Selling outside ebay message warning

[powersports57]

Hi All, just curious toknow if anyone has received a message from ebay warning about messages sent to sellers about buying outside ebay? I just received one and can not for the life of me find the supposed message I sent to the potential buyer. I dont even thing I had any messages regarding the item I am being warned about...any thoughts? Cheers

[heihachi_73]

New rules, there are no rules. Images and CAPTCHAs don't even work - simply replying to a buyer (even to decline) who has requested anything resembling contact details (or even posted their own details for that matter) seems to be enough to trigger the warning messages. You are now expected by eBay to ignore any and all messages unless it is from eBay itself.

[ozstockman]

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@kopenhagen5 wrote:

OK, received a reply from eBay on my unjust warning. 

I've verified that there is not enough basis for you to be sent the notice. With that, I refuted the action and I have made things right with your account. Be assured that there's no action taken against your account. Don't worry, our Technical Support Team is already aware with the error on the system in which the accounts that are not violating the policy was also affected and notice were sent incorrectly.

We promise to resolve this issue soon to other members as well.

Sincerely xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

So I thanked them for their quick action.

Lets hope they apply it across all accounts affected.

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Do not be quick with thanks to them and never put any hope in eBay fixing anything quick or sometimes at all. They restricted me and my buyer on me asking for the buyer's postcode.  They removed my restriction and apologised after I called them and demanded to fix it immediately as we did not break any policies.

They promised me to fix it their system that catches postcodes. It was 10 weeks ago. By the way I was not polite to them one little bit as their mistake cost me money. BTW my buyer who was restricted with me for replying with four digit postcode and nothing else could not get eBay to remove the restriction from her account. Even though they admitted to me that the restriction was a mistake and total eBay's fault. I guess she has been too polite to them and they have not cared to do a right thing for her.

[ozstockman]

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@janeababe wrote:

I dont know how you are able to add contact details in a message anyway....

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I am not sure about contact details but you can add a signature to your messages and put whatever you want in it. It does not seem they are trying to scan signatures at all.

[egglesdtp]

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@ozstockman wrote:

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@janeababe wrote:

I dont know how you are able to add contact details in a message anyway....

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I am not sure about contact details but you can add a signature to your messages and put whatever you want in it. It does not seem they are trying to scan signatures at all.

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Do you mean an image of your signature as a .jpg or .gif? To which you have added say, a mobile number?

Heihachi up above says in his post that not even images are immune.

[ozstockman]

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@heihachi_73 wrote:
Someone should try including a couple of CAPTCHA images as extra "photos" of the item. The bots will just love going through them. 🙂


I think there are a few text to CAPTCHA-lookalike generators out there...

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That actually will work as there is no way they can process every image. And even if they do it will be close to impossible to get automated reading and catching any number, email or address from it.

[chameleon54]

I had a buyer enquire wether I could phone him regards the supply of a number of items that where not listed. He spelt out his phone number in words. I did not answer his ebay message ( but I did list a number of things he was looking for on ebay, which he subsequently purchased .....    ). I,m not sure of the full story, but the buyer got seven days suspension.

He mentioned he already had a couple of slaps for sending numbered phone numbers, so we are not sure if the spelt words got him in trouble, or wether it was other numbered phone number infringements. My account was unaffected by it all, although I did sell an extra $500 worth of stock, through ebay as a result.

[ozstockman]

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@clubesquire wrote:

You'd  think people in these roles would have much better communication skills, or is is deliberate, do you think?

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Normally if we are talking about email resposes from a big customer service they do not write they own emails. They have templates written for most cases and these templates should be written by a professional and proof read. They also should involve a legal department to cover their asses just in case there is something against eBay or laws in their responses. It does not seem to be a case with eBay especially when you receive some of their email that are worded in a way that they are very close to an edge of breaking laws by eBay.

I have been selling here for more than 10 years and I remember a couple of their emails that were close to this situation. Once they have discriminated me as a seller(and I belive it is still in place) because I do not offer 1 day processing time and free shipping. Their email clearly stated that as a result of me not offering it my items will be less visible to my buyers than those who offer these two features. I just cannot offer it because I nobody will do custom made orders with 24 hours and I do want to rip off my customers on so called free shipping. That's just a pure discrimination as they cannot explain why two sellers with one offering free postage and 1 day processing is better and has any priority in search result over the other who does not do it when they pay the same store and other fees? 

Another one is their restriction account email that just pops up with assumption and no proof that a seller/buyer is  going to do something wrong and should be put on pause or even banned.

Unfortunatelly I cannot and I do not want to sell on this platform anymore. I just do not want to be treated that way and most important I do not want my buyers to be treated that way. I will probably close my account completelly. Sure it will hurt me as a buyer but as a seller I hope to be alright, All these new features and restrictions already has dropped my sales four times over last 2 years. And on top of it  I cannot now communicate with my buyers over their custom orders proprely and eBay does everything to stop sellers changing buyers invoices before they pay. 

[ozstockman]

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@egglesdtp wrote:

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@ozstockman wrote:

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@janeababe wrote:

I dont know how you are able to add contact details in a message anyway....

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I am not sure about contact details but you can add a signature to your messages and put whatever you want in it. It does not seem they are trying to scan signatures at all.

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Do you mean an image of your signature as a .jpg or .gif? To which you have added say, a mobile number?

Heihachi up above says in his post that not even images are immune.

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No, it is just text. I do not remember for how long(at least 2 years) I have my webstore url address in my signature and I have never received any warning about it. They did not even point to it when they restricted my account two times. All restrictions I have had were based mostly on what my buyers sent to me in their messages. It seems they do not read/check signatures at all.

[clubesquire]

Oz .... "Unfortunatelly I cannot and I do not want to sell on this platform anymore. I just do not want to be treated that way and most important I do not want my buyers to be treated that way. I will probably close my account completelly. Sure it will hurt me as a buyer but as a seller I hope to be alright, All these new features and restrictions already has dropped my sales four times over last 2 years. And on top of it I cannot now communicate with my buyers over their custom orders proprely and eBay does everything to stop sellers changing buyers invoices before they pay."

.... and, understandably so. Since we've returned we see some very successful sellers getting on with biz regardless, and good luck to them. But we've also been exposed to a lot of unhappiness, which we honestly believe is totally unecessary and eBay created. This is despite too, a very nice letter we sent them not long after we started in recognition of some very good support. In retrospect they didn't deserve it.

We've been very disappointed and have let our listings run down. We were going to cut and run, sales have not been great despite everything, to the best of our knowledge, and that of others here too, being right, including our pricing. Yet others in the same category seem to get much more exposure and do nicely, despite much higher pricing and I'd suggest a product of questionable condition.

But anyway, we've got a second wind and will give it another shot, but just one. Thank God for alternative platforms.

Sorry to hear of yours, and the misfortune and discontent of others Oz, and sorry too that there is no solution. Current eBay policy in fact encourages 'out of eBay sales' and that's exactly what's happening, but not because sellers want to, they are forced to for the piece of mind of being able to adequately cater to the needs of valued customers, but I'll not go into that any further.

Good luck to all who are experiencing the consequences of moronic policy.

Melina.

[lane-ends]

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@ozstockman wrote:

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@egglesdtp wrote:

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@ozstockman wrote:

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@janeababe wrote:

I dont know how you are able to add contact details in a message anyway....

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I am not sure about contact details but you can add a signature to your messages and put whatever you want in it. It does not seem they are trying to scan signatures at all.

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Do you mean an image of your signature as a .jpg or .gif? To which you have added say, a mobile number?

Heihachi up above says in his post that not even images are immune.

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No, it is just text. I do not remember for how long(at least 2 years) I have my webstore url address in my signature and I have never received any warning about it. They did not even point to it when they restricted my account two times. All restrictions I have had were based mostly on what my buyers sent to me in their messages. It seems they do not read/check signatures at all.

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Their bots may not pick it up, but if it picks up the buyers email, they may check your response manually an dhence pick it up and slap you too. Then you get a generic slap and you dont know specific what for, and you dont raise the sig question with them