For 22 years its been fun - but eBay AI is driving me away

[jughandles]

Within all my listings I include a general reference to my Etsy shop - (the place where I offer items after they've been unsold on eBay). 

The form of words I use is very general and doesn't breach the ebay seller rules.  Last week I had listings being cancelled because the AI system thinks this does breach the rules, so I appealed - and WON - and despite this other listings with the same wording are being cancelled by eBay.   Since the resolution process doesn't work (you can't amend a cancelled/ended listing) I am faced with having to pay an an extra listing fee to restore an item.

This is just not acceptable - and not how you treat a seller who has been over 7,200 sales over 22 years on the platform.  

I will now be moving my main sales platform to Etsy, and downgrading my eBay listings to an occasional clear out.   

Bye

[krafty-kreations]

Ebay do not allow links in your listings, especially not to other selling sites

https://www.ebay.co.uk/help/policies/listing-policies/links-policy?id=4248

[therenewalworkshopltd]

I really don't know what you mean by very general and not breaching the rules, but the very first listing that I just looked at, literally has the link to your shop on Etsy.

That is most definitely against the rules.

But I really don't see the complaint, if you had a shop, then relisting wouldn't cost you anything, unless you had exceeded your shop allowance.  But to leave, seems a little excessive, unless there are other reasons?

[jonatjonatjonat]

In what logic is a URL 'a general reference'. I'm astounded you won an appeal. Why on earth would you think ebay would be happy with you providing a honking great link to one of their competitors?

[jughandles]

The relevant section of the rules - taken from the Ebay message to me is:

Buyers and sellers can’t:

- Engage in any action with a user on the site designed to complete or facilitate a transaction outside of eBay
- Share or request direct contact information prior to completing a sale. This includes:
-- Name
-- Addresses
-- Phone number
-- Email address
-- Social media ID
-- Instant messenger ID
-- External website addresses (URLs)
-- Payment information
-- Bank details
- In any communications with another eBay member, refer to or promote external websites that facilitate sales outside of eBay
- Use contact information obtained through an eBay transaction to offer to buy or sell an item outside of eBay
- List an item and then mention or link to additional identical or related items for sale outside of eBay
- Offer catalogues or other items that are used to order items directly outside of eBay

The inclusion of a link to an external site is therefore not prohibited by these rules if it is Not for the purpose of "Share or request direct contact information prior to completing a sale".  The general link provided in my listings does not do that.  Nor is it a link provided in communication with an another eBay member, and all my items are unique  - so the only related element is that they may be ceramic but that is spreading the net too wide and beyond legitimate restriction.

[jughandles]

Cross polination of social media works to the benefit of all - ebay are happy to be linked to - they need to accept a reasonable level of linking from

[jughandles]

I pay per listing - so I dont have a shop  - but see my response to an earlier point about what the rules are and how this fits

[jonatjonatjonat]

Links Policy.

I would suggest you read this.

The first line...

"To protect our members, listings or products can’t contain links that direct customers to a site other than eBay, even if the link is not clickable."

[jonatjonatjonat]

Even that states you can't use a link in a listing.

The first bullet point is not directly reliant on the second one. They are separate points of the policy!

[therenewalworkshopltd]

Well, I can only say that I am frankly astonished that Ebay would approve of the link you have in your listings.

It is NOT to any kind of social media, but to a direct competitor of Ebay.

That's like setting up shop in your local Tesco and telling the shoppers to go to Aldi for a better deal!

So assuming that what you have currently, is what you had previously, I'm sorry, but I have zero sympathy for you.  You are breaking the rules.

I suggest that you remove the links before someone reports you, as they will after posting on the forum.