eBay affiliate spam pages on search engines.

colorfulpast · Joined: 29 Jan 2003 Posts: 300

Donna -- I appreciate your efforts to get the media involved.

However, the response you received to your first complaint to Google suggests to me that Google is not concerned primarily with listings of items for sale.

When I use Google to search for information (not related to this business), it works well without spam.

I don't think the media are very much interested in a few hundred collectibles dealers and a few dozen antiques dealers complaining about unfair competition practice on the part of Ebay. I think the antiques/collectibles folk need to get together with online merchants selling other types of inventory which is also being spammed by Ebay re-directs. The spam sites are borrowing listings from sites which sell name brand merchandise. That's another angle someone might pursue...are the re-directs licensed to use brand names to re-direct Google users to Ebay?

Good luck!

Jana

poetswares · Posted: Fri Feb 06, 2004 7:11 pm Post subject:

yes..they are now using qvc's listings! they steal intelectual property..bad bad bad..shame on the eap!
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Susie

cobaltlady · Joined: 01 Jun 2003 Posts: 147

sun818 These spammers are not interested at all for "online gambling" they want to redirect searchers to ebay and I really doubt there are any auctions on ebay for online gambling. They get paid by ebay for redirects that result in sales or new sign-ups. That is what affiliates are all about. Ebay referrals.

angelsplace · Joined: 22 Jul 2002 Posts: 6025 Location: Port Richey, FL

I mentioned in my email to channel 8 that they ARE using QVC's links also..thought maybe since thy're huge..channel 8 might be interrested. Actually..I just told them that no matter what I search for..I come to eBay. Didn't mention antiques or collectibles..just no matter what I'm looking for on the internet..as a customer..I'm coming to eBay and their affiliates and can't find anything I'm looking for.

Typos...don't mind 'em...typing backwards today and too lazy to go fix them!

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Donna

http://www.goantiques.com/members/angelsvintageattic
also visit me at GoAntiques!

colorfulpast · Joined: 29 Jan 2003 Posts: 300

Did some non-antiques related Google searches to find out more about whose rights the spammers might be violating.

oldcoal.com turned up in a search for "joan rivers" jewelry

a bunch of the glass ones turned up in a search for
"martha stewart" jadite glass

Negative on the first 3 pages for "donna karan" "versace" or "gloria vanderbuilt" -- guess these jerks want to stay solidly middle class

cherokee jeans (no quotes) took me to a redirect porn site which attempted to install itself as my home page. Failed, though

So, looks like this issue is hugely bigger than Ebay shoving Antiques and Collectibles listings down in the rankings. I wonder what Martha Stewart and Joan Rivers would say about these hijackers using their names without paying for it???? And taking shoppers to Ebay auctions instead of retail sites which are licensed to carry items associated with them???? Does Google care about this??? Hmmmm.....

Jana

angelsplace · Joined: 22 Jul 2002 Posts: 6025 Location: Port Richey, FL

I just did a search for spam..and guess what DIDN'T come up!

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Donna

http://www.goantiques.com/members/angelsvintageattic
also visit me at GoAntiques!

angelsplace · Joined: 22 Jul 2002 Posts: 6025 Location: Port Richey, FL

ok..now...these two links.....they have a different url..different name..but lead to the same exact content on the page..they're identical except for the url and name!

http://www.deruta-pottery.com/Dinnerware-China/Dinnerware-China-Meissen.shtml

http://www.4potterydeals.com/China-Dinnerware/China-Dinnerware-Meissen.shtml

Yet..I wasn't even doing a search for Meissen and they both end with Meissen.shtml!
_________________
Donna

http://www.goantiques.com/members/angelsvintageattic
also visit me at GoAntiques!

sun818 · Joined: 24 Aug 2003 Posts: 597

> sun818 These spammers are not interested at all for "online gambling" they want to redirect searchers to ebay and I really doubt there are any auctions on ebay for online gambling.

Hi cobaltlady - my point in the example is that every time an affiliate has an individual join an onling gambling site, the affiliate receives $50. Being an eBay affiliate, although less lucrative, makes for easier money especially when keywords with a smaller set of results can be easily manipulated.

Hey, if TIAS has an affiliate program, I'm sure web sites would soon crop up that redirects to TIAS.

Lynn · Joined: 07 Feb 2003 Posts: 405 Location: South Carolina

sun,

I am a Tias Dealer and if we were ever to have affiliates (in my opinion, I hope we never do and don't think we ever will) I do not have time to do what these jerks are doing. Operating my Tias shop, one on Earthling and Go Antiques plus work a 40 hour job during the day. It's just frustrating to do a search and most results are this trash that are not helpful but only send you to Ebay affiliate's pages.

Doesn't look good for Google or Ebay if something is not done to correct this.

Sorry to sound off but while trying to do research on items and you keep getting all these results, it is just time consuming to wade through all of them to find legitimate information.

Lynn
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sun818 · Joined: 24 Aug 2003 Posts: 597

If the spammer sends the buyer to a page where the buyer is with the product s/he wants, didn't the spammer do their job? Does it matter if the buyer is sent to eBay or TIAS?

deco-days · Joined: 09 Feb 2003 Posts: 213 Location: Toronto, Canada

I agree that the at some level it is in Google's best interest to perpetuate this, at least for a little while to encourage people to buy keywords and stay above the pack.

The problem is that anyone buying popular keywards is being targetted, their sites, items and keywords harvested and used for redirects and backdoors.

I have put a pause on all of my keywords until Google comes up with some way of protecting those that have put their faith, trust and money into adwords.

I'm not certain that they have the big picture yet and the implications that lose of trust has.

Andrea
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Andrea
Art Deco by Deco Days
www.tias.com/stores/foreverdeco

sun818 · Joined: 24 Aug 2003 Posts: 597

Hi, can you provide a solid example of the AdWords --> Spam connection? I'm not really understanding...

deco-days · Joined: 09 Feb 2003 Posts: 213 Location: Toronto, Canada

It will take some time to put the information together, but suffice it to say that these scammers carefully watch the sponsored adword links on the right side of search results.

Which gives them a good jumping off point have a pretty solid beginning in what keywords work and to target, the domain that's paying for them and who to target for redirects and doorways. This gets them some free, paid-for (by me, you and whomever) advertising.

Do you see how it works?
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Andrea
Art Deco by Deco Days
www.tias.com/stores/foreverdeco

angelsplace · Joined: 22 Jul 2002 Posts: 6025 Location: Port Richey, FL