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and this (on a slightly different tack)quote:Banned On eBay?
Apparently eBay may be starting to crack down on some types of sniping software. The German eBay banned sniping altogether late last year, arguing that the practice was unfair to some bidders. Many online auction fans feared this was a sign the same snipe ban would occur in the United States.
In November 2002, some auctioneers were surprised to find their sales canceled abruptly by eBay because the auction pages contained a link to Bid*****.com, a popular Web-based sniping service that also sells auction design software. eBay claimed the auctions violated a policy prohibiting links to any service requiring that users reveal their eBay ID and password.
Bid*****.com creator and host Charles Eglinton recalls how "with no warning, eBay quarantined us for about 10 days. Then, after they had numerous complaints from our loyal users, a representative from eBay called me on the phone and said they would remove http://www.Bid*****.com from the blacklist if I removed references to sniping from the initial click-through link." After complying, Bid*****.com was delisted. Eglinton says his is the only software he knows to have been banned from eBay, if only briefly. Nevertheless, the world's biggest auction doesn't seem fond of the, um, creative bidding methods many users have devised.
quote:eBay charges fees to vendors for licensing its API and requires them to sign a contract that contains rules and restrictions on what those vendors may do. eBay does in fact prohibit companies from interfacing with its site without a license, but has not widely enforced the ban. As it continues to sign up vendors to its API program, it may just be a matter of time for those vendors who choose to hold out.
