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 (130) | Comments Off | Permalink

Readers Comments

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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