Getting charged for promotion when you arrange a sale yourself

[gunslingerx81]

I’ve spoken to customer service rep today about this: I worked out a deal with a friend of mine, he went to my shop and bought the item. I was then charged 17% (what I have to put my ad rate at to get people looking). The customer service rep who was so, so rude, (put me on hold, I swore under my breath - not at them, just in general - they immediately took themselves off hold and did the whole “what did you say?” “You are so rude” put me on hold again for five minutes, then hung up. I didn’t realise they police what you say when you’re on hold now, too) said that you pay for a ‘general’ ad promotion and it doesn’t matter if people click over from an ad, you still have to pay the promotion fee.

I’m sure I remember seeing somewhere that they need to have clicked your item from a promoted spot in order to receive the ad fee? And if this isn’t the case, if you have to pay for this specific circumstance, which has only happened this once, then I just don’t know what to say. It’s a joke? Greedy? Does it go against the ToS or have they changed them now to cover situations like this where no matter how little input they have, they get a big chunk of your sale?

Can anyone help, please? Literally any information would be greatly appreciated as I’m finding it hard to locate the wording for the ad fees.

Thanks so much

[jonat_broad]

It is the case that if you were charged for a general ad fee (as a percentage of the final sale price) then yes, they will have had to click on a sponsored product listing.

However. There is an attribution window that is explained below...

General campaign strategy attribution

How general ad fees are charged:

If a buyer clicks on a general ad and then purchases any of your items promoted with a general campaign strategy within 30 days, it will be considered a promoted sale and the ad fee for the purchased item will be charged accordingly.

• Direct sale: Sale is attributed to and reported as a sale if the buyer purchases the exact item clicked in the general ad
• Halo sale: If the same buyer purchases any of your promoted items after clicking on a general ad

[gunslingerx81]

Thanks so much for replying, no these don’t apply. It was exactly this: my friend and I worked out a price, he went to my page and bought it. That was everything.

[jonat_broad]

But do you know if they hadn't clicked on any ad of yours in the previous 30 days? How did they find your page?

[gunslingerx81]

I’m sure they haven’t as they forgot my username and had to ask me, also he’s been in the hospital for two weeks with a viral infection. He found my page by asking me my username then typed it in.

like I said, the customer service reps told me I had to pay for the “general promotion” and it didn’t matter that he didn’t click an ad, I still have to pay for them “putting it out there”.

[jonat_broad · Accepted solution]

That to me reads as the customer services rep not knowing what they are talking about and getting confused between promotions and just any general final value fee (which to be fair wouldn't apply to you as a private seller anyway).

I'll be honest - you won't be able to get ebay to show you they clicked on an ad to prove attribution, but given we get orders that have a mix of attribution and no attribution for promoted listings - ebay must have robust tracking in place.

If someone searched for your name on ebay and clicked one of your sponsored listing, which is possible - then that is why you've been charged.

[vinylscot]

Maybe I'm missing something here.

Your listing had a 17% promotion fee attached to it.

Your friend bought the item from your listing (which was promoted).

I don't understand why you think the 17% shouldn't apply.

[jonat_broad]

The OP believes the buyer didn't find the product via a promoted listing advert (ie top of search etc).

So either they found the product in an organic listing or had a direct URL for the product then promoted charges wouldn't apply.

Given they state the buyer 'typed their user name in' it is entirely possible that what was returned at the top of that search was a promoted listing of course.

[therenewalworkshopltd]

Maybe it's just me, but if I was going to sell something to a friend, it most certainly wouldn't be through Ebay.

Why on earth would you pay the fees, when there would be no need to outside?

They just transfer/give you the money and you give/send the item to them.

As to paying the advertising fee, there is a very good likelihood that your friend has looked at the item prior.

But they certainly don't just decide to charge it without any reason.

[vinylscot]

It's also possible that the buyer had originally viewed it independently on eBay without realising it was his friends' listing. Perhaps before he told his friend what he was looking for.

I'm sure eBay have this sort of thing covered. Somewhere along the line, the buyer will have triggered the promotion fee.

[gunslingerx81]

A lot of what you’re saying makes sense, it just sucks that you can’t just arrange a sale and then make it without red tape blocking your way at every pass. I think I’m done with eBay for now, I appreciate your input and help very much but there are so many snide little comments that get made by people who don’t even understand what they’ve read, if they even read it at all. And it’s every time you ask for help. Like people get their kicks from coming in, not helping at all, making sneering comments and looking down their noses at people. You’re in the minority and I’m glad you took the time to help. Thank you.

Everyone else except one person can go *bleep* themselves.