Is eBay's New Ads Feature Causing Confusion for Sellers?

[kjledford]

Okay - so eBay has a new thing called "ads" --- you aren't selling anything directly through eBay - you are advertising... just as you would in a paper (print or online)... well someone claimed I was selling products through eBay - I wasn't - the PC told eBay to remove my ad. This is just silly. I paid $80 to have an ad run 30 days... all it did was list the specials, and ask people to email me for more information! I don't get it? I wasn't auctioning or taking any payments online...

Do I honestly have to print 1000 flyers and stick them in car windows to get the word out?

The kicker - the lady bad mouthing me on eBay has a clear record of BUYING PC ITEMS!!!! ohhhhhhhh my.........

 

[Paige Dixon]

Sorry, but you won't get any sympathy on this site. I think it is unfair to the rest of us if you have an ad on ebay. Stick to kitchen shows, referrals, talking about your biz everywhere you go and you'll do fine. No free money!

 

[Koolotus]

I think we are not allowed to do any online advertising. Only LOCAL print ads and such.

 

[dannyzmom]

Okay - so eBay has a new thing called "ads" --- you aren't selling anything directly through eBay - you are advertising... just as you would in a paper (print or online)... well someone claimed I was selling products through eBay - I wasn't - the PC told eBay to remove my ad. This is just silly. I paid $80 to have an ad run 30 days... all it did was list the specials, and ask people to email me for more information! I don't get it? I wasn't auctioning or taking any payments online...

Do I honestly have to print 1000 flyers and stick them in car windows to get the word out?

The kicker - the lady bad mouthing me on eBay has a clear record of BUYING PC ITEMS!!!! ohhhhhhhh my.........

You were blatantly violating Pampered Chef's rules...be glad all they did was pull your add and not cancel you ability to be a consultant.

 

[kjledford]

Please don't be hostile to me... I want to stick to kitchen shows - but I'm trying really hard just to get started. You all know that is the hardest part. The policy does say that you can have a paid ad in an "online magazine"... I will contact corporate just for clarification... I may be way wrong - but if so - I would ask them to change the policy to remove that statement...

 

[nikkijo]

I could be wrong, but I didn't think that ebay was an online magazine....i thought it was an online auction site. Even if you placed an add with an online auction site that is still violating the rules.

 

[kjledford]

Okay - I found the problem... the online PC policy (which I was going by) and the print PC policy is different - significantly...

The printed policy says no online ads...

The policy on the website - which is what I was basing my ad on - is different.

**********
You advertise your business when you pay for a mention or space for an ad in a newspaper, magazine, event program or online magazine. Because you pay for the mention/space, you have control over what’s said and shown about your business.
********
See - it says online. This is different than the print version on page F-18...

As for page F-20 - check this out - the online policy leaves out the line about advertising on the web:

************
Consultants of every level are prohibited from linking to Personal Web Sites. This includes both sponsored links and banner ads that you pay for, as well as non-sponsored links that you don’t pay for. For instance, if a friend posts a link on their family’s Web site to your Personal Web Site, you would be in violation of this policy.

There are only two very specific exceptions to the linking policy
**********

So... as far as I knew I was following policy --- I will let corporate know they have two versions of the policy out there.

I'm sorry I've I got defensive...

 

[dannyzmom]

All this back and forth and picking apart the policies is something you shuld be taking up with home office.

 

[kjledford]

I've emailed them for clarification... I won't be putting anymore online ads out there until they get back to me. Hopefully on Monday they will clear things up and I can reply back here with what they said.

Thanks Guys!

 

[jdavis]

Okay - I found the problem... the online PC policy (which I was going by) and the print PC policy is different - significantly...

The printed policy says no online ads...

The policy on the website - which is what I was basing my ad on - is different.

**********
You advertise your business when you pay for a mention or space for an ad in a newspaper, magazine, event program or online magazine. Because you pay for the mention/space, you have control over what’s said and shown about your business.
********
See - it says online. This is different than the print version on page F-18...

As for page F-20 - check this out - the online policy leaves out the line about advertising on the web:

************
Consultants of every level are prohibited from linking to Personal Web Sites. This includes both sponsored links and banner ads that you pay for, as well as non-sponsored links that you don’t pay for. For instance, if a friend posts a link on their family’s Web site to your Personal Web Site, you would be in violation of this policy.

There are only two very specific exceptions to the linking policy
**********

So... as far as I knew I was following policy --- I will let corporate know they have two versions of the policy out there.

I'm sorry I've I got defensive...

What you are going by is what they are trying to explain the difference between Advertising and Publicity, that is not part of the policy guidelines that is just them trying to explain what they are and how they are different.

 

[GeorgiaPeach]

Save your money!

Please don't be hostile to me... I want to stick to kitchen shows - but I'm trying really hard just to get started. You all know that is the hardest part. The policy does say that you can have a paid ad in an "online magazine"... I will contact corporate just for clarification... I may be way wrong - but if so - I would ask them to change the policy to remove that statement...

We all understand trying to get your business up and running. It can be a struggle but resorting to online ads (IMO) is just a waste of money. The money and leads (booking and recruiting) will be in kitchen shows. That $80 would be better spent buying a couple shirts from VIP and wearing them everywhere you go. The number one reason people host shows is because someone asked them! I have had my name, number, and website on my van for over a year. I've only received ONE order from it!!

This site has tons of ideas to get your business moving (contact realtors, pamper local businesses, etc). Do a few searches and see what you find. Also, your director/recruiter can be a big help so use them as a resource too.

 

[dannyzmom]

We all understand trying to get your business up and running. It can be a struggle but resorting to online ads (IMO) is just a waste of money. The money and leads (booking and recruiting) will be in kitchen shows. That $80 would be better spent buying a couple shirts from VIP and wearing them everywhere you go. The number one reason people host shows is because someone asked them! QUOTE]

So true Lisa!

 

[tlennhoff]

I've found the whole thing very confusing. My director was not really sure how all this worked. So when I signed up I thought I'd be able to do mostly internet/catalog shows. I run a number of online internet groups where people are always saying "we wish we could do something for you for all the time you put in keeping the group going" and I thought "great I can put a link to my PC website in my signature on my various online any email groups. Only after I signed up did I find out that was not allowed. Then I realized that technically my email groups are online as they are yahoo groups so I'm not even sure if I can mention I'm a consultant there and give them information about shows I'm doing that are for those groups (I combine the PC with classes they asked me to teach). Then I realized I couldn't post about my career on LJ. I'm not a big sales person and I'm not sure I'm going to make it without being allowed to use the form of communication I use for just about everything - the web. I do wish that the rules about the web were more clearly marked in the literature given to people as part of the "recruiting" packet.

On the other hand I just turned in my 3rd show towards qualifying for SS1 and have 2 catalog shows going and one cooking show scheduled.

 

[Paige Dixon]

It sounds like you'll do fine, but if you find that this isn't the career for you, look how far ahead you are after getting: paycheck (probaly about $230), your kit ($350), SS month 1, (aroung $125), forged cutlery incentive ($145). Wow!

 

[tlennhoff]

I didn't make the knife since that was in august.

 

[jdavis]

Well, you could hint around to it just not say the name, whet their appetite to know what you are talking about, then tell them that you can pm them to talk about it in detail, then if they want to do an internet show they can then talk it up themselves and send the emails out to people on the board that want more information and give them your website.

 

[cmdtrgd]

When did you sign? If you signed in July or August and qualified by the end of SS 1 or Sept 30, whichever is sooner, you'll get the knives!

 

[lisacb77]

If you signed before Aug. 31, and qualify by Sept. 30, you get the knives. So since you already have three shows, you just need one more, or the total sales from those three to equal $1250 or more.

 

[tlennhoff]

When did you sign? If you signed in July or August and qualified by the end of SS 1 or Sept 30, whichever is sooner, you'll get the knives!

Ah, cool so I still have a chance to get the knives. I signed in July with my SS1 being in September. I want the knives.