"Offers to buy outside Ebay"

[kaitlinktm]

Have just had an email from ebay stating:
We’re writing to let you know that activity on your account may not be following an important eBay policy that requires all transactions and payments to be completed on eBay. This policy also specifies that eBay member-to-member messages may not be used to share contact information.

Does this mean you can't pay cash on collection? I did this thinking I was doing the buyer a favour - but I may not have completed the transaction properly as it is not appearing on my purchase history - and now I can't find the item at all. She gave me her address via the messaging service (I didn't ask for it, just if she was on the other side of the town from me).

Any ideas?

More than a few times I have received cash without completing transaction via Ebay, yet I've never had one of these messages. I wonder what you did (if anything) to attract their attention.

Selling by cash is fine, but procedure to follow. They should click 'buy', you need to mark it as 'Paid', and then Ebay will get their cut by billing you via Paypal.

Thanks Iljkk. I am the buyer here - I don't sell on ebay so there's a lot I don't understand. I contacted Ebay and they say it is because the seller gave me their address on a PM before I bought the item.

That's odd, because you are allowed a 'viewing' before puchase, quite often.

I think I didn't complete the purchase properly because when I do this usually it sometimes pays via paypal automatically which is usually fine, but this time I was paying cash on collection. I thought the seller would do something from her end, but maybe she couldn't - and then I couldn't find the item. I suppose it looked dodgy.

You are no longer allowed to send/receive contact info from any one you are not in a transaction with.
Items need to be purchased before addresses/contact numbers are exchanged.

It is quite ridiculous, as people do want to often view an item before committing to purchase. Another idea from eBay to try stop people completing 'off eBay deals' - not a problem for smaller items, but I sell beds and furniture?!
Im having to ask people to click BIN, tell them no need to pay at that point, then am able to give the address for collection and can mark it as paid once viewed/collected, or issue a cancellation if not required after viewing.