posted on January 29, 2007 08:19:55 PM new
Hi...This is Sarah Brubacher with eBay's Global Policy team in Trust & Safety. We're making a change to our Fee Circumvention policy to clarify that auction extensions are not allowed on the eBay marketplace.
Third-party auction extender tools allow sellers to automatically extend auction-style listings beyond their stipulated duration. Auction extensions using these tools, or done manually, are banned.
Why we're making this change
Auction extensions, whether automatic or manual, disrupt normal bidding patterns and create a negative buyer experience. For instance, buyers who enjoy bidding in the last moments of an auction are unfairly disrupted when listings are inappropriately extended.
These tools also "un-level" the playing field between sellers by unfairly adding time to a listing, so that it is available on the site for longer than the chosen duration. Plus, many buyers look for items that have been newly listed, so listings that have been extended have an added unfair advantage in browse and search results.
In special circumstances, such as covered by our Outage Policy, eBay reserves the right to extend all eligible auctions.
For more information on this policy clarification, please read eBay's Fee Circumvention policy. For information about our other policies, please review eBay's Rules and Policies and Rules for Sellers. You can visit these pages by clicking on Help at the top of most eBay pages.
posted on January 29, 2007 08:55:20 PM new
that would be ok if they would not allow the sniping programs out there. they are missing out on the extra bids because of a sniper using a program to bid in the last second of an auction. more bids..more sales...more commission...
posted on January 29, 2007 09:33:38 PM new
I read the message and the referenced webpage earlier. They still did not address the question about Fixed Price listings.
posted on January 31, 2007 07:45:44 AM new
I wish Vendio would show the number of days the original auction was, when we do our relist.
I often relist w/o editing and don't realize that the original listing was a 3 or 5 day until it starts. That's about the only time I would extend. Doesn't seem fair that I can edit my own listing?? But when has ebay ever concerned what fair to the sellers????
posted on February 4, 2007 09:18:05 AM newI read the message and the referenced webpage earlier. They still did not address the question about Fixed Price listings.
I don't think you understand the meaning of extend. It is not to change the amount of days, it is to extend an auction by a few minutes so others can place a higher bid than the snipers.
Fixed price is just that, one bid and the auciton is over.
I often relist w/o editing and don't realize that the original listing was a 3 or 5 day until it starts. That's about the only time I would extend.
You as well have your terms mixed up. You CAN change your listing from 3 days to 7 days, however no matter how many days you list, you cannot have a system that will push the auction length (EXTEND) along a few extra minutes.
I will give one more example.
You listing, whether it's auction or FP, will run for 7 days, it is slated to end at 8pm. Extending programs will allow for an extension of 5 minutes if a bid is placed within the last two minutes of the ending time. This allows other bidders to place a higher bid if they so choose to do so.
Personally, I think eBay is also screwing themselves and their sellers, but that is their choice.
posted on February 4, 2007 09:33:54 AM new
Sorry Stone - you are the one who doesn't understand. Ebay has made it clear that sellers can no longer lengthen an auction's duration (manually or through an automatic tool)because it is "fee avoidance". They don't mean extend by minutes.
They have not been clear about the position on fixed price listings but I can't see how that would be any different.
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posted on February 4, 2007 09:44:28 AM new
I welcome the change. Sellers have been having their listings shown as Ending soonest after 3 days, then again after 5 days, then again after 7 days. I don't like folks who cut in line ahead of me!
posted on February 4, 2007 10:05:13 AM new
The purpose of auction extenders (Vendio had one) is to keep the item near the top of the search list when searched by "ending soonest" for the maximum number of days. Of course this frustrated those who use automatic auction snipers who place a bid at the scheduled last minute of a 3 day auction only to find that the auction has been extended to 5 days. Ebay viewed this as fee avoidance .. I think it is search manipulation. Whatever, it's over.
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