Can i have two stores and list my same items in both stores at different prices?

[funnymaniac]

Just wondering if I get 2 stores if I can list my items in each store, maybe at different prices. One with a buy it now and no best offer at a low price, the other at a higher price with a best offer?

Ok, so this is a joke right? No, because I found THOUSANDS of the very same item, (NOT STOCK PHOTOS!) listed by sellers using the same pics, with one listed at a lower price for example, $200, the other store, same pic/item/description, listed for $300 with a best offer. Is this legal or not? Because I inquired to ebay and they said that I should not bother thinking of such things that it is their job, not mine.

I was simply looking to gauge a value to price an item so to sell quickly and so was doing some diligent research and found sellers/from the same city/town, with the exact same item listed as stated above, under two different names. Yes....THOUSANDS of items. Ebay "Assured me", they are different people and indicated they are probably using an EBAY STOCK IMAGES and to ask for "real" pics, but I found other items, same book,  same sellers, (4 listings) using two different photo's, so they can't be stock images. (in other words, a total of 4 listings, 2 pairs of the same item, in 2 different visible conditions. I then did a little more digging and found the two "different" sellers, had done this with literally thousands of items. I would think this gives a false sense of value to a buyer and makes it hard to compete with. It's so obvious because I look closely at the condition before I purchase. They can't be stock photo's if one photo, used twice, has simply a crease and the other item (also listed twice) has a chunk out. (all 4 are the same item. If they used stock photo's then I would assume the written description would be different but all 4 pics the same.

Would like to hear comments/thoughts. Thanks!

[papermoneyforme]

You can only use a 2nd store for different items.

[cynthealee2]

Last time I looked there were at least 6 different people using my old bracelet photos to sell theirs and no it's NOT in eBay's stock photo album.

Same exact hair on the same exact blanket with the same exact spot in the same corner... They are selling sorta the same bracelets (as in they are rubber bracelets with sayings on them) but not all of them are selling the exact same bracelets.  So in theory eBay could be telling you the truth.

Cause technically what you found is illegal on eBay and a big no no... it would be considered search manipulation and a few other things.

[funnymaniac]

I agree, it's TOTALLY BAD!!! But ebay hasn't done a thing about it and thanks me for taking notice but also that it is their job, not mine! I just stumbled on it and it bothers me. I can't compete with this technique! So I took down all my listings and looking into creating my own site.

It creates a false sense of value. (I don't think the first person who replied, read my entire message. I know it's wrong, but the question is... what does ebay do about it. IF the seller has 100,000 items in each store.... it seems nothing. IF I DID THIS, I would be NARU. Double standards galore. My $5 store just can't compete and I have no intention of going bigger. What used to be a level playing field has turned into a high hill for the big boys/girls and a ditch for the small guys/gals.

Not sure I want to be part of this anymore. But I love ebay and it hurts. I wish it would turn back 20 years, but it's not going to.

[funnymaniac]

Every time I end an item early it says "ways to help sell your item faster!" UPGRADE YOUR STORE FOR MORE EXPOSURE!

I do not understand this.... a great item and value should sell itself. Why do I need "better exposure?"

Well, one day I was shut down for 3 days using the word LIKE in my listing. I was informed my items would not end, instead be HIDDEN FROM VIEW. So, this begs the question, is my low $5 store hidden from certain buyers?

Uh oh, I see a red notification in the top right corner of this page, I better look. If I'm kicked off for writing this... good luck! I mean, geez, it's not like I  showed the listing #'s and exposed the whole thing. I was just creating a discussion. This may be it! My fingers are crossed!

[mam98031]

So you want to create competition with yourself?

What do you plan to do if you sell the item in both stores?

You are aware that Ebay will link the two accounts together.  So as you get your seller stats further and further in trouble in one of the stores, when they end up sanctioning you it may very well affect the other account too.

What possible good could come from this behavior?

You seem to be assuming that those seller that have duplicate listings do not have the stock to cover them.  I don't think that is true.  It is a common practice for sellers from China, but they typically do have the stock to cover if things sell under multiple selling IDs.

The potential use of Ebay stock photos could be a real answer on some of the listings you are seeing.  Others can be because they nab them off the internet just by doing a Google Search or something.

I've seen plenty of my pics used on other listings on this site and others.  And you can do a Google search and find them too.

If you are looking for a short term way of making some money, what you are asking may be a way to do it.  Certainly not one I'd choose, but it could work for the short term.  If you plan on selling on Ebay in the long term, you should not do this as you will most certainly cause your seller stats great harm.

[funnymaniac]

Ok, I think I need to explain. I ASKED THIS QUESTION BECAUSE I SEE OTHERS DOING THIS!!!! I AM NOT INTERESTED IN DOING THIS. If you read my entire message(es) then I think you will understand I am posing this question so as to inform OTHERS what is going on. I have NO INTENTION of doing this.

To further... the item I am talking about is a COMIC BOOK, FROM 1940! ALL comics from this period especially are unique! UNIQUE because of the condition. Each crease/tear/piece out, is a signature of the item, one that makes each COMIC BOOK different to another of the same issue. I noted that 2 comics had IDENTICAL pics from 2 different sellers, BOTH from the same city. I brought this to ebay's attention and was informed REST ASSURED, THEY ARE DIFFERENT PEOPLE, and MUST BE USING EBAY STOCK PICTURES. I then noticed the SAME BOOK, but 2 different copies, (different because the pictures were different) each seller had available. What are the chances a seller from the SAME LOCATION used the SAME EBAY STOCK PICTURE? (yet not a single other by another seller was using the same pic.) After digging further, noticed the same 2 sellers had yet another copy, only THIS picture had a CHUNK out of the corner. Again, listed twice. One (higher priced) WITH BEST OFFER OPTION. The other (lesser asking price) NO BEST OFFER. (the book shown is the same/identical pictures.)  so 4 listings total. 2 different books. Same method. 2 different pictures. I showed this to ebay two days ago. They are ALL STILL POSTED. Ebay responded, basically, THANK YOU FOR NOTICING, yet also stated, THIS IS NOT YOUR JOB, IT'S OURS. (basically, LET EBAY WORRY ABOUT THIS) but it is my problem because I have to compete and can't with this type of technique. It's dishonest and tricky. But I give the seller A for creativity. If they were different items, using stock photo's, then ALL 4 pictures should be different and not 2 pairs of identical pictures. PLEASE READ everything I wrote before jumping the gun saying I AM THE ONE, I AM NOT DOING THIS!!!!!!! I WOULD NEVER DO THIS!!!!!!

[funnymaniac]

I want to add that this was not the only book, there were THOUSANDS of different books each with 2 pictures that were identical, in two different stores, from the same city!!!!!! Same format, one book higher with best offer, one book lower with no best offer.  Ebay said they looked into this and found no violations in their opinion and the items are still listed. I am not trying to cause harm to the seller, I'm sure they are a good seller but they are making my goods harder to sell, and YES, they are competing with themselves? WHY? So as to create a false sense of value! So the potential buyer will say, Hmmmm, I can buy this one for $500 or this one for $700. Oh, the $700 seller accepts an offer, so I make an offer of less than $700 or just buy the $500 copy because it's a better deal. SO MAKING A BUYER COMPETE WITH THEMSELVES! The seller wins, no matter which account sells the item.

I am writing all this because ebay saw no harm.

[funnymaniac]

I do not like the new thing where you can send a best offer to a watcher. Because when the seller sends a watcher an offer, they get to see the URL of the watcher. For this reason, I no longer use the watchlist. I also find that folks who watch things, know the buyer will eventually send an offer with a better price so don't bother making offers. Kinda defeats the whole make an offer thing. WHAT IS GOING ON!??? WHO THINKS THESE THINGS UP!!!!???

[funnymaniac]

Oh, I put both items in question in my watch list and the seller sent me an offer, or should I say BOTH LISTINGS sent me offers within minutes of each other. So creating an urgency for me to purchase the lesser priced item. (BOTH WERE THE SAME ITEM!) THIS IS A PROBLEM FOLKS.

[mam98031]

Ok, I think I need to explain. I ASKED THIS QUESTION BECAUSE I SEE OTHERS DOING THIS!!!! I AM NOT INTERESTED IN DOING THIS. If you read my entire message(es) then I think you will understand I am posing this question so as to inform OTHERS what is going on. I have NO INTENTION of doing this.

No, you are ASSUMING they are doing what you describe.  Unless you have personal knowledge of their inventory levels, you can't know if they are listing something they have one of under multiple IDs.

I'm glad to hear I just misread what you wrote and you aren't intending to do this.  

[funnymaniac]

I can see what is going on, it's pretty clear. two different stores, two different items, two pairs of identical photo's. (repeated with THOUSANDS of items) ALL PICTURES ARE EXCLUSIVE TO 2 of the same sellers. What proof more do you need? THEY SHOW IDENTICAL PICTURES, THE DESCRIPTIONS ARE IDENTICAL. SAME WORDS, SAME SHIPPING!? Same city! TWO OFFERS RECEIVED from the sellers AT NEARLY THE SAME MOMENT!????????????

[funnymaniac]

THE ONLY THING I CAN THINK OF THAT WOULD MAKE THIS TWO DIFFERENT SELLERS IS IF..

A person consigned to a local dealer and is using the local dealers pictures and listings, hoping they will create an urgency for someone to buy. The only problem, the person is selling for less, so "using" the local dealer? Regardless, both listings contain the EXACT SAME ITEM so one person, is NOT IN POSSESSION of the goods. ONE of the TWO are doing wrong. IF it's not the same person, which is obviously WRONG. But I don't get how two offers to buy can be received within minutes of each other. SO It appears the same person is overseeing both offers, trying to trick me into buying at the obviously lower price. (the book is WAY Over priced and I have no interest in the item, I was just looking to see how MY ITEM compares. So If I list my item for sale, I need to compete with this.

[funnymaniac]

What would it take for me to prove this? I would need to actually buy one of the two items and then the other listing would be ended? Right? Sorry, but I don't need to do this to know they are one in the same item. It's called RED FLAG CITY. Should I buy both? And see the seller tell me they made a mistake, "they lost the item"(lower priced one)

I would post the item #'s but I think that would be in violation. NO? Plus I don't want the seller to know who I am, if they don't already!

[funnymaniac]

I did not find more than the two mentioned sellers using the same pics. It's always the same.... THOUSANDS OF LISTINGS by the same two sellers that are identical. No others are using these same "stock" pics. JUST THESE TWO. CONSISTENTLY with THOUSANDS items, all comic books. I wish I could find a 3rd person using the same pic, from a different town and then I could think I made a mistake assuming this, but when I received two offers at the same time on the two items I am watching that are the same,..... kinda weird and I don't need to prove this to anyone else. I go by my own gut and my gut never lies. The prices are consistent! ONE SELLER IS ALWAYS LOWER, the other ALWAYS HIGHER. One with NO BEST OFFER,  the other ALWAYS WITH BEST OFFER. PICTURES IDENTICAL. THIS SELLER IS ONE OF THE EBAY'S FINEST, the other is TOP RATED PLUS so....THEY WOULD NEVER DO SUCH A THING! Yeah, ok. Whatever. At least now I know what I'm dealing with when I buy & and sell. If you're ok with this, then so be it. I'm not and never will be.