LINKS DO NOT WORK

Turn off your ad blocking softare, or authorize that link.

I don't use any Ad Blocker.
I even tried deactivating my Norton Anti-Virus (Internet)..
Still doesn't work.
It used to work just fine with my Norton on.. This just started playing up about a few days or so ago. All the links do not work - title, picture (thumbnail) etc.
It used to work just fine. I have not added any new software etc. in the past week.... everything is the same on my comp.

The links just keep leading me to www.auctiva.com with nothing displayed..
And it looks like I'm not the only one, cos I saw posts from other people *after* I posted, with the same problem...
Please help! I can't live without the convenience of those links.. It's stuffing up my bids cos I couldn't check the status conveniently...

When you click this link what happens? Do you make it to the eBay auction?

http://ebaylink.auctionsniper.com/showcase/ShowcaseItems.aspx?item=http%3A//cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll%3FViewItem%26item%3D4910387430

You should also download, and install this spyware/adware removing program. It's free and will remove all the spy type programs on your computer and other hidden advertising software. You should run it monthly. As you'll see it's very popular, 54 million downloads, and a 5 star rating from download.com:

http://www.download.com/3000-2144-10045910.html?part=69274&subj=dlpage&tag=button

Thanks! I've restored my computer to an 'EARLIER' state, and everything's now working as per normal...!

Regards,
moi

Thanks for the update. I'm glad it worked out for you but I hope we can find out a more generic solution for anyone else that has this happen to them.

HI Sarah, I see you're closing other inquiries (including mine)to get them onto this thread. I still have the exact same problem.

This is NOT due to Norton, Google popup blocker or Zone alarm. It DID just start in the past couple of weeks.

I don't know why you recommend a spyware detector in relation to this problem. I regularly scan with Spybot Search & Destroy, and also use Ad Aware. That hasn't helped this issue for me.

OK, here's an example link showing the problem again. Any other ideas? It is happening to EVERY link from My Snipes now....

http://ebaylink.auctionsniper.com/showcase/ShowcaseItems.aspx?item=http%3A//cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll%3FViewItem%26item%3D6910947515

Thank you! Kent

Not much help, but wanted to let you know...
The link above you posted works for me.

sniperfan, sorry to say but the problem is on your computer. Try a different web browser and see. Use Netscape, Opera, or whatever. I'd be curious to know if it works in another web browser.

All we do is create a link. The same link every site on the internet is made up of.

Adware type of programs do affect linking, they interpret each action taken in Internet Explorer and pop up ads and do other things based on the pages you are going to, so yes, adware can and usually does have a direct relation to this problem. In your case it may not be, or perhaps it's not a spyware in ad-awares signature file, so it's not detecting it.

The entire office can get to the link fine, everyone can get to it from home, etc. That's at least 30 people that can. There have been only a few support cases, and a few posts here. I'd assume that means that nearly everyone can get to the eBay item. So the problem is on your computer, and I'd love to help figure out what it is. Lets try a secondary browser to start with just so we can narrow down if it's a computer wide problem or just with Internet Explorer on your computer.

I found a likely solution for the folks having this problem. You may have a modified hosts file. This is most commonly caused by using Kazaa or ad-blocking software. You'll need to edit your hosts file to allow the links to work.

"How do I edit my hosts file?"

1.) Find the following file:

Windows 95/98/ME: "c:\windows\hosts"
Windows XP Home/Pro: "c:\windows\system32\drivers\etc\hosts"
Windows NT or 2000: "c:\winnt\system32\drivers\etc\hosts"

2.) Edit the "host" file by right-clicking the file, then select "open with" and then select "Notepad".

3.) Delete the following lines if present:

- commission-junction.com
- cj.com
- qksrv.net

4.) Save the file. The file may be read-only. To make it writeable right-click the file, select Properties, and uncheck Read-only.

5.) You should be able to use the view links now.

Hey, guess what? Sniperfan is not the only one experiencing this problem, so it can't only be his computer, and the solution offer by Sniper Sara with respect didn't work for me. I attempted to delete the suggested files from the "hosts" file, but I had nothing like that contained in there to delete, so that didn't work. Any other suggestions on how to get the links working again?
Also, does this affect my ability to snipe items I have listed in my snipes page or in a bid group I've created? I hope not.

My LINKS from search page to ebay do not work eitheer. I removed the listings from the HOSTS file. Still no good. This problem is growing FAST and will eventually have to be solve by one of the experts..

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This problem is growing FAST and will eventually have to be solve by one of the experts..

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"Growing fast"? Huh? Did I miss something?

I have same problem, but suggestioned offered did not work for me. But deleting hosts works

I am getting more confused as each new post is posted!

Looks like some Ad blocking softwares make changes to the hosts file to filter ads, and auctionsniper is somehow connected to one of servers on the list.

The ad server in question is eBays affiliate server. So if it's evil then it's eBays evil, not ours. eBay uses the most reputable company out there when it comes to this so I would be comfortable removing the cj.com and qksrv.net portions from your hosts file. Most popup window advertising spam comes from elsewhere and it's not likely you'd get any more popups by removing those 2 entries.

Must be something else, because neither of those servers are in my hosts file and I still can not access the links.

You must have some other sort of ad blocking software.

Are you 100% sure that all ad blocking software is off, and 100% sure you found the correct hosts file?

Thanks for the speedy reply. I only use Adaware and I have tried several ad blocking hosts files without success. If I delete the file "hosts" I can connect, but I would like to identify the entry in the ad blocking hosts file so that I can be protected from the bad ad servers. And I do reboot after a hosts file change. The latest hosts I could find comes from http://www.everythingisnt.com/hosts.html

Maybe you already know this from another thread, but pretty sure auctiva.com is another you can't have blocked.

Up until now, I had absolutely no problem clicking on any links in 'my snipes' when you had them in the following format:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3923230138

Now that you have changed the format to the following, the links no longer work. I've tried it on two different systems:

http://ebaylink.auctionsniper.com/showcase/ShowcaseItems.aspx?item=http%3A//cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll%3FViewItem%26item%3D3923230138

I do have a large number of ad servers listed in my hosts file, but as I mentioned, the original link format worked with no problems. Why should any ad or host blocking interfere with the clicking of a normal link? Is this some sort of mechanism to track our activities? If so, is this really necessary; could you please consider going back to the original format?

Thanks.

Jared, welcome to our forum!

Mine still come up in this format! http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item= It is working perfectly!!

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Why should any ad or host blocking interfere with the clicking of a normal link?

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Obviously because they are trying to block eBays affiliate site.

The only annoying ads on the net are the popup ones. In that case use a browser like Mozilla and get rid of the ad blocking junk.

Is it really that big a deal? I surf the web all day long pretty much 7 days a week and they just aren't all that troubling. If you're getting a lot of ads you've more likely got some spyware.

What is your definition of troubling. Your message sounds a bit arrogant. Yes ads make money and ebay affiliates are now linked to ad agencies to make money. People want to be protected from ads in whatever form they chose. I vote for auctionsniper to coexist with the way people want to use the Internet. Not force us to accept your or some ad agencies concept of it. I want to use IE, not Mozilla. I want the links the way they used to work, and not go through auctiva or other ad supporting companies.

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Originally posted by Mrs.M:
Jared, welcome to our forum!

Mine still come up in this format! http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item= It is working perfectly!!

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Mrs.M:

Hello, and thanks for the welcome.

I think your links eventually come up in the standard format. However, if you place the mouse over the link before clicking on it, it will probably start out looking like this:

http://ebaylink.auctionsniper.com/showcase/ShowcaseItems.aspx?item=http%3A//cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll%3FViewItem%26item%3D3923230138

I'm thinking it works fine for you (and many others) but not me, becuase I have a lot of ad/spyware blocking utilities on my system.


Sara B.:

I run Ad-aware on a regular basis and I keep it up to date. I also use a few other programs to eliminage pop-ups and block potentially dangerous scripts, so it is highly unlikely that I have any known spyware on my system.

Many computers process redirects through ad-servers with no problem, but I've blocked a lot of ad servers by modifying my hosts file. I prefer it this way because these blocked servers cannot create cookies, and their advertisments do not show up on web sites. Advertisments may not bother you much, but they annoy me quite a bit. So the fewer I see, the better.

As I've stated in my previous message, the original link format works fine; why can't we just go back to this?
This 'affiliate site' you've mentioned appears to belong to Auctiva and not eBay, but that's not the issue here. You ultimately have the control to make us go through an affiliate or send us directly to the page we're looking for, and you appear to be choosing the former for tracking purposes.

Unforunately, after all this discussion, it doesn't look like this will be changed. I suppose we'd better get used to it or work around it

2004AD:

My thoughts exactly.

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People want to be protected from ads in whatever form they chose. I vote for auctionsniper to coexist with the way people want to use the Internet.

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So please tell me where the ads are for these thinks? Answer: THERE AREN'T ANY. So exactly what ads is your crummy ad software protecting you from in this case? None. If you want a fix ask your ad blocking software.

I suppose it does support the ad company as well as us and eBay.

If you're going to run such software I'd suggest trying some that can be turned on and off. While you're viewing our site, turn it off as we dont generate anything that needs to be blocked. Then afterwords turn it back on.

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Advertisments may not bother you much, but they annoy me quite a bit.

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They're also what pays for the sites you're visiting to be in business, or at least subsidize it.

Sure I'd like to read a newspaper without any ads. But if that happened there would be NO newspaper to read eventually because there'd be no ads, and no money generated for the paper. Seems to me that blocking ads is sorta like stealing. Haven't put deep thought into it, but seems that way.

Perhaps what we can do is enable a feature whereby you can pay us 2% and we'll remove the links in question. Would that be satisfactory?

Since freedom is not free. I'll pay. Sign me up.

I have seen ad-blocking software, particuarly free software, prevent links from working, prevent people from opening their e-mail, and other stuff. The software interprets these routine actions as pop-ups.

I dont spend all day everyday on the web and when I do, I dont want to see pop-ups.

I dont mind ads that are located on the site I am viewing.

I would be pissie if I bought a newspaper and I opened a page and some Casino Ad jumped up at me...I wouldnt be buying that newspaper again.

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Jared Said:
Unforunately, after all this discussion, it doesn't look like this will be changed. I suppose we'd better get used to it or work around it

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Boy - you are so right there

How much money to Magazines and Newspapers want to make anyways? They charge HUGE prices to advertise in them, then they charge us to buy them.

Money for Jam.

The way I see it. The ads on auctionsniper is not the issue here. The issue is auctionsnipers chosing to use their partner, auctiva, and that the servers auctiva uses are also listed as bad ad servers by the ad blocking community. Since auctionsniper is defending these business practices, someone must be making or saving money on this arrangement, all we can do is express our opinion.

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Since freedom is not free. I'll pay. Sign me up.

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Well ok then. We're going to add some new features first and I'll make sure that in that version you can request normal links. So at least you'll get some more features with it.

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I would be pissie if I bought a newspaper and I opened a page and some Casino Ad jumped up at me...

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You've never bought a magazine and had 4 or 5 of those annoying little cards come flying out? Newspapers are less of a pain, but the sunday paper is nothing but ads.

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The issue is auctionsnipers chosing to use their partner, auctiva, and that the servers auctiva uses are also listed as bad ad servers by the ad blocking community.

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You are confused. The ad links are provided by commission junction, which is a respected site among such sites. And it's who eBay chose to run their affiliate program.

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Since auctionsniper is defending these business practices

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What I'm defedning is that these links display 0 ads, and 0 popups. 100% true. So what's wrong with turning your software off when you visit our site? Nothing except your own unwillingness, and that is your decision, so when it doesn't work you're the only one who can fix it.

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someone must be making or saving money on this arrangement

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of course we are, and since it doesnt display a single ad or popup I fail to see the issue.

It is better to attack the problem and not the person. The only ad blocking software I use is a hosts file and I can not simple turn it off and back on without rebooting each time. Help me to identify all the ad servers that are called when I use the links through your site. Maybe I can find the offending listing in the hosts file that is blocking it. I have been a long time auctionsniper customer. I have gone a long way in recommending your service in the past. An apology would be appreciated, but I forgive you anyway.

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The only ad blocking software I use is a hosts file and I can not simple turn it off and back on without rebooting each time

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Upgrade to Windows 2000, Windows XP, etc. Both of those do it. I use both and enter host files entries all the time to test server specific issues. Works like a charm.

I did a search on google for host file ad blockers and I did find counters.auctiva.com and cj.com and qksrv.com Since this has nothing to do with counters.auctiva.com I ruled that out. Does your hosts file have any other auctiva entries? I'm really sure that's not it but what the heck.

I think there was one other auctiva.com site, but not www.auctiva.com. Nothing that would stop this link.

I would focus on the cj.com and qksrv.com and maybe eBays mediaplex.com I think it is.

It's too bad you dont have WinXP or 2k or greater because then you could just chop your hosts file in half and keep doing that until you find the offending entry.

I suppose you could send us your hosts file and we could try it. Use the email support@ our domain name.com

I tried your suggestion and the site that I found that was causing my problems is adfarm.mediaplex.com. If I comment this site out of my hosts file then my links work. But I would rather pay extra and not to have to go through these ad servers.

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adfarm.mediaplex.com

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I thought that might be the one. That's eBays also. It's on their home page. I thought it came up every time too even when you go directly to their home page. They use it to keep track of their marketing efforts. For example on their homepage they put up a box that suggests all sorts of items to look at. And they track that I guess to see if it's helping.

Maybe you could keep the couple entries causing issues at the top of your file and put the # character in front of them to inactivate them. Then remove it when not on eBay.

I really am curious just how many more ads you'd see without those 2-3 entries. I just cant believe it would be all that many.