eBay requires classified ad format for selling digital codes?

[surak]

(Moving this topic over from the Deals & Advice forum as it's probably better suited here)

I got in trouble (i.e., suspended indefinitely until I called them) with eBay for selling my E3 Experience Destiny alpha codes and not following their digitally delivered goods policy (http://pages.ebay.com/help/policies/downloadable.html), which requires using the classified ads format. The alternative is to physically mail the codes, which I bet no one prefers.

Besides being annoyingly restrictive, I can't even figure out how to create a listing in the classified ad format. And it looks like they might charge a hefty insertion fee just to put up a classified listing? Anyone have experience doing that? It all seems to make it not worth anyone's time to sell codes through eBay, though obviously there are a bunch of people who've managed to sell codes just fine without getting the ban-hammer.

 

[GBAstar]

(Moving this topic over from the Deals & Advice forum as it's probably better suited here)

I got in trouble (i.e., suspended indefinitely until I called them) with eBay for selling my E3 Experience Destiny alpha codes and not following their digitally delivered goods policy (http://pages.ebay.com/help/policies/downloadable.html), which requires using the classified ads format. The alternative is to physically mail the codes, which I bet no one prefers.

Besides being annoyingly restrictive, I can't even figure out how to create a listing in the classified ad format. And it looks like they might charge a hefty insertion fee just to put up a classified listing? Anyone have experience doing that? It all seems to make it not worth anyone's time to sell codes through eBay, though obviously there are a bunch of people who've managed to sell codes just fine without getting the ban-hammer.

This isn't really news---it's been the policy for a long time now. They want you to sell in the classified section because on top of not getting any views you won't have any seller protection either.

As you said you can sell through a standard listing as well as you advertise you'll physically ship the code. If it's an expensive DLC code you should be doing that anyways (Halo Reach DLC, Halo 4 Console DLC, etc.)

 

[Vinny]

Wait, so eBay now officially ok with people selling DLC in auctions if they're physically shipped? 

 

[GBAstar]

Wait, so eBay now officially ok with people selling DLC in auctions if they're physically shipped?

Yes and no. You have to market this listing in a manner in which the value is in the slip of paper and not the code. Just like you can't sell alcohol on eBay UNLESS the value is in the bottle and not the liquid.

You very well could still get reported, have the listing pulled and face a policy violation if the person who reviews the initial report (assuming it's not done by a computer) decides to do so.