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price gouging
Is there anyway to report a price gouger and will eBay do anything about it?
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Discussions in this board are limited to the original poster and Community Mentors
Is there anyway to report a price gouger and will eBay do anything about it?
gosimus
Mentor2 years ago@bfivelover
< Is there anyway to report a price gouger >
Price gouging has a limited, and specific, meaning here, one of the operative criteria being that the item is essential, and especially in an emergency. Like water in a hurricane-stricken area. It is not the same as overpricing. You can report price gouging, but if it's simply overpricing, you'd be viewed as crying wolf. See https://www.ebay.com/help/policies/prohibited-restricted-items/price-gouging-policy?id=5106
bfivelover
OP2 years agoThanks, I was **bleep** because I was looking for schmidts deodorant and this person was charging $214 for three sticks that cost about $12 for one. I don't think eBay needs people like that and I thought Ebay might not want them on their site trying to take advantage of people who might not know that they are getting ripped off.
eburtonlab
Mentor2 years agoI was looking for schmidts deodorant and this person was charging $214 for three sticks that cost about $12 for one.
Most likely what happened was that the seller was temporarily out of stock, and rather than end the listing and have to later relist, the seller just raised the price to an absurdly high number to prevent anyone from buying it until it is in stock again, at which time the seller will lower the price.
Sellers are not supposed to keep listings that are out of stock active that way, but some seller do that anyway.
inceptions
Mentor2 years agoHi @bfivelover
I think it's highly likely that anyone looking for deodorant to buy would recognize that $214 is too much to pay so I wouldn't worry too much about anyone getting taken.
Deodorant is not a necessity in short supply during an emergency and so does not qualify as price gouging. There are a few valid reasons why a seller would put an exorbitant price on a listing to discourage buyers from buying. There is also the possibility that the price is a typo (maybe he meant to type $21.40). You can use the contact link on the listing to ask. If indeed that is the price, you have plenty of other sellers/places to buy it for less.
(I once listed a $10.00 item for $1000.00 in error due to a missing decimal and was appreciative that a buyer asked rather than assume I was trying to pull a fast one.)
bfivelover
OP2 years agoThey also have one tube of the same deodorant for $77.00 so I doubt it's a mistake. And I did contact them twice to find out if it was a mistake and got no response. I guess I shouldn't have used the term price gouging in my post. You might have noticed that there are a lot of stupid people out there, just watch some youtube videos, I wouldn't be surprised if someone did pay that price. I just don't think someone like this seller should be on eBay or anywhere else for that matter.
inceptions
Mentor2 years ago@bfivelover
I understand you thinking, but the seller hasn't violated any policy. On eBay or anywhere else in the free market world, sellers set the pricing and buyers make the decision to buy or not.
rock.star
·2 years agoIf you don't like the price don't buy it.
And many other buyers will do the same and the seller will learn.