Compeditor using duplicate listings to gain unfair advantage
Hello everyone, A competing seller is listing each item 2-3 times. This gives them an unfair advantage for visibility. Is there a more effective way to bring this to ebays attention besides reporting? This is a so called "top rated" seller blatantly violating the duplicate listings policy
22 comments
kh-christelle
·4 months agoHi everyone,
Due to the age of this thread, it has been closed to further replies. Please feel free to start a new thread if you wish to continue to discuss this topic.
Thank you for understanding.
left_coast_eclectic
·4 months agoHi, I agree with you, however eBay bots aren't catching these "duplicates", as they are not exactly the same... the seller has changed one or two words in the listing title and the price in each listing.
Maui Jim Pulama Shiny Black Polarized Mirrored Grey Lens Sunglasses MJ618-02 $195.98
Maui Jim Pulama Shiny Black Polarized Mirrored Grey Lens Sunglasses MJ618-02 $219.98
NEW Maui Jim Pulama Shiny Black Polarized Mirrored Grey Lens Sunglasses MJ618-02 $205.98
I wish you luck getting eBay to act on this... I bought a pack of 10 necklace chains listed as ".925 sterling silver" from an eBay seller, that were not sterling silver. I submitted a report to eBay and nothing changed for this "Top Rated" seller. I also requested a refund from the seller stating they sold me fake sterling silver... the seller immediately refunded me AND told me to keep the chains. So, these resellers know they're not following the rules, but keep doing it because eBay isn't holding them accountable. For top rated sellers I think eBay looks the other way due to their high sales levels.
jonbergfineart
·11 months agoThere are a number of other ways to cheat. I sell fine art. Competitors put on prints, paintings etc. at ten or more times their real value, then accept 10% of what they're asking. From what I understand this allows them to skate to the top of ebay's mysterious algorithm; AND it teaches buyers to make ridiculous, lowball offers. Shouldn't be allowed. I try to be fair in my pricing, real world, don't play these smoke and mirror games. And business is off the charts awful.
stainlessenginecovers
·11 months ago@lighthouseoptics if you look real close, many of the listings are different in that some are 'new' and some are 'pre-owned' as well as some are different colors or MATTE etc.
This occurs more than it doesn't.
Strangely, the seller is selling 'pre-owned' for less than 'brand new ($209 vs. $189)
redlinear
·11 months agoThere are only 9 results for Maui Jim Pulama. It's not really hurting your listing.
Not near as much as getting everybody here to click on/view their listings.
lighthouseoptics
OP11 months agoActually the less competing listings there are the more the duplicates hurt me as they represent a higher % of the total search results.
I was hoping the community would rally to help report a blatant rule breaker. Multiple reports from different accounts should be more effective
chapeau-noir
·11 months agoWithout purchase. He's definitely competing against himself in this case.
As for the big-timers doing this - yes, it's a pain for shoppers.
reallynicestamps
·11 months agoSince he has the same items isted with different prices, he is competing against himself.
A single member Reporting a listing will get a polite return message.
Multiple members Reporting a listing will get action.
Because the single reporter may be a competitor (like you), a vigilante, or just mistaken.
Most listings that are removed seem to be spotted by eBay robots.
onlinecentral
·11 months agoEach group of three listings has three different prices. That is a way to circumvent the system.
redlinear
·11 months agoHere's one that I remember.
Cummins 24v Pushrods. Those are the same 1998-2017 Dodge Ram. Usually around 150 listings pull up in a search result for: Cummins 24v Pushrods.
I listed two per listing.
98, then 99, then 00, then, 01, 02, 03 etc.
Then 1998, 1999, 2000.............get the picture.
Then four per listing the same way.
Then six.
Got tired of doing that and switched to full sets of 12 per listing.
I think I had close to 100 listings.
I use a bright green background.
In the past, that search would pull up a sea of bright green..I could own several pages of results.
Last time I tried that. It was almost impossible to find more than 3 of my listings.
ai has figured that trick out.
ON the bad side of this? If I list rear diff bolts, rear diff, rear diff gears, rear diff carrier, rear diff mount. Off of the same vehicle? Two listings will show up, the cheap bolts and mount....leaving the rest hidden away under results matching fewer words. Almost impossible to find
broto_64
·11 months agoI'm afraid you may be beating a dead horse, this isn't the only seller doing this, in fact the problem is quite widespread and in some categories it's almost all you see. In the past I also reported these one by one, and in fact reported hundreds of them, all to little or no avail.
I don't know what else to do, but it is wrong and it hurts ebay and sellers and buyers overall. I suspect it's the usual dropshippers doing it, apparently these sellers have no qualms about anything they do, I have resorted to tolerating the behavior but not because I approve (I do not).
Perhaps "Let us know what you think" or contact ebay through social media *might* yield some results, but I've pretty much given up all hope.
inhawaii
·11 months agoWhy don't you report the listings?
lighthouseoptics
OP11 months agoI have been, sometimes there are no results. Sometimes the listings disappear temporarily then get re-listed. not trying to manually play wack a mole
redlinear
·11 months agoI think you're wrong in your assessment.
While a seller is not supposed to have exact duplicate listings...The work-around is to change a word or number in the title. It appears they have not done this, so, you can report duplicate listings. Might get something done, Might not.
HOWEVER, I've found that when you list several of the same item (or even similar)....only one or two will show up in a search result. The rest are hidden, and hidden pretty well.
SO, what they are trying to do, isn't going to work as planned.
broto_64
·11 months agoThis seller has absolutely changed one or two words from one listing to the next, also these duplications do appear to buyers and I know this because I buy on ebay too.
redlinear
·11 months agoI've tried this, it does not work. It used to, but not any more.
UNLESS....it's because there's only 9 results for Maui Jim Pulama.
If/When there gets to be a hundred results, creating more than two in order to cover the competition is a waste of time
lighthouseoptics
OP11 months agoSo its not a policy violation if one word is changed? This makes no sense as we would be able to list a single item 100 times with slightly different titles
redlinear
·11 months agoCorrect. Yet when there gets to be quite a few listings/results...trying to cover the competition probably works against one instead of helping.
lighthouseoptics
OP11 months agoJust reviewed the policy and it does not seem to be the case. I think the seller is 100% in the wrong
We don't allow more than one fixed price listing of an identical item at the same time from the same seller. This includes:
https://www.ebay.com/help/policies/listing-policies/duplicate-listings-policy?id=4255
broto_64
·11 months agoThe absolute worst I've ran into...
Is when there are like a dozen sellers ALL selling the same exact product, literally clogging up the results with it but since the price is actually pretty good I order from one...
Then next day it gets cancelled!
And I know it's because the seller's supplier is out of stock.
But they feed me some word salad as to the reason, and cancel for reason "buyer requested / problem with buyer's address."
As if that wasn't bad enough...
The seller's item is STILL up for sale!
They don't even have the sense to take it down (or at least reduce available quantity to zero).
But ok fine, I order from one of the other sellers.
And the same thing happens (order is cancelled).
Third seller, same result!
Now I'm a week or two out trying to get this item because between ordering and cancellations these sellers have chewed up precious time.
Oh I mean to tell you folks, if you haven't been down this road you just have no idea.
At this point however I DO report them for "unwilling to complete the sale" AND I leave them appropriate feedback (this usually results in them emailing me some desperate pleas and wondering why I would do such a thing, mind you I am usually angry at this stage of the process - these types of sellers can not possibly get more ignorant if you ask me).
These are also the sellers who message me "HEY We Shipped your item (and if you could leave POSITIVE 5-STAR FEEDBACK) oh and if you have any issues please contact us first" garbage.
Note: And if a buyer does contact them first, they usually make promises they don't intend to keep all for the purpose of drawing the case out in hopes that it passes the deadline.
At least now some of you might understand my disdain towards dropshippers.
kensgiftshop
·11 months agoWith you selling the same items, you reporting them won't do much.
meme6253
·11 months agoWack a Mole can be fun!, All kidding aside, I have seen this before & I never seen anything done about it, Listings were reported, some came down & then popped up again over & over, It is a very deceptive tactic that some less than honest sellers do from time to time.