What about toolbars? Is that considered third party software or deceptive?
On my "ebay" themed web site and consignment business I have designed a toolbar for download. The download is from my site and the toolbar is branded to my business. No links are masked or redirected. Is this application a violation of policy? This gives the user a direct link to my site on their browser and took many, many hours to develop.

Can I get a clarification on this pelase?

Rod

And you have written permission from EPN to promote via a toolbar?

Why would you need permission to use a toolbar that promotes traffic to your site. As long as the toolbar does not have eBay links in it, why does eBay need to approve it since it has nothing to do with eBay.

I asked the exact same question about allowing people to download a screen saver that promoted my site, nothing to do with eBay and Steve said you don't need permission for something like that.

Here's the link to the thread: http://forums.ebay.com/db2/topic/Ebay-Partner-Network/Software-Again/520107708&#msg522225080

If of course, there are eBay links in the Toolbar, then you do need to get permission to use it.

I believe Steve did just that since I asked the EXACT same question.

Steve's Response:
Just caught this thread. We don't necessarily prohibit folks from creating downloadable software tools to drive traffic to your affiliate sites as long as those sites conform with our TOS. However, I'm also not going to promote downloadable software as a 'recommended method' of promoting your site as I haven't seen a ton of them that are really value adds to the user experience, while on the other hand, I have seen a lot that cross the line - a number of these were discussed on the boards here earlier.

> What a mess... EPN is for programmers or computer geeks now. I can see a lot of accounts being banned soon. I wish eBay would go back to CJ.

The problem is mate..

The internet is being "spammed up" by folks using tinyurl/ epn links in every which way and wherever.

Email links (spam)

Most free add networks and blogger sites will have a bundle of ebay links posted as deals etc, which is not what they are intended for.

The c&p/tinyurl merchants are screwing up the internet with epn links, and ebay,like you and i can be penalised for it.

Keep it real, build a website and promote that.

Programmer: A computer software professional who usually posseses a BS or MS degree in computer science. Computer Geek: An under educated, emotionally disturbed loser with a laptop who pretends to be a programmer.

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Would that be enough to make the links go dead if I remove the campaign from my EPN account? No, as of now, you can only archive them and that doesn't turn them off.

It's been suggested and acknowledged.

Maybe with this new rule sweep it could be implemented. (Yes Steve, that was a not so subtle hint) Sure would make it a lot easier to be compliant for people in your situation. I see you sure have put tinyurl to work over the years.

On the copyright/trademark issue, I understand ePN doesn't want me to use the word "Dell" in the main part of my domain name, but what if I have a Dell logo showing on my site pages? Will they hack-up a furr-ball over that too?

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Can I ask Will (or any other pink) to respond to this question please?

If a couple of ePN affiliates wanted to work together to create a jointly owned niche community website, can the joint owners then use their individual ePN links on that site? In other words is it permissable to have more than 1 affiliate ID associated with a website domain now?

Thanks.

> Can I ask Will (or any other pink) to respond to this question please?
>
> If a couple of ePN affiliates wanted to work together to create a jointly owned niche community website, can the joint owners then use their individual ePN links on that site? In other words is it permissable to have more than 1 affiliate ID associated with a website domain now?
>
> Thanks.

This probably covers that - Network Agreement section G :

"G. Working With Agents. You must get ePN's express written approval before you enter into your first agreement with a sub-affiliate, sub-publisher, distribution partner, ad network or any other similar third-party relationship through which you intend to participate in a Program (all of whom would be your "Agents" as defined in this Agreement). You are limited to a single tier of Agent relationships. You will include in your terms and conditions with your Agents a clause prohibiting them from entering into any additional tier of Agent relationship with respect to the Program. You will not work with Agents that have previously been terminated by ePN."

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Issue warnings to your affiliates instead of outright suspensions

Exactly. It's a partnership right. There are times when we may not know we're in violation of some policy, especially if it's not clear or somewhat vague, so a simple warning would have most of us correct the problem right away. At least those that are on the up and up.

I've been with other affiliate program where they bring things to my attention to explain or correct and then everyone is happy as we're working "together". A true partnership.

Regards.

>
> A related question was: “Can we use affiliate links on third party sites like Blogger, Twitter, Wordpress, Tumblr, Squidoo or article sites where we "own" the IP of the content but not the actual site?”
>
> For blogging platforms like Wordpress, we’re requiring that publishers use the download-and-install versions of the products so that they have full ownership of their sites. For other promotional methods such as Twitter, etc, it is ok for your links to lead to your own websites that have links to eBay, but not to lead to eBay directly.
>

I know the above may seem eminently clear to some, but in my case I still have questions.

Specifically, can you confirm that eBay capsules in articles on HubPages written by eBay partners may no longer lead directly to eBay? This is a revenue share site in which writers with their own eBay accounts get a percentage of impressions and the host site, HubPages, gets the rest.

And can you confirm that Blogger (blogspot) blogs will no longer be able to send eBay direct traffic?

My confusion stems partly from the fact that, based only on my HubPages content, I was accepted into EPN AFTER the date that the May blog entry indicates no new affiliates from these models would be accepted. So I'm wondering if, even if the business model is no longer supported for new partners, existing agreements trump everything.

Thanks for any clarification by eBay officials...