Too Many Buddy Points!

[cornishmaid1961]

"In total you have earned 601.631 Buddy Points."

If my referral link works then so does yours. When you send it to someone, double click it and make sure it goes to the registration page.

My total is 236,163 and I've had links on all my listings and my about me page for quite a long time and a year or so ago they used to work fine.

I know for a fact my links work when they are advertised outside of eBid or sent to someone via email but I am convinced my links on my eBid listings don't work any more. I had some help from a very kind person recently with advertising my link off the site but as soon as that stopped so did the buddy points. Just clicking on the link which takes you to the registration page does not neccessarily mean that the point is being attributed to your user name.

This seems to have been happening since the system made the change in my HTML coding. Everytime I try and correct it it jumps back to putting in an extra "amp;". eBid support even corrected it for me several months ago but it just comes back again.

I am sure it's not just me as some of the top sellers on eBid that regularly used to appear at the top of the buddy points list no longer do so dispite having links on all their listings. I know I've had this conversation before but I just can't believe that every single newbie that buys from me that finds eBid via one of my adverts leaves that page to go and register elsewhere on the site. Even with one of my old school friends that joined eBid via the link on my listing to buy one of my items I didn't get a point for.

[suesjools]

My total is 236,163 and I've had links on all my listings and my about me page for quite a long time and a year or so ago they used to work fine.

I know for a fact my links work when they are advertised outside of eBid or sent to someone via email but I am convinced my links on my eBid listings don't work any more. I had some help from a very kind person recently with advertising my link off the site but as soon as that stopped so did the buddy points. Just clicking on the link which takes you to the registration page does not neccessarily mean that the point is being attributed to your user name.

This seems to have been happening since the system made the change in my HTML coding. Everytime I try and correct it it jumps back to putting in an extra "amp;". eBid support even corrected it for me several months ago but it just comes back again.

I am sure it's not just me as some of the top sellers on eBid that regularly used to appear at the top of the buddy points list no longer do so dispite having links on all their listings. I know I've had this conversation before but I just can't believe that every single newbie that buys from me that finds eBid via one of my adverts leaves that page to go and register elsewhere on the site. Even with one of my old school friends that joined eBid via the link on my listing to buy one of my items I didn't get a point for.

That stinks. Sounds like support still has some tweaking to do.

Best wishes for many sales to all,

[cornishmaid1961]

That stinks. Sounds like support still has some tweaking to do.

Best wishes for many sales to all,

I've given up worrying about it Sue. I still get bits of points for positive feedback etc and I can still pick up a point if I get someone to join via email. It's good of eBid to give us buddy auctions as they don't have to do it.

I just wanted to point out to Haldass81 that I'm not conviced that everbodies links on their listings work just because his does.

[suesjools]

I've given up worrying about it Sue. I still get bits of points for positive feedback etc and I can still pick up a point if I get someone to join via email. It's good of eBid to give us buddy auctions as they don't have to do it.

I just wanted to point out to Haldass81 that I'm not conviced that everbodies links on their listings work just because his does.

Good point. I agree about the free buddy points stuff, it rocks - this is the first site I've ever been on where they did anything like that. If only they'd put up a few eBid pens and coffee mugs, I'd be over the moon. It doesn't take much.

Best wishes for many sales to all,

[cmjewels925]

I just can't believe that every single newbie that buys from me that finds eBid via one of my adverts leaves that page to go and register elsewhere on the site. Even with one of my old school friends that joined eBid via the link on my listing to buy one of my items I didn't get a point for.

If you saw your friend actually click your link on the listing then yes, you have a problem.

Generally, though, just because some-one comes into the site because they've followed a listing from Google (or wherever) it doesn't mean the seller will automatically get the buddy points. The buyer has to sign up through the sellers link in the body of the description for the points to be awarded. The more logical thing for the buyer to do is to click on the buy or bid button at the top in which case they will be taken to the generic registration page and nobody gets any points.

[Brunwulf]

I just wanted to point out to Haldass81 that I'm not conviced that everbodies links on their listings work just because his does.

You might be on to something, One of the cookies that is set when clicking a buddy link is a from url location,

I would be very intrested to find out, if the from url location cookie is set to the "ebid.net" domain is the buddy point still received?, this would only happen for buddy links posted on the ebid listings, forum etc

If you were getting points before this could explain why buddy links are not working for links sent from the ebid site.

[cornishmaid1961]

If you saw your friend actually click your link on the listing then yes, you have a problem.

Generally, though, just because some-one comes into the site because they've followed a listing from Google (or wherever) it doesn't mean the seller will automatically get the buddy points. The buyer has to sign up through the sellers link in the body of the description for the points to be awarded. The more logical thing for the buyer to do is to click on the buy or bid button at the top in which case they will be taken to the generic registration page and nobody gets any points.

No I was not with him I was just told he did it.
I know the main percentage of buyers will do what you have stated but I used to get the odd point on a fairly regular basis when I first put links on all my listings which I don't anymore since the HTML changed. As I said I'm not overly concerned about it, just stating what I personally have experienced in answer to the post made at the time.

[cornishmaid1961]

You might be on to something, One of the cookies that is set when clicking a buddy link is a from url location,

I would be very intrested to find out, if the from url location cookie is set to the "ebid.net" domain is the buddy point still received?, this would only happen for buddy links posted on the ebid listings, forum etc

If you were getting points before this could explain why buddy links are not working for links sent from the ebid site.

It would be good to have an answer to this Jimbo even if it's just for my own sanity !

[KAYS6912]

This might sound a bit "off" but I really don't think it's fair that people can join eBid, amass a huge amount of points purely to bid on the "high-end" stuff offered via the Buddy points auctions but then don't buy or sell on the site. If this offends, tough. There are loads of members here busting a gut trying to make this site a success through BUYING AND SELLING, not just "spreading the word".

Trish - there's something very wrong there.

[cmjewels925]

No I was not with him I was just told he did it.
I know the main percentage of buyers will do what you have stated but I used to get the odd point on a fairly regular basis when I first put links on all my listings which I don't anymore since the HTML changed. As I said I'm not overly concerned about it, just stating what I personally have experienced in answer to the post made at the time.

I believe you that there's a problem with your link and hope something can be sorted out with it. Maybe Jimbo could have a look at your source code to see if there's anything forcing the extra 'amp'. He's such a lovely, helpful fellow (flutters eyelashes hopefully).

I just wanted to point out to everyone else that just because someone joins up specifically to buy one of their items, it doesn't necessarily mean they clicked on the buddy link to do it.

It would be nice if new sign-ups were automatically tracked and awarded to the listing that brought the new buyer to the site.