posted on February 26, 2001 01:17:50 PM new
Here's what a support person at eBay emailed me after I asked this question:
Hello:
I guess I'm a tad confused here. Let's say I set up to do an antique show at a fairgrounds promoted by eBay. At this same show I give someone my website address and they buy something from my website, because of this show you promoted. Does this mean I would owe you money because you brought us together?
To me - the services you are offering me on ebay.com are the same services. I am "setting up" (read listings) my booth to sell, give someone (read bidder) my address
in said listing. They buy something from me at that point from my website and I owe you money for that sale? How?
How about this scenario (which has happened to me). I list an item on ebay and it doesn't sell so I move it to my website. (Let's say a piece of deco pottery), then I
list a deco lamp on ebay, some 6 months later, someone looks at my listing and goes to my website and sees the pottery and purchases it. Remember, this same item
was listed previously on your site. Now, do I owe you money because of the fact it was a previously listed item on your "venue"?
Thank You
Angela
Hello Angela,
Thank you for contacting us here at eBay. I am happy to be of assistance.
You are allowed to have a link to your web site. However, please remember that the intent of allowing links to a web site from your Item page has always been to enable you to provide additional information to help you sell that item. The link should not worded in a way that advertises other items or the fact that you may have other items for sale on your web page.
Additionally, please follow the linking guidelines, which do not permit:
* links to other auction-style trading sites
* links to sites offering the same merchandise for the same or lower
price
* links to sites offering merchandise prohibited on eBay
Example of a permissible link to your web site:
Please visit us at www.mywebsite.com
For more information on our link policy, please visit:
posted on February 26, 2001 01:30:09 PM new
What they are really trying to say is that as soon as you list something on their venue, they acquire listing and selling fees for that item and everything else you may want to sell someday using any method. For example, when you take some of your unsold items to the local pawn shop or second hand store to sell on consignment, you'd better not use your real name - eBay is watching.
I wonder if lawyers have to write something into an eBayer's Last Will & Testament to protect the unsold items when the eBayer passes on??
posted on February 26, 2001 03:28:12 PM new
I had the same exact thought today. I do not have a web page or me page, BUT when asked by ebay LOCATION I say, Joe Bob's Antiques, My city, My state. I also send my ebay customers from the midwest store flyers and/or upcoming antique show flyers when we are doing a show in their locale. If these customers come into my store and or meet me at an antique show and buy something do I need to send ebay their fee???? Do I have to worry that they are going to report me to ebay for fee advoidance?? Does this remind anybody of the "intellectual property clause" NBC tried to scam on CBS over the departure of David Letterman a few years back???
How can ebay demand a percentage of my sales and not say a tourist trade paper demand a fee for sending me business??
How is ebay any different then when I go to an antique show where I pay a booth rent fee but then direct these customers to my store? I feel I have a right to this "advertising of my store" when ebay demands that I provide them with a locale on the auction listing form, after all I HAVE paid for the auction listing. I should be able to identify where these items are truly located.
posted on February 26, 2001 04:41:38 PM new
List a pot for sale on ebay and pay fees. Therefore fees are owed to ebay for every pot that is sold thereafter anywhere.
The premise is fundamentally flawed.
I pay eBay a fee for a service to list an individual item. When the auction is over I have no further relationship with eBay, period, end of story. I'd like to see them try to enforce this.
posted on February 26, 2001 04:44:58 PM new
Had another thought....I wonder if eBay has bots collecting link information from auction pages and we all have "files".
Gee...takes me back to the 60's when J Edgar was running the FBI...
