Wow, They're Getting More and More Brassy on Ebay!

[lizcooks4u]

Ebay

Okay, I just checked out the site. Click on her ME link and says that she is a PC consultant as well as a PartyLite consultant. Man, she really must not know the rules! Somebody should e-mail her first to give her a heads up. I really don't think she knows. Just my 2 cents.

I didn't go to EBAY, but she KNOWS, and chooses to ignore the rules. One of the first things PL tells new sellers is STAY OFF EBAY WITH PRODUCTS, CURRENT OR RETIRED. I was not only told this when I first signed up, but many times thru out while I was PL CNS, also it came in many forms of communication as well as conference too.

A very close relative of mine bought numerous PC prods prior to me becoming a CNS and she received broken items and wants me to do something about it. She even sent the girl online the add'l s/h cost for new item and got burned and that's why I've told her time/time again only purchase from a reputable SP? PC 'er

 

[gilliandanielle]

Oh, I want a badge!! Maybe a nice cranberry one?? With accents?? Please, please??

 

[AJPratt]

To be fair here, it is sometimes confusing about the whole ebay thing. I was under the assumption that you could not sell "current" PC items on Ebay. Then, I received a carbon copy email from the home office about one of my downline who had been "caught" last week selling on ebay. I had no idea she was selling as she is one of these consultants that just stays active and chooses not to have contact with the cluster. (her choice of course) In the email, the HO quoted sections of the agreement and rules that stated it was against policy to sell both current and discontinued PC products while you are a consultant. I did not realize this (discontinued) and I have been with PC for 8 years and I am a director!!! My bad, I guess!!!

I can see where the discontinued part would be confusing. BUT, as far as everything else goes, its point #1 on the agreement. The agreement is a legal, binding document.

"I will promote and sell Company products to customers by regularly holding Cooking Shows. I will not sell Company products on the Internet or in any public, retail or service establishments. I will not sell Company products for resale. I will present Company products in a truthful, sincere and honest manner, and I will conduct myself in a manner that reflects the highest standards of integrity and responsibility in keeping with the reputation of the Company."

Wow! And she was caught! What happened? What do they do to you?

 

[mommyhugz1978]

Has anyone heard backfrom her and what her reasoning is for doing this????

 

[Shawnna]

As far as I know, all DS companies prohibit selling on auction sites such as ebay. It is wrong, but that is a risk they take. There is no way to justify it. If we accidently break a rule because we didn't read all of them, then we have only ourselves to blame. But, let me throw something else at you...play devil's advocate, so to speak...

I tend to look at all things as black/white...there are no gray areas...because of my Christian beliefs...and that of course makes it a personal issue...to me sin is sin...tell a lie and it is as bad as stealing or killing someone - God sees all sin the same - And, I am not trying to make a religious statement...this is just how I try to look at everything. My point is this:

It also states in the rules somewhere...I can't tell you exactly where at the moment...that consultants are not to place personal orders on shows. So, if I place an order on a show for a stone...in someone else's name, but its for me...and I receive the host discount, and my commission, and it goes on the stoneware promotion as a sale, I am, in a sense, cheating. Is breaking that rule any different from the breaking the ebay rule? Yes, we can cover up the order and you really can't hide on ebay, but it really is the same thing...breaking the rule. It is all in how you look at it. Some people think it is wrong to purchase the host special when a host doesn't want it, I personally don't think it is wrong because we don't receive commission on it and we are not taking it away from the host...she didn't want it. But again, its how you look at things.

But really, it can potentially hurt us for people to sell things on ebay, but in the end they are only hurting themselves. What goes around, comes around.

I love this site. It is great to be able to chat back and forth on issues. It helps us air our feelings and better understand policy and how the business works. Anne, you crack me up. You seem to have a great personality and a wonderful "spirit" about you. I appreciate your help on this site.

 

[cmdtrgd]

Shawnna - I see where you are coming from, but I somewhat disagree. It does hurt us for a few reasons. 1. It could expose someone to Pampered Chef for the first time with a bad product, with no warranty, with no customer service. And they could think that is how we all are.2. It gives an unfair advantage to those who can do Ebay. I know that is a weak argument, but some of us are really working hard to get a sale and (I have had this happen) lose it to an online auction. They don't understand they don't get the guarantee.3. If the consultant is "working" the site and looking for customers instead of just selling the products, that becomes free advertizing and makes it unfair to those of us who work our rear ends off getting leads and bookings as well as those who actually pay for advertizing. Again, this is kind of weak, but they try to make this as fair as possible. I believe that is why the personal websites are as simple as possible - for those who don't have computer savvy.

 

[AJPratt]

The main problem with selling on ebay is that its not what we are. We're DIRECT SELLERS.

 

[cmdtrgd]

Anne - you could say that about catalog and online shows, too.

 

[soccermama]

Thing is... it doesn't matter how *we as consultants* feel about eBay sellers... it's against policy! Catalog shows and E-shows are NOT the same thing as selling on eBay...

 

[AJPratt]

Anne - you could say that about catalog and online shows, too.

I don't think so. We have made direct contact with the host who invites his/her friends to order, and because of customer care calls, we will make contact with the customers. Same with online shows. I think its probably why we can't advertise our websites. We need to make direct contact with someone for them to be aware of it.

 

[dannyzmom]

I would think PC should just hire a part-time person to go through ebay on a regular basis (twice a week) and look through listings, give one warning, and then cancel the consultant contract. It is not that difficult to set up a watch list on ebay. Yes this would cost PC money but someone at a fairily low-level pay rate could be hired to do this from home with PC simply needing to supply a computer and possibly cover the internet connection as well as salary.

They have someone on staff who does just that.

 

[tlennhoff]

I don't think so. We have made direct contact with the host who invites his/her friends to order, and because of customer care calls, we will make contact with the customers. Same with online shows. I think its probably why we can't advertise our websites. We need to make direct contact with someone for them to be aware of it.

I agree. At first i was annoyed that I could not "advertise" on my various online forums that I was doing this but then I thought about it. If PC wanted to do internet sales they would making their corporate website easier to directly order off of and they would not give us personal websites because they could simply cut out out of the picture and make more as they would not be paying a commission. This business is all about relationships.

 

[AJPratt]

tlennhoff: You're right. Its all about relationships.

 

[mandydollie]

Check out this lady's... it doesn't say that she's a consultant...but common sense would say that she is. I e-mailed her to ask!

http://search.ebay.com/_W0QQsassZpeggysue0103QQhtZ-1

 

[crystalscookingnow]

Has anyone ever looked at Yahoo Answers? There's a consultant out there listing her website with a space so that it doesn't do a direct link.....
www.pamperedchef.biz/ herwebsite
I don't agree with that either...

Here's the link to where she lists her website:
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20060911075714AA4jO7D

 

[mandydollie]

Crystal...I went and checked it out...took me a few minutes but I found her. Pretty clever to leave a space so it wouldn't directly link to her site.

 

[Shawnna]

I think the policy says we can't list our website. So, technically even though she isn't linking, she is still breaking the rules. If we look, we can find "cheaters" everywhere. There is always a way to get around the rules. But, as I said earlier...What goes around, comes around. They are only hurting themselves in the end.

Anne: You are right. Our business is all about relationships. The better relationship we have with our customers and hosts, the better our business will be. My husband and I own a restaurant and it is the same there. I talk to all of our employees about their relationship with our customers.

Amanda: Congrats on your upcoming marriage.

 

[mandydollie]

i agree...

 

[crystalscookingnow]

The link that I posted after my original posting does actually show where she is linking to her website. This was just 3 days ago. The ones where she left the space were from about 7 months ago.

Also - from consultant's corner....under advertising & publicity rules: Please do not mention, advertise or promote your Pampered Chef® business on any chat rooms, other than those created for communicating with other Consultants. I think what she is doing is violating this rule.

 

[lisacb77]

Oh, I want a badge!! Maybe a nice cranberry one?? With accents?? Please, please??

Maybe we could make it out of the easy opener! I DO have a glue gun

 

[AJPratt]

I am just not that devious.

 

[jdavis]

OK, here's your PC policeman.....

Sorry, couldn't find you all a badge.

 

[Swirl]

Boy I tell you nothing gets this group of women more fired up then ebay!!! You would think you were all redheads!!! lol But I so understand the frustration, that one with her pictures and information and just right out in the open not even trying to sneak....I could feel the steam coming out my ears as I was reading it!!!!! She's no dummy she knows exactly what she is doing. I hope HO rips her a new one!

 

[gilliandanielle]

I don't have an easy opener, but I have the handy scraper!! My DH might just commit me if I try to pin it to my shirt as a badge though!!

 

[tlennhoff]

I don't have an easy opener, but I have the handy scraper!! My DH might just commit me if I try to pin it to my shirt as a badge though!!

I can so see you doing this though. A little velcro on a pin and the back of the scraper and you've got your badge.

 

[lisacb77]

I can so see you doing this though. A little velcro on a pin and the back of the scraper and you've got your badge.

How about using a large Twixit???

 

[gilliandanielle]

Seriously, I bet if DH saw me with a PC anything fastened to my shirt he would walk in the room, give me weird look, and walk right out, no questions asked! He has learned over the years that the explanation won't make any more sense than the original thing I did, so he doesn't ask anymore!!

 

[Paige Dixon]

Well, I've been behind and just finished reading the whole thread. Here's my take:

-Any recipe can be changed to be "original" by changing at least 3 ingredients (use chicken instead of ground beef, green pepper instead of red pepper, etc.) That's what my friend who wrote a cookbook told me.

-Putting personal orders onto a host's discount and earning commission is dishonest and stealing. PC gives us opportunities to earn all the products, buy them at 50% off new season, and 40% off once a year.

-PC ebayers are most certainly stealing. Imagine the free trips they can be "earning" even if they aren't earning any commission after the discounted price? How about the other incentives? What if they do enough ebay to bump their show sales up a commission level?
I don't think I"d feel very proud earning TPC or going on the trip if I earned it this way.

-Also, ebay hurts us all because the bottom line is: The Show's The Thing. There's an excitement with the other guests, smelling the food, waiting hungerly in anticipation to finally get to taste the recipe. Also, the show's where tips are learned and ideas are given for other uses for products or instructions are shown for using products. If everyone knew they could get PC from ebay, they may not go to shows anymore, and the excitement would be gone. After some time, nobody would want to buy off ebay anymore because they haven't been to shows to get the excitement. Then what do you know, PC goes belly up!! Ok, I'm exaggerating, but still, picture the long term.

 

[gilliandanielle]

I have to dissagree about the second item on your list. I DO NOT want to start a debate, but I have to add my 2 cents. I ALWAYS ask the host to use her discount first, and it makes no difference whether I pay for the products or she does. I know that my senior director does it and sees nothing wrong with it as long as the host has given you permission.

 

[smarteez2]

Have to throw my 2 cents in nowQuote "I have to dissagree about the second item on your list. I DO NOT want to start a debate, but I have to add my 2 cents. I ALWAYS ask the host to use her discount first, and it makes no difference whether I pay for the products or she does. I know that my senior director does it and sees nothing wrong with it as long as the host has given you permission." End Quote.

I know you said that you did not want to start a debate on this but I have to respond. Now keep in mind I have done it with permission from the host as well however it is wrong to do. If we were allowed to do it it would be in the Steps to Success. All I see listed in there under Consultant purchasing opportunities is..... not that. It's not in fact. Just because your senior director does it and sees nothing wrong with it does not make it right. Absolutely not. Sorry just my 2 cents. ;O)