eBay Policy Change – No More Outgoing Links on About Me Page
Add another item to the “Not allowed on eBay” list.
Historically, an eBay seller’s About Me Page has been a place where sellers can explain their policies, tell a little bit about their business, and until now, provide links to their own website or other affiliate programs. Those days are gone.
The updated eBay Links Policy states: “You may include links to your About Me page in your listings. However, you may not include language within those links that promotes items or other Web sites.”
Over the years, entrepreneurs have discovered how to use eBay as a portal to capture a segment of the consumer market who always starts their search for products on eBay. In fact, I have consulted several entrepreneurs and business owners who wanted to set up an eBay store for this very reason – they understand how powerful eBay is as a place where buyers congregate and shop. Their intent was not to make money on eBay, but to have a presence and use the About Me page to drive traffic to their own website.
Other eBay sellers use their About Me Pages to drive traffic to their affiliate programs such as Big Crumbs, eBay enhancement services, eBooks, and groups and forums. All good things must come to an end. Be sure to remove these links from your About Me Page to avoid action by eBay for a policy violation.
[Image Source: Flickr]
From the first moment I started buying from ebay and the excitement of receiving a package to the bidding that this was more than shopping and how convienient and with the cost of gas even better savings. I look what I want and browse and its done.
As a Mother and ecommerce store open for the last six months I have found that it is very important to keep abreast of changes. Ebay is more than a hobby it gives you the market place at your finger tips.
You are incorrect. The quote that you have posted –
“You may include links to your About Me page in your listings. However, you may not include language within those links that promotes items or other Web sites.”
says that you cannot link to your About Me Page in your listings by saying something to the effect of ..
“Get great deals on baseball bats”
and then link this to your about me page which in turn has a legal link to your baseball bat store.
Here is what eBay has to say in their About Me Guidelines…
“You may link to your own Web store or Web site. However, you may not directly offer any non-eBay merchandise on the About Me page itself.
eBay does not permit its users to place the following types of links on your About Me pages:
Links that directly offer any non-eBay listing or merchandise on the About Me page itself.
Links to other online trading sites or pages, including auctions and fixed-price formats.
Links to sites offering the same merchandise for the same or lower price (including the Buy It Now price).
Links to sites offering merchandise or information not permitted on eBay
On your About Me page, you may link to your own Web site or individual Internet store where you are offering to trade, sell or purchase your goods or services. However, you may not link to any page within online trading sites that offer goods from multiple sellers either in a fixed price or auction format.”
So, as long as your are not linking to another auction site, you are good.
I agree with LIBD above – you have incorrectly interpreted the policy change. I link to my site http://tunebj.com/ directly from my About Me page and I will continue to do so until notified not to by eBay.
Thank you for clarifying that. I’ve seen a lot of discussion about this on various eBay groups and forums – thank you for setting me straight. Now, if we can just keep everyone from panicking….
Thanks for visiting eShopOwner.