Ebay moan - anyone been here before?

[KateCB]

We have powerseller status, top rated status, 99.99% positive feedback, and Ebay say " We have concerns about your business model and therefore we are not allowing you to list in the software category anymore. You can however list in the clothing and accessories categories in order for you to be able to continue selling on Ebay, rather than us suspend your account."

What the hell does that mean? We sell OEM software - have done on EBay for over 2 years. Clothing and accessories? Isn't that like telling a fishmonger he can't sell fish but he can sell modelling clay instead?

Arghhh!!

Our business model is buy the OEM software from reputable and registered Microsoft dealers, sell it on ebay, abiding by all the rules, VERO etc, provide free support to users for installation and activation if required and pay the huge fees that Ebay charge us each month for doing so. Oh, and of course jump through their hoops and those of PayPal, whilst paying them through the nose too!

Anyone been here? What happens - have they effectively closed us down? Do I start selling flannel nighties instead? Do I make the EBay fulfillment staff redundant?

I hate Ebay, but have to admit its where the traffic is, so this is a big blow

 

[Deleted member 138423]

And what have Ebay said in repsonse to this information you have given them?

 

[KateCB]

nothing yet......this happened on Friday, we responded with basically what I have said above, but its weekend - we have lost out on weekend sales as as a listing ended, we were not allowed to relist of course! We will see what Monday brings I suppose.
We went thorugh this with PayPal last November and provided them with copy invoices from several of our suppliers, and they were happy....as they are the same damn company, why don't they communicate?!

 

[Deleted member 138423]

nothing yet......this happened on Friday, we responded with basically what I have said above, but its weekend - we have lost out on weekend sales as as a listing ended, we were not allowed to relist of course! We will see what Monday brings I suppose.
We went thorugh this with PayPal last November and provided them with copy invoices from several of our suppliers, and they were happy....as they are the same damn company, why don't they communicate?!

That's shocking :| [Profanity removed by Mod] Surely they cannot just decide something without giving just cause - threaten to sue them, I don't know what to suggest. Very sorry to hear they've done this

 

[jlmns]

Are you selling the OEM software with appropriate hardware components? This appears to be one of the eBay requirements:

http://pages.ebay.com/help/policies/software.html

James

 

[KateCB]

Are you selling the OEM software with appropriate hardware components? This appears to be one of the eBay requirements:

http://pages.ebay.com/help/policies/software.html

James

Yes, we are fully compliant with the OEM requirements, the VERO requirements, the PayPal requirements, the Ebay rule requirements AND Microsfot themselves.......

WE have been doing this for 2 years on Ebay, and of course on our own website, plus CQOUT and feel targeted for being successful to be honest! We see sellers copying our listings, our wording and images, we see obvious 'fake' software listed, and its US that get 'not suspended' but told to sell something else!!

 

[jlmns]

Problem of course with eBay is that it makes its own rules and will never give its reasons.

Your best bet is to try contacting Powerseller Support on the phone. We've had more minor problems in the past and it is impossible to resolve them using any of the online contact methods.

 

[KateCB]

Yes, we have had minor problems resolved this way in the past, however this time they will only communciate by email and we have to deal (by email only) with the 'restrictions team'.........

 

[jlmns]

I'm so sorry to hear about that. It is always one of my concerns that they will pull the plug on us by making a spurious ill-informed decision about something we sell.

Would definitely be useful if Paypal and eBay would communicate.

James

 

[stand4]

Perhaps time to start working on a new account? Not sure how else to work around this apart from trying to talk with ebay.

 

[Oakleaf Studio UK]

This is why I loathe eBay. Terrible place for sellers, they get a real hard time while the buyers continue to have a field day.

Like you say the traffic cannot be ignored, I just wish one day all the sellers would boycott eBay - that would teach the slimey parasites who keep messing with the T&Cs and acting like God.

Hate it, hate it, hate it..

Really hope they see sense for your sake and stop this nonsense.

 

[Metalfrogboss]

In the past month we have had 10 companies who are binning eBay in favour of us designing and developing their own online marketing strategy. Latest one gone live last Weds is http://www.yankeescents4u.com who were spending over £10000 a year with eBay and who took £3500 in the first DAY online last week in their own right!

 

[paulears]

The rules on OEM sales do look pretty clear - they can be sold with computer hardware, not on it's own - so maybe they're just hardening the enforcement of a rule, that they previously let pass?

 

[SourChocolate]

In the past month we have had 10 companies who are binning eBay in favour of us designing and developing their own online marketing strategy. Latest one gone live last Weds is http://www.yankeescents4u.com who were spending over £10000 a year with eBay and who took £3500 in the first DAY online last week in their own right!

Ebay seem to still get their share since they use PayPal as their payment gateway...

 

[KateCB]

Our OEM software is offered with the relevant hardware, always has been. They have stopped us listing our OWN bespoke developed software too - quite literally they have said, and upheld the stance that we cannot list in the software category, regardless of whose software we are listing.

We have developed software for ebay sellers that helps with the invoicing/feeds etc from ebay, and is being used/sold/supported - we can't re-list this either!

They won't 'talk' to us - we have to email the 'restrictions team' - we can't get a straight answer from them - WHAT exactly about our 'business model' don't they like? OEM software is high risk - idiots buy it and then claim you are a con artist, a fake etc, but they are few and far between thank goodness and dealt with easily; ebay just don't apply common sense or reason...let us hope that tomorrow bring some sense and I can allay fears for my fulfillment team that there is a job for them after tomorrow

 

[MThames]

Their actions seem odd, but the way they execute, appears to be the familiar contempt and dis-engagement.
Personally, I truly wish bad things for Ebay and Paypal, and wish we could mobilize an international No-Ebay-Day!

Is there no way to use Ebay to cross market your items somehow. If you have nothing to lose anymore, be creative!

 

[iKam]

eBay can make and break a business. eBay is only really good for one thing and that is to get known. Use eBay in a way for 'marketing' then eventually start moving away from it when your own platform is turning over enough.

We have one client who spent over £xxx,000 on a website (gradually) but they ship three DPD trailers per day. They used eBay for a good year to get known, then ditched it for good. Now they will only use eBay for returned/refurbished goods that they cannot shift otherwise.

We hope you can get this sorted out.

 

[KateCB]

We do have our own website, however the traffic there isn't even a 10th of what we get on Ebay; for oem software people LIKE ebay, its odd, we offer a discount for bulk purchases and repeat purchases when buying through our website rather than Ebay and STILL they go back through Ebay!

Nothing from Ebay today, called them, but were told to wait for email response.....meanwhile, we have W7 system builder software sitting here that we cannot list......

 

[KateCB]

Ebay seem to still get their share since they use PayPal as their payment gateway...

Yes, the PAYPAL logo is VERY prominent isn't it! Given PayPals charges and silly rules, I am surprised that they would go to the expense of having a professional looking site put together and then spoil it with PayPal -surely a proper merchant account would be easy (and cheaper, and safer!) to get if they are turning over 3.5k a day?????

Don't see their PCI DSS compliance certificate listed anywhere on the home page - where did you hide that????

 

[Esk247]

Although it won't solve your immediate problem, have you tried selling via Amazon or Play?

We found Amazon being our biggest seller, eBay second and Play third (only ever sold at Christmas on Play).

We also ran our own website for 2 years, we could easily chuck £120 a month at PPC and not get anywhere near the sales we'd get on Amazon or eBay, they do all the advertising for you.

However, you're at the mercy of their seller fees, postage costs and inflexibility regarding rules and regulations.

I did find Amazon more business worthy though, they did offer more support and feedback if we had any problems so may be worth looking at?

As for eBay, I don't have an answer, they are a law unto themselves and regularly shut people down for very little reason. It's a case of waiting for them to respond, but they'll take their time, they're in no rush.

 

[iKam]

Although it won't solve your immediate problem, have you tried selling via Amazon or Play?

We found Amazon being our biggest seller, eBay second and Play third (only ever sold at Christmas on Play).

We also ran our own website for 2 years, we could easily chuck £120 a month at PPC and not get anywhere near the sales we'd get on Amazon or eBay, they do all the advertising for you.

However, you're at the mercy of their seller fees, postage costs and inflexibility regarding rules and regulations.

I did find Amazon more business worthy though, they did offer more support and feedback if we had any problems so may be worth looking at?

As for eBay, I don't have an answer, they are a law unto themselves and regularly shut people down for very little reason. It's a case of waiting for them to respond, but they'll take their time, they're in no rush.

Amazon are also at it. They shut many sellers down if they don't want them there. To be honest Amazon will monitor from all their marketplace sellers all the hot sellers and source the product elsewhere and undercut you to an extent where you cannot compete.

And if they cannot source the product meaning if its your brand or you make the product they will offer to buy your product and they will sell it.

Marketplaces are getting tight with their rules now. I still think with the right marketing and tools you can be just as successful on your own platform and just to have an eBay or amazon shop ticking over to get your name out a bit more.

The best thing with PayPal is that you can send marketing to your customers via their email address (you must include a link to unsubscribe if they do not want it) however I am guessing you would need to put this in your terms and conditions that you may sending them marketing after a purchase.

 

[Chris Ashdown]

Kate

You say you are a top seller, have you added up all your ebay costs to sell for say a month and then considered what that would buy you on say adwords

Maybe a good time to start with adwords whilst you get sorted out with Ebay, many keywords go at under £0.20 per click and Bing is even cheaper but much less trafic

 

[diviachi]

We had a similar thing happen to us and came to the conclusion that eBay are occasionally just bonkers.

We sell electrical appliance spare parts, top rated seller, silver powerseller, 5000+ positive feedbacks, seller since 2008. We can list in every category except electric floor polishers due to the 'high risk of fraudulent activity'. Really, eBay? Do many top rated silver powersellers go around fleecing people over £3.99 vintage Hoover floor polisher gear cogs? Perplexing!

 

[Esk247]

The best thing with PayPal is that you can send marketing to your customers via their email address (you must include a link to unsubscribe if they do not want it) however I am guessing you would need to put this in your terms and conditions that you may sending them marketing after a purchase.

No. They have to opt in now. You cannot email people unless they have specifically asked to be emailed about special promotions and offers e.g. unless your email is related to their purchase, it's considered as spam (unless they have consented by filling in their details or clicking the I Agree box).

Which makes transferring people from eBay to your own shop much more difficult. Plus, I've yet to physically see any company transfer more than a dozen people from eBay to their own website in a short time scale. I've heard lots of marketing people blab about it, saying how easy it is, oh yeah all you do is put a pretty picture of your nan on your emails and all those customers will sign up in their droves..they don't...trust me..they're on eBay for a reason, thousands of products at discount prices, unless you offer the same system they're not interested (well 95% aren't interested).

 

[SillyJokes]

In the past month we have had 10 companies who are binning eBay in favour of us designing and developing their own online marketing strategy. Latest one gone live last Weds is http://www.yankeescents4u.com who were spending over £10000 a year with eBay and who took £3500 in the first DAY online last week in their own right!

That's a huge amount for a website to take on it's first day. Was there a special incentive or special advertising done?

Have sales continued at that pace?

 

[Esk247]

That's a huge amount for a website to take on it's first day. Was there a special incentive or special advertising done?

Have sales continued at that pace?

if they took £3500 in the first day and made even 10% net profit i'm all ears.

 

[iKam]

No. They have to opt in now. You cannot email people unless they have specifically asked to be emailed about special promotions and offers e.g. unless your email is related to their purchase, it's considered as spam (unless they have consented by filling in their details or clicking the I Agree box).

Which makes transferring people from eBay to your own shop much more difficult. Plus, I've yet to physically see any company transfer more than a dozen people from eBay to their own website in a short time scale. I've heard lots of marketing people blab about it, saying how easy it is, oh yeah all you do is put a pretty picture of your nan on your emails and all those customers will sign up in their droves..they don't...trust me..they're on eBay for a reason, thousands of products at discount prices, unless you offer the same system they're not interested (well 95% aren't interested).

LOL. Any studies to back your 95% claim? Don't think so. Anyway back to topic I ONLY said what I said in my earlier post is because WE have had great success with it and I'm not talking about half dozen customers. You do not know every single business, and under estimating the possibilities limits your profits. Fair enough you don't think it can work, I think and know (from experience) it can and does. We are both entitled to share our experiences that what a forum is about.

However there is absolutely no need to go on like and I quote:

'oh yeah all you do is put a pretty picture of your nan on your emails and all those customers will sign up in their droves'

Are you insane?

 

[silvermusic]

Which makes transferring people from eBay to your own shop much more difficult. Plus, I've yet to physically see any company transfer more than a dozen people from eBay to their own website in a short time scale. I've heard lots of marketing people blab about it, saying how easy it is, oh yeah all you do is put a pretty picture of your nan on your emails and all those customers will sign up in their droves..they don't...trust me..they're on eBay for a reason, thousands of products at discount prices, unless you offer the same system they're not interested (well 95% aren't interested).

Getting eBay buyers to buy from you outside of eBay is near impossible nowadays. The dire warnings about buying off eBay that buyers get now don't help either. Tried it several times over the years on two different ranges of products as well, the take up even with a discount voucher was pitiful and a complete waste of time and effort.

For me I treat it as two entirely separate revenue streams almost to the point of being two separate businesses. Beside which, why would I really want eBay buyers on my web site anyway, all they're after is bargains and discounts. While eBay is profitable and works for me, I will always make a better margin on my site and will concentrate on building it up to the point where hopefully I can afford to dump eBay altogether.

 

[Darlyd]

Something similar happened to me when I sold on there many years ago before the changes. I stopped using them and moved to amazing and did well but it all got to much for me when I had more kids so have it up. Sorry can't help.

 

[iKam]

Something similar happened to me when I sold on there many years ago before the changes. I stopped using them and moved to amazing and did well but it all got to much for me when I had more kids so have it up. Sorry can't help.

Do you mean Amazon?

 

[Darlyd]

Do you mean Amazon?

Yeah it was late lol.

 

[iKam]

Yeah it was late lol.

Lol no worries mate. I've done the same sort of error many times! This forum keeps you awake at night

 

[10032012]

Yes, we are fully compliant with the OEM requirements, the VERO requirements, the PayPal requirements, the Ebay rule requirements AND Microsfot themselves.......

WE have been doing this for 2 years on Ebay, and of course on our own website, plus CQOUT and feel targeted for being successful to be honest! We see sellers copying our listings, our wording and images, we see obvious 'fake' software listed, and its US that get 'not suspended' but told to sell something else!!

Try Amazon?

(I am sure someone has probably already suggested this considering there are 4 pages)

In regards to eBay, what are your volumes? 99.9% feedback could be quite a few recent negatives/neutrals...

 

[iKam]

I wonder if the OP got the ban lifted after all..

 

[lesliedocherty]

if they took £3500 in the first day and made even 10% net profit i'm all ears.

Same here, didn't believe a word of it, unless they pumped money on PPC.

 

[Deleted member 138423]

I wonder if the OP got the ban lifted after all..

Yes, any update yet?

 

[SillyJokes]

He was on the bottom of page 2 for Yankee Candles.

I was astonished to read the company is valued at $2billion - for scented candles? Good grief.

I've never knowingly burned or smelled one.

 

[LMDServicesUK]

Sorry to hear about yet another Merchant "slammed" by Ebay / PayPal without any real explanation or reason that is even slightly credible. As for getting to talk to a human being..

It is why so many ecommerce merchants are moving away from relying on PayPal as their only payment mechanism..

Have you considered moving to Google Checkout or Amazon Marketplace at all ?

Would setting up a separate site dedicated to your OEM s/w business be a viable option and then use a conventional merchant account and gateway with good SEO support as an alternative.

One of the reasons I stopped using PayPal, but it still makes me angry re the level of arrogance they show to their customers, great for buyers lousy for sellers..

Good luck

Mark

 

[KateCB]

Sorry for late reports!

1. Yes, we did get the ban lifted
2. I am looking at getting out of this business as it is driving me mad (!)
3. Apparently it was 'an error'

Nooooo! We were literally having kittens and heart attackes and panic attacks, and how are we going to pay the staff attacks, and after all that, and various phone calls, emails and nailbiting they write and say ' sorry, it was an error'.

The anticlimax is....anticlimatic. I feel like a balloon that has just been burst with a large hole rather than a pinhole.

Anyway....Amazon - they don't allow OEM software in truth; their format is restrictive in terms of information/FAQ'S, advice and help pages, and their payments I believe are every 17 days or something?

WE do have our own website, and we use CQOut, but neighter have the traffic that Ebay does.

We have some laptop docking stations at the moment, and we had them on CQout for a week - nothing - put them on Ebay (same lsiting, same price) and sold 20 in the first day......you just can't generate that sort of traffic elsewhere - mind you, the docking stations might be worth putting on Amazon


PayPal isn't our only method of payment, we have our own merchant account, have had for many years (about 15) but PayPal is what Ebay 'prefer' of course, and in reality what consumers have been made to feel safe using, so it doesn't matter that I offer other methods, the bulk of our transactions are through PayPal.

Thanks to everyone - there are 4 pages of comments, so I can't go through and thank you all individually, so please accept on this occasion one big thanks for your support and comments.



Kate


argggghhhhhhhh!

 

[KateCB]

Try Amazon?

(I am sure someone has probably already suggested this considering there are 4 pages)

In regards to eBay, what are your volumes? 99.9% feedback could be quite a few recent negatives/neutrals...

We have 2 negatives last month and 6 for the past 12. One of the negatives, when read, isn't even a negative! The customer has clicked negative and then said 'thanks, its great!'.....duh..... We have 4 neutrals in the last 12 months, and again there are a couple that when you read them, are not neutral, jsut a wrong button clicked, however as you can only ask for so many 'revisions' it's not really worth it in the scheme of things.

We have a selling limit of £182,000 per month, which we were at the very limit of when they removed the 'ban' and we had to wait a few days to actually re-list.... does that help with the 'volumes' part of it?

We haven't/hadn't done anything wrong, as was nborne out by their 'oops sorry, it was a mistake' email!