posted on March 12, 2002 06:30:08 PM new
Hi everyone. I used to sell alot at yahoo, until they wanted to fee, so I went to ebay with good success, and auxpal, with some success. After many other sellers telling me to give yahoo another try recently, their listing fee is now cheaper, traffic is better, less deadbeats, haven't been back in a year, decided to list some stuff on sunday and monday (yep didnt know about the free list today!).
well one thing I wasnt prepared, there is no refund if they cancel your auction! Also they do not tell me the main reason WHY it was cancelled. At least ebays they will refund and they will give you a reason. I guess the same yahoo's who was running yahoo auction last year must still be running it?
this was the vague email I recieved...
While we are pleased that you have chosen to use Yahoo! Auctions,
we would like to offer a friendly reminder that, in accordance with the
Yahoo! Auctions TERMS OF SERVICE, you cannot sell any item that is illegal
to sell under any applicable law, statute, ordinance or regulation, nor
any item that infringes or violates anyone's rights. This policy is
intended to prevent the sale materials that violate copyrights and applies
REGARDLESS of circumstances.
Yahoo! Auctions cooperates with federal, state, and local authorities
and will provide them information we have regarding these matters
consistent with federal and state law.
The following auctions of yours have been deleted:
xxxxx-xxxxx
You may wish to review the Terms of Service and Auction Guidelines.
Please be aware that any subsequent violation of these Terms of Service
could result in termination of your Yahoo! user ID, so please read the
Terms carefully.
Thank you,
Yahoo! Auctions
I feel there was nothing wrong with what I was selling, i am not sure if you can post my auction number of the cancelled item on this board (also fear that yahoo is checking this board out). But I deal with autographed pictures, i have over 300+ rating at yahoo, and over 300+ at ebays. I been selling authentic signed photos for 5 years. the item was a signed photo of an actress, no nudity, nothing obscene, just a signed photo that anyone else sells at ebay and yahoo.
If this is yahoo's way of welcoming me back, then I guess I was not welcomed. So far, have not seen any changes in yahoo, just the same rich kids having fun nuking people's auctions for no reason (i remember many sellers mentioning their accounts being suspended last year) other than to keep/pocket the listing fees.
so any other suprises i should be prepared about since coming back to yahoo?
posted on March 12, 2002 08:47:55 PM new
Wow,
How is it you can get a refund from Ebay for them cancelling an auction. They have cancelled a few of mine in the past and I have never been able to squeeze a dime out of them.
As far as why your auctions are being cancelled. It is the autographed part. They are being cancelled at both ebay and Yahoo. It is just Yahoo is self policing them and Ebay only cancels them when someone complains. Technically, both are not allowed on either site because it has been found that there are too many fake autographs out there. Don't worry, I won't be turning you in either, just letting you know about their policys.
Good luck in your sales,
bp
posted on March 13, 2002 06:24:19 AM newbarparts-You will always get your listing fees back from eBay if they cancel your auctions. I don't know about the feature fees, but in their little tutorial, they always state "auction will be cancelled and listing fees retuned" when telling you what NOT to do on eBay. It's automatic. Check your billing summary and I bet you will find you did indeed receive your listing fees back on the cancelled auctions.
I don't like that Yahoo does not do that automatically. I have had to cancel auctions due to glitches or out-and-out stupidity on my part and have had to email many, many times to get a partial refund. Of course, they say that the fees are non-refundable if you cancel but I have learned if you keep asking someone eventually gives in and submits the auction for a refund.
posted on March 13, 2002 08:23:39 AM new
Hi, well they cancelled some more, they still dident give me any refunds. Now I spend the last 4 night re-editing my auctionins, mentioning how important my certificate of authenticity is, as well as that the C.O.A is from a member of UACC, etc. I looked at the other autograph auctions running and some of them don't even mention being with UACC, etc. Yet they continue to cancel and not touch the others.. I am now clueless, is this punishment for not being in yahoo for over a year?
posted on March 13, 2002 09:06:05 AM new
There are 69 auctions running with the words autograpgh and COA in them at Yahoo. Perhaps we can help you if you gave us an auction # or your seller name. The moderators are gone and do not seem to care about us anymore so it should be okay to post some info.
posted on March 13, 2002 09:11:56 AM new
Yes it would help to see the titles for your auctions. If yahoo sees a word in the title they dont like it is nuked automatic. There must be a word in your title that is causing the problem.
posted on March 13, 2002 06:01:11 PM new
With Yahoo app. 75% cheaper than ebay on first listings, if a seller has a sell through of 80% on ebay, all they need on Yahoo is a 8.75% sell through to match results vs cost. However, relists you'd lose on Yahoo, profits decrease by .36¢ per item. That makes Yahoo only 53% cheaper than ebay, and now you'd need a tougher 16% sell through on Yahoo. Each seller has to determine if their Yahoo ROI matches ebay's. Lately mine has so it is better for me to list on Yahoo, but the added hours needed to list on Yahoo is a drawback.
posted on March 13, 2002 06:46:22 PM new"If yahoo sees a word in the title they dont like it is nuked automatic. There must be a word in your title that is causing the problem."
blairwitch can you give us an example?
I did not know that there were "flagged" words that Yahoo filters.
My local ISP has something like that too! I tried to send an email to a relative and it got bounced back to me with a warning that it had a word which was captured by their filters as "unacceptable". Didn't tell me which word but I had been sent a picture from my cousin who is making custome knives out of railroad spikes and elk horns. They are really artsy things for decoration only. My subject line had simply said "I like your knives". I figure the word knives was the trigger. Don't know why, but that had to be it.
posted on March 13, 2002 09:22:56 PM new
Try to list an auction with the word pistol in it.
Yahoo uses the Neighborhood Watch snitch system and it works fairly good. If you see a porn movie you simply click on the Neighborhood Watch icon and fill it out and send. Takes a while to get action but they respond.
It's the freaking neighborhood watch program that is getting your auctions terminated. It's probably one of your competitors who is giving them some phony reason and they react without investigating. Much like eBay does.
quickdraw29
"75% cheaper than ebay on first listings"
For me it's 100% cheaper and a complete waist of time. Some of the "premium" sellers in the categories we sell in (clothing and accessories) are practically giving stuff away. How can anyone afford sell items for $4.95 each and charge $3.95 to ship up to 3 items (losing money on shipping).
On ebay we are getting $20 to $70 for our items using BIN. We can't make any sales on Yahoo lately. Most average 1-5 page views per day. This is the worst our sales have ever been on Yahoo. So much for making things better!
posted on March 14, 2002 04:19:06 AM new
Yes, I'd say it was neighborhood watch. I'm leaning toward a competitor team (takes three reports to auto end).
Here's a link to neighborhood watch help.
posted on March 14, 2002 06:33:38 AM new
I am betting it is the neighborhood watch. The way it works...anyone, for any reason can click on that icon and report you and because Yahoo is automated and no real people work there that care, your auction automatically gets nixed! It happened to me about a year and a half ago. I think it was someone I had given bad feedback to.
posted on March 14, 2002 08:07:39 AM new
The triggers I know of is "nazi", "kkk", anything to do with "guns". I saw those on other boards and I would say they are correct.
ironking I would email CS at yahoo and ask them what is going on. If someone is turning you in with no reason they will take action.
posted on March 14, 2002 07:58:35 PM new
outoftheblue, yea nothing you can do about dead categories, but it can turn around at another time. An auction that gets 3 page views minimum is a good candidate for a relist in three months. More than 9 page views is a good relist immediately. In two-three relists you should be able to find a buyer, if not junk the item.
Since you're doing better on ebay, stick with ebay.
posted on March 15, 2002 01:58:10 AM new
quickdraw29
I'm talking brand new designer items that are priced less than half of what you would get them for at an outlet store.
Just as an experiment, I have listed and relisted items on Yahoo with no success and then put them on eBay and they have sold within a couple of days with BIN for a higher price than I had them listed on Yahoo.
[ edited by outoftheblue on Mar 15, 2002 02:04 AM ]
posted on March 15, 2002 05:02:17 AM new
hi blairwitch, bidsbid,outoftheblue, thanks for your advice, will email them and ask. haven't been on my pc for couple of days so sorry couldnt respond to you. they still have that neighborhood watch program? I remember on the old yahoo sellerzone, there was reports of rivals nuking each others by creating bogus id's to kick out competition, or deadbeats created new id to retaliate on sellers who neg'ed them. anyway will let you know what they say.
[ edited by ironking on Mar 15, 2002 05:03 AM ]
posted on March 20, 2002 08:07:48 PM new
Hi I had listed a playboy stein at ebay no problem(no nudity on it) tried listing at yahoo they cancelled it immediately & no refund..no explanation so i would say if you have the word playboy anywhere in your auction it could get bounced.
Yes the NW is still being used, the people at the message board(go to yahoo home page,hit community,hit general) could help you. there is a great group there working with yahoo against the really bad scammers & shillers & using NW for that..(not for autographs or anything like that though)
hits are increasing at yahoo, a few sales too,ebay has had problems all week big problems now nobodys pics are showing..getting bad there..i think many will come to yahoo..good luck
[ edited by timetravelers on Mar 20, 2002 08:08 PM ]
posted on March 20, 2002 09:01:32 PM new
sulyn1950
I always go through my billing summary every month to make sure I am being properly billed and credited. I have NEVER received a refund from those cheap ebay people when they have cancelled an auction. And to say that they give them is false. I know they say they do, but they don't. If you ask for it, you will not get an answer back on it either.
Enough said,
bp
posted on March 21, 2002 10:07:35 AM new
I'm doing an experiment this week and listed about 15 items on Yahoo. Before this..I havent listed there in almost a year because I wasnt getting the bids. As of now..I sold 1 item with a BIN and have bids on 3 other items. Everything has 3-6 days to go with lots of hits and 6 "added to watchlists". I'll let you know what happens.
MEOW
posted on March 21, 2002 03:49:51 PM new
ironking - referring to the post that you began this thread with - I had exactly the same thing happen to me, but I am fighting back because in the case of my cancelled items, Yahoo! has clearly violated federal law. This week I filed complaints with the Federal Trade Commission and the Attorney General of California against Yahoo. I have been one of the top record/CD dealers in the U.S. for over 20 years. I know when an item is infringing and when it is not and unlike most of the general public, I know copyright law inside out. Yahoo can get away with bullying most people who don't know what their rights are, but it will not work with me.
I had a perfect 314-0 feedback record on Yahoo (and have a positive record of over 4000 on Ebay), yet Yahoo immediately cancelled my account and Yahoo ID because a couple of "rights holders" wrote them that two items I was selling were infringing. They absolutely were not, yet Yahoo did not have the common decency to ask for my side of the story, or more importantly to respect my right under federal law to respond to these accusations. What most people (apparently including the people who run Yahoo auctions) do not know is that section 512 of the 1998 Digital Millennium Copyright Act specifically addresses how auction venues MUST handle this exact situation.
The law states that if a rights holder notifies the internet service provider (in this case Yahoo) that they believe an item is infringing, Yahoo must remove the auction and notify the seller they have done so. However, Yahoo stops right there while the law goes on to specify that to protect sellers again mistaken claims of infringement, the service provider then MUST allow the seller to file a legal counter-notice stating the item is not infringing if they wish to do so. The rights holder then has 14 days to file suit against the seller to prevent relisting of the item, otherwise the auction service MUST restore the auction to the site. Unlike Yahoo, Ebay follows this federal law to the letter. Since I know the items I am listing are not infringing in any way, I have filed many legal counter notices at Ebay against some of the biggest companies in America. I have never been sued because in every instance they knew I was right. I have even received letters of apology from the RIAA and major artists who have mistakenly had items of mine cancelled.
The point is that it is very common for "rights holders" to mistakenly claim that an item is infringing. That is why that counter notice provision in the law was written in the first place! Yet Yahoo completely ignores it as if their company policy over-rides federal law!! They summarily put reputable law abiding companies out of business based on simple hearsay from another party. It is not only illegal it is completely un-American.
If you are one of the many music vendors Yahoo has done this too, you can file a complaint online at the Federal Trade Commission web site as well as at the Attorney General of California's web site. Yahoo has damaged so many people through their irresponsible conduct I think a class action suit is a possibility against them. They claim that they we agreed to let them cancel our accounts for any reason when we signed up, but no company can require someone to agree to a policy that takes away their rights under federal law.
I have copied all html web pages from the Yahoo site with their false allegations that I was trying to sell something infringing and with the specific cancelled auction number listed. This shows that was the sole reason the account was closed. When I wrote them and pointed out that they were violating federal law I got a canned form letter in response! Typical Yahoo (and I would bet ironking never got an answer to the email he was going to write them a week ago). I'll see if I can get their attention with the FTC and other government agencies help. If the government does not force them to respect federal law, I am talking to my attorney about filing a civil suit against them.
As long as Yahoo pursues idiotic and illegal policies like this, chasing away perfectly reputable dealers, they will never be an important player in the U.S. auction market. I urge anyone who has had their rights under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act violated by Yahoo to file a complaint against them. As a businessperson I have no problem with a company being allowed to formulate the policies they want to run their site with - BUT those policies must conform to the law of the land!
[ edited by InternetEdge on Mar 21, 2002 03:56 PM ]
posted on March 27, 2002 10:57:28 AM new
Ironking, I've just been axed too without warning, and without notice of suspension. See my other thread with more details. The item is not illegal, nor immoral, nor obscene yet that is the reason they axed me. I can't even access any Yahoo site, I must be a big threat by listing one boarderline item.
I had other auctions running with bids, and these were unrelated to this one auction, and they axed them all.
I had just started picking up listings on Yahoo and sales were going pretty good, and had been adding batches of auctions several times a week. I was prepared to give Yahoo at least half my business; one of Yahoo's few regular suporters. Immature management like that will drive Yahoo into the ground.
They have a record of arrogance.
What's interesting is everytime I did a search on completed auctions, I see the same dozens of illegal items listed, and they have been going on for months or possibly years. I list one "no-no" and I'm axed. What a fuct up company.
posted on March 30, 2002 10:48:15 AM new
What a farce this Yahoo is! They cancel legitimate items, banish sellers, and steal listing fees, and yet they advertise bootleg videos for auction on their entertainment pages.
Maybe if their feeble-brained lawyers stood on their collective heads before making "policy", they could get the venue in line with the real Federal, State and local authorities.
I hope all of you folks who have been screwed over and mistreated by Yahoo are able to take legal action against them as one poster here has done ... Good Luck
