eBay Updates User Agreement as Part of Fall Seller Update

by: Silver Ice King

''Seriously, we can't comment on changes if we don't know what changed.  

That is the whole idea of doing things the way that Ebay does it.  Rather than just identify the changes they post it all up there and basically say, ''Okay Sellers, not like you already spend enough time on the changes we continue to make through out the year, but here are more changes for you to waste your time on.   This just continues to take up more and more of a sellers time so that you have less and less time to source product, get your listings prepared an try to make sales.  

Or you can also just not read the changes, which is exactly what Ebay would prefer, as i would lay very good odds that these changes are always going to be in their favor and the less you know the less you can criticize them for going forward.  Reputable companies take the time to point out just the changes so you are well aware of them and can follow the rules easily, but Ebay has ensured that they have had wiggle room in any changes they have made ever since Donohoe became the CEO.  This way they can rule differently every time on similar or identical complaints as it is always open to their attorneys interpretations.  

The more and more changes that Ebay makes it is becoming more and more abundantly clear that they really do not care if a Seller ever manages to make a sale on their site.  More and more of their changes bring additional revenue to Ebay whether a sale is ever made or not and that has now become their focus instead of improving their broken down dilapidated platform.  

Ebay had stated that they were originally going to use revenues from the sale of Stub Hub and Classifieds to upgrade their platform, but not one penny has gone towards that goal.  I am sure they already knew this but convinced the new Board of Directors members that they would be better off starting from scratch than trying to fix what is left of their pretty much useless platform.  The search engine only finds what they want you to see not what you are really looking for but they also have no intentions of rewriting their platform again as they do not want to spend any more money than they have to on their worn out site.  All of these constant changes are nothing more than employees trying to justify their position with the company before it is figured out they are nothing more than deadwood.

by: toolguy

"eBay later posted the news on the eBay.com Announcement Board, where you can find the changes that will impact US sellers."

I still get this: You are not allowed to access this site

by: Geetar

What the hell is this pay per click? What the hell is going on here?

If I have to pay $ other than for a sale...Bye Bye Ebay. You just made yourself more expensive than Amazon! I am sure my regular customers will follow me to Amazon. They already do when I am out of stock on Ebay and have stock listed on Amazon.

by: Nothingnewecrater

@Geetar
lol That's been talked about a while now. Customer support is pretty useless as usual. I called last month trying to get a start date of everyone being forced into it. But alas! It was a waste of my time getting a straight answer. Last I can figure out? It's supposed to start in Oct 2021? Supposedly promoted listings was doing it? Then it was dropped just what I could piece together reading these posts. But heard its supposed to start in Oct? I can't find anything concrete from ebay. I only keep a dozen things on eBay anymore. But I will remove them soon as that pay per click starts too.

by: Marie

It isn't as hard as some are making it out to be.  A little logic goes a long ways.

The UA has an index at the beginning.  If you click on Cancellations, you go to that section which is part of the change.

When you want to look at the balance of what changed, go back to the index and click on Managed Payments.

Granted it would be nice to have a before and after comparison of those two sections, but it isn't such a big deal just to read the sections so that you know what they say now.

This seller update was really as sleepy as the last one was.  And thank goodness since we are going into the Holiday season.  Good to know there are no major changes to deal with too.  That is a big BONUS.

by: Actual Seller

Pay per click eh?

Basically setting Promoted to 1.1% has pissed them off and now you must pay $1 or more to even be in that spot.

Percentages are out, forced clicks are in.
I shall click the living hell out of my competitors every day.

by: Jono77

This is what you get from a company that is run by lawyers. Clear as mud

by: Frank Abagnale

Don't forget that besides the Spring and Fall Ebay Seller Update's, there are updates in between.

by: DogPatch

When any organization allows lawyers and accountants to craft policy, this is what you get.  

by: Paul W

An eBay moderator responded to such comments with the following:

"The user agreement now refers to an existing cancellation policy. The payment section further clarifies what seller information is needed for eBay to manage the sellers payment information."

But of course the moderator could not be bothered to even hint as to what the changes are.

by: I_Fix_Dolls

I have been on ebay since March of 1998. This year I stopped listing on ebay. I have stuff on other sites. And I may start listing on some of my dormant accounts on even more sites. I am too old to trod the BS.  

by: songe-d-automne

As a buyer, not once have I ever read the condition box or item specifics. When I type something into search, I just hit "newly listed" to plow through all the irrelevant "sponsored" crap that I'm not interested in. It's a huge waste of time and money for sellers to bother with, and they just keep pushing it. So this is more of the same. Joy.

As for customer service that someone above mentioned - unless your problem is about managed payments, Ebay for Business on Facebook is the easiest way to get a real live English speaking and English comprehending person. It may take them a day or two to get back to you, but they get things done over there.

by: Geetar

@Actual Seller

"I shall click the living hell out of my competitors every day." GREAT IDEA!!

    Haha, you know there will be those sellers that will ride this cost per click like the dopes they are.....along with all the chinese sellers. I think it's in the Chinese DNA, gamble, scam, and angle.

by: Geetar

Time to dump all promoted listings before you get you tail caught in the door.

by: Smallseller

There is no mention anywhere that cost per click is mandatory. It has been added as a new promoted listings option. There will still be the standard cost per sale. What I am afraid of is that they will at some point go the route of Etsy and make it mandatory once your sales reach a certain level.

by: iheartjacksparrow

Marie writes: "Granted it would be nice to have a before and after comparison of those two sections,...."

Yes! They should have drawn lines through all the text that was no longer relevant, and put the new text immediately following in bold. That way anyone could read the before and after versions.

by: toolguy

"You are not allowed to access this site "

All of us should get together and have our own class action for restriction of information that is/could be vital to ones business!

I should have access, but if they want to restrict my posting that's up to them. But keeping information away from buyers or sellers is wrong!

by: Nothingnewecrater

@smallseller
They always end up forcing everyone into their lame brained schemes. That is their end game. Barely anything is selling for me on eBay anymore that I'm not willing to give away. I list my things on ecrater
lower because fees there are very low.Most of my things are on ecrater and dumping eBay will be easy. 1998-2021 I believe.

by: Marie

@Actual Seller

So your reaction to the pay per click is to Financially PUNISH other sellers?  WOW

That will teach them!!!  Lets punish sellers more for something they have no control over.  REALLY?

by: Marie

@Jack

They have never done it before but you are upset by it now when you don't even have any skin in the game.  Do you also get upset at PP and other companies you may deal with that do the same thing?  Or is this reserved for Ebay.

Yes it would be nice but the reality is that most don't do this.  It isn't just Ebay.  Fortunately the UA changes are extremely easy to find in one simply looks as I stated in my first post.