Crochet patterns - paper AND free pdf?

[needlemethat]

Okay, I've been round and round with this in my head ever since ebay stopped letting us sell digital downloads.

Is it possible to sell a printed pattern (quality paper, color, the whole nine yards) and also giving the customer a FREE pdf ?  Most people want a pdf these days, but its NOT allowed.  So if I sell a paper copy and give a free pdf, I wonder if that would be ok?

~Curious

[onlinecentral]

Is it possible to sell a printed pattern (quality paper, color, the whole nine yards)?
For the best results as a seller attempting to satisfy eBay requirements, you need to send a package with a tracking number.

You might put a message in your listing stating, "If you send me your email address after sending payment, I will send you the corresponding PDF file for this pattern." Otherwise, include that message in your package.

You might create a few listings at a higher price that include a printed pattern and media (USB stick, Floppy Disk) in the same package.

Otherwise, create a Variations listing with:
a) Printed pattern snail mailed with PDF emailed.
b) Printed pattern mailed along with media containing the PDF file.

[my-cottage-books-and-antiques]

devon@ebay  Could you check with the proper team and get back to us on this? 

[ckimodog]

@needlemethat 

Items must be tangible.  Perhaps send them on a scan disk or CD and make sure you have a tracking number.  I know they're permitted on other sites, but ebay is somewhat strict about digital items being sold on their platform as their are a lot of sellers who are selling other peoples items with out permission.

https://www.ebay.com/help/policies/prohibited-restricted-items/electronically-delivered-items-policy...

[dryophelia]

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@needlemethat wrote:

 ever since ebay stopped letting us sell digital downloads.

There was a time when downloads were allowed?

[lacemaker3]

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@dryophelia wrote:

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@needlemethat wrote:

 ever since ebay stopped letting us sell digital downloads.

There was a time when downloads were allowed?

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Thank you for posting this.

No, downloads have never been allowed on eBay.

[ebooksdiva]

Your PDF should be burned to a CD to be mailed. I used to sell recipe books and crochet patterns on PDF that I placed on a CD. I created CD labels for them as well so it was then a physical item. EBay didn’t have a problem with that. 
Otherwise digital downloads are not allowed. 

[ebooksdiva]

Wrong… eBay stopped allowing digital downloads around 2006 they also had instant downloads too.  Instead of shipping details you were able to put in a download code where you had your ebooks stored. 

I used to sell them. When they decided to stop that, I took my ebooks and burned them to CDs 

[ebooksdiva]

Yes there was. They stopped allowing around 2006 if I recall correctly. I sold recipes in digital format back then. 

[lacemaker3]

@ebooksdiva,

There were a lot of fake/counterfeit ebooks back then. eBay got tired of having to deal with all the reports and delete all the best sellers that had never been released as ebooks with fake "master reselling rights". This does not have anything to do with the public-domain books that can be downloaded for free.

[ebooksdiva]

The counterfeiters did kill it for those of us who followed the policy.  

[pburn]

Are there still people who have the have the capability to upload from a CD?

[lacemaker3]

It's a shame that it took counterfeiters stealing from modern bestselling authors to stop the scams.

[my-cottage-books-and-antiques]

@needlemethat  I think there may be two separate but related issues here (I don't claim to know the answers).

While it is fine to enclose a free gift in a package you send, I'm not sure ebay permits a seller to say in the listing that she is selling item A and giving item B along as a free gift.  So this could run afoul of the "gift" rule.

The second issue is, can you offer a pdf file as part of a "lot" (tangible item plus a pdf of the tangible item)

As others have said, you can probably offer the paper pattern along with a CD or thumbnail drive with a pdf file on it. 

[simply-the-best-for-you]

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@pburn wrote:

Are there still people who have the have the capability to upload from a CD?

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I can.