlow, and any other online payment services still in business at that time!
posted on May 23, 2001 11:48:49 PM
Hi granee, I think eBay is going to give the really BIG GUYS special treatment and the rules they have to follow may not be a stringent as the ones for the rest of us. There really isn't a level playing field anymore and the Mom & Pop sellers are at a disadvantage so they will have to work harder and smarter in order to be noticed on eBay's site or they will eventually leave.
eBay may give the "BIG GUYS" lower fees than we pay, but if they get a more lenient/favorable set of rules to follow in their listings, the #&@% will hit the fan!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
