Forum

Ebay Tracking via pictures - reusing the same pictures / images in listings?
 

Let me first say that the reason for me putting up a few questions relating to Ebay suspension is of cource that I am one of the "unfornate one*s"...

Let me also say that The Aspkins site is so far the most informative I have found and as far as I can see without any intentions to cash in on this problem.So thank you for sharing your information with us..

Anyway,a few details in your very informative instruction is unclear to me and I welcome any comments to clearify this..

a) " Do not host your own gallery images"...sorry,I quite dont follow.I think most ex Ebay users was/are private persons and we all keep our images (scannings of items for sale) on our private PC and then upload. So I guess you are talking about sellers who keep their own website and load up from there ( ie..aspkin.com/images) ,correct ? SO uploading again from your own PC after having your new Ebay userID up and running should be ok,right ? I scan the item directly,so there have never been a "view to my living room" if I can call it that. so I guess there should be no need for .." Have either eBay host your images, where you upload your image to eBay or use a 3rd party image hosting website."...

b) "eBay will blacklist my domain for GALLERY images,not auction images."...sorry again,I dont quite understand...the way I think about it is that a GALLERY image is a miniature photo of the image you have of your auction,so why should it be a problem ? I mean when uploading an auction you can choose to have a GALLERY image for a small exstra fee and it is the main photo from your auction...Please clarify...

cheers

NORWAY

A) Yes exactly, users who have their own websites and try to host their GALLERY image from their site will find that eBay can easily track this, and will link and suspend accounts in this way. Simply upload your gallery image to eBay and you'll be okay.

B) This is part of A as well, I basically mean here that again do not try to host your only gallery image, eBay can track that. But images within your auctions, say you have a button that says instant delivery… these are okay for you to host from a host of yours, if you choose to do so. Either way you can choose to host your self or have eBay host the images for the DESCRIPTION part of the auction.

The main thing is don't host your own gallery image (miniature photo of the image you have of your auction). Everything else is fine.

Don't try to over think it, it's simple.

:D

Not to hijack this thread, but what is likely to happen if your images are on a 3rd party auction hosting site but which supports ebay? Should we assume that too is not a wise move or is that about the same risk as hosting them from your computer like Norway said? And would having those images hosted to another auction or sale site that is an ebay competitor and then taking those same auctions and basically cloning them for ebay land you in the soup pretty quick too? Is it necessary to cover your tracks well and make completely different auctions with new pictures and just a whole new look in order to keep your new account very long?

Jack, it's okay to host your images from 3rd party image hosting sites or major sites; eBay won't blacklist those sites as it's more then likely more then one person uses them.

Second it's always a good idea to change your auctions around, including title and description if you are suspended. For sure change your titles. If it's an automated ban, this will help you next time.

Picture hosting and ebay
 

Does anyone know what the deal is with picture hosting if your account has been suspended? Are you still able to host pictures from the same account as long as u cange the picture name or will ebay just get the location and link you? I have photobucket and would like to use that however I have used it before with ebay and my account was suspended. I have been back on ebay for almost 2 months and just started selling last week so i dont want to take any chances here.

Name your top 3 secure image hosting choices
 

Going back to the well at the same image hosting site might not be the wisest choice for EVERY time you are suspended. At some point, even a moron could put two and two together I'm sure. What 3rd party image and/or auction hosting sites do you recommend? Name your top three to help out everyone. And if you know of any stinkers, a warning would be appreciated. :D I'll start. I've had pretty good luck with Auctiva, but am looking at maybe webshots and imageshack for backups. I'm not sure of the traffic and security on those, but they do seem to have a lot of advertising point their way. Photobucket may be one of the most widely used, but every time I click on a link that's at least a month old, it's dead. Personally I HATE that for personal use, but it might be helpful in covering tracks. :p But do they have auction hosting as well? Which hosts have you used, like and dislike?

Modee, by secure I just meant that they weren't easily connected to a past suspended account. That there might be that added layer of anonymity by either secure encryption or sheer numbers of users.

I was also reminded when I started looking around that there is a difference between photo hosting and auction hosting. Since the idea is to feed the ebay monster as little as possible, it would be nice not to have to pay them extra for additional photos. This is definately possible in Auctiva. I'm not sure if Photobucket or Imageshack have this option, or if there are any other good competition for that service, but it would be nice to know others opinions. Also, if you have been suspended and at the time were using an Auctiva account to auction host, would it be any more or less secure to create a new account in Auctiva than in another totally different image hosting program?

Hmm. I've never tried it that way before. Are you able to paste the pictures in directly or just hyper links?

As html yes, in the description.

<img src="url here">

EBAY REINSTATEMENT: A little clarification...
 

First of all...I feel like Im working against the CIA!

Regarding the gallery images ability to link domains:
If I register a new domain with my existing image hosting service, will I be OK as long as the URL's are completely different? Or should I always go through ebay to post gallery images from now on? (I'm pretty sure this is how they got me last time after about 6 months)

Also, I use auctiva to list on eBay. Should I cease using the same listing service?

Upon resetting my IP, I now show my city to be out of state. I am not using a proxy server and have disabled my anonymizer proggys. Not sure why its doing this. Is it necessary to have my IP city to be the same as the address and credit card address? If I update my address, then add a credit card for sellers account, will I get flagged? I already have a friends buyers account w/ a verified address. Would I be better off changing it, or just leave it alone and add a Credit Card at a different address??

PS: Aspkin, great job on the tutorial. Searched for a day till I ran across this forum. Probably the only truly worthwhile source for this info, free or sold.

what image hosting you use?
 

please share the image hosting for ebay pictures. thanks

I currently use imagebulk but the have low bandwidth.

thanks. I'll move all my images ova there.

using the same pictures from old suspended listings?
 

Does anyone know about eBay checking re-using pictures. I don't mean a human doing it manually, but an automated system. Is this real or false?

Starting Fresh!
 

The whole idea, when starting a new account on ebay, is to give a make over.
New pictures (not only that ebay can identify your new account to the suspended one, but there is also the risk of people seeing the photos and "remember" them from your old auctions and therefore report you to ebay, ebay has no second thoughts and they will suspend you right away), new descriptions, new IP, new address, new Paypal email, clear cookies, temp files and history.

Nothing from your new account has to "remind" them of the old one.

I think it's better to try and wash off all the traces than setting up new accounts every week.

All this sneaking up on ebay and "account disguising" is becoming fun and exicting, in a sick way =)))
Dia

Jonas I found that eBay checks URLS, and names of images fairly well. Though that doesn't immediately suspend you because of other users use the same images at times. But also I have noticed it seems more like a human eye that views some of my auctions. Only my VeRO could do it. If you're items aren't be VeRO'd then you'll be okay and only have to worry about the automated checks. But certainly change image names if you can, it could save you a headache in the future.

Can ebay track your gallery?
 

Does anyone know if it's safe to upload directly from your computer or is there some way they can pull your computer information or whatever from that? Is it better to use auctiva or something like photobucket for all pics?

I use auctiva all the time. You can't go wrong with them..

Hey CPU, do you have to open up a new Auctiva account just to host pictures if you're NOT listing through Auctiva? I found out you can just upload the pictures and then host them there, take the link and insert it in the auction. It's a work around. But I'm not sure if ebay can use that auctiva account location to find out that you're using an old Auctiva account with a username banned.

It's safe to just upload from your computer. It only gets your ip address at most, but seriously doubt they even record that.

I dont understand the URL thing
 

I am not sure what is meant by the URL tracking. Does that mean if i use my old photos they will be tracked?.
Is the URL the name of the file EG C:/workfile/ebaypictures?
IS it better to host from a third party? eg if you list through Auctiva will this solve the problem?
OH EBAY OH EBAY you drive us all nuts

If you host your images on a domain that you own or on a friends site and you get NARU'd then if you open another account on ebay and start listing items with pics hosted from the same domain they will get you that way to.

So basically, if your account is shut down and you used one of your sites to host the images you can not use that site to host pics for your new account.

Use a free service this way if you get nabbed, you can just open up another account with that free service and keep going. I use Auctiva.

using the same pictures from old suspended listings?
 

because i kept all the pictures i took on my suspended accounts, which are 2 months old. I don't know if it would be safe to use them again on my new account?

currently i just used two old pictures for one auction created on a new ID but I don't plan on using anymore old pictures, until I get more advice.

You might want to change the filenames, and picture size. Make sure you host off eBay or an image hosting site as well. That's were they'll get you.

Photos
 

I think this is anothe reason why me ebay site got shut down I was using old photos from photobucket.com, which I think if I am correct when I start up again I need to redo my photos and start a whole new account with photobucket.. Someone Correct me if I am wrong///????:rolleyes:

I don't think image links matter that much since ppl tend to steal links all the time. But I change them anyway.

oh crap, well im using the old pictures, and kept the names and size all the same.

:eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek:

but it's been 6 days and 1 more day to go. hopefully i won't get shut down.

actually I uploaded them to AUCTIVA, so maybe it's not THAT bad, because you know, people do steal pictures all the time.

If my old account is suspended,i am going to set up a new account with different name (changing new IP). Can i upload the new photo to AUCTIVA (new auctiva account) as i have some suspended account in auctiva.. is it safety? Thanks

hey john that's what i did. i used my old pictures and uploaded it to new auctiva account and it's okay, after 8 days now (the auction has ended).

can u confirm u have used the old computer? & pls let me know ebay always block the proxy server IP or other IP.. coz my IP is always changing. coz i am using Cable modem. thx.

Hey, yea I am using the same old computer for a year now...

can u tell me what things u do before set up a new account. or u can PM to me.

Gallery Pics & Vero
 

Hey yall let me ask a question. Would it help to not put a gallery picture on ebay to try to stay away from getting verod by ebay. I mean I think having a picture just sticks u out there.

Maybe, but not using any will almost certainly get you VeRO'd.
I got my first VeRO'd listing a couple of years ago because the picture that I took was too good...it showed the minor differences between the real one and my item. I didn't list my item as real or ⊗⊗⊗⊗...the price should have been an indicator to anyone that it was a knockoff without representing it as such.
I actually had the EB IDs of a couple of people who bid on it and contacted them to see if they were still interested. One of them filled me in on how he spotted it was ⊗⊗⊗⊗, but still bought it.
I think when it comes to pictures (I'm not sure about the gallery issue) you should definitely use one, just don't show enough detail to prove that the item might be in violation of VeRO

No, gallery pics does not matter. I use to think that too and didnt use gallery pics but i still got copyright/vero'd.

I just dont understand how it works. I even left out the pics in my auctions (just to see if I would get vero'd/copyright. I still did, with no picture. I was like what gives. i dont even have a picture.

Probably the category. It seems EB zeros in on certain categories while others can get away with murder. Although I shouldn't jinx myself. ;) I wonder if the secret is to clearly mark that something is a KO and advertise it as such or not? Some KO's are considered collectibles to some people. Again, dependent on the category.

Isn't this exactly why stuff IS VeRo'd? :confused:
The maker of the KO has violated the trademark owner's rights and therefore by offering it for sale you are perpetuating and facillitating the trademark owner's right have been violated.

I think the only way to get a ⊗⊗⊗⊗ Rolex listing pulled any faster than it aready occurs, would be to offer up a "replica Rolex" or "Knockoff Rolex".
In fact I would almost guarantee you that EB has software that specifically red flags all listing with words like knockoff and replica in the listing.

Well the answer to that is--don't sell knockoff Rolexes. ;)

Seriously though, I think items that have already run their course and been retired or no longer available, OOAK, etc are much less likely to be veroed. Replicas of collectibles are much less closely scrutinized than everyday items. Hell, there's a whole aftermarket for replicas of old film "replicas" and they command nice prices. I have yet to see an auction of these items pulled for use of the term "replica" so I highly doubt that there is software in place to red flag the word.

But again, depends on the category

I only used Rolexes as an example because they along with LV handbags have to be some of the most closely watched VERO items out there.

Some of these can be "authorized" replicas.

I got a Rolex box VeRO'd, not because if was ⊗⊗⊗⊗, but because someone could put a ⊗⊗⊗⊗ watch in it...it was referred to as something like "enabling" trademark infringement.
I went back on and for the next week or so there were 25-50 of the same type of boxes that just stayed on.
Go figure.

And the answer to that one is--sellers that make ebay more money usually have more staying power for most items. In fact, if you were a small operation and reported a big operation, most of the time ebay would look for a reason to suspend you before ever looking closely at them.