Britauctions.com is this a scam? Have your listings been targeted?

[the-bee-keeper]

Hi,

Do you experience harassment, abuse, violent messages, good luck with the sale comments the list is endless.. Only one potential buyer harassing you for the item with a low ball offer?

Britauctions.com your friendly shopping destination. What about ebay? Hang on a minute this affiliate is mimicking ebay for his own personal pleasure.. having complete access to the ebay product database!

Ever wondered why you don't sell on ebay? And it seems that all you are doing is 'advertising'?

Private, business or charities advertising through ebay should check out britauctions.com to see if their listings appear on this website.

Affiliates are in control!

Is this the latest trend to farm out items for select buyers?

A targeted scam?..

Apparently this affiliate 'finds a buyer' and has a contract through ebay where he is paid a paypal commission if a click through his site on one of your listings amounts to a sale.

You can't shake this website off because I have tried. I have had to shut down accounts in the past to create a new ebay account, yet not even a week old and affiliates are snapping at the heels of my listings...

Relisting doesn't make a difference. 

Putting the same item on a new account doesn't stop the cycle.

Using a blank image seems to do something to stop the affiliate.

Don't be so sure that your listings are being made visible to the public which will account to no sales.

Affiliates should not be messaging and saying good luck with your sales. 

I would love ebay management to explain the benefits of the EPN (ebay partner network)

Is it all about the images for marketing purposes and the affiliates are selling off your images is that where the money is? An interesting subject! The affiliate is given the control not ebay...

The affiliate finds a buyer, what about the public or is it hidden on the public server?..

I welcome everyone's thoughts on this issue!

[robbtyke132010]

This could be one of the "off-site" promotions that eBay is pushing. Yet another way to take bigger chunks out of your earning dollar.

[the-bee-keeper]

This is not a "off-site" promotion. It is a scam through britauctions.com where unsuspecting sellers are having their listings mirrored off to third party websites. The item is stolen from them because it doesn't appear on the main ebay website that is out to the public. The affiliate finds 'a buyer' he didn't mention 'buyers' the public would jump in...Hence all the abuse to get the item on the cheap for their 'client' 

I am surprised at your response as you clearly don't know anything about 'promotions'...

[vinylscot]

I'm not sure it is an actual scam. There is a link on every listing page taking you direct to the item on eBay itself to complete the transaction, and you can not buy on the britauctions site. @the-bee-keeper 's comment seems a little hysterical.

It appears like a perfectly normal affiliate page; the possibility of commission is mentioned at the bottom of each page, but I'm surprised there hasn't been more publicity. If eBay has partnered with affiliates, I would have expected an announcement of some sort.

[the-bee-keeper]

EPN Ebay partner network, google that! No it's the truth. Try being a private seller sometimes with your listings being controlled through a private website, see how you get on. Then we can talk about how private sellers are trading illegally.. Kudos for me for having the guts to push this out to the public. The more eyeballs the better! Just to clarify ebay do not run off site promotions! So you lot know I speak the truth! 

Britauctions.com is surplus to requirements because you would go through ebay directly unless there is a scam going on to steal the items for no money!! 

I am not hysterical I am angry that ebay allows this to happen.

If anybody should be receiving commission it should be the seller who created the listing!

Affiliates are just desperate piggybacking from sellers hard work. 

[robbtyke132010]

You say that eBay do not run off-site promotions - but I am actually paying them commission on one they are running right now with 20% off their charges until 31/12/2024. Anyone else out there on the same thing? Or am I just dreaming?

[*vyolla*]

---

@the-bee-keeper wrote:

EPN Ebay partner network, google that! No it's the truth. Try being a private seller sometimes with your listings being controlled through a private website, see how you get on. Then we can talk about how private sellers are trading illegally.. Kudos for me for having the guts to push this out to the public. The more eyeballs the better! Just to clarify ebay do not run off site promotions! So you lot know I speak the truth! 

Britauctions.com is surplus to requirements because you would go through ebay directly unless there is a scam going on to steal the items for no money!! 

I am not hysterical

---

Okay.

[the-bee-keeper]

Okay...

Why would ebay entertain a contract paying affiliates payments through paypal to conduct such behaviour?

I am assuming all ebay sellers are aware that their listings are visible on britauctions.com?

[myriad*seller · Accepted solution]

I think you have very much misunderstood what is going on

This link explains it, but basically the seller gets a tiny commission if anyone clicks the britauction listing and goes to your listing and then buys your item from YOU on eBay.

It doesn't affect your listings on eBay, and it actually drives extra traffic to your listings, and doesn't cost you a penny.

Not sure I can see how you perceive it to be a scam, it actually advertises your items for you at no cost to yourself.

Link that explains how it works https://developer.ebay.com/grow/affiliate-program

[thetimetower]

Ebay definitely run offsite promotions. They been pushing it for months.

[the-bee-keeper]

Why would potential buyers view items through britauctions.com instead of the main ebay website?

It is not an offsite promotion because sellers do not gain anything from it.

Where is the driving of traffic? It is non existent! 

It is certainly not common knowledge because sellers have no clue that their items are being viewed off site on a third party website.

How about ebay pay sellers a commission instead of affiliates?

[vinylscot]

Precisely, what is your problem with any of this?

None of it is doing you any harm. In fact, if your items are included (miner aren't), you can only gain through this. It costs you nothing, and, whether you like it or not, it is giving your items extra exposure.

Affiliate sellers are almost as old as the internet.

[the-bee-keeper]

Something very suspicious is going on! 

The more eyeballs the better! 

Why would potential buyers view items through britauctions.com instead of the main ebay website?

[kidmore_kats]

I generally use Google to search for items I wish to buy and frequently the results include listings on eBay.

Is that a scam too ?

I often use Google as eBay's own search engine is beyond saving.

[the-bee-keeper]

Why don't you view the britauctions.com website yourself and tell me why I should be viewing items on that instead of the main ebay website and explain what the purpose of britauctions.com is...

And the suspected client base!

[kidmore_kats]

TBH I don't think anyone cares.

I'm not even sure why I replied to you.

It's five minutes of my life I will never get back

I have a bottle of very nice Rioja to open before an evening of outstanding footy on the TV.

Now that is time well spent.

[the-bee-keeper]

Are you sure you have not already opened it?...

The views would appear otherwise! 

I am looking for a genuine answer to my question and not inform the public my findings!

Why don't you view the britauctions.com website yourself and tell me why I should be viewing items on that instead of the main ebay website and explain what the purpose of britauctions.com is...

And the suspected client base!

Not the response I expected from a 'guide' 

[kidmore_kats]

I have looked at their website.

The search engine is not to my liking.

You are flogging a dead horse and I am out of here.

[the-bee-keeper]

You don't have a valid explanation!

The plot thickens! 

Try listing on ebay the next time you grab a bottle...

You might understand where genuine sellers are coming from! 

Why can't the affiliate be shaken off and what purpose does the britauctions.com website have?

Who is the client base and how are these listings selected?

Why would you visit britauctions.com in the first place....?? 

[vinylscot]

Not many people will go to britauctions' site deliberately.

It's an affiliate site, and if it's well run, it, and its listing pages, should appear in Google searches. Depending on the item, and how well britauctions are running their operation, their page may be shown before other pages offering the same item, including eBay's own page. (that's the point of affiliate sites - they need to be able to attract views)

That can only help sellers. It may not do much for eBay's bottom line, but it must be worth their while if they have agreed to pay commission on sales coming through britauctions.

Like @kidmore_kats , I've had enough, and I'm out too. It's really not much fun banging my head against a brick wall.