warning- ofers to sell outside or ebay email, some suggestions

[fashionandform]

I just received the infamous ebay email warning regarding "selling outside of ebay". An ebayer wanted a lower price and included his phone number in the email to which i repsonded that i was not interested. 

I find it troubling that the ebay email reads " At this time, no restrictions are being placed on your account.." , since I did not do anything to warrant a warning, and secondly their email implies that they can impose restriction for perceived infractions in the future.

I suggest that if you receive one of these warnings for a similiar situation that you call and explain that this was not due to any error on your part. I wrote down the service request number from the ebay specialist  who confirmed this, and also requested an email from her that states that this was not our fault.

[duggmills]

What I about to say makes the assumption all eBay employees know who their customers are.  Some would be surprised how many particularly in government have no idea who their customers are.

I suspect too many companies treat their employees the same way they treat their customers. Judging by the tone of the email warning about dealing outside eBay, eBay may treat it's employees and customer in the same way -  callously and accusingly. 

If eBay treats it employees the way it treats it customers the day may come when they no longer have many of either.

[davidc1909]

The beep ebay inserted on my message refered to bovine feces

[d-k_treasures]

---

@jm04bmowrote:
Read the posting before you comment on it.
It was eBay customer service number I sent, you would think their computer systems would recognise their own phone number.

---

I'm sure it would - IF it had the country code for India in front of it.

[castlemagicmemories]

---

@southern*sweet*teawrote:

I have to wonder what the sudden rash of buyers inserting their phone numbers into generic questions is really all about. There is no valid reason for anyone to include their phone number in a general question  to an Ebay seller.

Competitors trying to take down their competition?

---

Maybe it is not a sudden rash?  Perhaps these were not caught as well before the bots' sensitivity was heightened.  I got one from a seller today.  Told him Ebay prefers communication stay on the site through ebay messages.  

[castlemagicmemories]

---

@d-k_treasureswrote:

---

@southern*sweet*tea wrote:

---

@atikovi wrote:

I thought if you try to insert your phone number or email address or physical address into a message, it won't go through. If a local buyer want's to see your item before purchase, there is no way to give them your contact info.

---

ikr

A couple years ago I was selling one of my old computers for parts. Buyer asks what the serial or model number was, so I try to send it to him. I can't, the message was blocked and I got a red warning message to the effect of no phone numbers can be sent, blah blah.  I had to get creative with the number.  This was over two years ago, so how in the heck can all these people suddenly start sending phone numbers all over the place?

---

Ebay seems to let them go through from buyers just so they can start the seller punishment.

---

Both parties get the warning message.  And buyers have written about receiving sanctions, no buying or communicating for a period of time, a temporary suspension.  

[castlemagicmemories]

---

@honestabe411wrote:

Warnings are non removeable. Learned this when I got the same email. Next warning will be a restriction from communication with buyer and possibly account suspension. THIS suspension can be lifted if eBay is contacted after and you have your account noted the first once wasn't actually your fault. Kind of dumb they can't remove the warning in the first place, but it is what it is. 

---

I think the warning is non removable so they have proof that you were made aware of the policy.  There have been threads by people who have been on Ebay for many years and they said they were not aware of this policy~buyers as well, although it states in several places on the Best Offer and message forms that contact info is not to be sent in messages.  Then no one can say they were not aware if it happens again.  

[odditiesandantiquities1]

---

@jm04bmowrote:
Read the posting before you comment on it.
It was eBay customer service number I sent, you would think their computer systems would recognise their own phone number.

---

You have some nice jewelry. 

[castlemagicmemories]

---

@atikoviwrote:

I thought if you try to insert your phone number or email address or physical address into a message, it won't go through. If a local buyer want's to see your item before purchase, there is no way to give them your contact info.

---

In a case of a local pick up listing, Trinton had said that any messages such as that, POST SALE, would be ok.

[castlemagicmemories]

---

@lllladywrote:

---

@southern*sweet*tea wrote:

---

@atikovi wrote:

I thought if you try to insert your phone number or email address or physical address into a message, it won't go through. If a local buyer want's to see your item before purchase, there is no way to give them your contact info.

---

ikr

A couple years ago I was selling one of my old computers for parts. Buyer asks what the serial or model number was, so I try to send it to him. I can't, the message was blocked and I got a red warning message to the effect of no phone numbers can be sent, blah blah.  I had to get creative with the number.  This was over two years ago, so how in the heck can all these people suddenly start sending phone numbers all over the place?

---

Entrapment?

---

I wonder if the flood gates were opened when Ebay decided buyers could message Best Offers on any listing, whether or not it had Best Offer on it or not.  Before that, it was a policy violation to message a seller with an Offer if the listing did not have Best Offer on it~it was said that that meant that the seller was not interested in receiving offers.  Thus, throwing caution to the winds like that may have caused buyers to think, well, if I can get it cheaper by messaging an offer, I might get it even cheaper if the seller doesn't have to pay Ebay feeds.  And thus was born the beast.

[odditiesandantiquities1]

---

@castlemagicmemorieswrote:

---

@lllladywrote:

---

@southern*sweet*tea wrote:

---

@atikovi wrote:

I thought if you try to insert your phone number or email address or physical address into a message, it won't go through. If a local buyer want's to see your item before purchase, there is no way to give them your contact info.

---

ikr

A couple years ago I was selling one of my old computers for parts. Buyer asks what the serial or model number was, so I try to send it to him. I can't, the message was blocked and I got a red warning message to the effect of no phone numbers can be sent, blah blah.  I had to get creative with the number.  This was over two years ago, so how in the heck can all these people suddenly start sending phone numbers all over the place?

---

Entrapment?

---

I wonder if the flood gates were opened when Ebay decided buyers could message Best Offers on any listing, whether or not it had Best Offer on it or not.  Before that, it was a policy violation to message a seller with an Offer if the listing did not have Best Offer on it~it was said that that meant that the seller was not interested in receiving offers.  Thus, throwing caution to the winds like that may have caused buyers to think, well, if I can get it cheaper by messaging an offer, I might get it even cheaper if the seller doesn't have to pay Ebay feeds.  And thus was born the beast.

---

I have never received anyone's phone number when they have contacted me to see if I would consider a lower offer, so I certainly don't think that is the case. I have had hundreds of emails asking if I would consider another price....no phone number. 

Not one out of hundreds of messages?  Just my experience of course.

[odditiesandantiquities1]

---

@castlemagicmemorieswrote:

---

@lllladywrote:

---

@southern*sweet*tea wrote:

---

@atikovi wrote:

I thought if you try to insert your phone number or email address or physical address into a message, it won't go through. If a local buyer want's to see your item before purchase, there is no way to give them your contact info.

---

ikr

A couple years ago I was selling one of my old computers for parts. Buyer asks what the serial or model number was, so I try to send it to him. I can't, the message was blocked and I got a red warning message to the effect of no phone numbers can be sent, blah blah.  I had to get creative with the number.  This was over two years ago, so how in the heck can all these people suddenly start sending phone numbers all over the place?

---

Entrapment?

---

I wonder if the flood gates were opened when Ebay decided buyers could message Best Offers on any listing, whether or not it had Best Offer on it or not.  Before that, it was a policy violation to message a seller with an Offer if the listing did not have Best Offer on it~it was said that that meant that the seller was not interested in receiving offers.  Thus, throwing caution to the winds like that may have caused buyers to think, well, if I can get it cheaper by messaging an offer, I might get it even cheaper if the seller doesn't have to pay Ebay feeds.  And thus was born the beast.

---

I have never received anyone's phone number when they have contacted me to see if I would consider a lower offer, so I certainly don't think that is the case. 

Not one out of hundreds of messages?  Just my experience of course.

[Anonymous]

Received this warning as well about an Hour ago, Was pulling some listing not getting any hits so I could relist them, Got a warning on 1, said was trying to sell out side ebay on some earrings because of message, Well The only message I have had on the earrings was about 29 days ago , Was my Sister who sells on here just saying hi, Plus I relisted these earrings for another 30 days... Guess I can No longer answer Questions or messages from anyone now. Thsi is crazy........ I have never sold outside of Ebay and if I though I could I wouldnt be trying to sell on here...

[odditiesandantiquities1]

---

@Anonymouswrote:

Received this warning as well about an Hour ago, Was pulling some listing not getting any hits so I could relist them, Got a warning on 1, said was trying to sell out side ebay on some earrings because of message, Well The only message I have had on the earrings was about 29 days ago , Was my Sister who sells on here just saying hi, Plus I relisted these earrings for another 30 days... Guess I can No longer answer Questions or messages from anyone now. Thsi is crazy........ I have never sold outside of Ebay and if I though I could I wouldnt be trying to sell on here...

---

Unfortunately we don't know the ins and outs of the filters put in place to try and block  sales outside of eBay. That certainly seems like poor programming to me. Had you received a message within in say 12 hours before pulling the listing, you could say, maybe that was fair, but 29 days? It's just a little line of code to correct it. What worries me is that there doesn't seem to be adequate testing done of their code before they implement.

I see it as a bug that the programming department needs to fix and will mention it to them. 

[livadia]

---

@castlemagicmemorieswrote: 

Both parties get the warning message.  And buyers have written about receiving sanctions, no buying or communicating for a period of time, a temporary suspension.  

---

Not necessarily true.  I had a buyer who wanted to know whether there were alternative (cheaper) shipping arrangements possible and what would that cost.  I messaged him back and said I would be happy to research that, but needed to know his zip code.

He messaged back with his zip, and mentioned he was PO'd because eBay sent him a warning message about exchanging personal info in an attempt to take the sale off-site.   I apologized,  provided the alternative shipping options/costs he requested and eventually he did buy.  However, I never received a thing from eBay - no handslap or notification about "violating the rules" at all.

[castlemagicmemories]

Very interesting.  I wonder if the buyer was referring to a warning he got for another message?  Possibly somehow the bots missed your messages.  In general, though, both parties receive a warning.  Or sanctions.