Problem with September newsletter competition.

[astral276]

Would like to enter this but it seems I have the choice of giving the right answer and not being able to win or giving eBid's wrong answer and having a chance of winning.

eBid maintains that Google Shopping requires at least one online payment method be available for items submitted, but Google's Merchant Centre states:

Your websites must provide a way for any user in the target country to purchase the product through an online payment service, directly from the website or through other alternative payment methods such as cash on delivery, invoicing or payment upon collection.

This, as written, does NOT require an online payment method, only that there is some means to pay - whatever means that may be.

Despite previous requests to eBid to explain why their stance (repeated in the newsletter) is at variance with Google's policy I have never had the courtesy of a response.

[Gill]

Would like to enter this but it seems I have the choice of giving the right answer and not being able to win or giving eBid's wrong answer and having a chance of winning.

eBid maintains that Google Shopping requires at least one online payment method be available for items submitted, but Google's Merchant Centre states:

Your websites must provide a way for any user in the target country to purchase the product through an online payment service, directly from the website or through other alternative payment methods such as cash on delivery, invoicing or payment upon collection.



This, as written, does NOT require an online payment method, only that there is some means to pay - whatever means that may be.

Despite previous requests to eBid to explain why their stance (repeated in the newsletter) is at variance with Google's policy I have never had the courtesy of a response.

I've given up trying to win the eBid competitions but I cannot see the problem. Google's Merchant Centre DOES state this as shown above highlighted in red.

[HerMajesty]

........ purchase the product through an online payment service, directly from the website OR through other alternative payment methods such as cash on delivery, invoicing or payment upon collection....

I guess I read it like Astral does.........the comma after the words in red make the following phrases a list of alternatives.

[Gill]

The comma is to mark a breath pause. Without it, IMO, the sentence would be too long.

Edit - this thread is just being pedantic.

[astral276]

........ purchase the product through an online payment service, directly from the website OR through other alternative payment methods such as cash on delivery, invoicing or payment upon collection....

I guess I read it like Astral does.........the comma after the words in red make the following phrases a list of alternatives.

Exactly, the commas are implicit ORs. It doesn't make sense read any other way.

If eBid are refusing to submit a seller's items due to eBid misinterpreting Google policy (which wouldn't be the first time - you may recall the stripping of all capital letters apart from the first from titles) then it is an issue.

Of course eBid can make their own policy but they shouldn't then blame it on Google.

[JaBek1]

The comma is to mark a breath pause. Without it, IMO, the sentence would be too long.

Edit - this thread is just being pedantic.

Actually, I believe in this case the comma does indicate that the phrase is part of a list and not a pause for the reader to take a breath. Of course, being a yank I haven't had the opportunity to learn the Queen's English so it may just be one of those differences between our common languages.

[johnwash1]

........ purchase the product through an online payment service, directly from the website OR through other alternative payment methods such as cash on delivery, invoicing or payment upon collection....

I guess I read it like Astral does.........the comma after the words in red make the following phrases a list of alternatives.

Indeed, how could payment upon collection possibly be done via an online payment service!

Of course Astral is right. And this is not a pedantic thread, it's about eBid failing to interpret Google's rules to our (and the site's) benefit.