Free listing for casual sellers on Sunday
13/01/2010 at 23:38
There’s a free listing day for personal sellers coming up this Sunday, 17th January. This time however the rules are tighter than ever to prevent business sellers from getting in on the action.
Firstly the free listing only applies to auctions, but also “professional tools, such as, Turbo Lister” are banned – use a listing tool and you have to pay for the insertion fee and that even includes relisting unsold items in bulk. To qualify you pretty much have to use the Sell Your Item form and do every listing by hand on the day. There are also some category restrictions so check before listing if you want your free insertion fees.
Richard says
11:50 pm on 13/01/2010
“When is it?
Thursday the 17th January 2010 from 00:00:01 until 23:59:59 local UK time (promotional period).”
That ought to create some confusion, I do wish someone would proof read this stuff before they announce it.
Can’t really see the logic on this promo, sounds like a back of a fag packet idea thought out of over a liquid lunch in the pub.
Linda says
10:28 am on 14/01/2010
“but also “professional tools, such as, Turbo Lister” are banned – use a listing tool and you have to pay for the insertion fee and that even includes relisting unsold items in bulk.”
Now, if they were to apply that rule to the free 99p private seller auctions it could significantly reduce the abuse that’s currently going on..
Chris Dawson says
10:31 am on January 14th, 2010
Great idea – ban listing tools for free listings. Hope eBay are reading and taking note!
Linda says
10:54 am on January 14th, 2010
I was thinking that perhaps this promotion is a test for a future ‘private sellers list for free at any price but cant use listing tools’ announcement.
Sue Bailey says
11:02 am on January 14th, 2010
Really hope you’re right there Linda – I’m pretty sure “free listing for private sellers all the time” is coming this year, but it would be very lovely to see the fake “private” sellers stopped.
Gary says
11:03 am on January 14th, 2010
If eBay make a “private sellers can list for free as long as they do not use bulk listing or editing tools” move then I would think that most genuine professional sellers would welcome this.
And it would almost certainly mean the end of free listing days unless they are opened up to all sellers. What would be the point?
KeithF says
4:55 pm on January 14th, 2010
Free listings for auctions using the SYI form only already exists on eBay.com & eBay.ca
There’s also a limit of 5 per month per site.
Usable by business sellers also.
Gary says
10:56 am on 14/01/2010
A good idea from ebay!
eBay appear to be moving away from using the term “business seller” and moving towards the term “professional seller”.
And they now acknowledge that professional sellers are likely to use bulk listing tools.
And that those who do use bulk listing tools are already diehard eBay sellers when actually the idea behind free listing days is to encourage new sellers who have not listed before to list and give eBay a try.
It should cut out a lot of the listing abuse and improve the playing field for the genuine professional seller.
This is a good move by eBay and actually bodes well for the future if they are thinking like this!
Steve says
1:37 pm on 15/01/2010
Couldn’t disagree more with the comments being made here, just a lot of pro sellers trying to protect their commercial interests without any thought for the private sellers that made eBay what it is…
I was going to have a household clearout and empty my spare room to make space for a home gym I’m setting up… I knew it was too good to be true… Disallowing Turbo Lister excludes me from this promotion, I have about 100-200 items to go on, it can’t be done by hand. Yet again eBay manages to alienate me as a seller. Oh well back to eBid for me. It’s the only way forward for internet car booters these days. EBay – “we take the fun out of online trading”
whirly says
1:48 pm on 15/01/2010
Personally speaking I don’t use turbo blister, but from memory surely if you are having a house clearance then most items will be different and in the main one offs? I would have thought the SYI form would be a quicker route to list them?
Steve Antony Williams says
1:55 pm on January 15th, 2010
Not if you’re on dialup
whirly says
2:11 pm on January 15th, 2010
Be surprised if eBay worked on dial up these days, so many chuffing flashy adverts for shit nobody wants.
Steve Antony Williams says
2:42 pm on January 15th, 2010
Well to be fair I doubt there’s very many people left on dial up (someone will no doubt be along to correct me) but the point is eBay is a slow site at the best of times so TL can be a blessing at times on the grounds you can get all your listings ready and leave it to upload while you go drink tea/smoke/watch Top Gear/etc.