Wagglepop 2: Deja Vu as Auction Site That Left Sellers Stranded Reopens

[FineThings4U]

I am guilty of spamming eBay boards when I was at WP.  I am so ashamed of that  :'(

I honestly did not know what I was doing because WP was my first selling experience, but that's no excuse.  I have learned sooooooo much since then, due in a large part to my fellow TT'ers.

Thanks for always sending me in the right direction when I need help.

[princessmirandajo]

Might I be able to get in on these linkings??  I should like to have www.randasresale.ecrater.com (and I got another sale!).  I will put up a page in my randa-avenue.com site for links.

[FineThings4U]

Congrats on the sales! 

[RiverRat]

[quote author=princessmirandajo link=topic=3775.msg40537#msg40537 date=1168956165]
Might I be able to get in on these linkings??  I should like to have www.randasresale.ecrater.com (and I got another sale!).  I will put up a page in my randa-avenue.com site for links.


[/quote]

That would actually work best for SEO purposes.
Reciprocal links don't count as much as one-way links do...at least that's what I was taught.  

[Kaboing]

[quote author=youroverheadbin link=topic=3775.msg40500#msg40500 date=1168910674]
http://feedback.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dl...MemberLeft&memberid=kj4kicks&items=-1&item=7380288283&de=off

I know this is spamming but is it against eBay policy? Using feedback to advertise? I don't feel it should be condoned.
[/quote]

Its a violation.  You can't put links or other information about offsite selling venues in the feedback.

[Alskling]

This hypocricy in linking policy is another issue that really steamed me at WP.

Being the person who tries to play by the rules, be honest and do the right thing (silly me), I sent an email to Karen not long after opening my WP store, asking whether links to Link Referral and Site Meter were acceptable in listings, as I was not sure of WP's linking policy in this regard. She sent an email back saying this was against policy so I never installed them in my listings -- period.

Weeks went by with my receiving zero to no hits on my items, while sellers like Mr. Kumbaya got on the boards bragging about their hundreds of hits from far off places, and if I wasn't getting any, well, I was either selling trash, being lazy, had no clue what I was doing, or all of the above. In checking these other sellers' listings, however, I come to find that many of them used Link Referral, Site Meter, and other such services, in direct violation of what I was told to be the policy. I emailed Karen and asked why these sellers were allowed these links when I was not. I never received a reply and the links stayed.

More weeks went by. I thought this unfair and brought what appeared to be staff's unequal enforcement of its own rules to the forum. Other sellers said they were linking here, there, everywhere. KaRay knew, I'm sure, as they were bragging and giving other sellers lists of links, tips, etc., and had been doing so for some time. So why was I not allowed the privilege? I never received an answer from Karen, but she eventually posted a "reminder" of the linking policy on  the boards (her way of acknowledging the issue without admitting anything or addressing the issue).

When sellers (most of them avid, vocal cheerleaders) who were using these links saw this post, they went ballistic and many threatened to mutiny. Within a couple hours, this policy was magically reversed. Of course all the sellers who had been been using these links since they set up their stores praised KaRay for the prompt attention to this issue and ability to amend the policies to fit the "needs" of the community. I was furious that all these months I was operating without the benefit of these services, under direct counsel from Karen, while other sellers were allowed to use them unchecked. Instead of maintaining the policy, KaRay simply chose to revoke it to avoid a max exodus of sellers and their monthly fees. 

I never received an apology on this issue, nor any compensation or explanation. The next personal correspondence from staff I receive is a fat slap on the wrist when I requested Mr. Kumbaya apologize for insinuating a was a liar and a cheat (without grounds) on the forums.

[Mamapeapod]

I have to  add that I noticed what Alskling has written about on Wagglepop. It amazed me that certain people were getting alot of hits and 'sales' on WP and they would mention where they had 'advertised'. I do remember they were pushing 'My space' for wagglepop and there was a similar place as well they had set up the same, to advertise as a group to get people to come to WP. I know in the end My Space deleted them! And they were not too happy about it!

[Alskling]

[quote author=Mamapeapod link=topic=3775.msg40549#msg40549 date=1168970909]
I have to  add that I noticed what Alskling has written about on Wagglepop. It amazed me that certain people were getting alot of hits and 'sales' on WP and they would mention where they had 'advertised'. I do remember they were pushing 'My space' for wagglepop and there was a similar place as well they had set up the same, to advertise as a group to get people to come to WP. I know in the end My Space deleted them! And they were not too happy about it!
[/quote]

As I recall, some Poppers actually created an eBay store called Wagglepop Stuff, or something like that, back last spring. It's sole purpose was to direct traffic to WP. eBay finally shut it down, but several sellers still kept links to WP from their eBay stores hidden in their listings. Sometimes when you visited the eBay store you were directed to go to WP to purchase the item or to purchase it for a lesser price on WP. Of course, all is in violation of eBay policy. Every now and then a listing containing a link or "advertisement" would get pulled and the Popper would go onto the WP boards saying how unfair eBay is to pull listings without notice and how threatened it must be to do so.

Yes, the My Space ban was not met favorably. Mr. Kumbaya was one of the principles in that ring. And I recall posts on how to spam My Space by him and others. One of the posts is in this thread some where. I even received a spam email (in my personal in box at home) from Mr. Kumbaya to vote for him as the best photographer/artist on My Space. In Poppers' minds, all other sites are fair game and all rules and bets are off. It's OK to break other site's rules and policies because the ends always justify the means. This is VERY cultish. The collective effort in doing this also helps "bond" the perpetrators to one another in their divine cause. 

[chiquita]

Myspace if utilized correctly can be helpful to market your stores. There are many ebay sellers who have a page. My page has a link to my ecrater store, and one for miss alskling's ebay store. I also have links to other ebay sellers who are in my friends category. I have seen some amazing pages done with seller's items that are displayed in slide show format, not sure how they did it but it looks nice. If you have an ebay store and someone clicks thru from myspace to your store it will be recorded in your store's traffic report.
Most people place this info in their profile section of the myspace page.

Craigslist is a different story in terms of spamming commercial sites. A better use would be selling items locally, and especially helpful if items you sell are heavy to ship.

[Alskling]

[quote author=chiquita link=topic=3775.msg40557#msg40557 date=1168983311]
Myspace if utilized correctly can be helpful to market your stores. There are many ebay sellers who have a page. My page has a link to my ecrater store, and one for miss alskling's ebay store. I also have links to other ebay sellers who are in my friends category. I have seen some amazing pages done with seller's items that are displayed in slide show format, not sure how they did it but it looks nice. If you have an ebay store and someone clicks thru from myspace to your store it will be recorded in your store's traffic report.
Most people place this info in their profile section of the myspace page.

Craigslist is a different story in terms of spamming commercial sites. A better use would be selling items locally, and especially helpful if items you sell are heavy to ship.
[/quote]

I don't know how My Space works, but it sounds like the policies are fairly permissive. To be banned from My Space must have required some MAJOR indescretion. I know Mr. Kumbaya was disqualified from in his campaign for "improprieties".