Retailers Banning eBay Sellers

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AuctionBytes Blog
News and insight focusing on
ecommerce and the online auction industry
by Ina Steiner, Editor of AuctionBytes.com

August 08, 2007

Retailers Banning eBay Sellers - Your Experiences

By: Ina Steiner

Wed Aug 8 2007 11:36:30

AuctionBytes ran a piece on Tuesday about Pottery Barn Outlet stores banning eBay sellers from making any purchases. As expected, this is generating lots of discussion. Some sellers who were banned from the stores wrote to me to share their experiences, and I'd like to give them the opportunity to share their thoughts here. Please feel free to comment below.

Here are some questions I have for these sellers, plus I'd be interested to hear what others think about this, and if they have had similar experiences at other retail stores.

How important are Pottery Barn Outlet store purchases to you in your eBay businesses (for example, what percentage of your eBay inventory is sourced through Pottery Barn purchases)?

Have you been banned? If so, what was the reason given? (and from which store?)

If you were banned, how did the store staff know you were a reseller? Had you ever given the store your tax-exempt reseller number?

What kind of behavior did you observe from eBay sellers in the store, was it ever disruptive? If so, was it an ongoing problem? What did the store staff do to try to minimize the disruption? (which store?)

If you were banned, did you send someone else in your stead to make your purchases?

I've read that retailers often will put limits on how much of a particular item a customer may purchase. Would that work in the case of the Pottery Barn Outlet stores?

Why do you think Williams-Sonoma's Pottery Barn banned eBay sellers from their Outlet stores, and is there anyway they could ever enforce such a policy fairly?

There's also some talk about Williams-Sonoma's activity in terms of asking eBay to pull auctions that violate their trademark/copyright through the eBay VeRO program. Any observations?

This is an issue I'm sure I'll be revisiting, thanks for your comments, and feel free to email me as well.

Comments (129) | Permalink

Readers Comments

Retailers Banning eBay Sellers - Your Experiences

by: A Banned Ebayer

Wed Aug 8 20:23:45 2007

I am a Banned Ebayer from the Pottery Barn Outlets and I thank you for the opportunity to answer your questions. This has been my experience:

1. Pottery Barn was 97% of my inventory, anything else I had was a result of being in the outlet center 5+ days a week and stopping into other outlets.

2. I was Banned, I was told by the Store Manager a few minutes before the store opened. There was NO reason given, our manager did not have an exact reason for us. I pursued it with different levels of corporate and was told ''it was their policy, they are now going to enforce it.''

3. The store I shopped had a long history selling to Ebayers ( about 8 years total) I started about 4 years ago. They knew who we were by the amount of things we purchased and the amount of time we were there. There were not many direct discussions about it over the years. I NEVER gave a tax ID number, we bought just like other customers. We were never labeled as ''wholesalers''.

4. In our store, anyone who acted aggressive as an Ebayer was addressed by the management immediately. I have to say our store did not have many problems. All the Ebayers that were in our store knew each other, and were friendly. We found a way to work together so to erase the competition factor. We knew our manager would not tolerate any bad behavior. I have heard that other managers did not manage their stores as well as ours did when it came to Ebayers.

5. I have not sent anyone else into the store to purchase for me. This job requires an in depth source of knowledge of all of Williams Sonoma products, and it would be very difficult to transfer that knowledge and have the ''shopper'' keep up with what they would need to know.

6. We actually had several limitations on us for over a year. Limit of 6 Per SKU, a no return policy & limits as to how long we could shop in one day.

7. I really do not have any idea why they banned us. There does not seem to be an upside to them. What we took was a ton of overstock and stuff that they had a hard time selling when it was in the catalog. We spent allot of money and if they are not feeling it yet, it is my opinion that they will be in the off months, when we still spent thousands a day. It is very strange to me, because they simply do not have control over it. They have nothing to track us, other than being recognized in the outlets that we shopped. However, I have not been stopped from shopping retail or the Catalog,which I have normally shopped for Ebay for years as well. Seems odd that one side would ''ban'' us, and the other side of the company sends out preferred customer letters to the very same people.

There are also dozens of new ebayers in these outlets since the ''recognized'' ones have been banned. Management is supposed to rely on checkout people to make the distinction, which puts them in a rough position, since asking the higher end customer that may be buying for several homes they own would probably freak if asked if they resold the product. As I mentioned before, the company has absolutely nothing in effect to back up these managers in recognizing the ebayers. They have done nothing to diminish the amount of items on Ebay, so it appears to be a moot point.

8. The vero is in effect for the sellers who use WS Stock photos in their auctions. I guess they also go after anyone using their product and alter it to make something (i.e.: childrens decor) I know of 2 or 3 sellers out their in Ebay who use Pottery Barn in the titles of their auctions all the time when they are not actually selling Pottery Barn Items, yet they never seem to get shut down by the Vero program. Also, on the Ebay VERO Page for Williams Sonoma, it cleary states ''It is legal to resell WS merchandise in its original, unaltered form''. In the 4 years I have been doing this, I have never seen any of the outlet Ebayers doing anything other than that. It is very discrimitory, even if they found a ''legal loophole'' to ban the ''known'' ebayers, it is never going to stop. They just stopped the people who spent the most money at that moment. And only on the outlet level.

Retailers Banning eBay Sellers - Your Experiences

by: Liz

Thu Aug 9 06:31:27 2007

I used to sell a lot on eBay (UK) with 5 different suppliers and brands including my own. I only have one brand/suppler left that has not banned eBay. I would buy around 10K a year off all suppliers, and I bet there were many more like me. One well known brand I know is struggling one year after the ban. I hope pottery barn goes bust!

Retailers Banning eBay Sellers - Your Experiences

by: Karen Davis

Thu Aug 9 08:26:51 2007

This is insane. How is it legal for a store to "ban" a buyer? If they are buying retail, if they haven't bounced checks, if they buy within the stated rules like quantities, how can a store do this? Weird. I think it will backfire on them.

Retailers Banning eBay Sellers - Your Experiences

by: Roger

Thu Aug 9 08:33:50 2007

If I were a Pottery Barn manager I would love every minute of the eBayers grabbing distressed mdse. The perceived value would go up, as they would naturally take a markup for their profit. Why run a store if you don't want to sell?

Retailers Banning eBay Sellers - Your Experiences

by: Simon Russell

Thu Aug 9 08:41:22 2007

Manufacturers and retailers are all sensitive to exposure on eBay as this is now seen as damaging to their brand. eBay's sole message to its buyers over the past years has been "cheap cheap cheap". I don't blame any retailer or manufacturer from wanting to distance itself from sellers in a marketplace that cheapens their reputation.

Retailers Banning eBay Sellers - Your Experiences

by: Brian

Thu Aug 9 09:06:57 2007

Thanks to eBay pitching itself to large-volume sellers, failing to police the marketplace and charging as much in fees as they possibly can, eBay has become a synonym for fly-by-night sellers and fraud.

Pah. No wonder that any reputable brand doesn't want to be seen on eBay.

Retailers Banning eBay Sellers - Your Experiences

by: Ann

Thu Aug 9 09:41:46 2007

In many states it is illegal to offer merchandise for sale and then to discriminate as to who may purchase that merchandise. While a retailer is allowed to place broad restrictions such as ''limited to 2 per customer'' or only available during certain hours the policy must be applied across the board.

It will be interesting to see what happens when complaints are filed by the banned ebayers with their state's Dept of Consumer Protection.

For those who have been banned, I would urge them to check on their state laws particularly if they were not purchasing as a reseller with a sales tax exemption number.

Retailers Banning eBay Sellers - Your Experiences

by: Margene Smith

Thu Aug 9 10:04:00 2007

The banning at the Pottery Barn has not affected us, but we have been banned from other stores. I have even had the Salvation Army stores ban me because we buy so much. I thought I was providing money to serve the community, but the manager said I was taking product from the disadvantaged. Interesting.
Margene Smith

Retailers Banning eBay Sellers - Your Experiences

by: Sam

Thu Aug 9 10:23:57 2007

I myself have been banned from coach. I think it is only a mater of time before there is a class action lawsuit. These people are doing nothing wrong and made to feel like you are breaking the law. Their efforts are not working there is still the same or even more items showing up in the search on ebay. How can you have an ''outlet'' store and still not cheapen your ''brand'' you can't have it both ways. If you want to stay full price and not cheapen your brand then why in the world would you open a outlet store???? You don't see Gucci or LV brand with an outlet store. They want the best of both worlds.I feel it is only a matter of time before this backfires.
This is America we should be able to purchase what ever we want. If I want to use it for firewood after it is purchased I should be able to. As long as you pay taxes on what you purchase and do it in a legal way we should be able to. This is America right. Big Companies should not be able to pick and choose who they sale to as long as you are not breaking any laws or acting a fool in their stores. I myself was friends with everyone in the store and was very mute while shopping. I didn't go everyday, maybe once every 10 days. When given the letter they felt so bad. That said that is putting a lot on a clerk to comply with corporate
This is just crazy to me if you want to put limits fine but to ban someone is just not American to me!

Retailers Banning eBay Sellers - Your Experiences

by: Sandy

Thu Aug 9 10:51:43 2007

I have this same problem selling on Ebay. I sell better lingerie. These are the same brands you find at the better and high end department stores. My Ebay store has been declined by every better lingerie brand for wholesale purchase with resale rights on Ebay. The reason given is always that it cheapens the brand image. 95% of all lingerie stock photos used on Ebay are illegal. Ebay sellers don't have legal permission to use the stock photos yet it doesn't seem to stop my competitors. This illegal usage angers the brands yet they refuse to apply for VERO to protect themselves in order to maintain their distance from Ebay. This aversion to Ebay is industry wide.
The brand that uses ''Angel'' marketing is the only lingerie brand I am aware of that openly denies Ebay resellers purchasing rights in their boutiques. They have a long standing policy in this regard. They also are very diligent VERO members. Of course they also use the most well known models on the planet to sell their products.
Off Ebay direct lingerie wholesale purchases are easy. The same brands are more than willing to work with my business and allow purchases for my other sites. Some manufacturers require a written agreement concerning Ebay and others just require a verbal agreement. It is understood that any diversion of the merchandise to Ebay will result in being banned from future purchases.
These terms are agreeable so I don't have a problem. The wholesale market is plentiful so the current situation is workable for my business.

Retailers Banning eBay Sellers - Your Experiences

by: Steve L

Thu Aug 9 11:30:26 2007

Like has been stated, merchants such as Pottery Barn and Coach are taking these steps because they feel it is cheapening their brand.

What they fail to realize is that they themselves are to blame for any cheaping of their brand. They are the ones selling at closeout prices. eBayers are, in fact, driving UP the prices by taking the closeouts and selling them at higher prices.

If I produce an item that normally sells for, say, $200, and sell it at distressed/closeout price of $40, I have just revalued the item as being only worth $40. If an eBayer then takes it and sells it on eBay for $99, they have just increased the value of the item (and thus increased the value of not only that particular model, but of the brand as a whole).

Unfortunately, places such as Pottery Barn and Coach fail to comprehend this simple fact.

Retailers Banning eBay Sellers - Your Experiences

by: Jason Golod

Thu Aug 9 11:56:25 2007

Sorry to hear that some people have lost their revenue stream, but clearly this is the future. It has amazed me that it has taken this long for the big retailers to try and prevent the ''commoditization'' of their products. It has always amazed me the lengths people will go to to make $1...or less when selling a product, no matter how much they paid for it or it is worth. There always seems to be someone who is willing to undercut you no matter what you are selling on a website or on eBay. I started an online retail site in 1996 and finally called it quits because everything we sold eventually became a commodity and the manufacturers were not willing to do anything to protect their authorized retailers or their brand.

But, that was and is their prerogative. I think anyone who is talking about lawsuits and legalities of selling to whomever they want to needs to have their head examined. This is not a socialist country. If I want you to get out of my store, for any reason, I have the right to do so...period. Since when is it government's place to tell a business owner that they HAVE TO sell to someone? Gimme a break. Sorry to hear you are not making money this way anymore, but suck it up and move on. If you didn't plan ahead then learn from your mistakes and move on.

Pottery Barn / Williams Sonoma and other big retailers spend tens of millions a year developing their brands and their product lines. I am pretty sure that selling their scraps is not an issue for them, or something they lose sleep over. Just check out any of their employee sales that they hold on a regular basis in San Francisco.

Retailers Banning eBay Sellers - Your Experiences

by: Jerry C.

Thu Aug 9 12:39:05 2007

I see Ebay as the world's biggest garage sale. This is it's roots and it's slowly grown into the world's biggest unauthorized clearance center. As a big brand I can understand why they wouldn't want their products listed on Ebay. As a company I would rather have my customers shop my outlets and buy addtional accessories, then to see a price-cutting frenzy on Ebay with some questionable sellers. I don't see the surprise here.

Retailers Banning eBay Sellers - Your Experiences

by: Dephny

Thu Aug 9 12:48:35 2007

I don't have that problem yet, as I try to make myself very inconspicuous when shopping outlets, and TS;s but How in the world would they be able to ban people from shopping.

Pottery Barn and the like are still making money

Retailers Banning eBay Sellers - Your Experiences

by: Richard Chemel

Thu Aug 9 13:27:01 2007

Great blog piece. I believe that Pottery Barn is opening themselves up to legal issues- as it appears all outlet store policies are not the same.

Furthermore, How do they know that items posted on eBay were not posted by regular consumers. Once again- Shoot First- Ask Questions Later.

Manufacturers have a right to protect their ''brand'' name, but when they zealously appproach the matter, like Pottery Barn has- it sucks.

Can you imagine if Kodak wanted to stop all sales of Kodak Branded Products on eBay, only because the seller was using the Kodak Brand name. Under eBay's Vero Program- it's possible- because simply eBay takes VERO applications at the applicants word.

This issue is going to get bigger, and Ina, I hope you continue to report the inconsistancies in policy from these Manufacturers.

I had two jabra headsets up about two months ago- exactly the same headsets- one got vero'd and one didn't. The difference was we had put the designer's name in the Auction Title. We got the item reinstated after lots of communication.

Later

Richard Chemel

Retailers Banning eBay Sellers - Your Experiences

by: Fred A. Murphy

Thu Aug 9 13:42:31 2007

Some things no one has mentioned.

Resellers can be the best customers a store has. In three months of buying Webkinz, I became a platinum level card holder just at Hallmark, $3000 in purchases, at full retail. Do you know anyone who has bought $3000 worth of overpriced Hallmark stuff in three months? Ever?

Why are resellers buying stuff? Because the store is selling it too cheap! So why blame the resellers for your own lack of knowing what your product is worth? Why not hire someone who knows how to price stuff?

Another argument stores use is they want to save their bargains for their regular customers. Why are they rewarding the very people who didn't allow them a profit when the item was offered at regular price? Knowing that the first money that hits the register when the price is drastically reduced gets the item will provide an incentive for those regulars to buy stuff before it has to be marked down.

I can understand limits of whatever sort, as long as they apply to everyone. I buy toys for resale, both at full price and when they're on sale. If I have the last half dozen and a kid or someone buying for their kid wants one, here ya go. I'm just in it for the buck, I can sell something else. To the kid, it's "important".

By the same token, one time I had a cart full of a toy and a young adult asked where there were more. When he couldn't tell me which ones he was looking for, I simply said they were over on the end cap (which I wiped out), and if those were gone, other stores might have some.

I figure he didn't want them at $10 for months, or the two weeks they were sitting there at $7, and now that they were $2.48, they're mine.

Retailers Banning eBay Sellers - Your Experiences

by: JD

Thu Aug 9 18:15:21 2007

Guys, good luck winning in court. The Supremes voted for big corporations when they allowed them to set minimum pricing.

I would bet if you sued over this, you could lose. I hope you win, but I have no faith in our justice system when it comes to challenging entrenched monopolies.

Retailers Banning eBay Sellers - Your Experiences

by: Lindsay

Thu Aug 9 21:09:31 2007

Hmmm... Now I'm thinking of going to visit outlets for Coach to resell.. Too funny. Me thinks the outlets are crazy to ban eBayers.

By the same token, there are too many rip off sellers with no moral decency that eBay allows to sell on their site. Seriously, Ebay's policies make no sense at times. Remember all of the Tiffany jewelry sellers? Some were selling 25 to 100 pieces a day! They weren't busted for ages.

Also, I've been ripped off many times by sellers that appeared to have good feedback but recently I found a cool free site that only tells you the neutral and negative feedback of sellers or buyers on Ebay! This has been a miracle for me... A seller could have 98% positive feedback on Ebay but at times when I've looked at their neutrals and negatives through Toolhaus.org, they've had horrible feedback. Who has time to weed through 1000's of feedbacks (while you're on eBay's site)of a particular buyer or seller?? This tool does it in a nano!

Retailers Banning eBay Sellers - Your Experiences

by: Sue

Fri Aug 10 13:18:26 2007

It's not just banning, there are other things that some retailers are doing to interfere with eBayers selling their merchandise on the site. I recently bought some goods on sale from my favorite designer's boutique. This is a designer whose goods are very difficult to find as they are available in only three locations in the USA (all in NYC), a couple in Paris, London, and Tokyo, and at a handful of upscale specialty stores (Neiman-Marcus, Bergdorf's, Barney's, Saks) and with no online sales of new product by authorized dealers. The designer has a dedicated following around the world, and even his shopping bags, advertising literature, and postcards sell well on eBay, as he puts the same artistry in them as in his designer goods.

Anyway, after running my credit card and stamping the receipt NO RETURNS, the clerk began ripping and cutting away tags and labels from the garments, except for those that are required by law (like the origin and care label--which still have the designer's name, but in small print). I tried to stop her, as she was damaging the goods! She explained that it was company policy now. Removing the information makes it difficult to sell the items on eBay at the premium prices that a ''NWT'' feature would bring.

Retailers Banning eBay Sellers - Your Experiences

by: maria

Sat Aug 11 05:45:55 2007

I appreciate the points of view presented here. However, the writers forget (or ignore) the fact that businesses have the right to set policy ("No shoes; no shirt; no service" or "No personal checks," for example). eBay has done some pretty outrageous things, and people continue selling there. Some people, anyway: after my last auction ended this Spring, I called it a day. So if Pottery Barn doesn't want to be a supplier for eBay sellers, there's no law that says they have to.

Just my two cents' worth...

Retailers Banning eBay Sellers - Your Experiences

by: Christine

Sat Aug 11 12:13:17 2007

Yes, stores do have a right to set standards and policies for their company. But the previous writer fails to realize these cover all buyers. All customers must wear shoes, not just some customers.
I believe pbk does legally a right to ban, but I wouldn't recommend it. They're gong to kill their bottom line. The ebayers spent millions in their outlets, stores & on-line. Ebayers have put alot of money in pbk's pocket over the years.
Pbk might have trouble with how their staff handles the banning. If an african american woman is denied a purchase, even if she is an ebayer, you're up for lawsuit.
Also, pbk's issue of not selling to resellers is mute. They already sell their odds and ends to a chain in Utah, who intern resells it.
I think in the end who is banned and why is a grey area. Courts don't like grey areas. So, the ebayers have a good chance of winning in some manner.

Retailers Banning eBay Sellers - Your Experiences

by: Rather not Say

Tue Aug 14 05:50:48 2007

In our outlet store, the store managers would beg us to purchase items that weren't moving. Two days before we were banned, they wanted us to buy shades and told us about them before bringing them out. They were very grateful to ebay for bringing their sales up and would thank us.

Also, an ebayer gave them a computer printout of all the small new ebayers that were shopping in the store and management has not banned any of them. She pointed them out before leaving but they are still shopping and selling on ebay.

It appears that Pottery Barn does not want to get rid of all ebay.

Retailers Banning eBay Sellers - Your Experiences

by: Ebay Powerseller

Sat Aug 18 21:00:51 2007

I think the biggest complaint by many banned customers is that there was no warning that ''reselling'' was an issue. I too experienced the staff patting me on the back when I would purchase items that were not moving as well as others. One day I'm addressed by name and the next I'm shown the door. I was never anything but polite and followed their rules of limited quantities. Now I'm being told that I can't even buy anything for my own personal use. What's funny is that I spent a lot of my profits on other Pottery Barn items for my own house. Another situation that I think will come back and bite them in the rear is that there are EBay powersellers that say they are still using their tax id numbers to purchase items in the retail store. Even though I have a tax id, I never once tried using it at the PB outlet. How can it be OK for some, but not for others. It seems as though that would be discrimination. We shall see what the future holds ~ But, I can guarantee that if Williams Sonoma doesn't rethink this crazy decision, they will feel it's negative affects for years to come.

Retailers Banning eBay Sellers - Your Experiences

by: Stephanie

Mon Aug 20 19:45:40 2007

If WS has banned Ebayer's from shopping in their stores then why does WS Corp., have an ''About Me Page''? Please read on,

About Me: williamssonomatm( 0 )

Williams-Sonoma, Inc. About Me Page

WILLIAMS-SONOMA, INC.

(Williams-Sonoma®, Williams-Sonoma Home®, Pottery Barn®, PBteen®,

pottery barn kids®, west elm®, hold everything®)

Welcome to Williams-Sonoma, Inc's ''About Me'' page on eBay. Williams-Sonoma, Inc. operates specialty retailers of home furnishings and kitchen products in the United States and Canada. Our brands are among the best known and well respected in the industry, including such famous brands as Williams-Sonoma®, Williams-Sonoma Home®, Pottery Barn®, pottery barn kids®, PBteen®, west elm®, and hold everything®. This page will mostly be of interest to eBay sellers as it is focused on the proper use of our brands, trademarks, and other intellectual property in their auction postings. There is no authorized William-Sonoma, Inc. store on eBay and, if you are interested in purchasing new products from one of our stores or websites, we suggest that you visit www.williamssonoma.com; www.potterybarn.com; www.potterybarnkids.com; www.pbteen.com; www.holdeverything.com; or www.westelm.com.

A variety of Williams-Sonoma, Inc.'s products are offered for sale on eBay. Sellers may want to use our trademarks and other intellectual property to help sell and describe their items. We understand that many eBay sellers are loyal fans of our brands and do not intend to infringe any of Williams-Sonoma, Inc.'s rights when posting items for auction. While it is legal to resell authentic Williams-Sonoma, Inc. products in their original, unaltered form it is not legal to misappropriate our trademarks or copyrights to help sell your items or to suggest that Williams-Sonoma, Inc. has authorized or approved your products or sales. Williams-Sonoma, Inc. is a member of the eBay VeRO Program and, if your listing infringes Williams-Sonoma, Inc.'s intellectual property rights, we will request eBay to remove your listing from the site.

We believe that it is easier to explain our concerns by way of example and are taking this opportunity to describe typical instances in which our trademarks and copyrights are misused or infringed in eBay listings. These examples are by no means exhaustive of the ways in which our rights may be infringed. Any re-publication of our copyrighted images or designs (be it from the catalog or the products themselves) or mis-use or over-use of our trademarks will be removed from the site. Repeat offenders may lose their eBay privileges altogether. We, of course, cannot provide you legal advice, but if you have concerns that your proposed listing may violate Williams-Sonoma, Inc.'s intellectual property rights, it may be best to err on the side of caution.

The following are common examples of auction listings that raise problems under the copyright and trademark laws.

· Using photographs taken from Williams-Sonoma, Inc.'s brand catalogs or websites to depict your auction item. These materials are copyrighted and intended only for our use within one of our authorized retail channels.

· Copying our distinctive product designs or re-using our products and associated designs to produce your own products. For example, you may not copy a design from one of our pottery barn kids® linen sets in your children's artwork, even if that artwork is merely intended to complement the genuine linens. Likewise, you may not use the genuine linens to fashion your own products (e.g. light switch plates or lampshades) made from so-called ''Pottery Barn'' or ''pottery barn kids'' fabric. In these cases, use of our product designs infringes our copyrights and use of our trademarks to sell them violates our trademark rights. In addition, our products meet rigorous quality control tests before they are sold, but are tested for their intended purpose. Williams-Sonoma, Inc. cannot have its brands associated with products that we do not ensure meet our standards and, because of the use to which they are put, may not perform properly or safely.

· Using Williams-Sonoma, Inc. trademarks to attract buyers to a listing in a way that suggests some sort of affiliation with or authorization by Williams-Sonoma, Inc. While it is appropriate when selling one of our genuine, branded items to refer to our brand name in the listing, it is not appropriate for a seller to suggest any kind of relationship with one of our brands. For example, you may not identify yourself in your store name, domain name, eBay ID or otherwise as ''Williams-Sonoma Fan,'' Williams-Sonoma Shopper,'' or ''Williams-Sonoma 4 u.'' Further you may not suggest that you have any authorized connection to our brand. You may not, for example, make statements such as ''Official Pottery Barn® Outlet'' or ''Your exclusive online destination for west elm® products.'' Over-use of our trademarks in your listing (any use beyond that necessary to adequately identify your item) will have the same effect. A disclaimer disclosing the lack of authenticity of items for sale or lack of association with Williams-Sonoma, Inc. does not cure the violation of our trademark rights.

· Using one of our brand names in your auction if you are not selling authentic Williams-Sonoma, Inc. products. If your item was not manufactured and sold by Williams-Sonoma, Inc., you cannot use our brand name to sell it. For example, using phrases such as ''Pottery Barn Style,'' or ''Like Pottery Barn'' in the auction title or description is not allowed when the product you are selling is not a genuine Pottery Barn® product. This practice is misleading as it attracts buyers who are searching for authentic Williams-Sonoma, Inc. goods. This practice also infringes the trademarked Williams-Sonoma, Inc. brand names by taking advantage of the goodwill associated with our name, as well as exploiting the large investment we have made in our trademarks.

· Using a token item from one of our brands to attract buyers to another product you are selling. This includes the sale of an item of a small value (even if genuine) along with the central product you are selling. A token item may include a branded candle, votive, catalog, shopping bag, gift card of a small value, etc. By using our brand name to advertise such a sale, listings for the items with which these small value products are paired are misleading to potential buyers who are searching for our branded products. Buyers may also become confused about whether the central item that is offered for sale is our product.

· Using multiple brand names to describe an item you are selling. For instance, you may not use ''Williams-Sonoma-Restoration Hardware'' to describe either a Williams-Sonoma® brand product or one produced by its competitor, Restoration Hardware. This is true even if both brands mentioned are Williams-Sonoma, Inc. brands. For example, a listing should not state ''West elm-Pottery Barn chair.'' The Pottery Barn®, Williams-Sonoma® and west elm® and other Williams-Sonoma, Inc. brands are used to identify distinct products. You are entitled to identify the single brand that is genuinely associated with the product in your listing. By using more than one trademark to attract buyers to your listing, it is unclear which brand of product you are selling and is misleading.

· Offering coupons or other items that are not for transfer or resale. Williams-Sonoma, Inc., often to discourage theft or other kinds of fraud, may restrict the resale, transfer or uses of items such as merchandise cards or coupons that are issued when a product is returned, or special codes or coupons that are issued as part of specific promotions. You may not sell any such items that are restricted to a single or specific customer and are not intended for resale or transfer.

Williams-Sonoma, Inc.’s brands and intellectual property are important assets. Many eBay sellers already pay close attention to the principles that we have discussed. We hope that this “About Me” page is informative so that all listings on eBay will observe our rights.

Retailers Banning eBay Sellers - Your Experiences

by: dean

Tue Aug 21 13:27:34 2007

I would like to say thank you to PBK and williams-sonoma, Inc. for allowing there product to be bought by real consumers.

Retailers Banning eBay Sellers - Your Experiences

by: Susan

Tue Aug 21 13:46:38 2007

The banned ebayers are real consumers! If you seen inside their homes you would see tons of PB items that they have bought for there own homes!

Also many many people do not live near one of Pottery Barn's outlet as there is only 9 in the country and most are on the east coast.

Ebayers provided many items to buyers that have no way to get those items as they were either sold out or no longer available at PB.

WS now sends their clearence items to stores in Utah and guess what? They have ebayers who now sell PB items on ebay!

They did not stop ebayers from selling their(PB) stuff on ebay!They also said how the ebayers were bringing PB's sales down on their website because they(ebayers) could sell it much cheaper than what they were selling it for.

Well guess what? The Utah ebayers are selling the stuff much much cheaper than the banned ebayers ever did!Not only that the stuff they are selling has mostly been taken out of their packaging.The outlets never did that with the clearence.

So now who is hurting their internet sells? Not the banned ebayers!

Retailers Banning eBay Sellers - Your Experiences

by: anonymous

Tue Aug 21 19:24:19 2007

My sister was banned from their store. She had only sold on ebay a few times and it was years ago. She is expecting a baby and went in to shop for her nursery, for her own personal use. The Pottery Barn manager told my sister that it didn't matter that she hadn't used her ebay id for the past several years or that she had never been a big seller. Of course the manager knew this was true, because she hadn't seen my sister more than a couple of times in the past several years. Yet they banned her anyway. So at what point does it become their peragotive? Do you want to start losing your rights at anyone's whim? It was really traumatic for her, being kicked out of a store like a criminal when she had done no wrong. She was in tears and her blood pressure went high. This was not a good situation to place a pregnant woman in. Pottery Barn tried to make it as traumitic as possible because the store manager approached her with a big bouncer looking guy in tow while they stood there intimidating and humiliating my sister who was with my elderly disabled mother. Did they really think they needed muscle to toss out a disabled lady and a pregnant lady? My sister is such a quiet shy person and my mom is so sweet, both of them are really good people. She was also told any friends or family associated with her would be banned by association, even if they were seen with her outside of their store, ie, walking around the mall, etc. So now Pottery Barn says if they see, hear, or associate you with someone they have blacklisted, you are automatically banned, it's outrageous. Since when it is okay to threaten people like this?

I think some of the unjust bannings need to be caught on tape and the media needs to play them for the world to see and show what's really going on and how badly people are really being treated. Pottery Barn would hate that, because they would be ashamed of their behavior if everyone was seeing it with their own eyes.

To the person who said Pottery Barn can do whatever they want to. You are wrong and you only say that because it isn't happening to you personally. It's easy to say people can take your rights as long as they aren't YOUR rights. There are laws in place so that people can't do just whatever they want to. Because sometimes what people choose to do is wrong and sometimes the law has to make it right. Pottery Barn will end up doing what the people and the law lets Pottery Barn get away with. So if the people choose to fight this and the law looks at it, they are going to see some definite wrongs, and these will have to be addressed fairly and according to our laws, both state and federal.

Discrimination comes in many forms, all of which are illegal.

It's also my understanding through the grapevine that Pottery Barn has put several not so veiled threats out there trying to shut people up. One being threatening to alert the IRS of anyone who has sold any product of theirs on ebay, a classified ad, or a yard sale if that person chooses to participate in the law suit forming against them. Another threat being that they have collected an ongoing ''list'' of people they consider to be ''ebayers'' and that they may sell these list to other stores to prevent you from shopping in other stores as well.

So you might walk into a store to buy yourself a pair of shoes down the road and because someone somewhere once labeled you an ''ebayer, you are denied service. I have heard that Pottery Barn was collecting information, checking accounts and credit card numbers to track buying history. To me personally, I believe lines have absolutely been crossed.

You may not be personally affected by the Pottery Barn bans, but anyone who appreciates having freedom and having rights that we as Americans have should be outraged by Pottery Barn's treatment of people. I might expect this in another country, but not here in America.

Retailers Banning eBay Sellers - Your Experiences

by: PowerSeller101

Wed Aug 22 15:49:04 2007

I too am a Powerseller banned from my PB outlet. Many times the oulet called me when they wanted my money. It was all about sales margins and when they weren't making sales. They LOVED me at those times. But problem I was told directly from our manager is "profit margine". They believe that ebayers bring down the profit margin by buying tons of discounted items and little full price items. But it is an OUTLET for sakes. We are all looking for bargins. The items we buy are damaged, discontinued and items PB cannot move. We are their inventory contol when you cannot move thru their stores. Complete FIRE hazard if you have ever been in a PB outlet. Sofas tripled stacked ontop of each other, isles so packed you cannot get a shopping cart nor wheelchair thru. Maybe the Handicapped Assoc. ought to check out. Or the local Firemarshalls. Anyways, the newest news I heard is that another Ebayer local to me received a letter from a PB Kids store and was offered to buy all their clearance items directly. They would hold and when she sold one on ebay, they would do their shipping for her? WHAT IS UP WITH THAT??? Came form the seller herself so I am sure it is true. So I don't think PB's plan is to eliminate Ebayers because here they are encouraging. I was told personally I could shop in all their regular stores and online and sell all I want on Ebay. Just no the Outlet stores. Rumors are PB is being bought out, maybe that has something to do with it???? But on Aug 29 2007, WS will make public their 2Q profits (expected to be low with only 1month ban of ebayers), imagine what 3Q will hold with 15-30 million dollars per year ban of ebayers. Our outlet has about 30 ebayers, about 10 large ones out of those and spendings of 3-5 million yearly. Take that by 9 outlets. HUGE MONEY WS IS TURNING AWAY to accomplish WHAT? Noone is saying...

Retailers Banning eBay Sellers - Your Experiences

by: Alex

Thu Aug 23 16:37:39 2007

This is an VERY interesting subject.

Do these ''banning eBay seller stores'' have a sign in the window ? Such as - ''We reserve the right to refuse service to anyone - for any reason.''

If not - I don't think the law is on their side, at least not in most states.

Another thing banning people from your store, when they haven't done anything disruptive or illegal - is probably a violation of civil rights laws. (Especially if they are in a recognized minority.)

A smart lawyer will pick this up & run with it if presented the opportunity.

If this affected me personally, I would be checking with one...

J.M.H.O.

Retailers Banning eBay Sellers - Your Experiences

by: Jrdn

Thu Aug 23 20:33:41 2007

Brand name stores have right not to have their products sold on ebay. No amount of playing the race-card of I'm brown, black or yellow and being discriminated against is going to cut the mustard. Sorry!

Retailers Banning eBay Sellers - Your Experiences

by: Chris

Thu Aug 23 21:25:19 2007

Three women walk into a pb outlet:

A blond with two kids & a coach bag, who buys $1,000 worth of merchandise.

A brunette, in a MC Donald's uniform, who buys $1,000 worth of merchandise.

A red head, with her girlfriend, who buys $1,000 worth of merchandise.

Which one do you say can't buy the merchandise?? Not sure?? Does the McDonald's girl sell on ebay?? The blond was definately here last week shopping, but she's very high end. The red head? I've never seen before, but she's buying 2 sets of this item & that makes me suspecious.
You realize they're leaving this decision in the hands of staff making about $10 an hour. Eventually they'll reject the wrong person. Someone who's let's say married to a lawyer or the siter-in-law of some mucky muck. Someone with some power and a voice, unlike the ebayers.

Retailers Banning eBay Sellers - Your Experiences

by: texas-shopper

Sun Aug 26 22:59:21 2007

Someone above said:
Another thing banning people from your store, when they haven't done anything disruptive or illegal - is probably a violation of civil rights laws.

What many of the banned sellers aren't saying is that they were illegally infringing on the company's copyrights by using photo's stolen from their websites to use as there EBay pictures. Since I have purchased from several EBay sellers located near outlets, I know this to be true. All 5 were using stolen photo's!

Now, many are acting like they are the injured party, leaving out this fact!

Why shouldn't a company ban people that are stealing there copyrighted photo's? I doubt this ban will be seen as illegal, especially when applied to sellers that were doing illegal stuff themselves in order to resell the items bought at outlets.

Retailers Banning eBay Sellers - Your Experiences

by: Steph

Mon Aug 27 09:33:43 2007

Any retail store has the right to ban and refuse service to anyone they want. They can just walk up and say get out. It is totally legal. Just like on ebay, we can block bidders who are obnoxious rude, and don't pay for items.

It is just a fact.

Retailers Banning eBay Sellers - Your Experiences

by: Meredith

Mon Aug 27 13:44:52 2007

Let's face it. If the original retailer could sell it for full price in a timely manner and make money, they would. Since they were unwilling or unable to do that, they put it on sale or consigned it to their outlet. Why should they be upset if another enterprising person is able to make a profit when they weren't. That's the American way!!

Retailers Banning eBay Sellers - Your Experiences

by: zynski

Mon Aug 27 23:11:31 2007

I was also banned from the Pottery Barn Outlet (Burch Run, MI) store in a public embarassing way. I was just a regular shopper (twice a week) because I purchased a home in the area. HAS ANYONE ORGANIZED A LAWSUIT? Please email if you have any information.
Thanks

Retailers Banning eBay Sellers - Your Experiences

by: bubba

Tue Aug 28 11:09:32 2007

Yes, a lawsuit is in the works. Contact Tim Maloney in Texas to be added to the class action list. There are also attorney's in other states that will be working with Tim. Consult one in your state and have him contact Tim. It's a good idea to have representation in your own state too as each state has it's own laws and this banning does violate some of the states laws. Check to find out what your states trade restriction laws are. There are several different angles to this and it can be multiple laws that are being violated here. Finding the right attorney who is hungry for this case is a good idea, he will have other attorney's he or she wants to bring in. The more the merrier because the more heads that get involved, the more winning case files they can pull up that will give you a winning advantage in blah verses blah a judge rules this about this...yada yada. They will have people digging. I've heard that attorney's will be fighting over this case, so get in early and get with someone good. It's a smart idea to have documented as much as you can. If they called you from the store to get you to come in and shop then get the phone records from the phone company. You can do this going back for years on both your home or cell phones. Any conversations that were had, note them, people will be sworn in, so they are not as likely to lie even if Pottery Barn wants them to. If you were discriminated against in the store, have that documented as well. Past employees saw first hand things that were going on? Go ahead and make a list of those names and dates if you have them, the attorney is going to want to interview with them. Do you have information about PB or WS employees sellling on ebay? I know many did. If you have that information gather it up, hard copy everything. Gather up all the email address and names you have in connection. Copy them, bring them in. I know one employee in WS corperate was practically stalking people on ebay, bidding on auctions to gain their personal information, writing customers creating transaction interference. If he bid on your auctions make sure you pull the records on him. Pull your paypal payments or money orders, however he paid. Go through all your feedback and see if his id's appear there. If you received harassing emails from people that you did not know, print those as well. He may have been switching from male female aliases. The court can supenea ebay to make them tell who is behind the id's. Ebay keeps this information for life so even if the id is dead now, beause he uses so many o them and then ditches them, it won't matter because the information can still be obtained. Even if they registered with fake information, it's not very hard to trace back what ip address this came from and from there link it to the person behind it. Easy as pie in fact. Get all your ducks in a row. Talk to your attorney about media coverage. Also, have your attorney immediately demand a copy of your spending history in writing. If PB won't give it to you, have a judge order it. That is after all what they are claiming sets you apart as an ebayer. Because if they are going alone on heresay or if they are assuming or just pointing fingers without a lot of valid evidence then they are going to be paying out a massive settlement in the end. If the managers accepted and encouraged you, that is going to come into play as well, especially if they did so for years. After the media coverage the average shopper will be really turned off and scared to shop there anymore. Nobody wants someone breathing down their neck when they are shopping. Regardless if they are buying for multiple homes, or have eclectic taste. If they feel they are being watched and scrutanized, they will simply take their business elsewhere. Which sounds like a good idea to me.

Retailers Banning eBay Sellers - Your Experiences

by: lisaduka

Mon Sep 3 22:35:45 2007

I'm glad they are getting rid of these people. I was practically pushed out of the way by a 60 year old ebayer in Gaffney SC who took a rug right out from under me. He grabbed the rug and put it in his cart. I said '' I was just about to get that rug for my daughter's room'' and he said ''you'll see it on eBay tomorrow''.
I was so mad I went and said something to the clerk and she told me he was rude and very regular.

Retailers Banning eBay Sellers - Your Experiences

by: Evamarie Martin

Tue Sep 4 12:51:11 2007

I am one of those people who do not live near a PB outlet and value what the eBayers bring to the marketplace. With that said, it should be a fair and equal marketplace, which doesn't ban noticeable, routine customers (which is the only way someone could be banned, as referenced in the article). And the concern over diminishing the brand - then don't keep the Outlet stores open. The corporation wants them open for the pure purpose of still selling product that didn't originally sell in the prime store.

Retailers Banning eBay Sellers - Your Experiences

by: KK

Fri Sep 7 21:01:48 2007

As a consumer who regularly shops at the PB outlets. I have encountered many Ebayers, they are very easy to spot. They are rude, remove things from other customers carts. Work in groups to block the aisle, grab all the merchandise and move to another location and sort their "loot". As far as ebayers only buying items that didn't sell in the catalog or damaged merchanise as several of you have claimed. That's a crock of bull! You all know that if it didn't sell in the catalog and its' not selling in the outlet then why would you buy and item that would be difficult to resale. As anyone knows that shops the outlet, not all items are damaged, out of season or defective. There are many items that are sold as a new item, there is plenty of new merchadise in those outlets. If it was all junk I don't think you would be in there purchasing and reselling. I think what you are all missing is the point that non re-sellers are complaining to Pottery Barn about you! Plain and simple. If you wanted to continue shopping there you should have learned to be considerate purchasers and not interfer with non-resellers shopping experience. Now I've noticed most of you are saying you were always above board in your actions. If this were true the outlets would not be enforcing their policies. You only have yourselves to blame! Way to go WS and Pottery Barn. Thanks for sticking up for the "regular consumer"!
Your negative behavior has caused return policies to change and be enforced both in the outlets, stores and catalogs. Now the regular consumer has been penalized because of your actions. I look forward to your lawsuit and wait to learn that you won't have a leg to stand on. (interesting that only a Texas atty is getting involved) Just like any other establishment they have a right to refuse service to anyone they deem disruptive to their business! It's sad to some of you as I'm sure there are some very good ebayers out there that are considerate of other shoppers but I haven't seen them yet. I've experienced the ebayers in Leesburg Va outlet and Lancaster, Pa outlet. I will say the ones that shop the Lancaster outlet are the worst of the lot.

Retailers Banning eBay Sellers - Your Experiences

by: Paul

Sat Sep 8 09:54:14 2007

I am an ebayer from the Lancaster store.I never took stuff out of other peoples cart! As a matter of fact people took stuff out of my cart and I allowed it cause if they wanted it I gave it to them! I tried not to cause any problems with customers(by the way I am also a customer my money is just as good as anyone elses!)or the employees.The real reason for the ban? Is because ebayers are driving away customers from their catalog and website cause we can sell it cheaper.Was there troublemakers? Yes there was as there was also "regular customers" who also were troublemakers who fought between other customers for stuff that they each wanted.Also PB had limits on the amount you could buy of something and I always followed that limit! There is troublemakers at every outlet and I really doubt the Lancaster one is the worse! I am pretty sure a WS employee has posted on this thread and they have no idea how the ebayers were treated by the employees.Work in groups to block the aisle? Really? I must say I have never seen that at all!As small as those aisles are its not hard for two people to "block an aisle".Outlets are overstock and discontinued items and yes new items that are not moving very well.We could get it so cheap that we could resell even if it didn't do well on their website.I happen to know of a ebayer that was complained about to an employee because this ebayer would not allow them(a regular customer) to take something out of the ebayers cart that the ebayer had first! Is that right? No it is not! When there is money involved there will be problems and thats why there was rules and I followed those rules.

Retailers Banning eBay Sellers - Your Experiences

by: Frustrated

Mon Sep 10 11:06:25 2007

KK: I find that quite funny. We actually know you. You are an employee of William Sonoma. You were actually one of those whiney trouble makers. Funny thing is...I never took anything out of any customer's cart...however...I had MANY customers remove things out of my cart. If I remember correctly...you use to come and say..."I am an employee"...wow...you shopped there ALL the time. You would always tell us..."I am just shopping for myself"...yeah...that is a joke. The amount of time you were there..and the amount you bought..oh please! I am sure you made good money reselling those items. Quite the hypocrite. I would go into Pottery Barn...try to mind my own business and just shop. It was nasty employees who caused major problems. Employees who were biased from the start.

Retailers Banning eBay Sellers - Your Experiences

by: Tymo

Sat Sep 15 10:30:45 2007

I was wondering, is the Pottery Barn ban still in effect? I ask this because I still see lots and lots of Pottery Barn items on Ebay. I know people can purchase items in the store, but there are lots of items you can only get from the catalog out there. I was wondering if Pottery Barn woke up and decided to increase their sales and let resellers back into their stores. Seeing as how the economy isn't the best you'd think they'd wake up already. Just wondering.

Retailers Banning eBay Sellers - Your Experiences

by: Debbie

Sat Sep 15 18:43:13 2007

I was just banned from Pottery Barn TODAY! I went to the outlet store in San Marcos, Texas to buy multiple things I had a list for. My practice is to purchase things I want/need for my home from Pottery Barn, and then buy some additional things from Pottery Barn to sell on Ebay to put a dent in what I spend on my personal stuff. My house is full of Pottery Barn Merchandise. I have five kids and all of their bedrooms have almost exclusively all Pottery Barn furniture and linens. I have an armoire and coffee table in my Living Room from there. My daughter, who is a college student at College Station, has her entire room in Pottery Barn furniture. I have purchased many thousands of dollars in merchandise from them, both for my home and to resell, but mostly for my home. My house is like one big Pottery Barn advertisement!! Not only that, but since it's been my favorite store to visit at the outlet for a long time, everytime I go, I invite family and friends to go with me. I know many of them would never go otherwise. They are not resellers, but when they banned me, they essentially lost their business too. Today, my sister-in-law came with me and spent $250. The only time she ever goes is when she's with me. To answer the original questions:

1. About half of all I sell on Ebay is from Pottery Barn. The rest is just miscellaneous stuff I pick up here and there. I am not a regular Ebayer. Just seasonal during Christmas and when I need new furniture or bedding from Pottery Barn!! This is not my living, just my way of making their overpriced merchandise more affordable for my family.

2. Yes, I was banned. They told me that all identified resellers are not allowed to perform any transactions at their store. When I was purchasing a higher than normal number of some pillow shams I intended to resell, they asked me why I was buying so many. I told them that I was buying 4 of them for my boys beds but I was planning on selling the others to make back some of the money I was spending. They then told me that I could only buy what I needed for me personally and could not buy anything to resell. Once my transaction was completed me, they informed me that now that I had been identified as a ''reseller'', I would no longer be allowed to shop at their store.

3. I've been in that store dozens of times, and they've never said anything to me before. I don't have a tax exempt number, so they only knew I was a reseller because I told them. I have never tried to hide it or lied about it to them. I just never dreamed that they would go to those kinds of lengths to keep someone who spends thousands a year in their store from ever shopping there again.

4. I've observed disruptive behavior in their store only a couple of times in the five years or so I've shopped there, but I had no reason to think that those people were resellers. Frankly, I've never really cared. People will be rude if they want to, whether they are resellers or not. I don't think being an Ebayer has anything to do with peoples choice to behave badly.

5. I do not plan to send anyone in the store for me. I intend to fight their decision to ban me at the corporate level and continue shopping there myself. I told them the truth about being a reseller, why would I then start lying about whether or not I am continuing to resell merchandise. In all the years I've shopped there, this is the first time they've ever even uttered the words! If I tell them I will not resell anymore, how can they continue to ban me from their store? Is that even legal, if not completely foolish?

6. I think limits would be much more effective, at least in my case. I can usually only identify a few things that I can even sell from there for a profit. As a result, I will buy a higher than normal quantity of those items to cover some of my costs. If there were limits, the few things I have time to identify as moneymakers would not be worth the 45 minute drive to the outlet store. However, the particular item I was buying today was not something that were in short supply of. They had tons and tons of them on the shelf, and boxes and boxes of them on the shelves above. They just lost out on the opportunity to sell 10 pillow shams that they will probably end up discounting even more.

7. I have no idea why they would ban Ebayers. It makes no sense to me. If they are worried about cheapening their brand, then they should visit one of their own outlet stores. They are generally a real mess and there all kinds of damaged products and things that only crazy people would buy. If their outlet store was my only exposure to their merchandise, I would not be impressed. They've cheapened their own brand by having an outlet to begin with, and then having various furniture and linen pieces all over the place in there, some of it in pieces. Once you've been to a Pottery Barn outlet store, you realize that a lot of their furniture is made out of MDF and particle board. Besides, even some of the outlet stuff is ridiculously overpriced! I'm sorry but I think $3000 is too much to pay for a sofa that's either damaged or that no-one else wanted. I think the cheapest sofa there was about $1500. They should be thrilled that so many people want to take their ''junk'' off their hands.

8. Vero, seems to me, would be the most effective for Pottery Barn to ban resellers. Sellers would definitely get tired of having their auctions pulled and quit buying there by default anyway. It would make a lot more sense than alienating customers. I'm so annoyed I'm ready to make them buy back all the stuff I have that I've been looking for matching pieces for, since I can no longer shop in their store to find the items I still need.

Retailers Banning eBay Sellers - Your Experiences

by: Debbie

Sat Sep 15 18:53:35 2007

Just one last note on my last post. I visit Pottery Barn maybe 12 times per year. It just so happens that I might go three times in one week, when I'm trying to make enough money to fund my last furniture purchase. But before my visit earlier this week and today, I hadn't been to Pottery Barn since February, almost 7 months! They managed to identify me as a reseller in just two visits, both of which I only spent about $500.

Retailers Banning eBay Sellers - Your Experiences

by: Jeannine Hughes

Fri Oct 12 23:37:37 2007

I was forwarded this link. I was banned from the Pottery Barn Outlet in Lancaster PA on Oct. 12th. I do not resell. I do not have a tax ID #, I am a stay at home single mom who has had to buy furniture and accesories on the cheap. They refused to sell to me and I had two 70% clearance chipped candles in my cart!!! I felt like a thief. I was told that "corporate" had flagged me because of my frequent purchases. Yeah which may have totalled 4000$ and furnished my house and my exes townhouse. While I don't fault anyone for trying to make extra cash with EBAY Pottery Barn has gone too far. So I like to shop clearance! So what! I'm on a budget and I get punished for being a savvy shopper? I am livid. Dept. of Consumer Protection here I come.

Retailers Banning eBay Sellers - Your Experiences

by: debbie M.

Sat Oct 13 02:15:31 2007

It is totally crazy that outlets are allowed to do this to people. I know several sellers on ebay who have been banned from Coach. I thought we lived in a free enterprize country where a person is allowed to make an honest living. Instead we ebay sellers are made to hide, sneak, and feel like we are committing crimes for trying to make a living. Isn't everything that is made-resold at a profit, **hello**its called BUSINESS! Perhaps Oscar Myer hotdogs will decide not to let their hotdogs be sold at little league parks anymore, or perhaps pepsi doesnt want their products resold at amuzement parks for 2.00 a cup anymore, where does it end. I hope this board will bring more awareness to what is happening to ebay sellers, we are not the bad guy, just business people.

Retailers Banning eBay Sellers - Your Experiences

by: Tymo

Thu Nov 1 20:28:54 2007

I wanted to give the unfortunate people who were banned from Pottery Barn outlets some information after shopping today at the outlet store. I do have to say that things have DEFINITELY changed at the outlet. The crowds are no logner there and there are piles and piles of inventory everywhere in the store. There's so much inventory that there's hardly any place to put it. Even with the store offering 50% off rugs and 70% off furniture the place was piled with these items and there was hardly any movement of the items out the door. There use to be vans and trucks parked constantly and I didn't see one piece of furniture sell while I was there. The lines are not long at all in fact they only had one person working the registers when I was there. I should also mention that the pricing in the store has definitely changed. There were rugs priced the same as the catalog pricing and even with the 50% discount the rugs are pretty beat up to spend that much money. I do have to say that even if Ebayers were allowed back into the outlet store that they wouldn't shop there for long. The prices are way too high for merchandise that is spent. Don't be sad about the banning... you're definitely not missing anything!!!!

Retailers Banning eBay Sellers - Your Experiences

by: Somebody

Sun Nov 11 18:03:06 2007

I agree, some ebayers were rude, obnoxious, dishonest, bribed, pushed, shoved, cheated, and even stole! So why not ban those ebayers instead of everybody as a whole? And how do you guys feel about being banned, while there is still over ten thousand pb items on ebay and new listings added every single day? Not even counting West Elm or Williams Sonoma items. It looks like the ban didn't work at all. So how fair is it to the people who are being stopped, when SO Many are not being stopped? It is only working against the honest people who will abide by it, but the big sellers who made a fortune and were greedy, if you check their auctions they are still at it going strong. Yet others are being told they can't even buy for personal homes. Seem right??

Retailers Banning eBay Sellers - Your Experiences

by: FYI

Sun Nov 11 18:21:38 2007

FYI folks, I think the whole class action lawsuit was a hoax from the get go. If you want to get a lawsuit going, don't trust someone who says they are doing it for you and then you never hear a word from anyone. Real lawsuits don't work that way. You would have been contacted by the lawyer to opt in. If you weren't, then it never existed! Wise up. You just took her word for it and you took her word that you were in it and you took her word that the lawyer said there was nothing they could do, and what if that word was no good? My personal opinion is that this supposed lawsuit was a ploy specifically engineered to keep you from filing real lawsuits and seeking real legal advice and alerting the real media, to the real issues. The supposed leader of that lawsuit NEVER stopped listing, and is still listing the top rated Pottery Barn rugs and other items. Suspicious? Absolutely it is! She wants you all to believe that she does it by paying Retail and Catalog prices. How many of you are that stupid? Raise your hand! We all see the catalog and retail prices and even when they have sales it doesn't support ebay pricing. You know that!! Come on!! How many of you have been so nieve and have set back and thought I can't do anything about this, because ''they'' tried and ''they'' couldn't do anything about it. Who are they? How well do you know them? What if what you think you know is all a lie? Trust to no one what you should be seeing to yourself. There is a lot of money involved here. People will LIE over a lot of money, don't doubt it. The lady who was supposedly heading up that lawsuit and pretending to have to sell her house, told me probably five years ago that she'd have her house paid off in two years. You cannot believe a word she says people! She says someone was working with WS and infilterated her message board. Well what if it was her? Did any of you consider that? She collected All of your information so you could be in the lawsuit right? Or did she collect your information so she could pass it on to Williams Sonoma?? Why when she did her t.v. spot was she the only one cited as being banned, and none of you mentioned? She explained that away as nothing and assured you that you were included, but you weren't! Why did the lawyer say on tv that she was going to be filing suit and not a word about anything class action? You all fell for it and you all did nothing!!! Which is exactly what you were supposed to do.
THINK IT OUT PEOPLE. CONNECT THE DOTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Retailers Banning eBay Sellers - Your Experiences

by: Frank

Thu Nov 15 12:08:07 2007

I also was banned!! Im an ebay powerseller. I am a stay at home dad trying to make ends meet at home!

This is why this entire ban is discrimation! Unless you can ban across the board everyone who is doing it, otherwise it discrimination!!! There are still thousands of items listed on ebay, so obviously there are still ebayers buying product from POTTERY BARN OUTLETS. This is where the discrimination takes place. It should be all or nobody.

I have been doing ebay for 7 years and PB for almost 2 years now. I HAVE NEVER ONCE SEEN A FIGHT ABOUT PRODUCTS.

About the person who said that they work in groups and block ailes, what a joke actually they stock so much that you can even get a cart through most ailes!

I go in with my daughter or sometimes both of my daughters. I mind my own business, never ask for help, i fill up my cart with some items(carts are super small by the way) and i pay and go on my way. When i sell those items i come back for more, sometimes on the weekend i go 2x a day, BUT NEVER EVERY HAVE BEEN RUDE TO ANYONE, but on the contrary i have made friends with some of the associates.

I was taken to the side one day by a manager and was told that i would be banned cause i have been flagged by corporate for buying too much. She did it very low key which was nice of her, she also said that she didnt agree to it but had to follow through otherwise her job would be on the line. She told me she loved ebayers as her goals would be met because of them and that inventory was always circulated cause of ebayers.

There was always a limit on six items per sku, so if there was always a limit like that set then they also knew that people were re selling, why else would they put a limit on something?

As far as the fight that we cheapen there products somehow, once they opened the doors to an outlet they have already themselves cheapened there name, not us! If you dont want to sell it for cheap then dont put in on clearance or at an outlet store.

One of the oldest ways to make money is to buy and sell. Buy low and sell high. Just like stocks, buy xerox low at $50 a share and sell high at $75 a share and hopefully make a profit. Not everything i buy at PB i make a profit on, but that is the nature of the beast. If it were so easy to do then everybody would be doing it!

It should be first come first serve, if im there with money in hand and find what i want and willing to pay that price for it then it should be sold to me. Im not stealing, fighting, haggling i go in spend my green american dollars and go on my merry way!

But no i am banned, i beleive that they bit there nose off to spite there face! Just like any business its about bottom line, once they realize that they have made a grave mistake and start losing money instead of making money, and once the outlet stores can no longer hold the amount of merchandise coming in and its just sitting there, this will all come to pass and eventually they will let the ebayers back in slowly but surely!

Cant have it both ways though!

As a matter of fact i think the buyers at Pottery Barn should have to answer to the bosses that be, as they have over purchased lines and items that have not sold that need to be put into the outlets!! I guess they are not doing the jobs they were hired to do very well, now are they?

Retailers Banning eBay Sellers - Your Experiences

by: Attn: FYI

Thu Nov 15 12:55:22 2007

To the above poster with the FYI thread:

I have read everything you have written across all the different boards, you have very strong feelings about this, I know that you have been burned by JI and the like in the past and have info that could blow everything up in their faces. I also agree with alot of what you say, know who you are talking about in the above post and am not surprised at all by your words.
But how come you are posting all this stuff and not doing anything with the info you have?

Retailers Banning eBay Sellers - Your Experiences

by: FYI

Thu Nov 29 17:54:59 2007

Being prepared...priceless
For everything else, there's mastercard.

Retailers Banning eBay Sellers - Your Experiences

by: ann

Fri Dec 7 20:03:42 2007

Pottery Barn didn't really want to ban all ebay. They have over 12,000 auctions up now, more than before the ban.

Someone from Texas has maybe 50 sheet sets up. Pottery Barn had to know they were selling to ebaywhen they sold them sheets. Someone else has a lot of flokati rugs. They are doing nothing to keep new ebayers out.

They just wanted the old ones out because they knew too much about what was going on in their stores. They knew which employees were selling to ebay and how employees would get all the good bargains which they themselves would mark. They knew which employees were stealing from store and marking their items cheap. Ebay kept a watch on employees and management. They were in store enough to know exactly what was going on and what managers were doing. That is why managers wanted old ebayers out of store.

Retailers Banning eBay Sellers - Your Experiences

by: Banned ebayer

Sat Dec 8 22:04:15 2007

The seller with 50 or more sheets is a Pottery Barn employee.Read the auction and you will see her even say she uses her EMPLOYEE discount.

Retailers Banning eBay Sellers - Your Experiences

by: other avenues

Sun Dec 16 00:43:19 2007

Get this!! Apparently PB Outlet has felt the pain. They had their first warehouse sale in years. Open to the public! As banned ebayers, 2 of us walked in together, and was greeted by the outlet manager who also said, PLEASE COME IN AND BUY A LOT!! You can shop here freely. Another Lowly assistant manager of the outlet, pointed us out to the corporate guys. She told us we may not be able to shop there either. HA!! YA RIGHT!! We were also greeted by the corporate guys who explained how making the purchases worked. Several employees from other outlets also worked the sale. It was funny to shop being welcomed by corporate people and outlet employees at the warehouse, but banned from the store.

Retailers Banning eBay Sellers - Your Experiences

by: Banned ebayer

Sun Dec 16 09:28:24 2007

other avenues,Where is this warehouse sale? Is it in TN? If so way too far for me :(

Retailers Banning eBay Sellers - Your Experiences

by: Banned ebayer

Tue Jan 15 15:42:38 2008

Williams Sonoma released their 4q earnings this morning and down went their stock to its lowest its ever been! Somebody at WS needs to wake up and let the banned ebayers back in.In todays market you refuse peoples money? Not a good business decesion in my opinion.Let your loyal customers back in Williams Sonoma!

Retailers Banning eBay Sellers - Your Experiences

by: Tammi

Tue Feb 12 18:45:04 2008

I am glad they have banned ebayers from the Pottery Barns and Coach stores. They are the ones who cheapen the brands. If the woman that is sueing the company makes her living at selling Pottery Barn and Williams Sonoma products, then I think she owes them money from all the advertising and catalogs they send out all year long. If she is using the photos from them, she is infringing on the photographer also. Sounds to me she owes them money. And if you are going to do this as a living by buying up large containties you better know the store policies and laws. Remember, when you go for the lawsuit be prepared for the worst, they know their polices inside and out, do you? And as any business in this world you may come up against hard times, and you can't adapt, then you need to close up shop and find another business or get a real job, where you can have health insurance and pay taxes.

The 4Q earnies have nothing to do with the power buyers, it has to do with the public not buying what they normallly do this past year. Remember we are in a time where people cut back this year, because of the harsh interest rates on the homes they bought and now unfortunally cannot afford. Are you going to blame the interest rates and property values declining on Pottery Barn not allowing them to sell on ebay also? Your not loyal customers, you are loyal to making a buck on the company that has paid millions of dollars on their brand name. So why don't you pay them for the advertising fees.

Retailers Banning eBay Sellers - Your Experiences

by: PB

Wed Feb 13 11:09:40 2008

Considering many of the sellers spent $50,000 plus a MONTH in the outlet the ban has hurt them! Sorry but I do not believe for one second that the sellers cheapened PB's or Coach's product.They do that all by themselves.

Ever notice how many Coach outlets there are? Too many! Why would a person buy a $600 dollar purse when it will soon be at the outlets for much cheaper? Same with PB.There is not many PB Outlets but they send lots of their stuff to the outlets where it gets marked even cheaper.Oh and PB now sends its clearence stuff to a liquidator in Utah.These companies are cheapening their stuff all by themselves.Ever noticed the cheap prices the Utah sellers have the stuff? Its because the liqidator gets it for dirt cheap and sells it for dirt cheap.

Retailers Banning eBay Sellers - Your Experiences

by: EBAY101

Fri Feb 15 10:18:03 2008

ATTENTION: BANNED EBAYES. WILLIAM SONOMA/PB IS TRUELY FEELING THE PAIN OF THE ECONOMY AND YES TAMMI FROM ALL OF THE MILLIONS EBAYERS SPEND THERE YEARLY. IF WE ARE TO MAKE AN IMPACT WE HAVE TO BAN TOGETHER AND MAKE A STATEMENT. OBVIOUSLY WE ARE NOT GETTING THRU TO CORPORATE BUT WHAT ABOUT THEIR HUGE INVESTORS WHO HAVE SOMETHING PERSONALLY TO LOOSE? IF YOU WATCH THEIR STOCKS, 2 INSURANCE COMPANIES OWN THE MAJORITY (ABOUT 80% OF COMPANY) AND HAVE LOST LITERALLY MILLIONS IN THE LAST FEW MONTHS... STOCKS WENT FROM AVERAGING $35 A SHARE TO THEIR LOW OF $17 ABOUT 1 MONTH AGO.. SITTING AROUND $25 RIGHT NOW.. STILL NOT GOOD. I JUST CAME ACROSS THIS AND I THINK WE SHOULD ALL EMAIL/CALL/FAX ANYONE WHO HAS A HUGE INTEREST IN HOW PB WILL DO IN THE MARKET... SURELY THEY CARE MORE THAN ANYONE ABOUT HOW SALES ARE DOING...Investor Reports Williams-Sonoma Stake
AP
Posted: 2008-02-07 16:22:59
NEW YORK (AP) - A former director of Williams-Sonoma Inc. has acquired a 10.3 percent passive stake in the home furnishings retailer, according to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission on Thursday.

James A. McMahan beneficially owns about 10.9 million shares, or a 10.3 percent stake in the San Francisco-based company.

McMahan disclosed the stake in a Schedule 13G filing, which indicates the investment is passive, and that the shares weren't acquired to change or influence control of the company.

Williams-Sonoma shares jumped $1.06, or 4.2 percent, to close at $26.48.

CONTACT: JAMES MCMAHAN 2237 COLBY AVE, LOS ANGLES CA 90064.. 310-473-8411 PHOHE AND 310-312-1765 FAX

Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. Active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.
02/07/08 16:18 EST

Retailers Banning eBay Sellers - Your Experiences

by: BeenThere

Sun Feb 17 20:09:04 2008

A retail store is private property, and entering the store as a customer is a privilege, and as a result the store can kick a customer out at any time and/or bar a customer from coming into the store in the first place. The store does not have to tell the customer why it's doing what it's doing. If the customer feels that the store's reason for its actions has to do with some sort of discrimination based on a recognized, protected characteristic (e.g. race, disability, etc.) and the customer can prove this in court, then the store will have a problem, but otherwise the store is in the driver's seat.

Yes, it might seem that eBayers are doing stores a favor by helping them move merchandise, but the stores may view it differently. If eBayers come in and take all the good stuff, ''regular'' shoppers will sooner or later decide that there's no point in going there because there's not going to be anything worth finding.

And the stores should be concerned about unauthorized sales channels; there are plenty of examples of people selling a bunch of legitimate stuff on eBay to build up a reputation and then dumping a load of fake merchandise on unsuspecting customers. Obviously the stores don't care for it when this happens.

Retailers Banning eBay Sellers - Your Experiences

by: PBJ

Mon Feb 18 09:17:15 2008

Beenthere,no one is saying the stores didn't have a right to do what they did.Fact is Pottery Barn had this policy in effect for years and looked the other way because they profitted from the ebayers for years.

The stores didn't view it differently.The ebayers were told to buy buy buy as stuff came in and when sales were low.It also didn't stop so called regular shoppers from shopping there.Ever been there on a Saturday or Sunday when the lines are around the store waiting to checkout?

Pottery Barn ebayers have not and do not sell fake pottery barn items.All their items come from Pottery Barn.

Retailers Banning eBay Sellers - Your Experiences

by: Hey Targa!

Fri Feb 22 23:43:38 2008

Targa grow the hell up! You go to all the websites posting all this CRAP about how ebayers should owe WS/PB money, posing yourself under all these alias names. You are and always have been completely obsessed with people selling on ebay, even though you've got plenty of ebay id's of your own. You've sold on ebay right? And bought PB products off ebay too, right?? Do you deny it? So does it make you scum? In my opinion you are scum, but it has nothing to do with what you've sold or haven't sold on ebay. That is not what defines a human being, or a rattlesnake like you. You live by the do as I say not do as I do rule. You are a hypocrite and a control freak and you run off at the mouth WAY too much!

By the way, people recognize your post no matter what (or how MANY) alias' you write under because it's always the same manic furious raving lunatic narcissist rant. You try to make it look like people support your side of the arguement by manipulating the message boards and writing the post as a supposed ''bystander opinion'', but it just makes you look stupid. We all know who you are and what your agenda is. You aren't faking anyone out. You are completely and sickeningly obsessed with ebayers, your tendancies to email them, their customers, buy from them, collect their private and personal info, etc... to me is clearly stalking and I think it could definitely be tried in court. And you and I both know that is the tip of the iceburg huh? So you better know all THOSE laws inside and out. It's corperate idiots like you (and sis?) who made this decision to ''ban'' ebayers and has it worked? Heck no! The truth is that there are still a ton of Pottery Barn and Williams Sonoma products on ebay and the biggest powersellers then are still the biggest powersellers now, and still with Pottery Barn product. So who have you stopped? A few people who are honest and willing to abide by the ban, a few grannies and granpaps, but not many of the others. I guess you didn't really have the power that you THOUGHT you had did you? Awe, I can feel your blood boiling from here. It just galls you to no end doesn't it.

Check out the auctions of idancelikeaduck and t-o-b-s just to name a few. They are making a fortune off PB product. Paying off the farm, pardon the pun tobs, lol. Nobody is stopping them, nor dozens and dozens of others like them. In fact, with t-o-b-s selling large furniture items like sectionals and sofa's then it's obvious she isn't sneaking them out of the store, so anyone with a brain can see it's done with someone's blessing. So are you in on that, or does it drive you insane? Hmmm...

And I'm not the only one who noticed it. I've seen others post about it.

So do you want to rant again about how WS is a privately owned and traded company and how you have the right to discriminate against anybody you want to? You posted something like that on ebay boards. One of your many ''I think I'm so smart but I'm really such a dumb Freaker'' post. Tell me how you got your big important ''smart guy'' job? Did you earn it? Or were you given it by your sister? You may have come out on the winning end of a lawsuit with your previous employer but don't get too cocky, you've made a lot of mistakes with the ebay thing, and left a huge trail of bread crumbs and you just may lose this one. One thing is for sure you are the LAST person on earth who has the right to be breathing down anyone else's throat. One thing I can say for idancelikeaduck, tobs, and the rest of the ebayers is how dare you say they need to get a real job. Like you? Is it a real job what you do?? I don't see it that way. These people actually work their ass off. Because ebay is very hard work, very time consuming, back breaking at times, and it's REAL WORK. Much more so than anything I've ever seen you do. Tell us how hard stalking and manipulating and lying is? Maybe that is hard work to you.

I am laughing my ass off at your post, every pathetic one of them, and WS pitiful profit margins. Which are obvioiusly going to continue to get worse. WS could show a morsel of sense and up their profits significantly in their outlet division by allowing ebayers back in. Or they can just wallow in their declining profits. They aren't going to get any pity from consumers or the economy.

You know what makes me feel great?There is one ebayer that can wipe the floor with you in court. You know it, WS knows it, and most importantly, SHE knows it.

There are a lot of people trying to talk her into running with it. You better pray she doesn't. Because it's a hell of a lot bigger than this trial ebay ban isn't it?

I know a lot of people don't understand this post, but TARGA, YOU DO. Many others may as well.

Yes, everyone do write the investors. It couldn't hurt to bring this out into the light. That is exactly where WS doesn't want it. They want to keep all their dirty little secrets under the proverbial rug. Dirt doesn't sell in home decor, now does it?

Retailers Banning eBay Sellers - Your Experiences

by: l.h.

Sun Mar 16 20:37:11 2008

i think the re-sellers at ebay are getting a lot of money for the merchandise they re-sell....are they not? i can't be bothered with them. i'll drive to an outlet store directly so i can buy something 'rare' 'in great demand...no longer in stock at PB'as they so often put it. listen i hope they earn an income....but they are asking for a lot of money and are getting it...i'm not to sorry for them when i realize what THEIR markup is.

Retailers Banning eBay Sellers - Your Experiences

by: Re: Elliot

Thu Apr 17 17:31:18 2008

Whether or not they are working hand in hand with corperate or not? Can't say. However anyone with eyes can see they are working with someone, pb employees or someone, maybe it is or isn't on the record, because like you said wildwonderfulbuys hasn't been stopped, nor others. Maybe someone at pb doesn't get what across the board means. Either stop them all, or stop none of them.

Reply to L.H., I agree some are greedy!!! Yet it is the biggest greediest ones that got around it. The people who were starting their auctions at .99 cents and passing on the bargains, they were letting the ebay bidders decide. Those bargains aren't on ebay anymore in the PB genre. Less and less were able to do that because PB began marking returns and even damaged merchandise up to nearly retail. That's why their rugs are piled up in the store. When I walk through now, it is plain to see how much the banning hurt their business. The stores are overflowing and in shambles. Ebayers helped drive demanda and excitement for their product. Now it's kinda becoming a thing of the past. People WANT to shop on ebay. If pb products get scarce on ebay, people will jump brands and go with something else that they can get on ebay. Restoration Hardware's ebay sales are way up! PB cut off their own nose. When you put idiots in charge, that's what happens.

Retailers Banning eBay Sellers - Your Experiences

by: Banned PB ebayer

Fri Apr 18 21:31:38 2008

I am a pottery barn seller that sold from the outlet.I am one of the big sellers.I still have stuff from when we were allowed to shop at the outlet.I have not shopped at the outlet since the ban went into effect.I can't speak for the other sellers and have no idea if they are being allowed to shop at the outlet unofficially or have PB employees helping them.If they are well thats not right or fair to the ones who are banned.I can tell you of some new sellers who have popped up that have not been stopped.I recently seen one that has been selling for a couple of months that has had 6 cribs,6 kids benches,6 of the same bedding sets in kids and adults and 6 of different style bedding sets.That alone should be a huge neon sign that they are a reseller but yet they have not been stopped.Yes the bargains that you use to find on ebay for PB stuff is no more as PB raised prices in the outlets to retail price and some mark off.25% markoff of a $299 dollar quilt is not much savings.I have heard that the outlets are filled because we are not there to buy stuff that just sits and sits until finally they have to lower it so low just to move it.Its a shame they had to ban us.In todays market that was not a very good idea.

Retailers Banning eBay Sellers - Your Experiences

by: another banned

Tue Apr 22 10:06:38 2008

I was banned on April 15, 2008 from Pottery Barn Kids Outlet in Lancaster.

After the manager bagged my merchandise, she followed me out of the store with a male employee to tell me I am banned from buying, exchanging or returning from any Pottery Barn outlet. Why did she not inform me that could happen while I was making the purchase? I would have put back the few items I was not going to use personally. I felt like a criminal. Isn't this what they do when they catch a shop lifter??? I thought because of their policy of limiting the number of items you could purchase to 6, it was okay to resell. Who needs 6 of the same quilt for personal use??? The manager claimed their right to not sell to resellers or wholesalers was on the receipt-it was not. I went back into the store to see where it was posted and couldn't find it. An employee showed me a type written page of store policies which was not by the cash register they had open. Why don't they put a very large visable sign which states they have the right not sell to resellers and wholesalers??? And what does that mean?? How do they pick who they are going to ban?? I have purchased over $4,000 in the past few months for my own home and daughter's home. I am not a power seller, I just opened an ebay account last month. I have sold 13 items on ebay. Why are they trying to make enemies rather than keep a good customer??????

Retailers Banning eBay Sellers - Your Experiences

by: Mom of three

Wed Apr 23 21:37:39 2008

I am floored to think that ANY reputable company, well known or other wise, has a problem with THEIR items being resold on EBay. Really People!!
Does this “Cheapen” their name? Nooooooooo, I think not.
Women for the most part are ALWAYS happy to get a good deal. Where they purchased it is irrelevant. If you get a good deal at Bloomingdales Great! If you get e good deal at ROSS Wonderful! A deal is a deal! Just like if you buy someone a birthday gift… If the quality is good and it’s something you like, that’s what matters. Not what price was on the tag? If you are receiving the gift, are you offended if you find out it was purchased on sale vs., paid full price for?? If the tag says Pottery Barn or what ever “name brand” and it was the item you desired then great!
I agree you shouldn’t steal photos from catalogues or make up a replica and then call it “Authentic”. That’s plain out dishonest! If you are going to list it on EBay, then be responsible, take the time to take your own photos and give your own description.
There are people all over the world that aren’t near a favorite store or are unable to get the store they like. (Stay at home moms, disabled people, full time working class people who can’t venture out to shop at 9pm because all the stores are closed. So guess what?! Shopping on EBay is a great asset to them. Perhaps the item they are interested in was discontinued a year ago but they just found out about it and can’t find it anywhere. That one wonderful guy on EBay happens to have it… and because he purchased it from an outlet for $39.99 that originally sold at a PB Store for $160.00 and now he is selling it to ME for $99.00…. does that really take away from the Quality or Perception of the PB item or name? Uhhhhhh Helloooooo People?! No! It doesn’t. And that goes for any item or Brand. Lucky Jeans, Coach purses, Blackberry’s, What ever else out there in retail land. If it’s a hot item and someone else is profiting from it because they go and purchase all 30 items from a store and then turn around and sell it for more money, then so be it! My loss for not getting out there to get the item before it was gone, or my gain because I found the item on sale from the guy on EBay. It’s the same item! It doesn’t add or take away from the VALUE! Isn’t it all about supply and demand?
*Here’s another situation, Mrs. Money-Bags buys a $3,000.00 purse, decides two months later she doesn’t really like it. She GIVES it to her maid Maria. Maria has no use for such an expensive purse; she needs to pay her rent! Not really knowing the value of the purse or doesn’t really care, she passes the bag off to her sister Linda and asks her to sell it on her EBay account for the extra money to help pay her bills. Linda sells the bag at a fraction of the original cost. Maria gets to pay her rent and buys groceries. Linda gets a small percentage that helps pay off her EBay fees. Rebecca buys the bag on EBay and feels stoked that she got such an awesome deal on a bag she always wanted but couldn’t afford to acquire. Mrs. Money-Bags buys a few more expensive purses to make up for the one she gave away. The Purse Company profits from Mrs. Money-Bags numerous purchases past and present. EBay profits off of the sales. Now who is loosing out here? It’s a win win situation. Right? Please tell me what the REAL PROBLEM is here folks?
Let me just say, Pottery Barn should be ashamed of themselves for preventing people from purchasing and shopping at their stores. Banning people for crying out loud!?
I think the people being escorted out should picket outside the store to show others the “true” story behind discrimination. It does not make any since to me. I am a normal person doing every day shopping and I don’t mind them being there. Why should you?

Retailers Banning eBay Sellers - Your Experiences

by: o.c.d.collectibles

Wed Apr 23 22:10:35 2008

Now that I know how WS/PB treats their customers I will boycott their store and their products. Not that I favored much from them anyway..their items are all produced in China or Taiwan, and I see their stuff at yard sales and Church bazaars, still new in packages and boxes before they even get used!LOL!I have one bowl that I paid $1 for and I enjoy using it, but that's about it! There's plenty of good stuff out there in yard sale and thrift store land that sellers can make use of and make a very good profit, and there are plenty of discount stores where some great stuff can be found on the markdown shelves, with a little bit of time and effort, you don't have to patronize stores that don't want you, or auction sites who don't want you either, for that matter!

Retailers Banning eBay Sellers - Your Experiences

by: Chrissy

Thu May 15 07:45:34 2008

I recently received a letter from a COACH manager stating that I could no longer shop in their stores. The letter stated I was buying to resell and blablabla. First off I have purchased to resell, no doubt. But I have always been a carrier of COACH as well as purchased many items for friends and family. I am very bothered by this and I am going to sell all of my COACH items and give their corporate office a piece of my mind. Is it illegal to resell? I think not. I hope their sales go way down because of their ban on Ebay sellers and really feel it. They are getting what they want for the purses so what is the problem. The real problem will come when us Ebay sellers decide to move on to some other brand and leave Coach and get all of our customers to move on too. Fairwell to the too good Coach stores.

Retailers Banning eBay Sellers - Your Experiences

by: Just a thought

Thu Jul 3 14:53:27 2008

Just a thought... Pay using Cash :) Then they can't track you or your purchases and they have no proof of you re selling things because they don't have your name :)

Retailers Banning eBay Sellers - Your Experiences

by: Banned ebayer

Fri Jul 4 09:03:19 2008

Cash won't work as they are looking for people with a large sum of cash as they believe they are ebayers.

Retailers Banning eBay Sellers - Your Experiences

by: A Banned Ebayer

Sat Jul 19 15:27:03 2008

Anyone notice that WSM stock has tanked since the ''ban'' of ebayers last year? One year later and the stock is half it's value. In this economy, anyone who turns away business just is setting their company up for problems down the line.

Retailers Banning eBay Sellers - Your Experiences

by: Banned Mom of 6 from Pottery Barn Outlet In Lancas

Sun Jul 20 19:36:22 2008

This is ridiculous. I am a mom of 6 kids (2 in cribs) who just moved into a brand new 6 bedroom home. I am the youngest of 7 children so I have nieces and nephews and I have great nieces and nephews. I also have lots of friends with kids. I did a bunch of shopping for myself and others and for my church nursery because of such good deals at this outlet. I sold some on ebay to help pay for my own purchase. The manager followed my and my infant son (8 weeks) out of the store and said she had reason to believe that I was reselling and that I was no longer allowed in the store. She didn't accept my answer of my big family--all of my kids have their own bed and all have summer and winter quilts. She made me feel very stupid and like I did something wrong. I'm still in shock!

Retailers Banning eBay Sellers - Your Experiences

by: banned

Mon Aug 11 21:43:07 2008

I see PB has opened a outlet in California and looks like are allowing ebayers in.I see quite a few sellers with quite a few items on.I mean someone has 3 of the same duvets on.Who needs 3 duvets that are all the same(and yes all the same size)? I have been watching this seller for a while and they have had lots of stuff.I also noticed two other sellers in GA that are selling lots of stuff from the outlet.Why are these sellers allowed to shop at their outlets when the rest are not? That is not right or fair.

Retailers Banning eBay Sellers - Your Experiences

by: Miffed

Sat Aug 16 17:57:37 2008

It appears that this entire ban has been put into effect to benefit the few rather than the many. It definitely does not benefit the stockholders who own this company if the stock price continues to decline since the time the ban was put into affect. It is the fiduciary responsibility of the Officers of a company to try to increase the value of the stock for the stockholders. This is not happening. Get rid of this ban immediately and the price buyers pay for the goods offered at the Outlet will increase as you will have more competition for those same goods. This is not a private company but a publicly held company. If the stock price does not rise those same Officers will be gone with the re-sellers who were banned.

Retailers Banning eBay Sellers - Your Experiences

by: Another banned Ebayer

Sun Oct 26 11:01:11 2008

Hi,
I am one of those individuals who try to make a small profit in Ebay. I started doing this just about 8 months ago.
Anyway, while I'm about to start my shopping yesterday, in PBK Outlet store, I was approached by the store manager and been told that I am no longer allowed to shop in their store (PB and PBK outlets) because they have a reason to believe that I am a reseller. I didn't deny it and even confirmed it to her. She's very nice about it and even said that I am still welcome in the store to look around but not to buy. That doesn't make sense, right? What's the use of coming in the store and just look? So, I just left and although she's nice and all, I still felt like a criminal and that I did something illegal.
I agree to most postings here that if the argument of WS to ban resellers is because they don't want to ''cheapen'' their products, then why open an outlet store??? That's the main reason why LV is very high-end because they never-ever open an outlet store. Besides, I think I speak of other resellers that say, we don't ask for special treatment in their stores just because we buy a lot. Just like the ''regular'' customer, I buy it at the asking price, no special discounts and I am just minding my own business and not disrupting any other customers.
And another thing, I've been going to PB/PBK outlets for years now, and not even once did I witness rude, obnoxious buyers, particularly those who come in groups and ''block'' the aisle so they're the only ones who can buy good deals.
I hope WS will reconsider this decision particularly in this down economy because we resellers are the ones who buy a lot and really keep their inventory moving. I also spent thousands of $$$ per month in their store for both my personal use and those that I sell in Ebay. So, by completely banning me (won't even allow me to buy for my own use), they just lost those $$$ sales.

Retailers Banning eBay Sellers - Your Experiences

by: ebay is scum

Sun Oct 26 11:41:50 2008

1. USE SOMEONE ELSE TO GO INTO THESE STORES.
2. Act dumb, never ever tell them you resell.
3. ask for it in writing if you are banned - thats a great law suit waiting to happen.

Retailers Banning eBay Sellers - Your Experiences

by: Phil

Mon Oct 27 12:44:15 2008

I WAS BANNED!! I can't believe it! My wife and I went to an outlet in Gaffney, sc and after buying $500 worth of discounted items, a manger approached me saying I was suspected of reselling PB items and I was no longer allowed in the store. I think I stand out because I'm the only guy looking though the discounted stuff; there are still many ebayers in this outlet and have been buying there since we've started. (about a year); I'm following this though...

Retailers Banning eBay Sellers - Your Experiences

by: Banned

Wed Oct 29 21:29:23 2008

Another banned Ebayer,What outlet where you banned at?

WS is about to report their 3rd Quarter earnings and just said today that profits were way down especially in the Pottery Barn brand.After they came out with that news their stock went down to $7.21.

I say its time to start hitting their investors with emails and letters and telling them how much WS loses by not selling to resellers.Not to mention moving inventory that just sits and sits.

I recently went into the PBK outlet and they had tons and tons of stuff just sitting.The store felt like a sardine can!lol

Not a good time to be saying no to money if you ask me!

Retailers Banning eBay Sellers - Your Experiences

by: Another banned Ebayer

Sat Nov 1 10:14:20 2008

Banned,
I was banned in their Lancaster outlet. What abot you?
Really disappointing and I still don't see a logic on this policy because everytime I go there, they just have lots and lots of inventory to move.
Hopefully, they see the error on this. But if not, oh well, they're not the only store I can go to. It's their loss not mine. :)

Retailers Banning eBay Sellers - Your Experiences

by: EBAYER 101

Wed Nov 5 14:23:02 2008

I have been banned from the beninning back in June 2007. Ohio was were all the banning started (test plot) and shortly after they banned all outlets. I agree with the person that wrote we should start emailing all their CEO's especially with Howard Lester who recently had to sell 1 million worth of his stock and now yesterday he had to sell more. I would love to know if he is aware of the PB outlet ban. When this initially happened, 3 of us (ebayers) and we were openely admit we were ebayers (very obvious because we bought tons) met with an attorney and thought about discrimination lawsuit but really coulnd't find anyone that we felt would take this all the way and spend the money, because we couldn't afford to go after PB alone.. We dropped it and moved on to other stores who appreciate our business. BUT, I can tell you based on my collection of data from all 9 outlets that the ebayers in these outlets spend 30 million plus in their outlet stores, so I guarantee they are feeling the pain as we stock fall from a regular $35 per share to a recent $7 a share..Our only hope is to send letters, emails and such to these CEO's.. if anyone knows diret phone numbers or email address, post them on here because I know ebayers who sold PB still watch this. I really don't think CEO's are aware of the decision that PB executives made on their behalf. Better yet, get a big name talk show to look into this and air it!

Retailers Banning eBay Sellers - Your Experiences

by: misty

Thu Nov 6 08:44:58 2008

CONTACT:
WILLIAMS-SONOMA, INC. Sharon L. McCollam
3250 Van Ness Avenue Executive Vice President, COO and CFO
San Francisco, CA 94109 (415) 616-8775

Stephen C. Nelson
Director, Investor Relations
(415) 616-8754

Kim Khalvati
Investor Relations Administration
(415) 616-8332

Retailers Banning eBay Sellers - Your Experiences

by: Phil

Thu Nov 6 08:58:29 2008

I was told to call 1 800 421-2004 ext 1684. I've called and left messages with no response. I will continue bothering them. Thankfully we have enough inventory for a few more months.

Retailers Banning eBay Sellers - Your Experiences

by: Alsobanned

Thu Nov 6 19:07:48 2008

Don't waste your time calling the number that the Outlet Manager gives you at the time you are banned. That number is obviously given to make it seem that the banned person has an official Williams Sonoma Corporate place to complain to. It is in fact a number to make you think you are calling a place where your concerns will be heard but in reality it is to a person who is totally un-sympatetic to re-sellers. It is the run-a-round. I think you may be given this number so that you do not go to the higher up corporate management that may be more sympathetic to you. When I was banned I was given a number to call by the store manager to voice my concerns. I called and got a voicemail and I left a message and my phone number. I was called back by Clancey who is the PB Outlet manager in Jefferson, Ohio. He was not at all sympathetic to re-sellers. I have since learned that he was one of the originators of the re-seller ban and was the first to ban re-sellers in a PB Outlet. I would call the numbers that Misty posted beginning with the COO (chief operating officer)in San Francisco.

Retailers Banning eBay Sellers - Your Experiences

by: Another banned Ebayer

Tue Nov 11 08:19:50 2008

Hi EBAYER 101,
Given that you've been banned for more than a year now (since June 2007), have you ever tried to go back to the store and buy something and maybe pay in cash?
Just wondering if after 6 months, I can try and do the same thing.
Thanks!

Retailers Banning eBay Sellers - Your Experiences

by: A Banned Ebayer

Mon Nov 17 07:50:29 2008

I think it is funny that people are still being banned. So many families lives were financially changed forever last June and July when the original ban took down all the major players at the time. And now Williams Sonoma is literally months away from going bankrupt. And then when Donna Isralsky and her equally uneducated brother Jay who initiated this ban lose their jobs like they lost all the money in their company stock.......I will be very happy. Everyone should call Donna, she is the head of the outlets, and made this decision. We tried to tell her then.......I bet she wished she listened :)

Retailers Banning eBay Sellers - Your Experiences

by: stillaseller

Sat Dec 20 02:39:11 2008

With the economy now the way it is, I bet a bunch of these stores would beg for those people to come back and buy the place up. Now with ebay's new insane policies, sellers are dropping like flies. Another case of corporate greed.

I also don't understand why someone can't pay for the item from a store and sell it on ebay. Why would anyone ban someone from buying a bunch of merchandise. Everyone else is just as free to go to the store and buy it, if they want to pay for it marked up on ebay then whats the problem?

These people try to control thier items at all times, they don't realize that there is a ''fair use doctrine or a first sale doctrine''....i've had three VERO takedowns in the past few months. In my previous 8 years as a seller i've never had any (all of my items are legit and have my own pictures/descriptions),....so the stores must be feeling the pinch in sales now and gettting desperate....

Retailers Banning eBay Sellers - Your Experiences

by: Curious Seller

Tue Dec 23 11:22:45 2008

If WS is really serious about their stuff not selling in Ebay, then, they should simply ask Ebay to not allow others sell their products. That's what they did in Amazon so I see no reason why they can't do it in Ebay as well.
What they're doing now is very ineffective. They might have ban a few, but most likely, a new crop of sellers will show up. Then, the cycle of banning will begin again. Plus, since they've given the responsibility of banning to their sales crew, it has a potential of banning a loyal customer who does not sell at all, but simply likes their products for personal use.

Retailers Banning eBay Sellers - Your Experiences

by: Carla Smit

Sun Jan 18 08:51:26 2009

I just received a letter from Coach stating I am buying too much and must be reselling the items. Naturally, this is only pure speculation on their part, especially since all my purchases were made over the holidays, however, they state they are notifying all of their stores and I am banned and anyone who they think is acting on my behalf is also banned from buying. Sounds to me like Coach is worried about a person making a few dollars more than they do, furthermore, most of their full price bags end up in the outlets within a few weeks. Kudos to Coach for driving away good buyers.

Retailers Banning eBay Sellers - Your Experiences

by: Confused

Thu Jan 22 18:19:56 2009

Just this week heard that the Pottery Barn Outlet Management had changed it's policy and that there was no longer a ban on re-sellers. If this is true, how does it affect the re-sellers who were already banned? Are they now allowed to shop again? If not wouldn't that be discrimination? Will the store managers of individual Outlets try to stop those re-sellers from shopping even though the ban has been lifted? Does anyone have any new information?

Retailers Banning eBay Sellers - Your Experiences

by: banned ebayer

Thu Jan 22 19:44:23 2009

Confused,where did you hear this from?Did you talk to a pottery barn outlet manager?

Retailers Banning eBay Sellers - Your Experiences

by: Nolongerbanned

Fri Jan 23 16:01:49 2009

Apparently the Factory Outlet Division has now become part of the Retail Division. Re-sellers were never banned at retail. The ban was put into affect by the Outlet Management who may no longer be in control of that decision. Just speculation as to why re-sellers may now be allowed to shop.

Retailers Banning eBay Sellers - Your Experiences

by: Texas Sandy's clinic

Fri Jan 23 16:30:46 2009

Dear Pottery Barn, Please ban me for life, I've never been in one of your overpriced shops & never will, and I'm an Ebay silver powerseller:) Good luck with your forthcoming bankruptcy!

Retailers Banning eBay Sellers - Your Experiences

by: Texas Sandy's clinic

Fri Jan 23 16:35:25 2009

OH PS, I'd totally recommend going into their stores & filling carts with goods, then abandoning them at checkout, saying "Oh, that's right I resell on Ebay, I forgot your idiotic policy, oh well, off to the next closeout store where I'll spend my dollars instead". Let them restock the shelves;)

Retailers Banning eBay Sellers - Your Experiences

by: banned ebayer

Fri Jan 23 18:16:10 2009

nolongerbanned

Are you saying you were a banned ebayer at one of pottery barn's outlets and you are now being allowed to shop in there again?

Retailers Banning eBay Sellers - Your Experiences

by: shopper

Mon Jan 26 11:28:13 2009

I was in the Gaffney SC store recently and they looked like they were about to go out of business. It was right around Christmas and there were no crowds, nothing. I would not be at all suprised to see them close down.

Retailers Banning eBay Sellers - Your Experiences

by: amused

Wed Feb 25 19:49:38 2009

I have been lurking on this message board for over a year now and finally have something to say. It must be a joke that in these harsh economic times any business would ban a paying customer. What are those pathetic jokers smoking?

Retailers Banning eBay Sellers - Your Experiences

by: Former loyal PB shopper

Mon Mar 2 19:03:16 2009

I just got banned from PB lancaster outlet. Although the manager who approached me is very nice about it, it was still very humiliating and I felt like a criminal when I've been told me that I'm not allowed to shop there because they suspect that I'm an ebay reseller. I neither confirm nor deny it.
I just felt it's ridiculous and it just doesn't make sense with the kind of market we have. When I went there, there's not much people shopping. And those who actually buy something, it's just 1 or 2 items. I usually bought a cartful of their stuff. And what I bought, whether it sells in ebay or not, I don't return it. So, I don't really see any logic in them banning those of us who spent $$$ in their store.

Retailers Banning eBay Sellers - Your Experiences

by: holeinmyrug

Thu Mar 12 17:42:41 2009

I am one of the lucky to be banned from Pottery Barn. I have recently walked into our local outlet store just to look around. You should have seen the employees. It was rather entertaining! They all scattered, looking for managers to tell that an ebayer was in their store. You could here them on walkie talkies saying, ''keep a watch on them.'' Like what was I going to do? The more they made comments and acted like juveniles, the longer I stayed in the store to stir things up. I know of another ebay seller who recently went into the same Pottery Barn Outlet, and they did the same to her. One employee told her that he was not even suppose to acknowledge her. Isn't that sweet. We are just waiting for the day when they go bankrupt, we will be standing outside their stores with balloons and horns, asking them if it was worth it!!

Retailers Banning eBay Sellers - Your Experiences

by: linda

Sun Mar 22 12:55:51 2009

My daugher and my self was thrown out of the store by Debbie the manageer. My daughter was 7 months pregnant and we were only in there to look for a nursery rug which we told the manager. She actually brought this bouncer like guy to back her up like we were criminals. I spent so much money with this store. I never had a bad check and certainly never misbehaved in the store. She actually said to me that me nor none of my relatives or friends were allowed to shop in the store. So senseless. I told her that I had not sold anything on ebay for a couple of years nor had my daughter. Made no difference, out I went. She had no grounds whatso ever to throw me and my daughter out. This is as illegal as it can be since I had always paid full retail just exactally like everyone else. Also , So much of what I bought did not ever go on ebay. Whose business is it anyway by law, if any customer buys retail and pays full price and takes the merchanise home whether they use it in their own home, give it to charity, help out their kids or sell their own stuff that they purchased on ebay?? I am an interior decorator who owned a furniture store which she knew, at that time, and I sometimes got rugs or something for a house I was working on. Pottery Barn items are still selling like madness on ebay and they have not stoped that at all. They have just discriminated and banned a bunch of people and let others go on with the shopping in their store that still sell. Pottery Barn should go flat broke in these hard times of economic crisis. They want to turn away good business and their intent I believe is to hurt people. Everyone should ban pottery barn and william sonoma. I think this would be the righteous thing.

Retailers Banning eBay Sellers - Your Experiences

by: Banned ebayer

Wed Mar 25 10:42:43 2009

Linda,which outlet were you banned from? Yes they are very nasty about it and make you feel like a criminal.They do allow ebayers to buy from their retail stores despite the fact that they say ebayers from the outlets ''cheapen'' their products but yet we can ''cheapen'' their retail items lol.There are some sellers who sell quite a bit of PBK's items that are current and they ''cheapen'' PBK's current items quite a bit.Outlet stuff is mostly stuff that has been discontinued and overstock and returns so you would think PB would not care about ebayers ''cheapening'' that stuff but would care a great deal about ''cheapening'' current retail items.Just doesn't make much sense.Oh well its their loss.

Retailers Banning eBay Sellers - Your Experiences

by: chapped

Wed Apr 8 21:21:36 2009

If the management at Pottery Barn was really serious about keeping their products off EBAY they would be more dilegent about tracking what and how much their employees buy with their employee discount. These employees or their families must sell on EBAY. It always amazes me when I look at some EBAY sellers prices and find that they are selling Pottery Barn products on EBAY for less than those same items can be bought at an Outlet. The seller has to be getting them at a huge discount or not paying for them at all. It is almost as if the ban is to protect these sellers from having any competition. The stockholders are really getting ripped off.

Retailers Banning eBay Sellers - Your Experiences

by: XEBAYER

Sun May 10 09:03:26 2009

It is more than evident that the employees at the Outlet where I used to shop are selling on EBAY. They leave the store with tons of catalog return linens. I have freinds who still shop in the Outlet that I was banned from and they are told by these same store employees that they don't get catalog return linens anymore and non of this coveted stuff ever hits the sales floor. It can be seen though in big boxes in the back of the store being priced. It appears that the Outlet employees are now the re-sellers on EBAY. These are the same employees who were the rudist to the re-sellers and who made the biggest stink about anyone who bought to re-sell. Talk about hypocrisy.

Retailers Banning eBay Sellers - Your Experiences

by: racefan

Sun Jun 7 08:55:31 2009

How do you all know about these ebayers and has PB stopped the ban? They should!

Retailers Banning eBay Sellers - Your Experiences

by: leary2

Tue Jun 9 21:27:38 2009

When sales were good they banned the re-sellers. Now that sales are bad they are looking the other way. If sales become good again they will enforce the ban again. They have put the ban in limbo for the time being.

Retailers Banning eBay Sellers - Your Experiences

by: racefan

Wed Jun 10 17:46:08 2009

Do you know this for sure? How will anyone know when they enforce the ban again? Its nerve wrecking to shop there when the whole time your thinking are they going to ask me leave or ban me? How do sellers know when to or not to shop?

Retailers Banning eBay Sellers - Your Experiences

by: pbhater

Wed Jun 10 22:31:51 2009

I spoke to a manager in the Lancaster outlet...I was informed that the ban was off in their store...I spoke to a manager in Leesburg and I was told they do not sell to known ebayers.

Retailers Banning eBay Sellers - Your Experiences

by: racefan

Thu Jun 11 16:40:17 2009

Is the ban " off" for PBK and the PB outlets ( both) in Lancaster, or just PB?

Retailers Banning eBay Sellers - Your Experiences

by: pbhater

Thu Jun 11 19:00:59 2009

Both PB and PBK Outlet in Lancaster has lifted the ban

Retailers Banning eBay Sellers - Your Experiences

by: learyaswell2

Fri Jun 12 21:11:03 2009

I would be careful.I am not in Lancaster but I was told at my outlet we are suppose to be buying for our households only. I would assume all outlets are the same. If we come in too often or buy too much they might ban individuals. Be careful.

Retailers Banning eBay Sellers - Your Experiences

by: PBbuyer

Mon Jun 15 21:56:00 2009

Buy now while you can! Does not matter if you buy a lot or a little. If you are known as an ebayer from the past, and they decide to enforce the ban again, you will be banned! Take advantage of the lifted ban for now.

Retailers Banning eBay Sellers - Your Experiences

by: notsosure

Sun Jun 21 20:40:10 2009

Have they really lifted the ban? They stare at me like they just saw my wanted poster- especially PB Kids. The sales people don't even say hello and I have never been banned. Anyone else feel like that?

Retailers Banning eBay Sellers - Your Experiences

by: banlifted

Wed Jul 8 16:42:18 2009

Yes, they have really lifted the ban at least at our store in Lancaster. I am an employee...and I see the FREQUENT shoppers. Mostly we see the SHAMU sisters. They are in all the time. They buy everything and don't leave anything for other customers. There a few other ones that come in. They are nice and buy a few things here and there. We like them.

Retailers Banning eBay Sellers - Your Experiences

by: yeah right

Wed Jul 8 18:50:23 2009

Yeah right you are an employee! The employee's can't stand any ebayers.

Retailers Banning eBay Sellers - Your Experiences

by: banlifted

Wed Jul 8 20:23:27 2009

Yes, I am an employee. I use to sell on ebay. There are ones who come in that are nice, and there are ones who come in that are not so nice. No, we do not hate all ebayers. We only hate the greedy ones.

Retailers Banning eBay Sellers - Your Experiences

by: pbisforme

Wed Jul 8 20:36:27 2009

I am a new PB seller in the Lancaster outlet...I spoke with the manager and explained that I am a re-seller...I have been upfront from my first day and I have been treated with the utmost respect and they go out of there way to help me...I recently over heard a conversation regarding a BIG family that shops in Lanc...they each take turns coming in the store so they can get over the daily limits...I believe this is a dishonest bunch that will ruin it for everyone else... you know who you are LADIES...get a life and stop the GREED

Retailers Banning eBay Sellers - Your Experiences

by: yeah right

Wed Jul 8 20:37:52 2009

You guys really need to grow up and get a life already.

Retailers Banning eBay Sellers - Your Experiences

by: havealife

Thu Jul 9 11:15:14 2009

Rockvale outlet has a playground where you can let your CHILDREN play while you shop at PB...fun place for summer vacation for the kids

Retailers Banning eBay Sellers - Your Experiences

by: whatthehizzle

Wed Jul 15 21:17:21 2009

A friend called PB outlet in Lanc. and asked if the ban was off and the girl on the other line acted like she had never heard of banning- anyone-ever? Why would PB employees act like they never heard of banning? Very weird.

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