Dealing with Webinterpret nonsense

[measuredmayhemtoys]

I recently got opted into webinterpret automatically. They added hundred of listings to my account over night. I just read up on all the issues going on with this for the past year. Im trying to revoke the 3rd party access like others said you should but the Webinterpret token isn't in my account despite them having access to my account so there isn't anything for me to revoke. Is there anything else I can do outside of contacting them?

[gwzcomps]

I have heard nothing positive about that service personally. I would call eBay customer support about getting it removed.

[mam98031]

I am no expert on that program, but I sure have heard a lot that causes me great concern.  I respect why you want out and I'm surprised to hear from you that you can't turn it off / deny their access.  I personally find that pretty darn disturbing.

Clarification please.

tyler@ebay 

brian@ebay 

[lacemaker3]

eBay recently notified a bunch of sellers that they would be opted into Webinterpret automatically, unless they declined or opted out in some way.  Some didn't read or misunderstood the email, and got caught into this unawares, and had trouble getting out.

You will need to unsubscribe to their service from their website:

How to Cancel your Webinterpret eBay Account ...

... as well as change your eBay listings. Cancel all the listings that are on international eBay websites (like eBay.co.uk, eBay.ca, eBay.de, etc. etc.). For your listings on eBay.com, either don't offer international shipping at all and opt out of the Global Shipping Program, or you can opt in to Global Shipping  (you only have to ship to the shipping depot in Kentucky, they take it from there).

And, go to your Buyer Block Preferences page, and block sales to any region that you don't offer shipping to:

https://offer.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?BuyerBlockPreferences

...

Buyers in locations to which I don't ship

[x] Block buyers whose primary shipping address is in a location I don't ship to.

This requirement can help you avoid buyers who agree to purchase your items without realizing you don't ship to their location. 

...

[brian@ebay]

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@mam98031 wrote:

I am no expert on that program, but I sure have heard a lot that causes me great concern.  I respect why you want out and I'm surprised to hear from you that you can't turn it off / deny their access.  I personally find that pretty darn disturbing.

Clarification please.

tyler@ebay 

brian@ebay 

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Hi @mam98031, it looks like @lacemaker3 provided a solution to this. I just want to add that @measuredmayhemtoys can also email Webinterpret customer support at webinterpretsupport@ebay.com. 

[lacemaker3]

brian@ebay, what is the business relationship between webinterpret and eBay?

Is Webinterpret owned by eBay, is this a side venture owned by an eBay company? Something like that?

[southern*sweet*tea]

Frankly, the easiest way to avoid all this webinterpret nonsense is to block the website in your host files. It's easy to do, you can Google to find out how, step by step.

Once you block it in your host file, it CANNOT connect to your computer, no webpages will load, no cookies can be set. It is blocked no matter what browser you use.

[measuredmayhemtoys]

I contaced Webinterpret already. Unfortunately they have no phone number listed anywhere I can contact to talk to them directly and get this resolved quickly. I have to message them and wait for a response. I messaged them this morning and haven't heard back yet. Not sure how long it has taken for others. I also called eBay customer service a few hours ago and the rep didn't seem to have any understanding of what I was talking about at all. They didn't know about webinterpret (first they tried to say this is a natural relisting mechanism by eBay... ) then they said I must have chosen this service on my own. They claimed they could not cancel it and I had to contact webinterpret myself as the only way I can get out of this.

I find this kind of absurd that eBay can automatically enroll me with a 3rd party company that can mess with my listings and then eBay themselves claims they can't get me out of it, only this 3rd party company that I know nothing about and didn't agree to work with that doesn't even have a telephone contact  can get me out. (the fact that eBay is going to work so closely with a company that doesn't have telephone customer service is unfathomable).

[mam98031]

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@southern*sweet*tea wrote:

Frankly, the easiest way to avoid all this webinterpret nonsense is to block the website in your host files. It's easy to do, you can Google to find out how, step by step.

Once you block it in your host file, it CANNOT connect to your computer, no webpages will load, no cookies can be set. It is blocked no matter what browser you use.

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You are so smart.  I would have never thought of that.  What GREAT advice.

[brian@ebay]

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@lacemaker3 wrote:

brian@ebay, what is the business relationship between webinterpret and eBay?

Is Webinterpret owned by eBay, is this a side venture owned by an eBay company? Something like that?

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Hi @lacemaker3, Webinterpret is a 3rd party company that eBay has patterned with to help increase item exposure on international sites. eBay does not own Webinterpret. 

@southern*sweet*tea eBay hosts the international items on our site and opting into Webinterpret also occurs on our site. Blocking them could create problems for a seller that has opted in and later wishes to opt out since the seller would need to go to the Webinterpret site to opt out. I was able to find the form members fill out if they want to opt out of the program. You can view it here.

[mam98031]

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brian@ebay wrote:

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@lacemaker3 wrote:

brian@ebay, what is the business relationship between webinterpret and eBay?

Is Webinterpret owned by eBay, is this a side venture owned by an eBay company? Something like that?

---

Hi @lacemaker3, Webinterpret is a 3rd party company that eBay has patterned with to help increase item exposure on international sites. eBay does not own Webinterpret. 

@southern*sweet*tea eBay hosts the international items on our site and opting into Webinterpret also occurs on our site. Blocking them would only create problems for a seller that has opted in and later wishes to opt out since the seller would need to go to the Webinterpret site to opt out. I was able to find the form members fill out if they want to opt out of the program. You can view it here.

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I know you are just the messenger, but Ebay should NEVER allow another site to access a member's account without the expressed permission from that member.  

[southern*sweet*tea]

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@mam98031 wrote:

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brian@ebay wrote:

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@lacemaker3 wrote:

brian@ebay, what is the business relationship between webinterpret and eBay?

Is Webinterpret owned by eBay, is this a side venture owned by an eBay company? Something like that?

---

Hi @lacemaker3, Webinterpret is a 3rd party company that eBay has patterned with to help increase item exposure on international sites. eBay does not own Webinterpret. 

@southern*sweet*tea eBay hosts the international items on our site and opting into Webinterpret also occurs on our site. Blocking them would only create problems for a seller that has opted in and later wishes to opt out since the seller would need to go to the Webinterpret site to opt out. I was able to find the form members fill out if they want to opt out of the program. You can view it here.

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I know you are just the messenger, but Ebay should NEVER allow another site to access a member's account without the expressed permission from that member.  

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Exactly, which is why I blocked it as soon as the threads started earlier this year (or whenever it was).  Far too many people were "opted in" when all they did was click on the website. That's not an opt-in, it's a HIJACK.

[lacemaker3]

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brian@ebay wrote:

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@lacemaker3 wrote:

brian@ebay, what is the business relationship between webinterpret and eBay?

Is Webinterpret owned by eBay, is this a side venture owned by an eBay company? Something like that?

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Hi @lacemaker3, Webinterpret is a 3rd party company that eBay has patterned with to help increase item exposure on international sites. eBay does not own Webinterpret. 

brian@ebay, I'm tryinig to comprehend why eBay is pushing this company's service so hard, onto members who have not requested it or agreed to it? I am finding it very hard to understand eBay's motivation in this. 

If eBay wants to increase the number of listings that are posted on international websites, Shanghaing sellers into something like this without their knowledge or informed consent doesn't seem like a very logical or effective way to accomplish that. I would expect that it would be more effective if eBay targeted willing sellers, who were interested in and agreed to use the service.

[wesk_36]

"@southern*sweet*tea eBay hosts the international items on our site and opting into Webinterpret also occurs on our site. Blocking them could create problems for a seller that has opted in and later wishes to opt out since the seller would need to go to the Webinterpret site to opt out. I was able to find the form members fill out if they want to opt out of the program."

Nobody is opting in, ebay is opting them in,  unethically in my opinion, without their permission,  the sellers aren't opting in, so then the user that never wanted to be opted-in in the first place has a big mess to clean up and has to jump through the difficult and looping dysfunctional opting out of the shady 3rd-party company.

This is so wrong!

If ebay wants to present their sales pitch for webinterpret to sellers, then pitch away and let the seller decide whether to opt in or not based on ebay's sales pitch. Anything short of it being the sellers decision to opt in to webinterpret services and give their info to a 3rd-party is highly unethical and shows lack of respect for the sellers forced into this company. 

-my 2 cents worth from one who was tricked into this company a long time ago and experienced a nightmare of a time opting out.