Mystery Boxes ** Grab Bags ** - How specific do you need to be?

[Anonymous]

Sellers are required to identify the content of mystery boxes grab bags but obviously the point is that it's a mystery. How specific do we need to be?

Is it in compliance with eBay policy to say "tools and accessories" or do we have to be more specific like "drill bits, clamps, assorted hammers and wrenches, various tape rolls, etc"?

[castlemagicmemories]

You need to be specific.

https://www.ebay.com/help/policies/prohibited-restricted-items/chance-listings-policy?id=4311

[penguins_dont_fly]

According to the policy that you linked …. "Mystery" boxes are not allowed … "Grab Bag" lots are:

Grab bags can be listed as long as you follow these rules:

• Identify all contents; the number, quality, or condition of each item doesn't need to be identified
• Don't single out anything that "may" be included with significant monetary or collectible value

Not allowed

Examples of listings and products that are not allowed:

• Mystery items where contents aren't identified

[mypostingid15]

I would be more specific to avoid returns.

[Anonymous]

From the latest eBay podcast:

Similarly, mystery boxes aren't new, but if you look at a lot of the social activity around eBay, there's influencers who love getting mystery boxes off of eBay and then actually videotaping themselves showcasing what they get. It's a really interesting engaging way to approach a mystery box and it's just sort of people liking the gamification of what they might get from someone else. Again, these categories are constantly evolving because there a reflection of the culture. Our job is to try to stay on top of that and to listen to our sellers and listen to our buyers and understand like how that is evolving and how eBay can be a support and multiplier of that.

Mystery boxes are allowed as long as you identify the contents. Per my first post I want to know how specific we need to be with identification of contents.

[Anonymous]

I think it would be good if eBay could clarify this since the policy is vague. They may want to update the policy page as well since they appear to use grab bag and mystery box interchangeably instead of using both terms all the time.

brian@ebay 

@Anonymous 

[creekcoyote]

---

@Anonymous wrote:

From the latest eBay podcast:

Similarly, mystery boxes aren't new, but if you look at a lot of the social activity around eBay, there's influencers who love getting mystery boxes off of eBay and then actually videotaping themselves showcasing what they get. It's a really interesting engaging way to approach a mystery box and it's just sort of people liking the gamification of what they might get from someone else. Again, these categories are constantly evolving because there a reflection of the culture. Our job is to try to stay on top of that and to listen to our sellers and listen to our buyers and understand like how that is evolving and how eBay can be a support and multiplier of that.

Mystery boxes are allowed as long as you identify the contents. Per my first post I want to know how specific we need to be with identification of contents.

---

Identifying the contents sort of takes the mystery out of a mystery box, doesn't it?

So just what would the purpose be in selling a mystery box if the contents are already known?

[muttlymob]

---

@Anonymous wrote:

From the latest eBay podcast:

Similarly, mystery boxes aren't new, but if you look at a lot of the social activity around eBay, there's influencers who love getting mystery boxes off of eBay and then actually videotaping themselves showcasing what they get. It's a really interesting engaging way to approach a mystery box and it's just sort of people liking the gamification of what they might get from someone else. Again, these categories are constantly evolving because there a reflection of the culture. Our job is to try to stay on top of that and to listen to our sellers and listen to our buyers and understand like how that is evolving and how eBay can be a support and multiplier of that.

Mystery boxes are allowed as long as you identify the contents. Per my first post I want to know how specific we need to be with identification of contents.

---

Well that's clear as mud.  eBay policy says you have to identify items in a "mystery" box - thus effectively prohibiting mystery boxes - then has a podcast showing how exciting mystery boxes are?

As for how specific you need to be, apparently only eBay knows, and they aren't telling.  Or if they tell, they may not be telling true.  You are on your own as far as interpretation.

PS:  IMO it's not worth the risk.  Mystery Boxes may work at flea markets, church bazaars, etc., but not so much on eBay.

[luckythewinner]

---

@Anonymous wrote:

Sellers are required to identify the content of mystery boxes, but obviously the point is that it's a mystery. How specific do we need to be?

Is it in compliance with eBay policy to say "tools and accessories" or do we have to be more specific like "drill bits, clamps, assorted hammers and wrenches, various tape rolls, etc"?

---

I think an important point to make is that on eBay, any buyer can return any item to any seller at any time through use of a "Not As Described" dispute. 

So your question should not just be "Is it compliant?" but also "What are the chances that the buyer will be unhappy and return it?" ... Oh, and removing the good items out of the box before doing so 🙂

[beerbowerclassicautoandparts]

They need a option for mystery boxes.  I personally like the concept. Never sold anything like that and never plan to. But I do enjoy buying some from occasion.  Of course it has never been profitable or never has the contents been worth more then I have paid. But I guess its the child in us that enjoys the idea of buying a mystery box. For me its more of a entertainment then it is a actual purchase of goods.

[a_c_green]

---

@muttlymob wrote:
Well that's clear as mud.  eBay policy says you have to identify items in a "mystery" box - thus effectively prohibiting mystery boxes - then has a podcast showing how exciting mystery boxes are?

---

That may get reconsidered real fast as soon as one or more "influencers" post videos showing them opening up mystery boxes that are full of just plain junk. If anything, watching them criticize the worthless stuff they're pulling out of the "mystery box" would probably be a lot more entertaining then watching someone gush over neat things, and wondering whether the "exciting" video was simply clickbait advertising for eBay; it would be obvious that the negative video is not. 

I'd say that if the stuff won't sell without being packaged up as a "mystery" box, then donate it instead, and widen your search for items that people will definitely want to buy. If you're afraid that people won't buy it if they know what it is, then maybe it's not worth selling.

[ebbyisme]

---

@a_c_green wrote:

---

@muttlymob wrote:
Well that's clear as mud.  eBay policy says you have to identify items in a "mystery" box - thus effectively prohibiting mystery boxes - then has a podcast showing how exciting mystery boxes are?

---

That may get reconsidered real fast as soon as one or more "influencers" post videos showing them opening up mystery boxes that are full of just plain junk. If anything, watching them criticize the worthless stuff they're pulling out of the "mystery box" would probably be a lot more entertaining then watching someone gush over neat things, and wondering whether the "exciting" video was simply clickbait advertising for eBay; it would be obvious that the negative video is not. 

I'd say that if the stuff won't sell without being packaged up as a "mystery" box, then donate it instead, and widen your search for items that people will definitely want to buy. If you're afraid that people won't buy it if they know what it is, then maybe it's not worth selling.

---

I've seen videos where the buyer has gotten trash, open bags of candy, broken items, smelly items... The one buyer has opened the mystery boxes repeatedly, as a part of a larger business (can't remember which) and the employer pays for the box... I know I've seen some expensive boxes being opened. I've toyed with the idea of making a loaded box and selling it cheaply … but everyone's taste is different and what I consider a great box of rare items someone else may find it a bunch of worthless junk that they have no interest in....

[atikovi]

Ebay has often been the place to list your junk just before you throw it out on the off chance some sucker will buy it, but at least you had to describe it so buyers know what they are getting. With this mystery box nonsense, you don’t even have to do that. What buyer would throw money away like this?

[pburn]

---

@Anonymous wrote:

Per my first post I want to know how specific we need to be with identification of contents.

---

This is how specific you need to be:

One pound Nature's Best Bird Seed

One Deluxe Squirrel Away Bird Feeder

One electrified Squirrel Zapper baffle

One double suet cage

Two packages suet cakes

Cost: $25

So, you don't need to specify what's in the bird seed, or what color the bird feeder is, or the diameter of the squirrel baffle, or the color of the suet cage or the ingredients of the suet cakes. Then I can be surprised when I buy it.

[sin-n-dex]

---

@creekcoyote wrote:

---

@Anonymous wrote:

From the latest eBay podcast:

Similarly, mystery boxes aren't new, but if you look at a lot of the social activity around eBay, there's influencers who love getting mystery boxes off of eBay and then actually videotaping themselves showcasing what they get. It's a really interesting engaging way to approach a mystery box and it's just sort of people liking the gamification of what they might get from someone else. Again, these categories are constantly evolving because there a reflection of the culture. Our job is to try to stay on top of that and to listen to our sellers and listen to our buyers and understand like how that is evolving and how eBay can be a support and multiplier of that.

Mystery boxes are allowed as long as you identify the contents. Per my first post I want to know how specific we need to be with identification of contents.

---

Identifying the contents sort of takes the mystery out of a mystery box, doesn't it?

So just what would the purpose be in selling a mystery box if the contents are already known?

---

Why do you think anyone would want to buy a random box of "stuff" and not know what it is? My garage is filled with random stuff, I don't need to be purchasing it.

Cheers, C.