eBay Links Policy Tested By: Restoration Hardware & Carroll Shelby Charity Kompolt Auction

Posted on December 9, 2008 by Scott Pooler

Charity or Business - You Decide

eBay is well known for many different aspects of the ecommerce business. Both good and bad, cutting edge and antiquated, these ideas live side by side on the site which can be an enigma to some or nirvana for others.

One of the good things eBay does especially well is work with charities and celebrities to auction off valuable and collectible high profile merchandise to benefit worthy charitable causes. eBay's Giving Works and Mission Fish programs are two of the brightest highlights of the history and legend that is eBay.

These auctions work well because they draw a great deal of attention both from the traditional media and the public. People like to believe they can have a chance to buy a piece of the fame and notoriety celebrities have amassed in their high profile lives.

Carroll Shelby is Famous

Carroll Shelby is a very famous automobile designer, racer and enthusiast. There is no question that this man is a legend and an icon in the American automobile community. From his days with Ford designing and tricking out the original Ford Mustang, to his own Shelby Cobra of the late 1960's and his road racing career, Carroll Shelby has earned the respect of millions of fans and enthusiasts.

Mr. Shelby is not an eBay expert however and when famous people like him have the idea to auction off one of their prized possessions, like say... a 1968 Shelby Mustang EXP500 which has been in his own personal collection from the day it was built, he relies on the help an advice of people and companies like Kompolt.

Kompolt specializes in high profile charity auctions on eBay, they do a fantastic job of getting large amounts of traffic concentrated on high profile, well designed and meticulously crafted auctions for charity events celebrities enjoy and believe in. eBay also enjoys the extra attention provided by these seemingly philanthropic auctions.

There is a bit of a problem however when business mixes with charity and icons like Carroll Shelby are used to benefit more than charitable causes. Mr. Shelby most certainly has his heart in the right place, the vehicle he is offering to the public in an effort to benefit the Carroll Shelby Children's Foundation is a very worthwhile and generous donation.

The following information is inaccurate. The page in question is a "me" page on eBay and allows linking off site. I missed the "me" icon at the time of this writing or it was not presented on my browser. In any case, neither eBay, Restoration Hardware or Kompolt have anything to explain here. Please see my apology in the next article: http://allbusinessauctions.wordpress.com/2008/12/09/my-mistake-ebay-me-page-allows-links-kompolt-carroll-shelby-restoration-hardware-my-apologies/#comments

The Co-Sponsor of this particular auction - Restoration Hardware - may have different motivations however.

Link off eBay

The screenshots presented here are from the page visitors are directed to when clicking links from the eBay home page, and from the Kompolt main website.

The first image is the top half of the Kompolt charity event splash page on eBay and shows Mr. Shelby and his fine automobile.

The screenshot to the left is the bottom half of the same page. (Both images link to the site while it remains live)

This bottom portion of the eBay page has not one but two direct links off the eBay website leading to not a charity page, or the Carroll Shelby Foundation, but directly to the eCommerce website of Restoration Hardware.

This is obviously a very large and direct violation of eBay's well established linking policies. If the links had been directed to the foundation or other charitable sites we could understand how eBay would look the other way.

In this instance, the links are directed to a full eCommerce website offering Gifts for the Holidays, Toys, Games, Tools and Gadgets - everything under the sun, everything eBay would never allow any seller do on any landing page on eBay in any other case.

So why is it OK here?

The link circled in green in the image above leads directly to the website in the image to the right.

The only charitable activity on the Restoration Hardware website is the promotion of the Carroll Shelby eBay auction with Kompolt. The rest is pure eCommerce business.

Personally I congratulate the Restoration Hardware people for getting around the rules that the rest of us have to follow. I also understand this was not an inexpensive task to perform. The real problem here is not in Restoration Hardware using these tactics to promote their business.

The problem is eBay's looking the other way for big business on almost every rule and policy they adamantly enforce against the smaller sellers.

How can eBay condone such a blatant and obvious off eBay link from such a high profile auction?

: Click for: eBay Links Policy

Are we to understand that eBay just did not know about these links to an eCommerce website?
Does eBay own Restoration Hardware?
Is Retoration Hardware a Diamond Powerseller with untold rights the rest of eBay seller community has no access to?

The efforts put forth by Kompolt and Mr. Shelby are not in question here either, as they have each done more good to help the world through charitable means than most small towns or large companies. Our question is not with the intent of this fine idea or the good people who have dedicated themselves to promoting these types of good events.

The Question is:

Why taint the event with eBay Rules violations and obvious commercialisation. Why would eBay risk the reputation of the good charitable work they do to allow the promotion of a competing website?

Any comments below to help enlighten the rest of us who do not understand, are always welcome.

Wednesday 1:14, Firehose of Traffic and Comment Followup

Posted on November 11, 2008 by Scott Pooler

Today is Tuesday (Happy Veterans Day to all who served)... many have wondered what the heck is Scott talking about with this silly slogan...

Wednesday 1:14

It's a great question! To tell the truth, I wonder sometimes myself...

It is not a quote for the book of Genesis and it is not some sort of weird eBook pitch... "sighs of relief", all around.

Wednesday at 1:14 is the start of something new. New for me, new for you and new for this space.

Many of my regular readers know I have been part of the meteroic rise to stardom of one very interesting fellow known to many as ColderICE.

John Lawson is what I call him, but he can have a cool handle if he likes, it fits his personality and his message. (Maybe I should have a moniker like that? Hmmm.... What would I be... WarmerFudge?)

John is a Platinum Powerseller on eBay and also has his own website at 3rd Power Outlet http://www.3rdPowerOutlet.com. He brought hip hop merchandise to eBay and has had great success with this very finely crafted niche market. John is a pillar of the PESA community and he has brought a fresh new look to both eBay and eCommerce.

John Lawson is a straight shooter, a matter of fact kind of guy and he has little time for BS artists or scammers. I wonder why I like him...

John gained a greater audience, or dare I say his very first national audience through my insistence that he guest post here on the Trading Assistant Journal. You can review his guest post writings and other mentions on this site here.

John has since started his own eCommerce blog or videoblog and named it ColderICE.

He seems to be more comfortable in front of the video camera than at a keyboard and I am less excited about doing video blogs than writing.

To each his own.

We have remained steady friends since the day we met thanks to Scot Wingo and his Channel Advisor Catalyst conference. Some may be surprised at John and I being friends if they had followed our political battle on Twitter over the last several months. Yet, we never have let the politics cloud our respect for one another, even in the heat of battle.

You can follow John on Twitter here: http://twitter.com/ColderICE

My Twitter account can be found here: http://twitter,com/Scott_Pooler

John and I are very different people, yet we have a great deal in common. We each come from very different backgrounds and may have never met if it were not for a common interest. That interest is making money on the Internet.

Our friendship is based upon more than this one thing however.

John Lawson and I are each very interested in, and good at, looking at the big picture when it come to the overall business of selling online. More importantly, we each, in our own way, have found ways to share what we think is important information with the world through blogs and videos. We get a lot of fulfillment from helping people to understand what we wish we had understood when we each started.

So, back to this Wednesday 1:14 question...

On Wednesday - This Wednesday November 11,2008 @ precisely 1:14 Eastern Standard Time a new Internet talk show and podcast will be born.

No Nonsense
No Sugarcoating
No self promotion

The idea is simple, No BS eCommerce, eBay and eBusiness. We won't be selling and DVD sets and we won't be pulling any punches when it comes to sharing our opinions about anything to do with the industry. We know that as co-hosts we will not always agree on every subject but this is also what we think will make us unique.

The show is scheduled to air on Talkshoe every Wednesday @ 1:14 in the afternoon. Why 1:14? I will let John tell you that... but it has it's own significance.

(Talkshoe link with appear on the Agents of Revenue site soon)

I am building a new website for the show, and it is not quite finished. But the home page can be found at either http://agentsofrevenue.com or http://agents-of-revenue.com

The website will have a email form available for all of you to send us your questions, topic suggestions, or other interesting and useful information. The show will only be on for 1/2 hour per week so we will not get to everyone's questions, but be assured... if its a good one, we will discuss it live.

Why "Agents of Revenue" as a name?

We just kinda landed there while discussing the concept of the show. We want to impart information which will help people produce what really counts, and that's real honest cold hard cash - or positive revenue.

We also want to enforce a no BS atmosphere and be matter of fact about what it takes to become revenue positive in eBusiness. Part of the show may be dedicated to John and I duking it out in a point counter point style on some subjects but overall we just want to bring a fresh, no nonsense perspective to the space.

The fedora hats are a Blues Brothers or Elliott Ness reference, they signify our goal of being straight shooters and honest advisors.

OK the Blues Brothers were neither, but they were very cool... they wanted to help the Sister, and they were ultimately very good at what they did for a living.

Elliot Ness just got the bad guys and he was Untouchable...

OK - along these lines comes a comment from one of the readers here on the Trading assistant Journal...

Continue reading “Wednesday 1:14, Firehose of Traffic and Comment Followup” »

Election Aftermath – Congratulations or Commiseration? Live Call Today

Posted on November 4, 2008 by Scott Pooler

John Lawson of 3rd Power Outlet and the Colder Ice blog has invited me as a guest on a special post election podcast/call in show today at 1:30 PM EST (That's in Atlanta - Ya-All)...

Click on the image below to log in....

Colder ICE & Scott Pooler After Election Call

John and I have been jabbing back and forth on Twitter - red and blue style, in the tradition of the political season for several weeks now.

I know, I know... I wrote a specific post about not bringing politics into eCommerce or business, but heck... It has been a very politically charged atmosphere and if John and I did not have strong opinions - none of you kind folks would follow either one of us or our blogs... Right?

Just for the record, John and I are still friends and will remain so, no matter how misguided he happens to be... LOL - Oh, and I am the Conservative - John is the Liberal - Who would have guessed that?

In all seriousness though, I must say that I am proud of America.

From my visit to the Polls bright and early at 7 AM this morning it was a sight to see. Both sides coming together in an orderly fashion to make their opinions count with a very simple vote. As citizens, we all should be proud of the numbers of people who joined democracy this election. In my youth it was not uncommon to hear more from people who had never voted, and would never vote, than to see people take the right to vote seriously.

I always took it seriously and wanted the opportunity before I was old enough to legally accomplish the task. Therefore, whether my side wins or loses this election, I am still proud to be an American.

The thought occurred to me, as I was standing in an orderly line this morning on a fine warm day in Indian Rocks beach, Florida...

...How lucky we are, as citizens of this country.

I have traveled most of my life, working in Third World countries and sailing as a merchant mariner around the World. I have seen the unrest and downright dangerous nature in people when other places try to emulate what our American democracy has been doing for hundreds of years. I have seen machine guns at the polls in these other countries, sights, fear and unrest some here in the USA would never imagine at the polls.

So take heart, all who may feel anger or frustration, simply because one side or the other did not win, it is all part of our great tradition, part of America.

Darker times have been seen by Americans - I like to think this is one of our brightest moments - no matter the outcome.

Larry Phillips – Live On The Air – Filling In For IMA President

Posted on July 10, 2008 by Scott Pooler

Larry Phillips has volunteered to fill in for Steve Grossberg on the eBay and Beyond, Basics to Business Internet Talk Radio Program next Saturday...

Larry Phillips Former IMA Board Member

Guest Blogger and Former Member of the Internet Merchants Association

When asked to to the show, Larry readily agreed with one caveat...

I'll be happy to do it. When you announce it, I want it to be made clear that I am only agreeing because Steve canceled. The current and former membership still have questions, and deserve answers. Since I am no longer a member through the actions of the existing Board of Directors, I am not bound by confidentiality, and will be happy to answer any questions regarding what happened up until my membership was removed on Monday. I would certainly prefer that Steve participated, and if he changes his mind again and decides to participate, I will then leave it up to him whether I should participate or not.

I think Larry is indeed correct, the membership does deserve answers.

Since Larry was a member of both the Board of Directors and the Ethics Committee, I believe he can shed light on numerous topics which the rank and file members of the IMA have questions about.

Larry knows what happened, and when it happened. I have spoken with Larry at length and find him to be an honest and above board individual who simply devoted a significant amount of time to do his share at the IMA.

Listen Anytime - Live Show on Saturday

His summary dismissal came after he purportedly brokered a deal in which all of the current board members, including himself, would resign and offer the membership a chance to elect a new board. This deal was completely reversed without Larry's input or knowledge on Sunday, he resigned from the board but not the organization. The next day, Larry was removed without his consent from the organization as a whole, without a grievance or explanation.

It will certainly be interesting to hear what Larry Phillips has to say during next Saturday's eBay and Beyond Radio Show!

ANYONE may call in to ask a question or share their story during or after the scheduled interview with former IMA Board member Larry Phillips: 866-357-7746

eBay Live 2008 PESA Round Table – Brian Burke Answers Questions

Posted on June 21, 2008 by Scott Pooler

PeSA ECMTA had one of the largest display areas at this soon to be wrapped up eBay Live 2008.

The PeSA Pavilion at eBay Live 2008 has been a hotbed of activity with numerous new memberships and interesting luminaries stopping by...

During the day yesterday people like Scot Wingo of Channel Advisor and then John Donahoe & Family were spending time in the PeSA comfort zone of its Pavilion.

Brian Burke may not have been quite so comfortable.

One of the events of the day yesterday in the PESA Pavilion was a round table session with Brian Burke of Feedback Fame at eBay. Brian had just recently finished a fully heated feedback session in one of the main conference rooms (read about that session in TameBay or AuctionBytes - I was in with Jay Berkowitz) Yet PeSA had enough clout to get Brian Burke of eBay to come and sit down with any PeSA member who wanted to ask him the occasional question.

As you can see, there were very few shy PeSA members in attendance.

With eBay pulling back from events like eBay Live (recent attendance of an estimated less than 4,000 eBay members). The multiple regional events groups like PeSA and ECMTA organize may become the micro eBay Lives of the future.

PeSA has provided a forum for its members to gain information at eBay Live and in its forums like no other group. And at eBay Live this year, they are the only trade organization who has represented its membership with such commitment.

Thanks to PeSa ECMTA, these members got face to face with Brian Burke. I really do not know if they got the answers they were seeking, but they at least got to ask direct and honest questions.

PeSA asking Questions

Tamebay – Real Story about a Real Seller Who Found Life After eBay

Posted on May 30, 2008 by Scott Pooler

Tamebay In my RSS feed I get a lot of eBay related information every day.

This morning, one particular article caught my attention...

Another one bites the dust

Author: Sue Bailey
Posted at: Friday, May 30th, 2008 at 11:34 am

Another one bites the dust is a real story about a real high volume seller shut down by eBay for a no real reason. Stuart tried to reason with eBay, Stuart travelled to Catalyst 2008 simply to speak face to face with someone from eBay. Stuart got nowhere with eBay.

eBay does not want Stuart's over $60,000 in fees per year because eBay has its rules... You see, a former partner of Stuarts did not pay his $250 ebay fee bill 2 years ago. Stuart paid the bill when he was made aware (it was an account Stuart has not used in 2 years). In any case, after months of trying to reason, and while under a 12 month suspension, Stuart has found a new way of doing business.

Stuart does not rely on eBay any longer, he has found his way out of the darkness of eBay suspension and into the light of eCommerce sales. Stuart sees a bright future ahead and he says he will never rely on eBay again completely as he had before.

Good for Stuart!

Thanks to tamebay & Sue Bailey for bringing all of us this inspiring story today!

eBay Master Plan & eCommerce – Speculation – Why Not Join The Two?

Posted on May 18, 2008 by Scott Pooler

eBay is in a period of transition...

As sellers we are left to react to the changes - wouldn't it be nice to have an idea about the master plan?

eBay Plan

I don't think eBay will be revealing the complete master plan any time soon...

Either because they do not have one (a possibility proffered in multiple other blogs and chat rooms) or, more than likely, eBay knows each change brings with it a cloud of worry and concern from the users of the site. If they were to set out the overall plan all at once, it would be met with so much resistance from the community the transition would become almost impossible.

Once again we are left to speculate - and with speculation comes opportunity.

Opportunities to dream, opportunities to succeed...

An opportunity to think about what could be...

Lets take a look at what eBay has to work with... Continue reading “eBay Master Plan & eCommerce – Speculation – Why Not Join The Two?” »

Guest Post Dave White – eBay Often In A "No Win" Situation

Posted on May 12, 2008 by Scott Pooler

Dave White is the host of eBay & Beyond Basics to Business and the owner of the Internet Auction News Network. He has become a great friend of mine and I appreciate & respect his opinions and his extraordinary background in this business.

Dave was a pioneer in eBay education working as an instructor, a software specialist and an everyday seller on eBay. Now Dave White, along with Sparky (Ray Felix) are the heart and soul of the only Independent regularly scheduled live Internet radio show dedicated to eCommerce and eBay business subjects. The show is broadcast live every Saturday from 10 AM to Noon EST on LIve 365 and later uploaded to iTunes. I am now a regular contributor to the show.

Today, Dave posted the following article about eBay and the current circumstances it seems to have placed itself. I asked Dave for permission to re-post it here and a Guest Post on the Trading Assistant Journal. I hope my audience appreciates what Dave has to say, I think it is worth reading.

eBay Often In A "No Win" Situation

Before you all get riled up over this post, give it a minute to sink in.

During the past 11 years (with nearly 2 of those years as an instructor at eBay University) I have watched and read a very large number of articles and blogs regarding eBay. Certainly the overwhelming majority of them have been to complain about something eBay has changed. Continue reading “Guest Post Dave White – eBay Often In A "No Win" Situation” »

PowerSeller's Impressions – Part 3 ECMTA PeSa – eCommerce Summit – John Lawson's Final Cut

Posted on May 4, 2008 by Scott Pooler

This is the Grand Finale of John Lawson's 3 Part series of commentary derived from his notes from New Orleans - eCommerce Summit 2008

Hey guys, here is Part III and this is the final in this series. So let's get into it!

First I want to go over the little notes I listed in Part II of this series.

I'll go through it and give you my personal feeling about what Lorrie Norrington said and how what she said in her speech might affect my business and as a PowerSeller on eBay.

I want to respectfully say that I am basically just a guy trying to feed my family with an eBay business. My business is a business that I started at the kitchen table, literally. It is a business that I actively run and the day to day operations of it are handled by myself, my partner and a small virtual staff. I think 3rd Power Outlet has come to the point now where we would be considered small to medium eBay Powersellers, experienced sellers, and primarily eBay-centric sellers.

When Lorrie started the speech and said primarily that eBay wanted seller's business and considered us sellers as partners, my initial reaction was, "OK, this is different". I was not really used to hearing keynote speeches from eBay Presidents speaking in these terms. Continue reading “PowerSeller's Impressions – Part 3 ECMTA PeSa – eCommerce Summit – John Lawson's Final Cut” »

Essay Contest "How eCommerce Helps Feed My Family" Blog About Your Business & Win!

Posted on April 14, 2008 by Scott Pooler

We have started a new contest for readers of the Trading Assistant Journal and listeners of the eBay & Beyond Basics to Business Internet Radio broadcast.

This is a very short lived contest so you need to get your entries in fast!

Why are we running a contest that ends this Friday? Basically Dave White and I were presented with a nifty prize on very short notice (free admission to the entire PESA ECMTA Summit in New Orleans for 1 lucky winner) and we had to come up with a way to give this prize away.

The PESA/ECMTA conference is being held April 22nd through the 25th at the Morial Convention Center in New Orleans so we had to act fast!

Since we are always on the lookout for guest bloggers and great content we decided the best way to find both a deserving winner, and a possible future contributor, is to hold a short essay contest. If you ever wanted to contribute to one or more blogs as a writer, this is your chance to introduce yourself to us and the rest of the world.

The rules are simple:

Write 200 - 750 words (ideal blog post length) with the title in mind.
The title does not have to be "How I feed my Family with eCommerce" or "How eCommerce helps feed my family" but the subject of the post should be focused on these topics. Judging will be heavily focused upon how you relate your experience as an ecommerce merchant to your income making capability and how that relates to your life.
The Article must be submitted by Noon Friday April 18th, 2008 EST
Only submissions from non-members of the ECMTA or PESA (eCommerce Merchants Trade Association or Professional eBay Sellers Alliance will be considered to win the prize. (Actually, anyone may submit but you can only win the free registration if your not already a member of PESA or ECMTA - Sorry) -
If you have already paid for your registration and win this contest, the registration fee will be refunded!

Thats it - easy rules...

The Prize:

Free Admission / Registration to the PESA/ECMTA Summit in New Orleans a $399 Value.

Guest Blogger Exposure - The Article will be published in the following publications:

As an added bonus, the winning article will be read aloud on the eBay & Beyond Radio show next Saturday April 19th, 2008 and live from a streaming broadcast at the PESA/ECMTA Summit.

Value - Incalculable

If you have always thought you could write your own blog, or if you just want to share your own story about how eCommerce effects your life and your families life on a daily basis, now it the time to give it a shot!

Submit your entry through the special link found on the "Essay Contest" Tab at the top of this page.