eBay works good as a shell service

[richards*collection]

I have been doing great at local sales and I believe I have finally found a use for Ebay for presentation to facilitate showing my goods, I made five sales last week to local people in person after they browsed my goods. So all is not lost if you use eBay for a referral service, it's completely free and legal to do so. I use it similar to marketplace but it's better because people can research the comps. I can't see how it is against any policies. So I wonder what other sellers think about this and the fact that eBay makes no commissions from these offsite sales? Thoughts?

[richards*collection]

Are you trying to say other people do this every day and have been doing it for years and years and we are not supposed to breathe a word of it here because the subject is tabboo and you could get your selling account revoked? OH MY MY I dont think life is worth living if we cant freely discuss these topics on the sellers platform, can we? so terrible, have a nice day.

[joliztoyco]

I buy and sell many Legos. And scan sales of them almost every day by other sellers to see what's popular. About 2 weeks ago, I noticed a seller who had a Harry Potter Set I had never seen before. I entered the set # into search and dozens came up for me to view. I realized that they were new sets that had just been released. So I quickly ran down to Wal-Mart and bought 4 of them.
To all you sellers whose auctions I viewed, you're guilty of "fee avoidance" as I used your auctions to view merchandise and then buy locally.
And I'm also guilty of "fee avoidance" I guess.
Sometimes you "sellers" are laughable.....

[richards*collection]

I completly agree with you, if they facilitate a sale, they should get their cut. But they wont.

[retro_entertainment_collectibles · Accepted solution]

I understand what you're saying Richard and see you're perspective but it doesn't matter how any of us see it, we've no authority and others I've saw on eBay are far more flagrant in using the service as an aggregate for sales/trade outside the service directly.

For example, some vendors use the same naming conventions on social media and even .com's.  A simple google search and bam up comes their website where a consumer can buy/trade to/sell to direct essentially using eBay's traffic to procure goods as well as sell outside the service.  Some of them pretty big sellers and some pretty bold in listings about it.  I can't recall the one I saw just last week and in every single listing had a "Sell to us" via their social media account.

[richards*collection]

This post seems threatening and biased, I wonder if you should be allowed on the forum for making snide un-informed comments? I hope you stay and could you be less vindictive and more guiding and compassionate? Thanks.

[richards*collection]

I have marked you the best answer! Thank you for making and sending such a informative and compassionate response. You are the person I was looking for, thank you!

[1tuna]

it does not really matter what you do as far as sales

as long as the person who sees the items  can get hold of you without using ebay then its not fee avoidance

the problem is when a looker sees the stuff on ebay and then messages you about the items

if a prospective buyer contacts you thru ebay then its fee avoidance

if a friend of a friend can contact you without ebay then there is no harm no foul

@retro_entertainment_collectibles 

[varebelrose]

Wow, just... wow. This guy will be NARU'ed shortly.

[stainlessenginecovers]

Doing this is not even 'ebay' illegal but this is what 'almost' put Best Buy out of business, even AFTER they put Circuit City out of business; folks would just 'look at' the Flat Screen TV or Computer Displays, and then buy them on Amazon. 

What I find amazing is that there are 5 people in a 20-mile radius of the small populated (61000) Springfield Oregon interested in rocks. 

[richards*collection]

Great post! Thank you! The forum is working good!

[buyselljack2016]

I think ............................  that as long as you are not using your listings to direct buyers to your "off eBay selling" by text in your listings, of by messaging/posting via eBay to direct them there, that you are just fine.

Beyond that......................  the ice gets thin.

[richards*collection]

U would be surprised because at social gathering which I go to all I have to say is "Sunstones" and like a wild fire I have people coming up to me by the droves saying where can I get some? do u have them? I sell out all the ones I have in my pockets along with carnelian, quartz crystals, ect. People are nuts for rocks, I cant believe it at my pool league and bowling, where I work at the superstore on my lunch break. Value? I just say go look at eBay and see what they sell for. People are rock crazy, and they are just bonkers for them. I dont really need eBay to sell them. They sell themselves.

[monroe67]

"Why do you say that? The forum is for eBay sellers, are you some authority with the power to suspend my account? I think not. Have a nice day!"

Anybody who reads this thread has the "authority" to click that little down-pointing arrow within a circle at the top right corner of any post.  Then, that person has the "authority" to read down the menu of optional actions such as "Bookmark," "Print," or even "Report Inappropriate Content."

By The Way:  Your original post does not spell out that you are selling similar items at shows, but not the exact items you have listed on eBay.  So all your follow-up posts saying "Your [sic] not getting it" or "Your [sic] wrong" ring hollow.  

[richards*collection]

Your input is duly noted, thank you gracious Sir.

[soh.maryl]

How do these people, after browsing your eBay listings, know that you are willing to sell off eBay? 

Do they contact you and ask?