posted on October 5, 2001 10:13:11 PM
Is it legal to put a link to my website in the end of auction letter I send to winning bidders?
I want to put a clickable link to my new website that has other artwork for sale.
Legal or not?
I won't be putting it on my auction site.
posted on October 5, 2001 10:16:04 PM
Most people here are of the opinion that you can put whatever you like in your EOA. Others have postulated that a website link could violate the eBay "No SPAM" policy. You be the judge.
I have been putting a website in my EOA for months and it has worked out very well for me in generating add-on sales.
posted on October 6, 2001 09:09:36 AM
I thought that you could not offer items for sale in the email. Are links to your website not allowed either?
I don't see how this could be called spam. Spam is unsollicited email. If you bought my item you surely want me to contact you?
I want to put a link to my website that would send them to a page about me and my art.
When they click on the link they would get the artist info page but there is a link on that page for all the others.There is a page that has items for sale and that is what I'm worried about.
posted on October 6, 2001 10:18:44 PM
I would be interested in the actual "laws" about this as well.
But common sense to me says this... That eBay can dictate what you put on the auction page because you are in a sense using their "property" to sell your item. But as for e-mail, how can they possibly dictate what you can and cannot put in that e-mail? The only way they could justify this that I can think of is by saying that you are contacting the buyer about eBay business. But what about a 2nd or 3rd e-mail to the buyer? Would they have exclusive "rights" to all future contact with that buyer about all future sales? I wouldn't think so. I don't think regarding e-mail they would have a leg to stand on... The auction page and about me page and such that are on their web site I can see... But not e-mail...
posted on October 7, 2001 06:28:57 AM
A signature line in my email not being allowed by Ebay, boy that is something I have never even given a thought to. I don't list much on Ebay anymore but when I do all my email contacts with buyers or sellers has a signature line at the bottom asking people to come to my auction site to view my listings there. I don't see any way in the world Ebay can tell me I can't do this and if they even tried listings with them would go from little to none.
http://www.romahawk.com
posted on October 7, 2001 06:55:09 AM
A link to your website on an EOA notice is perfectly acceptable. In fact, whatever you wanted to put in your EOA is perfectly acceptable (in my opinion). eBay has no involvement in that communication, and none of their rules (no matter how they might like to believe it) apply (again, my opinion). You're sending an e-mail to a customer. You're not using eBay's system. You're not bound by eBay's rules on communications outside of eBay's system.
In fact, (per eBay's SPAM policy) you could go through the entire art category & contact every bidder & seller. You don't even need to have a transaction with them! eBay's spam policy states that the following is allowed and not considered spam:
Sending a message to someone asking if he/she is interested in a particular category without indicating that you sell the collectible. Also, this type of email must only be sent to users you've dealt with before or to users you reasonably believe would want to receive such information.
You certainly believed the person might be interested in your artwork. By placing a link, you're certainly not advertising that you sell anything...
Don't forget how eBay does its own EOA notices. There's almost always an ad for Billpoint, "Buy-it-Now", some Sweepstakes, etc tacked on the bottom. I'd love to see them tell you putting a simple link to your site was not allowed in your EOA (then again, it probably wouldn't surprise me -- LOL -- they have double standards all over the place...)
[ edited by ebaypowersellergold on Oct 7, 2001 06:56 AM ]
posted on October 7, 2001 08:24:20 AMIn fact, (per eBay's SPAM policy) you could go through the entire art category & contact every bidder & seller. You don't even need to have a transaction with them! eBay's spam policy states that the following is allowed and not considered spam:
Sending a message to someone asking if he/she is interested in a particular category without indicating that you sell the collectible. Also, this type of email must only be sent to users you've dealt with before or to users you reasonably believe would want to receive such information.
eBay's spam policy is confusing and contradictory. But you absolutely cannot send email to someone who hasn't won one of your auctions. I got in trouble over this very issue, as some of you recall. But don't take my word for it. Here is the appropriate quote from eBay itself concerning their spam policy:
Examples of what are not allowed:
An email to active bidders in an open auction and offer them the same or similar items. Adding email addresses to your mailing list without first obtaining permission from the users (this includes past bidders and sellers).
Examples of what is allowed:
Sending a message to someone asking if he/she is interested in a particular category without indicating that you sell the collectible. Also, this type of email must only be sent to users you've dealt with before or to users you reasonably believe would want to receive such information.
So, while you might reasonably believe that all active bidders in the particular category you sell in might also be interested in your books, clothing, artwork, whatever, it would look downright silly from the bidder's standpoint to receive an email from someone they haven't done business with before asking if they're interested in books, clothing, artwork, etc. when they're obviously bidding on items in that category anyway, so sure they're interested, but you're not allowed to mention that you also sell books, clothing, artwork, etc., so why on earth would the bidder even respond to such an email?
Gosh, what a long sentence!
But to answer the original poster's question, you can put a link to your website in your EOA notice and on your About Me page.
posted on October 7, 2001 08:48:45 AM
Heck you can put a link to your website in all your email.
as long as your not sending email to ramdom addresses its not spam, and it is some of the best and cost effective advertizeing if you into news groups your weblink will be reforwords to hundereds if not thousands of others as a sid effect of your mail being forworded to others.. http://www.Dman-N-Company.com
Email [email protected]
