I am just coming on briefly tonight to give you the promised update on the status of the planned but delayed fan-fronted auctions. The title of this blogpost already is a hint. As of yet, eBay is still considering my request for a raise of my selling limits, and I have not received a clear answer as to whether it will be granted or not.
For the sake of transparency, I’ll explain to you the particulars of the conversation with eBay. As promised, they did get in touch with me around late lunch time today. I am dealing with the German division of eBay (because that is where I apparently signed up to eBay way back in 2006), so the correspondence is in German and therefore doesn’t lend itself to a quick copy and paste job here. But these are the upshots:
eBay says: Since I (Sonja) am a private seller, it is not possible to raise my selling limits permanently. However, it is possible to make an exception and raise the limit for a period of 3 months. In order to make a decision on this exceptional raised limit, they need the sale value of the items I am planning to sell, and if possible the invoices for the items as proof of ownership.
My reply: The raised selling limit for a limited period of time is all I need, as I am not a commercial seller and only sell on eBay twice a year for the purpose of a charity fundraiser. I have sent them a list of the items earmarked for selling, including the starting bids for each item – hooray for my obsessive Excel sheet organisation. 😂 However, I have pointed out to them that since the auctions are for a charity fundraiser, final bids will most probably exceed the original value of the items – because bidders are willing to pay more since they are supporting a good cause. As for ownership proof, I do not have invoices as the items in question are a) donations made to me as the organiser of the fundraiser, and b) in many cases hand-made originals that are difficult to put a price on. However, I have also sent them the proof of donation from last year’s birthday fundraiser proceeds, hoping that they will see that I am not a fraudster but a private person who is raising funds for charity.
The eBay customer service agent was very friendly and pleased that I had written in detail. She has forwarded the documentation and my explanations to the relevant department. But since we are after end of business already, I think I won’t get a reply until tomorrow.
That’s where we are at *right now*. The delay, although upsetting my initial plans, may provide a little breather, as some of you have pointed out in the comments. And with a little more time between Guy’s jacket and *our* items, the latter can shine a bit more, too 😉. So that is actually good. If eBay still doesn’t want to raise my limits tomorrow, I will try a different route, so not all is lost yet 😁.
Let’s end this on a high, though. Or on a “high bid”, to be more precise.
That is where we are now, at time of posting, with Guy of Gisborne’s leather jacket. 😍 Thanks to the 19 bidders who have made 87 bids. We still have 44 hours of auction time ahead of us for the Guy jacket. It could get hot at the end 😉 .
More news tomorrow morning! Thanks for all your support and reassurance – you’re a wonderful bunch! 😍
Guylty Pleasure 
Dear Sonja, I’m sending you my support and love and hugs ❤️❤️❤️🤗🤗🤗
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thank you, Olga, I appreciate that very much 🥰
LikeLike
Thanks for putting up with all that hussle, Sonja, and for your patience! I hope ebay will unblock those limits soonish!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’ve decided that the auctions will go live tomorrow evening, one way or another. Another idea up my sleeve.
LikeLiked by 2 people
👍 Can’t wait!
LikeLiked by 1 person
gosh, not making it easy for you! sounds like you’ve been very clear and open with them , so fingers crossed they will see the light x
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hopefully so. I mean, if the communication was quicker, I’d be less annoyed. I want our auctions to be done during fundraiser week, and eBay is wasting valuable time with lengthy back-and-forth via DM. This whole thing could be dealt with with one 10 minute phone call. Sigh.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I hope they pull their finger out soon. If not, some research into their competitors is in order for the next auction.
LikeLiked by 1 person
That’s definitely on the cards.
LikeLiked by 1 person
“She?” She??? G: May I suggest a different strategy with that eBay rep? Turn her into a fan girl, and all of our problems will be solved!
If she’s in the U.S. (California, I suspect), tell her she needs to snap up this item pronto.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/334092159671?epid=23046047792&hash=item4dc971cab7:g:0NgAAOSwTtZhAI5L
Or we could go right for the jacket strategy:
https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2047675.m570.l1313&_nkw=robinhoodbbc&_sacat=0
Maybe she gets an eBay employee discount? Oh hell, I will buy it for her as a contribution to the cause. Get her address for where I should ship it.
If she’s in Germany, tell her we have other people and will figure out an alternative.
LikeLike
😂 Good strategy. Turn the enemy into allies. That DVD would certainly do the trick. Next communication I will have to drop names – maybe need to change my profile picture just temporarily and blind he with some male beauty?
LikeLike
Oh my, what a hassle, this is ridiculous! I hope they get back to you soon with a favourable response!
For the future, I’m thinking out loud here: maybe next time you could create one or several Guylty alter-egos and you could set up several Ebay accounts with these alter-egos to process all this? Spread the risk so to speak? Have a Germany Guylty Ebay and an Irish one. I’m not sure if that’s possible but it may be worth looking into?
In any case, thank you so much for all you do and for your transparency. You rock!
LikeLike
The alter egos have been on my mind, too, but I think you are not allowed to do that. (In order to not manipulate auctions by bidding fraudulently on your own auctions etc.) However, I could ask a family member to host the auctions on their account… (Isn’t that what you have grown-up children for? 😂 Either that or sell them into slavery…)
LikeLiked by 2 people
It might be helpful if a bunch of us contacted ebay ourselves to complain about this delay?
eBay customer-support questions can be asked through the @AskeBay on Twitter
I’ve heard that commenting on social media might be more effective? If you are alright with it.
Think it might be helpful if everyone that submitted complaint/concern to this forced delay eBay has imposed, be somewhat similar, if not exactly the same?
Since I’m a shite writer, (not diplomatic) I’d need help composing an appropriate statement/complaint we could all submit to eBay twitter page?
EXAMPLE: Dear customer service monkeys, many of us buyers want to spend money on one specific auction/fund raising effort for charity, however the Brainiacs at eBay are preventing @GuyltyPleasure from proceeding with her charity auction. Even tho they were notified last month that a specific donated item would exceed her limit?
She has provided without complaint or delay, detailed non-fraud docs that eBay moobs have demanded. Still nothing from you? What the hell, aren’t you supposed to encourage sales? Or is everyone so complacent in cashing their bi-weekly paychecks, you don’t realize how that paycheck is generated?
@guyltypleasure is not a professional seller; has organized charity auctions biannually for years and donated months worth of effort to do make this charity auction a success.
Can eBay resolve sooner rather than later? Like right now?
Sincerely, someone who wants to spend money on this auction.
###
If this action wouldn’t make you uncomfortable, it might get on the eBay radar to be corrected? But seriously, it should probs be more diplomatically presented.
🌷🌼🎀🌸🌷☀️
LikeLike
I LIKE your sample letter, Mimi Cruz. I’ll use it, too, if we all agree….
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you! 🌷Yes, we all have to agree and not make it uncomfortable for Guylty.
LikeLike
I’m trying to think what the timeline is. I mean, I want to get the auctions live by tomorrow (Tuesday) evening, i.e. about 18 hours from now. It’s 10.30pm here right now. Not sure when I will receive a reply from eBay tomorrow. Could be morning, could be lunch time. So is it worth letterbombing them? Or better to just wait, and if they haven’t come back by mid-afternoon, I will simply requisition my son’s or husband’s eBay and do the whole shebang there. End of. ?
LikeLike
Forgot the letter probs needs to be shorter if we post it on twitter because of character limit. Unless I make it an image and then post it that way?
I’ve shortened it, but still too long. Grrr
I have 2 twitter accounts I will use when we are all agreed on what to say/do.
EXAMPLE EDIT:
Buyers want to bid $ on 1 specific charity auction. eBay Brainiacs in Germany are preventing @GuyltyPleasure from proceeding w/her auction. Despite being notified last month 1 item would exceed limits; she has provided detailed non-fraud docs. Not a pro seller, @guyltypleasure has tirelessly organized this charity auction biannually for years. Doesn’t eBay want sales? Fix it!
LikeLike
I’ve whittled the text down a bit to fit the character limit:
Buyers want to bid $ on 1 specific charity auction. @eBayDE Germany are preventing @GuyltyPleasure from proceeding w/her auction. Despite being notified last month 1 item would exceed limits; detailed non-fraud docs provided. Not a pro seller. Doesn’t eBay want sales? Fix it!
Let’s wait just a bit until 3pm GMT, though. Yesterday they only came through around 2pm, so I’ll give them that…
LikeLiked by 1 person
Actually, the idea is not bad, Mimi. The only issue I can see is that I am dealing with eBay Germany. (Sorry – stupidly so, because it was the German platform that I apparently signed up with way back when *meh*)
Hehe, I like your sample, too – although I am wondering whether we’d need to replace “monkeys” and “moobs” just in order to not antagonise them too much?
LikeLiked by 1 person
I tots agree girl! That is why I suggested someone with a diplomatic sensibility edit the sample. No ego involved on my part, I am thinking of ways to get on the ebay radar to get this fixed.
Public shaming could work and don’t see why we couldn’t refer to the Monkey/moobs/Brainiacs in the German customer service department?
LikeLike
😉 Hehe, diplomatic sensibility…
Still waiting for them to get back to me. They contacted me yesterday around 2pm, so fingers crossed they do the same today…
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m sorry Ebay is putting you through this. We, of course, will be okay with whatever you decide and pull off. Shoot, even if you extend the remaining items for auctions, I’m sure people will understand.
Hugs
LikeLike
Thank you, Zee 🙂. Ah, no worries, after the first shock, I am now taking it in my stride. We’ll get to some kind of conclusion today, I am sure.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I was surprised that you were going to start the rest of the auction within the jacket timeframe, so for me the gap is good, like you say – allows the other bids to ‘shine’ in due course. Thank you for the update. I’m sorry for your additional work on the fundRAiser this year beyond the incredible work you already do!🤩😘
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, that was one of the things I was thinking about, too. I want *both* auction elements to shine equally. The only issue was always that I wanted it to fit into the time frame of one week, to get proceeds from both auction projects into the final donation on the 22nd. Hence now my impatience in getting this fixed SOON.
No worries about the work – it’s just the extra communication. But I am a waffler, anyway 😁
LikeLiked by 1 person