eBay

equipmentlab · ‎10-20-2022

Ebay charged me promoted listing fees for items which were not clicked through the promotions. I only found about it through an error. I sell lab equipment and a customer requested to split up a glass reactor as he only need the stirring mechanism. luckily I had a separate listing which was only the stirring mechanism and I sent him the Ebay item number to save him time on searching for it. He found the item and purchased it. Few days later I was checking my payment fees and noticed that Ebay charged me the 2% Promoted listing fee even when they did not click on the promotion and found the item by me link. Someone please let me if this is fair or even legal? Did anyone else notice this?

heckofagame · ‎10-20-2022

Was the listing for the stirring mechanism promoted? If the listing was promoted, regardless of whether or not you sent a link, you will pay the promotion fee.

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donsdetour · ‎10-20-2022

I have 0 advice I can give on this:

Let us users know haw this turns out for you.

heckofagame · ‎10-20-2022

Was the listing for the stirring mechanism promoted? If the listing was promoted, regardless of whether or not you sent a link, you will pay the promotion fee.

aqeeqsouq · ‎10-20-2022

@heckofagame

@heckofagame wrote:
Was the listing for the stirring mechanism promoted? If the listing was promoted, regardless of whether or not you sent a link, you will pay the promotion fee.

The Promoted Listings Standard ad fee is charged only when a buyer clicks on your promoted listing and purchases that same item within 30 days of that click.

But if the buyer finds the listing via non-sponsored search results (organic click) ,even if the listing is been promoted, then purchases it, ebay will not charge the promotion fee from the seller.

("Winter Is Coming")

slippinjimmy · ‎10-20-2022

@heckofagame wrote:
Was the listing for the stirring mechanism promoted? If the listing was promoted, regardless of whether or not you sent a link, you will pay the promotion fee.

This is not how PL works, the buyer MUST click on a sponsored link to the listing page they buy from in the previous 30 days.

slippinjimmy · ‎10-20-2022

@equipmentlab wrote:
Ebay charged me promoted listing fees for items which were not clicked through the promotions. I only found about it through an error. I sell lab equipment and a customer requested to split up a glass reactor as he only need the stirring mechanism. luckily I had a separate listing which was only the stirring mechanism and I sent him the Ebay item number to save him time on searching for it. He found the item and purchased it. Few days later I was checking my payment fees and noticed that Ebay charged me the 2% Promoted listing fee even when they did not click on the promotion and found the item by me link. Someone please let me if this is fair or even legal? Did anyone else notice this?

It's possible your buyer had previously clicked a sponsored link for the stirring listing at some point, it could have been minutes or days before they contacted you.

the-hook-and-the-loop · ‎10-20-2022

It happens to me too. I have complained about it here and have been credited back fees. I have proven through messaging how I sent a link for an item to a buyer(that they never clicked on nor knew existed) and they purchased it. I was then showing "AD FEE STANDARD" in payments. I am certain that eBay has an algorithm for this whole promoted listings **bleep**. Once they have you in their lair, they make about 90% of your sales "promoted". I know how things worked 6 months ago, and I know how things work now. You would have to be blind and dumb not to notice.

ittybitnot · ‎10-20-2022

But if the buyer finds the listing via non-sponsored search results...

@aqeeqsouq

Does ebay even display the "organic" listing in answer to a search query if it is promoted anymore?

aqeeqsouq · ‎10-20-2022

@ittybitnot

@ittybitnot wrote:

But if the buyer finds the listing via non-sponsored search results...
@aqeeqsouq

Does ebay even display the "organic" listing in answer to a search query if it is promoted anymore?

i suppose they don't.

But "Organic" & "Non-sponsored" searches have same meaning.

("Winter Is Coming")

12345jamesstamps · ‎10-20-2022

2% promoted listing?...I do a few promoted listings at 7 to 10 per cent. If your item has been promoted it has to be charged the promoted listing...especially if you want to get paid...plus eBay get that's promoted listing fee before you get the money for the sale...which can put you in the negative balance for a few days.

lakefor94 · ‎10-20-2022

@12345jamesstamps wrote:
2% promoted listing?...I do a few promoted listings at 7 to 10 per cent. If your item has been promoted it has to be charged the promoted listing...especially if you want to get paid...plus eBay get that's promoted listing fee before you get the money for the sale...which can put you in the negative balance for a few days.

I have everything promoted at 2%, 1175 listings. I am running about 60/40 on being charged for a buyer clicking on and buying from a promoted listing. 40% of my sales do not get charged as being sold as promoted.

Posting ID

nuclearomen · ‎10-20-2022

no no, you gave the buyer the item # to go into ebay search and find the item, when you do this for any listing you promote at any given time ebay can decide to show them the Promoted Listing and if they clicked the "sponsored" listing you get changed the PL fee you elected. What you should have done: given the buyer the URL to copy and paste into their browser.

The great truth is there isn't one
And it only gets worse since that conclusion...
...There is something about the rigid posture of a proper, authentic blind
As if extended arms reached to pass his blindness onto others.

valueaddedresource · ‎10-20-2022

@equipmentlab wrote:
Ebay charged me promoted listing fees for items which were not clicked through the promotions. I only found about it through an error. I sell lab equipment and a customer requested to split up a glass reactor as he only need the stirring mechanism. luckily I had a separate listing which was only the stirring mechanism and I sent him the Ebay item number to save him time on searching for it. He found the item and purchased it. Few days later I was checking my payment fees and noticed that Ebay charged me the 2% Promoted listing fee even when they did not click on the promotion and found the item by me link. Someone please let me if this is fair or even legal? Did anyone else notice this?

@equipmentlab - Was the listing for that item number ever enrolled in a Promoted Listings campaign?

Did you send the buyer an actual direct link to the listing or just the item number for him to search?

It's important to understand that if a listing is promoted, eBay can and often does show the promoted version in search - even if that search is for the exact item ID and only returns one result.

I know @zamo-zuan has experienced this, as have others.

So if that item was enrolled in PL and you simply provided the buyer with the item number that he then searched for in a regular eBay search - it's entirely possible it could have been the sponsored version of the listing and if he purchased within 30 days of clicking on it, eBay would charge you the ad fee.

Is it fair? Personally, no I don't think it's fair at all for eBay to show the promoted version for a direct exact item number search that can only possibly return one unique result.

But is it legal and technically within the terms of how eBay operates their ad program? Unfortunately yes.

If you never had that listing in any PL campaign at all, that would be a whole other thing though.

nuclearomen · ‎10-20-2022

@valueaddedresource wrote:
Is it fair? Personally, no I don't think it's fair at all for eBay to show the promoted version for a direct exact item number search that can only possibly return one unique result.
But is it legal and technically within the terms of how eBay operates their ad program? Unfortunately yes.
If you never had that listing in any PL campaign at all, that would be a whole thing though.

@valueaddedresource it is fair, because buyer is using the ebay search to find the item, item number or not, if one uses ebay search and that person gets shown the sponsored listing and they click that listing, they are locked to PL fee on the purchase for 30 days. It's perfectly legal within the agreement of user and ebay for using Promoted Listings.

If PL fee was changed for a listing that wasn't promoted, yes, that would be different.

It's been long known that providing someone the item# to find through ebay search can result in them seeing the PL and not just the normal listing. If you do and don't explain to that person to NOT click the "Sponsored" listing then it's 100% the sellers fault. If you provide a direct link URL for them to copy and past to the normal listing then you won't have to worry about the PL fee unless buyer previously clicked the PL then like said they are locked for 30 days to that fee being attached to the order.

The great truth is there isn't one
And it only gets worse since that conclusion...
...There is something about the rigid posture of a proper, authentic blind
As if extended arms reached to pass his blindness onto others.

valueaddedresource · ‎10-20-2022

@nuclearomen wrote:
@valueaddedresource wrote:
Is it fair? Personally, no I don't think it's fair at all for eBay to show the promoted version for a direct exact item number search that can only possibly return one unique result.
But is it legal and technically within the terms of how eBay operates their ad program? Unfortunately yes.
If you never had that listing in any PL campaign at all, that would be a whole thing though.
@valueaddedresource it is fair, because buyer is using the ebay search to find the item, item number or not, if one uses ebay search and that person gets shown the sponsored listing and they click that listing, they are locked to PL fee on the purchase for 30 days. It's perfectly legal within the agreement of user and ebay for using Promoted Listings.

If PL fee was changed for a listing that wasn't promoted, yes, that would be different.

It's been long known that providing someone the item# to find through ebay search can result in them seeing the PL and not just the normal listing. If you do and don't explain to that person to NOT click the "Sponsored" listing then it's 100% the sellers fault. If you provide a direct link URL for them to copy and past to the normal listing then you won't have to worry about the PL fee unless buyer previously clicked the PL then like said they are locked for 30 days to that fee being attached to the order.

@nuclearomen I understand how it all works, which is why I said it is absolutely legal and within eBay's terms.

What I personally don't believe is fair is for eBay to show the sponsored version of the listing in a situation where there can literally only be one unique search result displayed. I specifically said "personally" in my previous post because I understand other people may not find it to be unfair - it's just my opinion that it's a bit of dirty pool.

Can eBay do it within their terms? Yep. Are sellers justified in feeling like that's a bit of a "gotcha" move on eBay's part? Also yep, again in my opinion.

To be clear - I am not in any way saying eBay is violating their own policies or any laws or anything like that. Under the terms they clearly have every right to do it that way.

However, I think if CEO Jamie Iannone was serious about his claims that "openness, honesty, respect and doing business with integrity drives our success" then setting up PL so it doesn't display the promoted version of the listing for a unique direct item ID search would be the right thing to do.