Deception
There are many dealers on eBay who are selling advertising signs that they identify as being "vintage" but are actually brand new.
These dealers have some negative feedback in in which buyers realized they got scammed.
I wrote to eBay, but they did nothing. Any suggestions for anything else I can do?
Thanks.
7 comments
simba6
·1 year agoThe best thing you can do is know what your buying. Words like antique or vintage are often tossed around. While they do sound better than old and musty, they often mean nothing.
The market is flooded with reproduction signs.
Buyers can file an item not as described case and get a refund.
az93
·1 year agoMany things are both vintage and new. If the item has never been used and is in original packaging it it may very well be called vintage new.
mudshark61369
·1 year ago@benchmark,
Not long ago ebay switched from having a real person check listings that were reported using the Report Item/listing button, to having AI deciding if a listing has false info in it.
Not long ago I reported a listing whose title gave a brand name, and whose first photo showed the container with that Brand on it, but all of the others were of a container with a different brands name on the box and bottle. AI was not able to see that and accept the report, I was told nothing wrong could be found with the listing. I think ebay's AI is set up only to look for wording in listings trying to take transactions of ebay, or other wording that does not comply with policies.
Those listings for vintage/antique signs often have clues in them that they are reproductions. The first is if the Item Condition and/or Item Specifics says New, then usually in the seller's description it will say it is a reproduction. Reading every thing on a listing page is important.
tinsoldierunderground
·1 year ago@benchmark
The one thing here that gets ebay's attention, is when enough buyers open INAD (item not as described) cases against these types of sellers. That can put an end to a seller's career in short order.
You can cry fake until you're blue in the face, but ebay won't take your word or mine in that regard.
And bear in mind, they have no experts in any given area to rule in these matters. So the only thing that counts is number of cases brought against a given seller.
soh.maryl
·1 year agoHave to ask: Did you buy one of these signs? Did you open an item not as described case?
itsjustasprain
·1 year agoUnfortunately no. Ebay is not likely to take your say-so that somebody elses listing is fake.
They do have the buyers back though. If you as a buyer receive a sign that is Not As Described because it is a new reproduction and not a vintage original then you can return it for a full refund at the sellers expense.
mtgraves7984
·1 year agoI wrote to eBay, but they did nothing. Any suggestions for anything else I can do?
@benchmark
Not anything I can think of besides reporting the listings one by one. Good luck with that.