posted on June 1, 2001 09:35:44 PM
How many "big boy" ebay TOS violators have you found?
I can't believe how may of the big boy have not complied with the ebays link policies or any of the things they are going to enforce for that matter.
Warner Bros. has in there auction that movies are now available on DVD and VHS but that is not what the auction is for.
ReturnBuy has a few links to their site and ebay even has a stake in that company(read the press releases on their site)
Sun still has gif links on their auctions that are 95x71 pixels, the link and the size are against ebay rules as are not having the TOS in you auction.
from ebays seller assistant pro "You can store~~~notes about your customers' likes and dislikes" but wait why would I want to do that 1) ebay all but says that they are not our customers 2) if I'm not aloud to contact them what difference does it make what they like and dislikes.
I actually have a several more.
So what if anything are you planing to do??
I thought that I would be turning in each and every violation I found on the big boys, if one auction had three violations they would get 3 emails turned in on it, from at least one of my email addresses. but i've done nothing, if anything I'm, planning on how to go back to a real job and cut my losses with ebay. I will probably still list stuff, at least until the stock is gone, but this is the first week in a 2 years that I don't have at least one PO hanging on the wall that needs to be called in.
Am I the only one that feels this way?
edited because I aint got no learning
[ edited by airguy on Jun 1, 2001 09:39 PM ]
posted on June 1, 2001 09:53:25 PM
Several ~ from Mitsubishi to a digital camera Power Seller with a link to his storefront with shopping cart. But turning them in is a waste of time. Put your efforts elsewhere.
(edited to add Power Seller ~ a VID [very important distinction]!)
[ edited by frodoXII on Jun 1, 2001 09:55 PM ]
I look at it this way. This links thing may end up backfiring on eBay. A big part of the reason that some of the mega-sellers (those list thousands monthly) are flooding eBay is because it's an advertising expense to draw folks to their retail websites.
If eBay starts telling these sellers to pull the links, a significant portion of them might reconsider the benefits of continuing to list on eBay. Between increasing costs, reduced sales prices, and no link benefits, some will undoubtedly pull the plug.
eBay total sales have been fairly flat at about 5.5 M for about a month (eBay wants growth). I'd expect to see them start dropping in the coming weeks.
That makes things better for the smaller sellers that don't depend on links to websites.
posted on June 1, 2001 10:38:38 PM
eBay has made it clear they won't police auctions. If you see a violator and don't turn them in, don't complain that eBay isn't doing anything about it. Just my two cents.
posted on June 1, 2001 11:32:57 PM
eBay's new business model is to cater to the large corporate/mega/power sellers. This is why it would be a waste of time to turn them in. Nothing would be done.
If any of you have turned in a mega seller violator and actually get a positive result from doing so, I'd like to hear about it on this thread.
posted on June 2, 2001 12:01:26 AM
If you believe there is any truth in the tens of thousands of posts that users have made in the time since the present eBay management took over control of the company, then this abuse by showing favoritism is only the latest discrimination against the smaller sellers.
Each will have to decide for themselves what action, if any, they will take.
Mom&Pop and small individual sellers are having their auctions canceled and/or their accounts suspended for violations of eBay rules while major corporations and companies in which eBay holds an ownership position continue their non-complying listings with what seems impunity.
eBay has requested that all users report any violations to [email protected] and, for any that choose to, that action seems approbate.
For those that feel reporting to eBay about eBay's partners and subsidiaries seems futile, they might consider writing an email to one or more of the following addresses to express their concerns.
For sellers who feel that ebaY is
restraining trade, defrauding sellers by not providing the services
paid for, or other situations not dealt with to your satisfaction,
you can file reports with:
The Attorney General of California and
also in your home state
http://caag.state.ca.us/piu/mailform.htm
The Better Business Bureau
http://www.bbbonline.com
The Federal Trade Commission
http://www.ftc.gov
The Office of Consumer Affair, US Department of Commerce
http://www.consumer.gov/sentinel/index.html
FTC - File Complaint
https://rn.ftc.gov/dod/wsolcq$.startup?Z_ORG_CODE=PU01
The FBI's Internet Fraud Units
http://www.nipc.gov/contact.htm#arrow,
National Fraud Information Center
http://www.fraud.org
eComplaints http://www.ecomplaints.com/
If you feel this list might have present or future value please feel free to copy, retain and share it with other users.
Any suggestions for additions to this list will be appreciated by me and shared, when approbate with other users.
If they Fee-bay, really are still letting the big guys continue to have links and no one else, this is considered unfair and restricted trade practices. Cases can definitely be filed against E-bay and any of the corporations that are collaberating to restrict trade. It is discrimination, sounds like a great case for an enterprising law firm and or the feds to look into.
posted on June 2, 2001 02:14:23 PM
Airguy, I am very interested in compiling these violations and putting them on a webpage. The only way to get eBlech to take action is through causing public relations embarrassment to them.
eBlech continues to let large corporate sellers violate their rules at will, as witnessed for example by USPS recently selling items that violated VeRO... relisting them after eBlech removed them... without the slightest punishment.
If any of us did that we would suspended automatically.
posted on June 2, 2001 02:37:37 PM
A quote from the Wall Street Journal article generously posted elsewhere:
EBay executives insist that they haven't lost sight of their small sellers and that their own analysis suggests that eBay auctions on average are fetching higher prices than ever before. Using a term etched into the vocabulary of all of the company's managers, eBay Chief Executive Meg Whitman says the company's marketplace is a "level playing field" where all sellers, big and small, play by the same rules and pay the same fees.
If this is true, then we should fully expect them to be dealt with accordingly, No? A further question - are those analysts who came up with the "fetching higher prices than ever before" speaking in reference to eBay on Earth, or some other planet?
posted on June 2, 2001 04:16:58 PM
It feels like these accounts have an Ebay rep that is handling all of this.
This is only a guess. Is there indication that ebay does not know that these folks have links and shopping carts? Do these sellers not read TOS before creating monster quantities of auctions with handy offsite sales features? With such a high profile you'd think they'd be aware of at least those rules.
You'd think they'd know already, 12 pages of auctions, someone must have complained.
Perplexing.
posted on June 3, 2001 03:48:43 AM
Yeah, that "higher prices than ever before" bit was a real howler.
I think eBay will turn a lot of people off if it becomes glutted with listings from large sellers trying to sell on what amounts to a fixed-price model. That's what dedicated sites and shopping 'bots are meant to handle.
Half.com is already headed that way. Large new-book booksellers have flooded the book section with 10-20% off listings. I have to make sure to specify price on wish lists ("Any" is still the default) to avoid getting e-mailed every time some mega-store lists something at only 10% or so off! (I won't use pre-orders because of problems with wrong editions, cassettes being listed in the CD section, etc.)
Yahoo also was getting overwhelmed with repetitive fixed-price-type listings before they bailed out to oblivion with the listing fee.
I think eBay has inherent advantages in unique collectibles and one-of-a-kinds, but they seem seduced at the moment by the idea of moving out bigger-ticket stuff (including cars) for a bigger cut per item. I can't see this model as being well-suited to them, though...all this emphasis on escrow and various buyer protections seems a way to try to get a square peg into a round hole.
posted on June 3, 2001 07:28:26 AM
I nearly lost my lunch when I read that quote from Meg about the level playing field. Yeah, right.
I've had personal experience, tho a while back now, with ebay totally ignoring Power Seller infractions and other sins, which is why I avoid MOST Power Sellers like the plague. (The exceptions were two Power Sellers who went out of their way in their ToS to explain their ultra-buyer-friendly terms and customer service.)
However, I'll also point out that there are legions of non-Power Sellers who are still in violation of this new "no links" policy. We all know that most ebayers do NOT frequent boards like this, do NOT read any of the ebay boards, and so are presumably not aware of the new policy. I myself wouldn't know about it at all were it not for the fact that I read this and another board, since I didn't receive any notification from ebay and myself don't bother to read their boards.
Ebay's going to have a very interesting time enforcing THIS rule. However, if those who ARE following it don't alert ebay about those who aren't, who's the fool?
posted on June 4, 2001 11:58:43 AM
returnbuy, disney, and sun have all launched auctions after or on the date changes were to go into affect.
per ebays announcement board there would be a 2 week educational warning period in which sellers are to come into compliance. returnbuy so far is the biggest offender that I can find to the changes with over 700 auctions launched after the date the changes were to go into effect.
I guess even people in bed with ebay like to push the rules to the limit.
posted on June 4, 2001 01:31:20 PM
Take a look at the seller list of hardrock.com
They have a huge glaring banner on their auction that takes you right to their web site to buy.
Some of these auctions were listed today.
I sent an urgent message to safeharbor with a list of all their auctions that violate the no links policy. I also expressed my concerns for the safety of the eBay community and the integrity of the site with these dangerous activities happening.
I learned this from the eBay "Spin Misters". One much always sacrifice for the greater good of the community. I suppose that is why eBay is now SPAMMING losing bidders with their new recommendations.
[ edited by noshill on Jun 4, 2001 01:33 PM ]
[ edited by noshill on Jun 4, 2001 07:31 PM ]
posted on June 4, 2001 04:29:51 PM
I know that eBay asks their members to help police the auctions.
I can't help but wonder if they have really thought about what results this might have on the eBay site.
With so many sellers furious over the latest link policy changes and the "big boys" not complying with the rules, if enough members start reporting every violation wouldn't this be a real nightmare for eBay?
I know the email system they installed for "preventing spam", has problems quite often. What happens if everyone starts sending the violations to eBay through the send this auction to a friend feature?
I am glad I don't have any auctions running there right now.
posted on June 4, 2001 06:57:18 PM
"and that their own analysis suggests that eBay auctions on average are fetching higher prices than ever before."
there's a typo there....what the analysts REALLY suggested:
"and that their own analysis suggests that eBay auctions on average are fetching FEES than ever before."
To eBay....what we call a fee is what they call a price for their services. Depends on who's paying it, is all.
On the "level playing field" issue-- I sent email to Powerseller support 3 days ago asking whether some of the mega-sellers were going to be allowed to continue to link to their websites with mega-merchandise for sale. No reply as yet.....
posted on June 4, 2001 09:05:34 PM
Dear Ms Whitman,
The really sad part about your new linking policy and the power of the Internet is that you, Meg Whitman, Ebay CEO have the same capability that us, your customers, have to sit in the privacy of your cushy CEO office and read every last one of these comments coming from your most important customers complaining about the stupidity of your companies latest policy yet you do nothing. Read carefully Meg and pay attention. How many top ISP's are in the nation? Does just one survive? How many National Discount Retailers are there in this country? Do people just shop at one? My town has a Kmart, a Walmart, and a Target within a mile of each other. All of them do equally good business. Do you really think Ebay has some type of supernatural power to stay number 1 forever? Ebay is not the only auction game in town and given time, seller support and some good media coverage the other competing auction sites WILL siphon off enough Ebay bidder traffic and SELLERS to make you wish you would have paid more attention to the FREE feedback your most important customers are giving you in public forums. Remember feedback Meg? Feedback from customers that you used to welcome so much. And this is not just the sabre rattling of a few disgruntled sellers. Several journalists have already published articles siding with the Seller's POV and taking negative jabs at your company. I followed your career since you were at Hasbro and I use to really respect you. That respect is waning as you abandon your former skills in knowing consumer instincts and welcoming their feedback. Too bad you don't realize that the sellers are Ebay's real consumers. WE help pay your salary. But if you don't need us anymore that's fine. We'll take our $300 to $2000 worth of fees every month somewhere else. If you think your Big Time Corporate Seller Clients will be as loyal as your Mom & Pop sellers just check the recent Fortune 1000 layoff lists. Loyalty is not in the Corporate vocabulary anymore. They'll leave you & Ebay in a heartbeat when you try to impose your Draconian anti-Internet rules on them. Wish you the best Meg.
Sincerely,
Small-Time Seller Hoping to Make it Semi-Big Someday.
