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External links to your own online shop – why doesn't eBay respond consistently?
Summary: gw.konstruktion expresses frustration about eBay's inconsistent enforcement of its policy on external links, reporting another seller for linking to their own online shop. Despite multiple reports and calls to eBay's customer service, no sustainable action has been taken. perfect-sally points out that gw.konstruktion may also be in violation, leading gw.konstruktion to acknowledge and plan to correct the issue. However, they maintain the core issue remains unresolved: whether it's permissible to include multiple links to an external shop in listings on eBay.
Hello everyone,
I am a commercial seller on eBay and am increasingly annoyed by the apparently inconsistent enforcement of eBay policies.
Another commercial seller is currently linking directly to their external online shop in six item descriptions. There, the products offered can be bought outside of eBay.
According to the official “Policy on Using Links on eBay Listing Pages,” external links are not allowed with a few exceptions - even if they are not clickable. In particular, links that lead buyers away from eBay and enable a purchase outside the platform are prohibited:
I have now reported the relevant listings three times and also called eBay customer service several times. Still, nothing lasting happens. In some cases, the reported listings are not even specifically mentioned in the feedback, or they only seem to be noted as a complaint. Just a few days later, they are back online with the external links. Even after the third report, there is no sign of any consistent review.
So my questions to eBay, or to experienced community members:
Has the policy changed and are direct links to your own online shop now allowed?
If not: How can repeated violations be effectively escalated?
Why are listings that have already been reported multiple times being reactivated unchanged after just a few days?
If eBay permanently tolerates such links, do all other commercial sellers then also get binding approval to link to their own online shops?
This is not about harming another seller. It is about fair competition. Anyone who follows eBay rules and pays fees must not be put at a disadvantage compared with sellers who deliberately redirect buyers to their own shop.
In the case of repeated and clearly intentional violations, in my opinion it should not stop at warnings with no consequences. If listings keep being posted unchanged despite multiple reports, permanent removal, and for continued violations also account restrictions or a suspension, would be understandable.
I can of course provide eBay or the moderators with the six relevant listings and my previous reports confidentially.
What have your experiences been with such reports?
perfect-sally
Mentor1 month agoYou yourself have an address in your listings that leads to a website outside eBay. That's not allowed either. Why are you complaining about others but breaking the rules yourself? It doesn't matter here whether a link is active or not.
gw.konstruktion
OP1 month agoNo, I haven't done that – at least that's news to me. But you can gladly tell me the specific article where I'm supposedly doing that.
perfect-sally
Mentor1 month agogw.konstruktion
OP1 month agoTrue, thanks for the heads-up. I'll correct that accordingly. However, that has nothing to do with the basic point of my question. If six links are included in an item description that lead directly to an external online shop, the question still remains whether this is compatible with eBay's policies.
perfect-sally
Mentor1 month agoOf course, that's not allowed, and with every listing there's a function you can use to report it. Whether and how eBay responds, nobody here can say.