09-13-2013 10:54 AM
Another Day and another needless provocation and action on the part of Ebay's Customer (Dis)Service.
Here we go September 11 we receive a complaint about to of our store listings, I could not do anything about it for I was at my brother in laws memorial in New York city.
The next day I logged in and read the notice and about our objectionable item referred to in the complaint, so i opened it for revision and began to remove the offending line, a link to our web page stating things like return policies and procedure (it has been a part of every one of our adds for over tens years but today it was a problem for ebay?).
Imagine my surprise when I went to save changes to be hit with an error message items no longer exists?
Then I check our store to find all (over 250 items a $50.00 Value) they are all gone? with out a trace nor a notice as to even why.
Concurrently I received an email from Ebay corporate expressing an apology for an erroneously applied restriction upon our account, and stating that he hoped things could get back to our normal relationship(which has bee productive). while at the same time some one with in his own organization is deleting all of our store items for a "Minor Offence" This clearly demonstrates an organization where the left hand does not know what the right is doing, and a customer service department that has become so detached (both emotionally and geographically) that they have become unable to practically apply rules or manage the system for which they are responsible.
You would think that such extreme measures would be reserved for violations of a criminal nature, not so apparently,
Well this too will go into our complaint with the better business bureau, we will relist our items (at their cost) and begin serious pursuit of alternative means of participating in E-Commerce.
Signed a Sincerely disappointed and loyal a user for over ten years,
Marcia Klein
09-13-2013 12:09 PM
09-13-2013 12:28 PM
Just curious as to what the Objectional Item was.
On second thought maybe I don't want to know.
09-13-2013 12:54 PM
I'm sorry that some posters on these boards feel the only good response is a brusque one. I'd like to respond in a more understanding way to your post if I can.
Yes, eBay currently does have a very stringent policy on outside links -- here is the link, for reference:
http://pages.ebay.ca/help/policies/listing-links.html
and I think the following will be the section of the policy that likely was applied in your case by eBay:
"You can include a single link to a page that gives additional detail about the terms and conditions of the sale. However, the page you link to can't include links to web pages outside of eBay, and the information on that linked page can't contradict the information in your listing.
Note: Remember that the most important parts of your terms and conditions have to be included in your listing, including shipping and handling information, types of payments you accept, terms of payment, and applicable taxes."
For those of us who can recall, it's true that years ago links of all kinds used to be happily permitted in listings, and it's also true that I've seen outside links still showing up on the occasional listing. It's possible you may have been overlooked up to this point (i.e. possibly the eBay 'bots' hadn't yet found you), and having finally discovered the policy violation they first limited the account, then took down the listings involved. Most sellers revised our listings to avoid the hammer coming down.
As you may know, links are still permitted, but on a very limited basis (see above policy). It's a pain for sellers (like me) who have their own website not to be able to put a link in listings, but on the other hand I recognize that as long as eBay enforces this policy across the board, it's a level playing field and is fair to all sellers. I agree with others' opinions who have said eBay is very protective, almost to the point of paranoia, of its site, but at least this policy, unlike some, is pretty clear, and there are a few minor permissions (e.g. outside links allowed on the "Me") page.
In the end, we sellers have to bend to eBay's rules, since they are providing the platform. This problem of links reminds me of issues I dealt with years ago in the legal field where disputes arose between shopping centre/mall owners and individual shop owners over what sort of colours and size of signage, etc. was permitted -- over the years, contracts with very specific restrictions were the general result. It amounts to the same thing here on eBay.
I'm not saying it hasn't been a tough ride for sellers -- it has, especially in the last 2 years! As I keep saying, I now have a 3" binder full of eBay policy "stuff" that is getting thicker all the time. However, up to this point, I always manage to find a way to comply and still survive as a seller. So far at least...
Instead of having a link to policies on an outside website, why not prepare the same text using Word, have the Word document in the background on your computer when you prepare your listings, and just "cut and paste" the text into your listings? I use a 3rd party listing service on which I can set up "boilerplate" for such things, but eBay is rolling out a new "Business Policies" tool soon that apparently does the same thing (how well, I can't yet say -- that's for another day).
If you've done well here on eBay for years, you can probably make this minor adjustment and still continue to do well. It's a matter of mindset, and eBay is in control, for better or for worse. I have a feeling it's not much different on most other major internet selling platforms now, and eBay has the visibility edge over them all.
09-13-2013 01:28 PM
09-13-2013 02:00 PM
As far as I could tell, the link did not to lead to a site with off ebay sales so a link to the site may have been ok. BUT...as rose pointed out, the link had information about the terms of sale etc. and that information is supposed to be on the listing, not on an off site page.
OP, I noticed the other day but forgot to mention it..... the link that you have in your listings to your ebay store is broken.
09-13-2013 02:10 PM
The original thread goes back to last Tuesday:
09-13-2013 02:18 PM
@pjcdn2005 wrote:As far as I could tell, the link did not to lead to a site with off ebay sales so a link to the site may have been ok.
'pj' - I think you are exactly right, although I seem to remember there was a website link within the page on the OP's listing that had the terms and conditions (i.e. link on a linked page). And that would contravene this part of the policy:
"You can include a single link to a page that gives additional detail about the terms and conditions of the sale. However, the page you link to can't include links to web pages outside of eBay."
Where the material concerns listing terms and conditions, as we've both pointed out, that information belongs directly in the listing.
So strictly speaking, there may actually have been two infractions in the one.
09-13-2013 02:30 PM
'pj' - I think you are exactly right, although I seem to remember there was a website link within the page on the OP's listing that had the terms and conditions (i.e. link on a linked page). And that would contravene this part of the policy:
Exactly, that's what I was referring to in the second sentence in my post. I agreed with what you had mentioned earlier. 🙂
09-13-2013 02:40 PM
09-13-2013 03:13 PM
The link is inoperative on their current listings. Link still works on their sold listings.
The link that I said was broken is not working on current or closed listings. it wasn't the off site link, it was for the OP's ebay store.
Link does go to a terms and conditions page with an email address, street address, and an entreaty to phone them.
eBay would not construe that to be an offer for off-eBay sales, would they?
They might. I didn't notice the address or phone number earlier as I find the page really tough to read. But my point was that it is not an apprarent retail site (no items for sale and no prices) so the site itself may be allowed. However, the TOS for ebay items has to be on ebay, not off site as it was. And of course the TOS should not contain an email address. Is the phone number and physical address allowed? I don't know..but I do know that the suggestion that payment be sent to the physical address isn't allowed.
09-13-2013 03:34 PM
@pierrelebel wrote:The original thread goes back to last Tuesday:
The OP first topic on having issues was here with PayPal 3 weeks ago:
http://community.ebay.ca/t5/Seller-Central/Increasingly-disfunctional-customer-service/m-p/140575
Then the post that Pierre mentioned above.
09-14-2013 12:28 PM
The OP is also posting about this on the US boards.
09-15-2013 01:12 PM
@karl*katz wrote:The OP is also posting about this on the US boards.
It's unfortunate, because instead of spending so much time reacting, it would be simpler to get the business up and running again and get back to making money by revising and re-posting the listings. This isn't a problem without a solution, as I see it.
09-15-2013 04:48 PM
I see from your listings, you are Ottawa and also Quebec so you have 2 places to sell and ship from?
I checked your feedback history, it seems that your buyers are not happy for items as not described, had communications problems with you, etc. which happened too often which you get netural feedback. Is it possible that they are one of some reasons eBay placed limited account on you or removed your store?
I checked your listings, very, very, very confusing. I am not sure what I am seeing if I bid or buy any of your items. One thing you said $4.50 and then in your descriptions it is between $14.00 and something, meaning not $4.50 or what?
As for "links", I am not sure but I think by adding links or other features do cause problems.
One of Canadian seller who claimed to be an "expert" and is a seller for 10 years and send me email saying that I need [actually said that I MUST delete all my descriptions and start it all over from scratch and not to include the customs information (eBay requires us to include it)], and to add 3rd party links, etc., etc. I was dismayed at his so-called "consultation" as he is an "expert".
Now I am seeing real problems with links so I was right to be leery of that so-called expert. And what more this so-called expert was extremely upset and said that I was rude when I informed him that I attended a 10-week eBay course in 2008 before I became a seller and that nowhere did we get those information in the course like this so-called expert was telling me what to do to "improve" my auctions. Why should he be extremely upset?? Upset that he put his foot in his mouth or what?? Rude for telling him that I took this course or what? Very strange for him to be extremely upset.
In fact, my descriptions were based on advices by eBay/PayPal (when I had some problems with bidders/buyers) which they suggested that I need to add some "waivers" and specific intormation like customs duty information, mulitple and combined shipping, shipping information and when I will ship (it can happen when I am in the hosptial often, will ship once a week depending if I am in hospital, etc., which nearly 99% are very understanding and be patience), way before the quality of customer service went south.
Sometimes adding the 3rd party links, other features that are complicated like GSP (not yet in Canada but pure hell in US when they are trying to opt out of GSP), Buyer's requirements (pure hell as it stuck there forever, have to start the new listings from scratch to avoid it and then use "similar" for next listings), calculate for Shipping (give horrible wrong high postage rates), etc. are not worth it. Even using Turbo Listing caused lots of problems which I am sure many of you have experienced.
Thanks.
09-15-2013 11:52 PM
@karl*katz wrote:The OP is also posting about this on the US boards.
It's mentioned in their listings as well.
09-23-2013 11:22 AM
Whose We ? &
How was I supposed to be able to reasonalbly edit over 250 listings within 24 hours?
09-23-2013 05:39 PM
"Please Be patient we are in the midst of relisting our store after being a victim of an over zealous customer (dis)service rep, named "Maria S" (god help you if you get her on your next support call!), a completely unaccountable compassionless "S(t)upervisor", who stated that she was doing us a "favor" by deleting our entire store (every listing that we had over $250)? rather than actually working with us regarding a minor infraction. They also deleted the back up records to to make relisting that much easier for us. This is going to cost us then multiply us by some other hundred senor sellers that they have victimized as of late you got decreasing market share & more loss for ebay corporate!(good job on the out sourcing boys!)".
Badmouthing the hosting service that hosts your listings is never a good idea. It actually does turn off many potential customers as it has nothing to do with them and can make them feel like they are being forced into the middle of the dispute. It also reflects on your own character as a seller.
Grammar and punctuation are also important in listing your items. Nothing turns me off more than a listing that has a bunch of mistakes, bad spelling, etc.
10-21-2013 02:09 PM
Since these forums are ussually about problems more than they are about compliments it is in this light that I am happy to post
(despite having been and still am relisting our store for the last month and continuing so)
That Ebay came around and their new Salt Lake City customer service office intervened (Thank you Brandon!) and have removed all the blocks from our Estore, made for considerations for our inconvenience, and are now adjusting their policies to recognize the need for some variation in how they address the individual differences between different sellers actual needs.
This is good for it means that Ebay is growing as a true economy by addressing the needs of such source providers as mines who do represent as the true source of all that is ultimately provided.
Again thank you, if you can get us a version of Turbo leister that works either in Linux or Android we would very much appreciate that as a better means of backing up our data for our windows systems spend enterley too much time being downed by virus attacks.
Sincerely,
Marcia & Nic