Our website, http://www.bestofthehome.com has been listed in 
Open Directory Project for over a year. Recently, I conducted a search of ODP for my site, to update it, and found that it was no longer listed in any category. I went to ODP forums http://resource-zone.com to try to obtain information as to why this had happened. The editors and moderators of forum informed me that websites that sell products via drop-ship method do not get listed in ODP, “because content of these websites are not unique and sites are just “order takers” for wholesalers.” ODP will gladly list wholesalers if they meet ODP guidelines.
The guidelines for a site to be listed in ODP Shopping/Home and Garden/Furniture Category are listed below:
“Submission guidelines include that web site itself actually be a means of selling Furniture products. Thus, appropriate product images and descriptions, specific product pricing and a means of ordering from web site itself are required to qualify as a "Shopping" site.”
As you can see, guidelines say nothing about fact that if website uses dropship method that they will not be listed. Even category descriptions, Sites which sell Furniture used in home are listed in this category. Please note that web sites listed in this or any Furniture Shopping category must be "means of selling" furniture, and therefore must properly display and describe products for sale, give specific prices and provide a means of ordering product from site itself.” does not mention anything about dropship websites not being listed.
In our own case, our website meets all of requirements above, we list products for sale, we have pictures and descriptions of all products we sell, give specific prices and provide a means of ordering product on site, but since we do not design and manufacture products we are considered a drop-shipper for wholesaler.
The OPD, by their own admission, looks at dropship websites in this fashion, and these are direct quotes from some of moderators on forum,
“Let's call real businesses "mom-and-pop businesses" and other ... oh, I think "pseudonymous fright wigs for anonymous faceless giant corporations" pretty well covers relevant facts.”
“drop shippers are a variety of affiliate operation, they don't offer anything unique, and they act merely as an extension of marketing department of corporation they are affiliated with. Therefore we don't list 'em. Renting storage space in someone else's warehouse to store your own goods, using an independent courier to deliver, etc. don't make someone a drop shipper. But then again independent distributor of mass market stuff is unlikely to make it in if we already have sites selling same mass market stuff listed. Unique content is king. In addition, a site's placement in directory is subject to change or deletion at any time at our sole discretion. ”
