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  • What is the difference between your Free Counters and the Premium Counters?
    The two types of counters count exactly the same way, but the Premium Counters do not count your own views, show you Hourly and Daily graphs, have more counter selections including an invisible counter and custom counters (your own text), are secure so no one else can view them, have no advertising banners, feature spreadsheet downloads of your item information and a printer-friendly listing option, have a short time between checking counters, and other benefits to help your auction business. Click on Subscribe from any counter page for complete details!   back to section top

  • How can I have an item with a bid, but the counter says None?
    If you visit your auction and it still says None, that means your firewall software is masking the browser "Referrer" field. That keeps us from knowing what item you are viewing, and so we can't increment your counter. If it changes from None to zero, then your view was seen, but we didn't count it because you are viewing your own counter.

    If an item has a bid but says None, then the person who bid likely uses firewall software that masks the referrer field. We couldn't count their view because the information that tells us what auction they were viewing was not given to us.   back to section top

  • If I subscribe to Premium Counter services, do I have to change my counter HTML? Will I see stats for currently running auctions?
    Premium Subscribers see stats immediately for any auctions currently running. You do not have to change your HTML immediately, although we recommend that you change to the Premium HTML when you get a chance. Premium HTML is required to use any of the Premium Counters only available to subscribers, like the dragon or invisible counter, and also to make sure your own views are not counted.   back to section top

  • Where is Ruby Lane's counter page?
    Ruby Lane's page counter for use in any auction listing or your web site is located at http://count.rubylane.com   back to section top

  • Can I use your counter on my personal web site?
    Yes you can. The counter will reset to 1 if your page is not accessed at all for 30 days. Premium Subscribers can select 'other' from the View Counter page to see a list of their personal counters. If you already have our free counter on your private site, and try to switch to the premium counter, our software doesn't handle this very well. To correct it, you'll need to take our counter off for 35 days, then add it again with premium HTML.   back to section top

  • Where else can I use your counter?
    The counter can be used on any web page -- posted on a bulletin board, etc. If the same web page is viewed with a different URL (web address), then each URL will have its own counter. For example, if you have a web page at http://www.host.com/mystore and it is also accessed as http://mystore.host.com, there will be two different counters displayed even though it is the same web page. Free counter users must use a counter with a visible count on non-auction web pages. Premium Subscribers can use the 'other' option from the View Counter page to view their counters.   back to section top

  • Can I view all my counters at once?
    If your counters are on eBay you can view them all at once by going to http://count.rubylane.com/counter/viewcounter.html, or clicking on View Counter from any counter page. Premium Subscribers can also view all web page counters at once by choosing 'other' from the View Counter Page. There is no way to view all at once these types of counters for non-subscribers.   back to section top

  • I added the counter, but the number of views says None and the category column is blank.
    None is displayed until the page is viewed for the first time. It is also possible that the HTML on your page is bad. For example, if you are missing a quote mark somewhere in your listing, it may cause our counter HTML to be ignored because it looks like it is inside the quote. Also, if you have a very slow-loading image that stalls your browser before our counter loads, it will not count. If you want to check to see if the counter is working, view your page with the counter, then check your counters here (make sure you haven't viewed counters in the last 5 minutes for Subscribers, 18 hours for others). You will either see a 1 or 0 count, depending on whether you are a subscriber and used the premium HTML.   back to section top

  • I viewed my page, but still no count is shown with View Counters.
    Go to the page where you added our counter, select View Source, then search for count.rubylane.com to make sure the counter is inserted and the HTML matches what we display on our site. (The 4 letters after the question mark can be different.) If you are running security software that hides information (specifically, the "referrer" info) from our server, this might also keep your counter from incrementing. Also keep in mind that the View Counters reports are stored for 5 minutes for subscribers, and 18 hours for free users. You cannot get an updated report until your previous report expires.   back to section top

  • I hit Reload several times, but your counter doesn't count.
    If the same user loads a page within 2 minutes and no one has accessed the page in between, the counter does not increment. This is so that double-clicking to a page does not count twice. If you are a subscriber and have cookies enabled, and last signed-in on Ruby Lane to the same account associated with a listing, our counter will not count your page views to your own counters.   back to section top

  • I added your counter HTML to my page, but now it displays as a broken image or small red X.
    It's possible, though not likely, that our counter service is down or is currently inaccessible from your computer. Go to http://count.rubylane.com to check that first. Assuming our counter service is running, the HTML probably was changed when it was added to your page. Visit the page and do View Source to check the HTML again. For example, if line breaks are inserted in our HTML, the counter may not work properly.   back to section top

  • Why isn't my View Counter page updating?
    Your counter page is up-to-date when you first request it. Free users can view the counters once per day. Subscribers can view counters every 5 minutes. If you Reload or Refresh sooner than that, you will see the same View Counter page. This check insures that our system capacities are not exceeded during peak periods so that everyone enjoys quick page loads and counters do not bog down. Providing good, reliable service to thousands of Web customers at the same time can be challenging, and this is one of the ways we do it.   back to section top

  • Does your View Counter page auto-refresh?
    We do not support auto-refresh. We did have this feature on our site and found that users would leave their browser window open all day and night, taking up valuable system resources that other counter users could have been using. See the question above.   back to section top

  • I can't view all my eBay counters from your web site. What's wrong?
    First, make sure eBay's Seller Search is working. If not, you won't be able to view your counters. If you have a specific item missing from our counter display, check to see that it is in eBay's Seller Search. If not, send a note to eBay telling them your Seller Search is missing items.

    Also, we have refresh limits - 5 minutes for subscribers, 18 hours for non-subscribers. This restriction keeps our counters running at peak performance. If you view your counters, create a new auction, and view your counters again immediately, you will not see the new auction. Wait until your refresh limit has expired, view your counters, and it will show up.   back to section top

  • Are your counters 'eBay approved'?
    Ruby Lane Counters have been approved by eBay as compliant with their 3rd party provider display and linking rules.   back to section top

  • How do I see the counts for my hidden counter?
    Hidden counters work on eBay auction, About Me(tm) pages, and Premium Subscriber other pages. If you have a hidden counter, go to http://count.rubylane.com, select View Counters, type your eBay userid/nickname in the input box on the left and press View My Counters! Premium Counter Subscribers can view hidden counters used on any web page (select Other).   back to section top

  • My counters stopped incrementing, displays the wrong number, or still says None after I view my listing. What's wrong?
    Counters do not display correctly if the cache, or temporary Internet files, in your browser's preferences, or options, is set to Never. This setting keeps you from seeing updated graphics at other sites too. If you add our counter and see an incorrect count, you are really seeing the counter from another item. To avoid this, use "check once per session" for your browser cache setting. Other people are probably seeing the correct count. If your counter always displays 1, check to make sure you are not running security/privacy software that hides some of the data we need to show you the real count.   back to section top

  • My counter only displays 'rubylane.com'. What's wrong?
    All Free Counters are verified to ensure sure they being used correctly. If the counter was copied incorrectly, you may see or something similar. Premium Counter Subscribers' counters are not checked and can be modified.

    The most common html problems are

    • removing 'Ruby Lane'
    • removing the link back to Ruby Lane
    • changing or removing the width and height html tags
    • Sending the counter HTML through email as your email program may modify the HTML and remove the link (especially with AOL).
    If you cut and paste the counter as shown on http://count.rubylane.com/counter/addcounter.html, our counter should work fine.

    Note: if you have a broken counter on an auction, you cannot correct it once it has been flagged as broken. You can revise the auction and delete the counter, cancel the auction and start a new auction with the correct HTML, or leave the counter displaying rubylane.com.   back to section top

  • My counter display 'Counters Starting'. What's that mean?
    It means our counter system is initializing. This takes less than a minute, then your counter will resume counting.   back to section top

  • Do I have to come back to your site and copy the counter for every auction I list?
    No, you can copy the HTML once and store it on your computer in a Windows Notepad file and then cut-and-paste from there, or you can copy it into any auction template or layout that you may using. You can also paste the counter into multiple auctions with a single keystroke - Ctrl V - as long as you do not copy anything else to the Clipboard. We also have an Auto Add feature that will add counters to all of your eBay auctions that don't already have them. But we do not have a feature where our web site adds counters automatically to your listings.   back to section top

  • What happens to the counter on an auction listing if you relist the auction?
    With eBay auctions, the counter resets automagically if you relist your item.   back to section top

  • Why does every Ruby Lane counter I see display 1 (one)?
    Ruby Lane's counters require a valid referrer, which tells us what auction page you are viewing. Some Internet security/privacy tools, such as Norton Internet Security and others, remove this referrer information while web surfing. Users running this kind of software will always see a 1 (one) when viewing Ruby Lane counters and their page views cannot be counted. To correct this with Norton Internet Security, disable Browser Privacy.   back to section top

  • Does your counter count only unique visitors?
    The only way to count unique visitors is by dropping a cookie on every visitor's computer when they visit your auction. Some people may leave a web page if it tries to set a cookie, so we do not count unique visitors.   back to section top

  • Does your counter count every page view?
    Our counters used to count each and every page view. One problem with this is that it makes it easy to fake the count by holding down the Reload button. Also, visitors often double-click a link and so the page is actually fetched twice; this causes a double count. Our counters detect both of these situations and only count once, giving you a more accurate count of page views. Unlike Andale's counter, if the same person (identified by IP address) is visiting your auction every hour to see what is happening, with no one in between, we count their views.   back to section top

  • Does your counter count it when I view my own pages?
    If you are a subscriber, have cookies enabled, and last signed-in on Ruby Lane to the same account associated with your counter, then our counter will not count your page view.   back to section top

  • I'm a subscriber, but why do my counters count when I view my own pages?
    You must have have cookies enabled and last signed-in on Ruby Lane to the same account associated with your counter to prevent us from counting your views to your own pages. If you are using Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0 or greater, then you need to allow cookies from rubylane.com by going toTools -> Internet Options ... -> Privacy (tab) -> Edit ... -> in your browser, then type in "rubylane.com", then click on Allow, then OK, then OK.   back to section top

  • Can I set the counter to a specific number?
    No, our counters can't be set this way.   back to section top

  • What if Ruby Lane's site has a problem? Will it affect my auction listing?
    Ruby Lane's counter will never cause your auction to lock up, unlike Andale's counter. We pride ourselves on the reliability of our counters, but should something unforeseen happen that makes our site inaccessible, your auction will still display completely (without the counter) and bidders can bid on your items.   back to section top

  • How can I see more detailed statistics?
    Paid subscribers can see hourly and daily charts that pinpoint exactly when your auctions are being viewed. To access the charts, subscribers can click on the number of views when displaying counters with View Counters. Subscribers can also see total hits for all open or closed items by clicking on the number of views in the total line, and can view aggregate hourly statistics for all Ruby Lane counter users on eBay.   back to section top

  • How do I read the 4-color statistics chart?
    When you click on the # of page views, a graph is displayed of all hits by date and hour.

    The hours with the lowest 25% of hits are colored blue. Hours in the 25-50% bracket are green. Hours in the 50-75% bracket are orange. Hours with the highest 25% are red.

    This is sort of like a report card grade for each individual hour of your auction:

    blue = D
    green = C
    orange = B
    red = A

    Red and orange are hours where you get the most hits. Blue and green are hours where you get the least hits.   back to section top

  • My View Counters page is not updating. It says Last Updated: (some date and time in the past)
    Counters can be viewed at most once a day (free users), or every 5 minutes for subscribers. This prevents our server from overloading because some people continuously hit Reload. If you are seeing a page that is more than 1 day old, it is coming from either your local browser cache or your ISP may be running a cache server. Try doing Shift Refresh or Ctrl Reload to force a reload of the page (this should not be necessary if your browser and ISP's cache are configured correctly). If you still see the old page, your ISP probably has a cache server that is misconfigured and storing pages too long, then sending them to you without contacting our server.   back to section top

  • Do I need a separate subscription for every Seller ID I use?
    One subscription is good for 1 Seller ID at eBay. If you sell with more than 1 ID, you will need a separate subscription for each ID to access the premium features and get past the security checks designed to protect your counters.   back to section top

  • If I get multiple subscriptions, do I have to sign in every time to view my counters?
    No, you can have special links that automatically sign you in to your account. To do this:

    1. Sign In to 1st account and click "Remember password"
    2. View Counters
    3. Right click on special bookmark link in the Notes section, select Add Bookmark
    4. Click Subscribe link
    5. Click "Sign In Again" link
    6. Sign In to 2nd account, click "Remember password"
    7. View Counters
    8. Right click on special bookmark link in the Notes section, select Add Bookmark

    You should be able to view your counters using either of these links, anytime. If you want to remove the password from your cookie, do steps 4 & 5 again but do not check the Remember password box.   back to section top

  • What happens when my subscription expires?
    We will send an email near the end of your subscription to remind you to renew. As a security precaution, we do not have any credit card information stored at Ruby Lane and so cannot automatically renew subscriptions. If you choose to let your subscription expire, all of your counters with hits will revert to free counters. Premium counters that do not have hits at the time your subscription expires will display "Protected" and you will not be able to view the counts from our site. If you are unsure whether you are going to renew, then it is best not to use premium counter HTML near the end of your subscription.   back to section top

  • How do I check the status of my subscription?
    Sign in with your Ruby Lane nickname and click the Subscribe link. At the top of the page it shows when your subscription expires.   back to section top

  • On the detail chart, why are some numbers in white squares instead of colored squares?
    Numbers inside white squares are hits that occurred after the auction ended. If you list an auction and then change the ending time after it has already been viewed, our software will use the original ending time.   back to section top

  • My category number is wrong.
    The category number is only set once, so if you change the category of your auction while it is running, this change will not be reflected on our reports.   back to section top

  • Why have my counters have reset? They used to have counts, but now the count is lower or says None. Can I use your counters for store items?
    Ruby Lane's counters reset after 15 days for non-subscribers, or 35 days for subscribers.   back to section top

  • My totals are not correct when viewing counters. Fixed-priced items are not marked in Bold even though I sold the item.
    On the Seller Search page, eBay does not differentiate between a fixed-priced listing that expires with no buyer, and a fixed-priced listing that is sold. Because of this, we cannot list fixed-priced items in bold or include them in the totals.   back to section top

  • I selected to show only Open auctions (or some number of days), but it shows something else.
    When you go to the View Counters page, select your options, and press the "View My Counters" button, we create a report with those options. This report will always be sent back to you for the next 5 minutes (for subscribers) or 18 hours (for non-subscribers), no matter what new options you select. After this report expires (the time it expires is shown on the report), then you can select new options and generate a new report.   back to section top

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