Goodbye everyone after 24 years on eBay - I'm done and here's why...

[spin007]

I've been selling on eBay for 24 years, started in high school. I'm leaving because I sell authentic items and I have notified eBay that there's a seller who listed items using the word "like _ style" with blank being the designer name. I used the reporting tools mid Nov 2022, and then followed up three weeks later. I've since spoken to 6 ebay reps, had it escalated, and they still REFUSE to remove the listings of a seller who is clearly violating listing practices and selling items that are NOT made by the designer they have listed in the title.

It boggles my mind that eBay spends lots of money on advertising "authentic" items only then cuts into my business by allowing sellers to blatantly break the rules. I did my part by notifying them 6 times and the listings are STILL UP! I'm officially done with this greedy, ancient site that allows some people to do whatever they want but make a point of removing my listings if I make a mistake. So long and won't miss you!

[spin007]

I appreciate your kindness. After 24 years of witnessing how this platform has gone downhill and how eBay does not support its sellers, I'm officially done now. Best of luck to you and thanks for replying!

[spin007]

You don't have it right. I contacted eBay because they're allowing 9 listings that have the word "like _ style" in the title which is a flagrant violation of listing practices. I notified them multiple times and they have done nothing about it. Their rules do NOT apply to every seller and I won't support a selling platform that picks and chooses whose listings they remove and whose they allow to break the rules. It's just wrong.  Thanks for taking the time to reply.

[spin007]

I guess if you can't find evidence then I must be lying, lol. It seems you're just a very skeptical person who enjoys contradicting others but I'm happy to provide you with the feeling of satisfaction you must get from your "gotcha" comments. The world takes all kinds, I've learned.

[spin007]

They wouldn't if I deleted them. I wasn't aware, thanks for sharing that info. and thanks for taking the time to reply!

[spin007]

The jewelry that this seller is selling looks like an exact replica of the real items made by the designer so my concern is that people will fall for it thinking they are real because the designer name is in the title. I don't expect eBay to allow fakes on their site when the listing title says "like _ style" you and I know that practice violates the listing policy.

[toomuchstuffagain35]

I don't know the details, but if the seller is offshore, it's highly unlikely ebay will do anything as they will just pop up with another ID anyway as ebay can't track the ISP like they can domestic sellers.

[spin007]

They're in Beverly Hills, CA. Ebay has given me zero reasons why they refuse to remove the listings. Appreciate your reply.

[joecircleh1]

I am going to take a little different approach than most of the responses I see here.  I say good bye and wish you luck selling somewhere else.
 You are so worried about the way someone else is selling that you are allowing it to affect your sales. You spend your time reporting other post which is time you could be concentrating on your listings.
 I also do coaching on running a resale business and run a thrift store besides just selling on Ebay. One of the first and hardest things I have to teach my clients is to stop worrying about the competition. Yes reselling is a competitive industry but you will lose every time if you focus on your competition.
 You are not losing sales due to someone posting a ad that say like or similar to that I can guarantee. You are losing sales for one of a few reasons.
  The first one is the most obvious while you may be selling high end authentic items the market has fluctuated and the honest truth sales of these luxury items have fell off.
 Secondly is your ad for the items you are selling eye catching, different or causing people to take a second look. If not I would recommend finding a way to make yours stand out. Do not be scared to step out of your comfort zone.
 Third you are spending to much time worrying about what someone else is doing and not enough time worrying about what you can do differently to make your sales increase. 
 Now my final point you are not leaving Ebay, no judgement just being honest. If you were you would of deleted Ebay closed your account and been gone. Instead you put this post out as a cry for help hoping someone from Ebay would take notice and message you or that other members would pat you on the back and say you are right so you can feel better about yourself.
 Well two things Ebay is not going to message you but most members will agree with you. The problem with that is none of those in agreement are going to make your sales go higher. Ebay is not perfect but it is a pretty good system.  Now the final point the EBAY system is their system and if you want to play ball in Ebays field then you have to play by Ebays rules.

[sapphire_studio]

Now this is some spectacular constructive advice and I would really take it to heart OP

[hartungcards]

So, this is where you don't have it right. No, their rules do NOT apply to every seller, because the rules are enforced by algorithms, not by a bunch of geeks sitting at computer terminals reviewing every listing.  Your assertion that eBay is a "platform that picks and chooses whose listings they remove and whose they allow to break the rules," only proves the point that you are the one who is missing the point and simply does not understand how a platform of this size works -- or doesn't work.

[albertabrightalberta]

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@spin007 wrote:

They wouldn't if I deleted them. I wasn't aware, thanks for sharing that info. and thanks for taking the time to reply!

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Not true. You can't "delete" listings. Only ebay deletes listings and you don't want that to happen. 

If you end listings, they show in your completed listings. 

Call me skeptical too but I too checked your current, completed, sold and feedback both received and left for others. I was curious to see what brand of designer items you were selling and saw nothing.

Unless you have another account (which I think you'd have mentioned), there's no designer jewelry in current, completed or in any of your feedback, both received and left for others. 

It appears that you just returned to ebay in October/November after years away so I assume you started reported the keyword spamming immediately after your return.

[spin007]

It might be great advice for you but certainly not for me. He didn't address my post, he posted an ad for his coaching, lol. Appreciate your reply!

[spin007]

You're completely wrong, but this is the most wrong statement, "It appears that you just returned to ebay in October/November after years away so I assume you started reported the keyword spamming immediately after your return." Bizarre comment, tbh.

[tdrake]

You feel like you're being ignored by eBay. What you should realize is that unless you are a Vero or a copyright holder you will most likely be ignored. Perhaps "ignored" isn't the correct word if they are just prioritizing what they have time to look at. 

Back around 8 or 9 months ago I had a really cool "vintage" money clip listed. I woke up one day to find that the listing had been removed. Why? Because i used the word "cash" in the title and description. LOL - what else is a money clip used for except to hold cash?  Anyways, eBays bots decided that I was a scoundrel trying to evade eBay fees on my $19.95 money clip and gave it the boot and me a warning.  So, anyways, I ran a search on "cash" and found thousands of items with the word "cash". Among them ones that say "Cash App Only". Many of those with contact info.  So, I proceeded to report about 100 of them. Did ANY get taken down? Not a single one. Over the next months now and then I would search and see the same ones there. I would report a few dozen each time. Has any that I reported been removed, even when it's in eBays best interet to do so? Nope.

This is search results for "Cash App Only"  It includes iPhones and other big ticket items that also cause lots of scam problems for eBay. Despite me reporting about 50 from these results between Christmas and New Years not one has been taken down. Yes, evey now and then I run the search ans report some since my item was taken down 8 months ago.

If you remove "Only" from the search terms the number of results can go to 4 digits.  Keep in mind (take a look) many of these have contact info, some even in the titles. Some indicate they take cash payments. Cash App is the big one though.

So, I guess what I'm saying is eBay isn't singling you out and ignoring just your problem. They ignore EVERYONE. 

.

[juicydrupes]

So - it seems your main concern is...your clients are stupid?

It seems like the sellers you are complaining about are clearly announcing their product as fake "style" - but you think your buyers are going to fooled?