Forbidding *all* outside links: big mistake, ebay.

[harling]

If you're reading this, chances are ebay has sent you at least one email warning you of "policy violations" of the tyep OES_CONTACT_LINK.  The complaint is that the cited listings include links to pages outside of ebay.  Evidently, the fear is that outside links will facilitate transactions outside of ebay's watchful fee structure eye.  Unfortunately, rather than examine links to see if they lead to contact information, ebay simply imposed a blanket ban on all links to outside pages.

The problem with trying to kill a fly with a sledgehammer, is that the sledgehammer does its own damage.  For example: I sell electronic devices that compete with a well-established product.  My claim is that the ones I build are better.  To back up this claim, I include a link to an impartial site that benchmarks and compares CPUs, showing that my device will perform better.  Prospective buyers can easily click on it, and see for themselves a page of impartial test results on a well-known site that is outside of my influence.  Suddenly I'm a credible alternative to a major manufacturer!

Now, in order to comply with their new sledgehammer policy, ebay suggests I copy & paste the test results (multiple screens with charts and other graphics) directly into my listings, and offer to send prospective buyers the original links on request!  Do you suppose making people jump through hoops like this will make them more likely, or less likely, to take a chance on my device?  Or will they just spend $50 more for the well-established product that they already know & trust?

As a top-rated seller, I don't appreciate being hamstrung like this, because ebay can't be bothered to distinguish legitimate informational sites from attempts to circumvent their contact policies.

[odditiesandantiquities1]

Harling,  I do hope you bring this up at today's weekly chat.

[luckythewinner]

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@harling wrote:

Unfortunately, rather than examine links to see if they lead to contact information, ebay simply imposed a blanket ban on all links to outside pages.

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EBay has 1.1 billion listings. How many full time employees would you suggest eBay dedicated to this effort?

[*eponymous*]

Your store policies are both outdated and unenforceable. 

ebay offered you a solution. The no outside links policy applies to all sellers.

[nawlinsron2]

Maybe ebay is in the wrong business.
They should try security...they're so good at it.

[thenobletuckylife]

Afternoon Harling,

Ebay is in the process of cleaning up it's site. This also means a purge for those who do not like and act accordingly to their new focus.

Their new focus is on:

1)   Cheap knockoff products from overseas.

2)  Items that are MASS produced with UPC numbers and Manufacturer Product Numbers.

3) Promoting what THEY think buyers want in searches.

4) Using Inteligent Design as much as possible to run this site.

The future, at least till ebay changes their mind again, is for those who can navigate and implement their selling practices to fit this model. Those that rely on an interactive customer service business model here will find themselves being scrutinized if they continue this practice.

We saw the "writing on the wall" in the spring of 2016 and knew it was time to move on.

Mr C

[this4chris2012]

From OP's listing:

"Send us a list of what you have, and we'll make you an offer!"

Sounds like an invitation for an off-eBay deal.

[d-k_treasures]

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@*eponymous* wrote:

Your store policies are both outdated and unenforceable. 

ebay offered you a solution. The no outside links policy applies to all sellers.

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No it doesn't.

TRU comes to mind ............

[harling]

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@luckythewinner wrote:

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@harling wrote:

Unfortunately, rather than examine links to see if they lead to contact information, ebay simply imposed a blanket ban on all links to outside pages.

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EBay has 1.1 billion listings. How many full time employees would you suggest eBay dedicated to this effort?

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1.  Your assessment of the scope is high by a couple orders of magnitude.  ebay already has an automated system that flags outside links.  So only actual outside links need to be examined, not every single listing on their system.

2. Your assessment of the capacity of one employee is low.  A whitelist would enable one employee to approve all links to a site across all listings, now and in the future.

So create a whitelist, and as people call customer service to make the case that the link in their listing is legitimate, have a couple people check out how the site is being used within ebay, and decide whether or not to add it to the whitelist.

You'd think this would bring ebay to a grinding halt, or something...?

[goodluckselling]

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@harling wrote:

If you're reading this, chances are ebay has sent you at least one email warning you of "policy violations" of the tyep OES_CONTACT_LINK.  The complaint is that the cited listings include links to pages outside of ebay.  Evidently, the fear is that outside links will facilitate transactions outside of ebay's watchful fee structure eye.  Unfortunately, rather than examine links to see if they lead to contact information, ebay simply imposed a blanket ban on all links to outside pages.

The problem with trying to kill a fly with a sledgehammer, is that the sledgehammer does its own damage.  For example: I sell electronic devices that compete with a well-established product.  My claim is that the ones I build are better.  To back up this claim, I include a link to an impartial site that benchmarks and compares CPUs, showing that my device will perform better.  Prospective buyers can easily click on it, and see for themselves a page of impartial test results on a well-known site that is outside of my influence.  Suddenly I'm a credible alternative to a major manufacturer!

Now, in order to comply with their new sledgehammer policy, ebay suggests I copy & paste the test results (multiple screens with charts and other graphics) directly into my listings, and offer to send prospective buyers the original links on request!  Do you suppose making people jump through hoops like this will make them more likely, or less likely, to take a chance on my device?  Or will they just spend $50 more for the well-established product that they already know & trust?

As a top-rated seller, I don't appreciate being hamstrung like this, because ebay can't be bothered to distinguish legitimate informational sites from attempts to circumvent their contact policies.

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1. I did not get the message you are speaking about, bBecause I stay up to date with changes, I already spent the time to make the changes, before the deadline approached and became active.
2. If the work load is to overwhelming then remove those items until you can do them in compliance.  If you items are so great as you are claiming then I would asume you have other weays to advertise and sell your superior items until you can meet the standards set here at eBay.
3. Having less listing will help all sellers so I do not think eBay is to overly worried about losing some listing.  We already have way to many items for sale on eBay.
4. Very soon you can include a Youtube link that should be able to do the same thing you are wanting,  For now just comply and when the changes go live you can add the video link.

Good Luck Selling!

[luckythewinner]

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Your assessment of the scope is high by a couple orders of magnitude

I didn't assess the scope of the issue. I simply stated the number of listings.

Your assessment of the capacity of one employee is low

I didn't assess the capacity of an employee. In fact, I asked you to do that.

So create a whitelist, and as people call customer service to make the case that the link in their listing is legitimate

As soon as a link got whitelisted, unscrupulous sellers would edit their whitelisted website. eBay would need a system of regular re-checks for the whitelist to mean anything.

You'd think this would bring ebay to a grinding halt, or something...?

I never said that it would bring eBay to a grinding halt.

The point I was making is that this would take resources, and eBay has no incentive to spend a dime on this endeavor - especially given that sellers are voluntarily complying and there are already far too many listings here already. 

But just for fun, let's take your estimate of "a couple orders of magnitiude". Two orders of magnitude is 100, so let's take 1% of eBay's listings - that's 11 million listings.

Actually, that still seems high. Since we're just guessing anyway, lets lop off another order of magnitude and call it 1.1 million listings.

So how many full-time employees do you think it would take to accomplish this task, and what incentive does eBay have to do this?

[*eponymous*]

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@d-k_treasures wrote:

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@*eponymous* wrote:

Your store policies are both outdated and unenforceable. 

ebay offered you a solution. The no outside links policy applies to all sellers.

---

No it doesn't.

TRU comes to mind ............

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Live links?

[southern*sweet*tea]

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@*eponymous* wrote:

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@d-k_treasures wrote:

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@*eponymous* wrote:

Your store policies are both outdated and unenforceable. 

ebay offered you a solution. The no outside links policy applies to all sellers.

---

No it doesn't.

TRU comes to mind ............

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Live links?

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They have live links to their own website on their listings. If I had a website and did that I'd be shot down in flames.

[rixstuff]

Just take the prohibited links out.  Buyers dont read them anyway and they are keeping you from selling.

[d-k_treasures]

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@*eponymous* wrote:

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@d-k_treasures wrote:

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@*eponymous* wrote:

Your store policies are both outdated and unenforceable. 

ebay offered you a solution. The no outside links policy applies to all sellers.

---

No it doesn't.

TRU comes to mind ............

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Live links?

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Yep.  Right to their own site - and ready to take your order on their own site. Why do you think they are even here? They are here so that more people come to their own web site, and to cull the email addresses of anyone who buys thru here.

You've been here long enough to know 'all sellers are not created equal', no matter how many times the blues brothers sing the same old song and dance.