Do not even reply to offers to deal outside ebay or you will get a warning. 1 1

[kav]

I just found out about this.  doesnt even have to be an offer any message with contact info in it that you reply to.

http://community.ebay.com/t5/Selling/Got-a-warning-from-eBay/m-p/26994001

Edited June 28, 2017 by kav

[Martin Sinescu]

Really makes you miss the early days of eBay.

[1950's war comics]

Thanks Kav this is some useful information !

[kevhtx]

I have replied to messages with contact info and requests to email them, but I reply that I do not accept offers outside of eBay. I did it one time and eBay sent me a harsh email about shutting down my account. One buyer kept insisting and I just stopped responding.

Edited June 28, 2017 by kevhtx

[GM8]

I've never seen this message from ebay and I get offers for transactions outside ebay from time to time.  I've had responses rejected that include email address information also, but again, never received one of these messages.

This seems like a scare tactic by ebay or maybe is the protocol for the type of listing ($0.99 auction for mac laptop).  Ebay is about making money so if you are bringing in revenue I don't think they are going to cut your cord.

[1Cool]

30 minutes ago, GM8 said:

I've never seen this message from ebay and I get offers for transactions outside ebay from time to time.  I've had responses rejected that include email address information also, but again, never received one of these messages.

This seems like a scare tactic by ebay or maybe is the protocol for the type of listing ($0.99 auction for mac laptop).  Ebay is about making money so if you are bringing in revenue I don't think they are going to cut your cord.

They definitely will suspend your account if you don't heed their warning I know that for a fact.  It was only a 3 day suspension but it definitely scared me straight.

[silverweb]

I know Ebay won't let you enter an email address in a message. Or a phone number now I believe. Phone numbers used to get through. If I am shopping a CGC book, I might ask if they are on the CGC Forum.

[GM8]

48 minutes ago, 1Cool said:

They definitely will suspend your account if you don't heed their warning I know that for a fact.  It was only a 3 day suspension but it definitely scared me straight.

You're probably right, but what I'm saying is that I believe the warning is rare and probably for egregious, obvious cases of dealing outside ebay for high priced items.

[1Cool]

42 minutes ago, silverweb said:

I know Ebay won't let you enter an email address in a message. Or a phone number now I believe. Phone numbers used to get through. If I am shopping a CGC book, I might ask if they are on the CGC Forum.

True but there is ways of getting around it (like putting XX at yaahoo dot com with an obvious misspelling) but I would not recommend it.  Any book that gets pulled will cause someone at E-Bay to review your messages to see if anything was done improperly.  And it doesn't really matter how much the price is for the item since the couple I got warned about were under $200.  I now stay on the straight and narrow since crime does not pay!

[1Cool]

Not sure how people would respond with getting spam type e-mails but has anyone put together a e-mail mailing list from the people who have bought from you on E-Bay in the past.  Each transaction shows the e-mail address of that person so I'd think it would be easy to get a mailing list where you can offer books directly to your buyers before putting it up on E-Bay.

Edited June 28, 2017 by 1Cool

[entalmighty1]

I got a warning when I decided to pull the remaining books I had listed, just because I didn't need to sell them anymore.  They referenced a particular message on one book, but that message had nothing to do with selling outside of ebay.

[VintageComics]

36 minutes ago, entalmighty1 said:

I got a warning when I decided to pull the remaining books I had listed, just because I didn't need to sell them anymore.  They referenced a particular message on one book, but that message had nothing to do with selling outside of ebay.

I got the same warning this past week because my items are not selling fast enough.

The email warning was entitled "high fee credits observed on your account"

Seriously?

[entalmighty1]

9 minutes ago, VintageComics said:

I got the same warning this past week because my items are not selling fast enough.

The email warning was entitled "high fee credits observed on your account"

Seriously?

I find the messages amusing because they mention over and over again that the policies are for our protection, yet Paypal offers the exact same buyer/seller protection.  Nowhere in there does it say, "Also, this is how we get paid, and you're basically stealing from us."  That would make a hell of a lot more sense to me as a user.

[VintageComics]

Just now, entalmighty1 said:

I find the messages amusing because they mention over and over again that the policies are for our protection, yet Paypal offers the exact same buyer/seller protection.  Nowhere in there does it say, "Also, this is how we get paid, and you're basically stealing from us."  That would make a hell of a lot more sense to me as a user.

If you're items are 'too expensive' and they don't sell eBay doesn't profit. It's an attempt at strong arming weaker minded people into selling cheaper so that they increase revenue. It's that simple.

[entalmighty1]

6 minutes ago, VintageComics said:

If you're items are 'too expensive' and they don't sell eBay doesn't profit. It's an attempt at strong arming weaker minded people into selling cheaper so that they increase revenue. It's that simple.

Makes a whole lot of sense.

Thankfully, I'm nowhere near a regular seller. 

[kevhtx]

5 minutes ago, VintageComics said:

If you're items are 'too expensive' and they don't sell eBay doesn't profit. It's an attempt at strong arming weaker minded people into selling cheaper so that they increase revenue. It's that simple.

It works the other way too though. If you make a lot of money for them and/or spend a lot of money with them, you have pull. Ive had issues and called them. I sell and spend a lot on eBay. That goes a long way. They have bent to what I wanted them to twice now when I "threatened" to stop buying and selling there. The issues were with buyers who were obviously trying to screw me over through the return process and eBay was going to let them do it. 

[VintageComics]

2 minutes ago, kevhtx said:

It works the other way too though. If you make a lot of money for them and/or spend a lot of money with them, you have pull. Ive had issues and called them. I sell and spend a lot on eBay. That goes a long way. They have bent to what I wanted them to twice now when I "threatened" to stop buying and selling there. The issues were with buyers who were obviously trying to screw me over through the return process and eBay was going to let them do it. 

Fair points.

[Quicksilver Signs]

And yet you can put your website addy and phone number in your auction description. 

[Jordysnordy]

4 hours ago, silverweb said:

I know Ebay won't let you enter an email address in a message. Or a phone number now I believe. Phone numbers used to get through. If I am shopping a CGC book, I might ask if they are on the CGC Forum.

to get around that you can do the following - spell out the phone number two one two etc, you can put an email in also - just spread it over 3 or 4 lines, you can also take a picture and post the picture.

(PS I have heard this....not saying I ever did this )

Edited June 28, 2017 by Jordysnordy

[silverweb]

54 minutes ago, Quicksilver Signs said:

And yet you can put your website addy and phone number in your auction description. 

I would put my phone number in the auction description if I had a business, but not going to put my cell number or home phone on my  Ebay ads. How cheaply can you get a website?