20May10 eBay, I’m never going to buy my own items. Even if you pretend they have free shipping when they don’t.

eBay, honey, let’s talk about your marketing. You have done this to us many, many times before and this time I decided to take a screenshot.

You sent me “recommendations just for you” and asked if I was still interesting in what I recently looked at.

Why yes, I am interested in those items on the bottom. You know why? I’M THE FREAKING SELLER LISTING THEM! With the very same account you emailed this to.

Now, yes, this time you actually emailed me 4 whole items that I wasn’t selling and for that I am really proud of you. It shows growth. Usually the whole email is just my own items so I appreciate that you are at least trying. But why in heck don’t you filter my own items as a seller out of the emails you send to me as a buyer?

But as head scratching as advertising my own items to me is, you know what steams my biscuits even more?

Let’s take a closer look.

She’s awesome, I know. You can bid on her here if you are into that sort of thing. But you know what’s amiss about this? Go ahead, click through to the listing, I’ll wait.

Yeah, she doesn’t have free shipping. She NEVER had free shipping so its not like your marketing hasn’t refreshed properly or something. You sent out an email to god knows how many buyers advertising that my item had free shipping when it totally doesn’t.

eBay, if you tell buyers my item has free shipping when it doesn’t do you think buyers are going to be understanding about that and blame you? No, sweetie, they are going to blame me for pulling a bait and switch on them with shipping. I understand that your marketing emails are designed to help me get bids and I appreciate that. But I don’t appreciate your doing it by misleading them.

Let’s work on this in the future, shall we?

Selling online since 1997, Hillary is the author of Beyond Amazon, eBay, and Etsy and The Trading Assistant’s Assistant. She is also a niche blogger, fiction writer and bestselling playwright when you aren’t looking. You can connect with Hillary via social media using any of these links:

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8 Comments Posted by in eBay, Ranting and Whining, What's the deal with this?
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  • http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3324/4626598415_4ae01b93ed_o.jpg sandypruient

    ePal is still working on glitches that began in 2003.

  • Linda

    Well as for the untrue emails, luckily I just have 1 lonely item left out here since I've moved everything out and into new store elsewhere. The untrue emails about free shipping and discounts are just the icing on the cake of the game called, “Let's take our Sellers for Everything They May have Now, and Everything They May have in the Future”. So, I wish I could say I'm surprised, but alas and alak, not surprised at all. Just another attempt to make their own sellers look bad or feel they have to give free shipping. There is such a thing as truth in advertising, and a buyer has every right to push this to the limit. If a seller tells them to contact eBay about this, eBay will do as they always do and say, I don't know what you R talking about, but I will look into it and get back with you. So, in the end, to keep the buyers' in good humor, sellers will have to give that free shipping even if it IS all the way to Australia just to make sure they are complying with eBay's truth in advertising thingy.

    Glad I'm getting out, and I know some can't get out or just have too much in their stores to get out or whatever, and these are the sellers eBay will continue to target for all their future games. More's the pity because eBay used to be one big happy sellng family, and now look. Oh Where Oh Where Did Our Family eBay Go, Oh Where Oh Where Can It Be? Goodnite and God Bless.

  • http://twitter.com/ConsignmentPal Linda Miller

    So sad. If a seller does end up buying from you on eBay, will the eBay buyer penalized you for the false advertising regarding free shipping?

    Linda

  • http://www.hillarydepiano.com Hillary

    Linda, I think I speak for everyone when I say… what?

    I think your comment may be missing some words. I know I do that all the time when I'm typing quickly. Would it be possible for you to clarify?

  • http://www.hillarydepiano.com Hillary

    You know what I just realized? I should stop bitching about them including the items I'm selling in the emails to me as a buyer. If they didn't keep advertising my own items to me, I'd never see things like this.

    This is the best case for sellers subscribing to buyer emails, it's nice to know what eBay is telling buyers about our items. :-)

  • http://www.hillarydepiano.com Hillary

    You know what I just realized? I should stop bitching about them including the items I’m selling in the emails to me as a buyer. If they didn’t keep advertising my own items to me, I’d never see things like this. nnThis is the best case for sellers subscribing to buyer emails, it’s nice to know what eBay is telling buyers about our items. :-)

The Whine Seller