posted on August 8, 2009 04:09:09 PM
I just got a "listing violation" message from our good and hospitable friends at eBay/PayPal, and had a listing pulled. I lofted up this listing, as I have for several years, in Vendio, even from the time it was called "Auction Watch," with no previous problems. Though the Vendio templates provide for other methods of payment, now I'm told, if I read this aright, that tne ONLY method of payment accepted for the vast majority of eBay auctions is PayPal. Was anyone else aware of this? I ran several auctions last week (and the week before that, and the month before that, etc.) that have the same options shown for payment.
This is from eBay's "Payment Policy" boilerplate:
<<"Notes:
• Payment by personal check, cashier’s check, bank-to-bank transfers, or money order isn't allowed for most eBay purchases.
• This doesn't apply to: some Motors categories, the Real Estate and Adult Only categories, and capital equipment. For a list of excluded categories, see the accepted payments policy.>>
But it just got BETTER! Just 30 minutes ago, I received an email titled "Your eBay listing is confirmed: Carrera 1/32 Bentley EXP Speed 8 EXC OOP RARE NR"
Someone at eBay -- obviously not me -- relisted this item exactly as it appeared before, not ONE word different. So I thought I'd be a good little eSlave and revise my listing, deleting all references to any payment methods EXCEPT PayPal. I also added eBay's Payment Policy boilerplate as an explanation to buyers why they have to use PayPal (or some even less-savory online payment methods that collect more fees for eBay). When I tried to save my changes, I got this:
<<You can not submit your listing due to the following problems
Please review your item
It appears that you are offering money order as a payment method which is no longer permitted in the eBay marketplace. As of January 15th, we will be removing any items that offer this payment method within the listing. Sellers must offer to accept one or more of the following payment methods
Paypal
Credit or debit card processed through an Internet merchant account
Propay>>
Here's what I figure is happening: eBay's "phrase bot" picks up their own policy language, which includes the phrase "money order," and won't post the changes, apparently thinking -- in its poor little binary noggin -- that I'm offering money orders as a payment option.
Or maybe eBay just doesn't want buyers to see their "grab every penny" philosophy at work.
Unfortunately, it is correct that eBay no longer allows paper payment methods (such as check or money order). If you reference these payment methods in your listing (even to say that you do not accept them), then eBay will usually automatically reject the listing as they assume that you must be offering money order as a payment method (for example) if the words "money order" appear in your listing.
The reason the check and money order options still appear on the Vendio listing form is for our customers that also have a Vendio Store, which does not have the same restrictions.
posted on August 8, 2009 04:28:49 PM
Sorry -- I didn't really ask the question I had in mind when I first started writing this novel, eBay's inexplicable re-listing of my item made me all swimmy-headed. If, as eBay says: "As of January 15th, we will be removing any items that offer this payment method [money orders, cashier's checks, personal checks] within the listing. Sellers must offer to accept one or more of the following payment methods: Paypal, Credit or debit card processed through an Internet merchant account, or Propay," then why, in the Wide, Wide World of Sports does Vendio still have checkboxes for the unacceptable methods of payment on its eBay auction templates? I have several more listings that end in about 3 days -- ALL with bids -- that have the same now-no-no payment methods as the listing eBay pulled (then reinstated with all original wording intact). If those are pulled, I am NOT going to be a happy eBayer or Vendio customer.
posted on August 8, 2009 04:31:00 PM
Well, Nathan, I say again:
I have several more listings that end in about 3 days -- ALL with bids -- that have the same now-no-no payment methods as the listing eBay pulled (then reinstated with all original wording intact). If those are pulled, I am NOT going to be a happy eBayer or Vendio customer.
The reason the check and money order options still appear on the Vendio listing form is for our customers that also have a Vendio Store, which does not have the same restrictions. Note that even if you check the box for "check" or "money order" and list the item to eBay, those options will automatically be removed before the listing is launched to eBay.
Unfortunately, Vendio has no control over what listings eBay pulls.
posted on August 8, 2009 07:02:26 PM
Well, Nathan -- thanks for all your help. I'll be looking for another image hosting and auction listing service starting tomorrow. Hang in there, I'm sure there's a job waiting for you at eBay...
posted on August 8, 2009 08:10:19 PM
Glassgirl -- Did I say something to you? I don't recall doing so, but by all means, correct me if I'm wrong. If I'm correct in thinking I've said nothing to you, I suggest you post your puerile comments somewhere commensurate with the level of your discourse -- Facebook, maybe, or Twitter.
posted on August 8, 2009 08:43:48 PM
Bart - I think that there is a misunderstanding, in that Vendio allows us to do the following ...
We can select payment by check and/or money order and that payment method will only appear in our VENDIO enabled, non-ebay stores. When we choose to send the listing to ebay, Vendio BLOCKS the check and/or money order payment selections from appearing in our listing on ebay.
However, if you have checks and/or money orders listed in your item description, Vendio cannot block or remove the existence of such payment methods from appearing in your ebay listed items. You have the responsibility to do so, as Vendio cannot do so for you.
posted on August 8, 2009 09:35:10 PM
Bill K -- Yes, I understand the misunderstanding, what I can't figure is why eBay would not only relist the "offending" auction verbatim, but that I've posted many auctions since January 15, and still have auctions posted, that have the same wording in the description, and this is the first time I've heard about the policy change. Kind of a nasty way to find out.
posted on August 8, 2009 09:46:14 PM
Many of us have posted in the past, that ebays uses bots (?) to search the site seeking out our mistakes. Apparently, you have been one of the lucky ones, in that your listings have not been removed until recently.
posted on August 9, 2009 05:17:27 PM
I tried to change all of my listings to remove the offending language back when the ruling was imposed, (eekk, checks and money orders) but obviously I missed a few. Ebay never closed those listings, but recently when I have attempted to relist or sell similar and the forbidden words were still there in the existing descriptions, I got a warning/ scolding from Ebay to remove the offending words before I was able to relist or sell similar.
posted on August 10, 2009 02:44:26 PM
There are posters on this board who have ventured out and it seems that they are doing well. Ebay is not the only game in town.
posted on August 11, 2009 10:57:32 PM
Paypal isn't the only game in town. You can use Paymate too (unless those rules changed recently). You can also process your own payments if you set up to do so. Ebay requires that you offer an electronic payment method... not necessarily Paypal.
The thing is that Paypal is already integrated into eBay so that it is so easy, why bother going elsewhere??? Kind of like Microsoft's monopoly on computers. When was the last time you walked into a major retailer and found something other than Windows Vista on a PC??? I hate Vista, but I haven't bothered to change. I hope that Windows 7 is much better than Vista, but I'm not upgrading until the waters are tested.
I just had someone mail me a check the other day for an ebay auction. I forgot what to do with them. It was strange depositing a check at the bank (our retail store only takes cash, debit, and credit).
