Hi, All,

Just a reminder that January 15, 2009 is the deadline for removing any and all references to "Check, Checks, Money orders, money order, MO" payments from your listings.

Be sure to clean up terms such as "Check out my eBay store" or "Check it out!" The term "Check" will cause the listing to fail. Currently it can cause a warning to return during the listing process.

So if your Listing template has "Check out my eBay store" go into "Tools | HTML Template Manager"... Locate your Listing template, Click "Edit" in the lower portion of the template manager dialog box.

When the Editor opens, locate the hyperlink for your eBay store. You can use other terms to entice buyers to enter your eBay store such as:

Click here for more bargains.
Enter my eBay store here.
Follow the yellow brick path to savings

OR something else that rings your bell...

In fact, you all might want to share with other users how you altered your store link text or auction link text...

I sincerely hope your Christmas was truly blessed and joyous with family and friend!

Happy selling!





Judy/blue

Visit my eBay store!
http://stores.ebay.com/bluepennylady?refid=store
Visit our website too!
http://www.pennyworthsales.com

Hello Carpal Tunnel. It's Addict. What's with these nicknames???

Ok, so I removed all references to paper payments from my listing templates and my eBay Preferences. But my email templates.....well, I'm not admitting a thing!

Since we, presumably, aren't using eBay to communicate with our buyers, can't we assume we are relatively safe from the policy police? I mean the only ways eBay would find out if a private email invited checks or MOs would be if a buyer ratted us out (why would they?), or if an eBay rules wonk actually won one of our auctions, and it's my understanding that when that happens, the eBay employee has to reveal their status. If that's correct, we could just alter the usual congrats email, right?

Is there something I'm not considering?

Sue

Sue,

My email templates are setup the same way. The first email is just a congrats, thank you for shopping with bluepennylady etc.

After that, all is the same. I am communicating with the buyers using my own domain email not eBay's system...

I have complied and removed references in the Listing templates.



Judy/blue

Visit my eBay store!
http://stores.ebay.com/bluepennylady?refid=store
Visit our website too!
http://www.pennyworthsales.com

Visit me at Bonanzle!
http://www.bonanzle.com/bluepennylady

That's my thinking, too, but it's nice to know I'm not the only one who thinks my relationship with my buyers is none of eBay's business after the auction closes, especially since, like you mention, we are using our own domains for email and routing messages through Pair's servers.

Hey, where's everybody else on this? (And for that matter, where is everybody else? -- there are more than four or five members last time I checked! Let's hear from the rest of the Wizards!) I'd love to know what the majority of you are doing -- do you still have the option of paper payments in your messages to buyers? Does this forum support polls?

Sue

Paranoia P.S. I suppose there is some molecule of risk posting about this, especially since my eBay user ID is part of my forum name, but oh well. If you Google on things like AW or AuctionWizard and our various member names, a few posts do show up, but they are from years ago. I have no idea why more recent posts don't appear in the search results.

Speaking of which, and this really made me smile, if you search on auctionwizard and tictictic, the first thing in the list is my AW-hosted gallery (cool!), but the third thing is a 2007 page from auctionsoftwarereview with a post by someone named Astor who wrote, in praise of the forms of support available, "...the great forum members like Judy/blue and tictictic." Wow! I am so thrilled, and undeservedly so, to be mentioned alongside you, Judy! All I do is ask questions, but maybe that's my job -- to get Judy thinking of answers.

Hey all,

I too have complied with the listing templates. Well at least I hope I have them all changed now.
But I will have to admit that I have changed my email templates to comply as well.
However, I did wonder why while in the process, figuring it was my business as well. If I get the "Oh darn, didn't realize that you only accepted PayPal..." complaint from some buyer down the line you can bet that I will take just about any form of tender!!!
I hate to pay the fees just like anyone else but really, what ya gonna do! Raise prices to cover that and the "free shipping" I guess.

Anyway Sue you wanted an opinion and there you go!

Here's a question for all those "listening", what is the best way to get "potentional buyers" asking questions to NOT go through the eBay system? Any suggestions?

Marty
Visit my eBay Store!
Moonstruck Antiques and More
Visit my webpage!
Moonstruckacres.biz
Visit Me at Bonanzle!
www.bonanzle.com/moonstruck22

Marty wrote:

In reply to:

---

Anyway Sue you wanted an opinion and there you go!

---

Hey Marty. Always glad to hear from you. Yeah, what'r'ya gonna do? Until there's an equal competitor to eBay and to Paypal, we're pretty much stuck with toeing the line.

In reply to:

---

Here's a question for all those "listening", what is the best way to get "potentional buyers" asking questions to NOT go through the eBay system? Any suggestions?

---

From the beginning, I've had a bright-colored link to directly email me at the top of all my auctions (is that still allowed for new members?). But I'd say only one in 20 inquirers uses it instead of the Ask-Seller-A-Question button (and many of those folks hide their email addresses).

The only other thing I did when I reworded my Terms section (formatted text in my listing templates) was to add this phrase, in large lettering:

Contact me (email link above) if you have ANY questions about ANYTHING to do with this auction or the auction process.

But so far, no one has asked anything, let alone if they can send a check. Sigh.

Sue

P.S. Ok, that's one down -- Marty -- now, let's hear from the other 2000 or so members.

Marty,

Add a hyperlink that opens an email client on the listing template. That is still completely and totally legal. PUt it in the footer area. If and when eBay ever makes seller's remove the hyperlink for email clients, then one delete and you are done.

I have a hyperlink that opens an email client on my listing template. I get TONS of emails from buyers......

The other thing that I do, SHUSH don't tell

When auctions close successfully, and I have more of the product,,, I will manually type a note into the Winning bidder notification telling the buyer I have more if they are interested.

About half the time the buyer adds at least one more of something to their invoice...

Or because they know I have more, after they receive their shipment they email back as a "Reply" to the winning bidder notification wanting to know if I still have more...



Judy/blue

Visit my eBay store!
http://stores.ebay.com/bluepennylady?refid=store
Visit our website too!
http://www.pennyworthsales.com

Visit me at Bonanzle!
http://www.bonanzle.com/bluepennylady

Sue,

Most seller's are of the mentality that once a buyer has purchased from us and we use third party services or software, that the buyer is ours to do with as we see fit. I agree.

But this thought line is one of the reasons eBay is trying to push the anonymized email addresses... Then all the email client links in Listing templates would have to be removed. And the buyer's email address would only be provided at the auction conclusion.

Sellers are concerned that eBay will stop providing buyer's email addresses completely even after the auction end. Which would be a really bad thing to happen. So we need to stay on top of announcements or discussions even surveys that come through. Letting our opinions be made known..



Judy/blue

Visit my eBay store!
http://stores.ebay.com/bluepennylady?refid=store
Visit our website too!
http://www.pennyworthsales.com

Visit me at Bonanzle!
http://www.bonanzle.com/bluepennylady

Ok thanks, wondered if it helped routing around, the "Ask seller a question" deal.

Now because i don't want to think right now, Judy how about the HTML code for the hyperlink, please?!?!

And Sue, I don't count as one, because I think I am one of the four or five!



Marty
Visit my eBay Store!
Moonstruck Antiques and More
Visit my webpage!
Moonstruckacres.biz
Visit Me at Bonanzle!
www.bonanzle.com/moonstruck22

In reply to:

---

Judy wrote: Sellers are concerned that eBay will stop providing buyer's email addresses completely even after the auction end. Which would be a really bad thing to happen.

---

Yeah, that would pretty much put the third-party auction-management programs out of business, wouldn't it? Bad, bad, bad.

Sue

Sue,

There is a huge push against some of these things from the third party providers.. I don't think eBay tying the seller's hands is not a good idea at all!



Judy/blue

Visit my eBay store!
http://stores.ebay.com/bluepennylady?refid=store
Visit our website too!
http://www.pennyworthsales.com

Visit me at Bonanzle!
http://www.bonanzle.com/bluepennylady

Marty,

Sorry,,, wasn't trying to ignore you..

I have to scoot for a meeting. I will get the HTML posted for you later this evening,



Judy/blue

Visit my eBay store!
http://stores.ebay.com/bluepennylady?refid=store
Visit our website too!
http://www.pennyworthsales.com

Visit me at Bonanzle!
http://www.bonanzle.com/bluepennylady

Marty,

Here is the code....

""<a href="mailto:bluepennylady@pennyworthsales.com">Questions Email me</a>""""

Replace my email address with yours. The text "Questions Email me" you can change too.

If you need it centered in the page, then use the code for center <center> in front of the <a href> and at the end of the entire line use </center>

I hope that makes sense. Oh yes, don't put the quote marks on the outside of the brackets like I did. I did that so it would show up here on the board instead of just being the email client link




Judy/blue

Visit my eBay store!
http://stores.ebay.com/bluepennylady?refid=store
Visit our website too!
http://www.pennyworthsales.com

Visit me at Bonanzle!
http://www.bonanzle.com/bluepennylady

Judy,

Thanks, But I just got a great idea, if I leave your address you can handle all my correspondence!



Marty
Visit my eBay Store!
Moonstruck Antiques and More
Visit my webpage!
Moonstruckacres.biz
Visit Me at Bonanzle!
www.bonanzle.com/moonstruck22

Marty,

Are you SURE you want to consider allowing me to handle your correspondences.....

SEller, do you have more of these chairs...
To Buyer, why certainly... I can have 24 ready tonight

Seller, can you deliver these to California?

Dear buyer, YES, I would love to come to California!

Dear Seller, My mom would like the table a different color?
Dear Buyer, no problem, just send it back at my expense and I will be happy to strip off varnish, sand and refinish again at no cost...


Yes, yes, yes,,, I will be happy to handle your correspondences... I am really getting the feel of it now



Judy/blue

Visit my eBay store!
http://stores.ebay.com/bluepennylady?refid=store
Visit our website too!
http://www.pennyworthsales.com

Visit me at Bonanzle!
http://www.bonanzle.com/bluepennylady

Judy,

Maybe you are right, I guess I will reconsider!

However the trip to California would be real nice right about now!

Thanks for the code, I just didn't want to think things here are still a little crazy! Hope I ddn't put you our much.




Marty
Visit my eBay Store!
Moonstruck Antiques and More
Visit my webpage!
Moonstruckacres.biz
Visit Me at Bonanzle!
www.bonanzle.com/moonstruck22

Marty,

Absolutely not! You didn't put me out one little bit. You know I don't mind at all.... I just copied it from one of my templates

Hope things are settling down.. I'll email later to catch up on the goings on....

Anyone heard or seen Garry.. He has been real sick. Got to feeling better and then dropped off the face of the earth again... He isn't answering emails so I am getting a tad concerned...


Judy/blue

Visit my eBay store!
http://stores.ebay.com/bluepennylady?refid=store
Visit our website too!
http://www.pennyworthsales.com

Visit me at Bonanzle!
http://www.bonanzle.com/bluepennylady

Judy,
I haven't heard or seen Garry around either. Didn't know that he was sick though.
Hate that, maybe he is just busy catching up from being down.

Marty
Visit my eBay Store!
Moonstruck Antiques and More
Visit my webpage!
Moonstruckacres.biz
Visit Me at Bonanzle!
www.bonanzle.com/moonstruck22