Why does Ebay allow postings of counterfeit coins?
Summary: bobross2 raised concerns about counterfeit rare coins being sold by sellers on eBay, particularly from Hong Kong, questioning why eBay allows this. grann-4629 and eburtonlab explained eBay's limitations in policing listings and emphasized the responsibility on buyers to report issues and ensure authenticity. Several participants discussed the complexity of completely eradicating scams due to scammers adapting their methods. bobross2 suggested implementing a system for experts to review suspicious listings, but others pointed out the challenges in verifying items without direct access. The discussion highlighted a need for increased buyer vigilance and some improvements like eBay's coin authentication service.
I've noticed plenty of EBAY postings of rare key date U.S. coins that are obvious counterfeits. Typically, the sellers are based in Hong Kong and have just a few feedback ratings. Why does Ebay allow such sellers to continue to do business on this platform? If Ebay has a procedure that shuts down such sellers without their re-emerging under a different account, it doesn't appear to be working.
oldwestgold
·1 month agoIt's like most businesses operate, even Walmart. It's not cost-effective. Sure, Walmart could have a team of 25 armed guards at all entrances, but at what cost for a pair of sneakers running out of the store once a day? I do agree that eBay could do better, and it's a start with the new coin authentication service. At the same time, buy beware. It's amazing how uneducated more than a few folks are when it comes to buying coins.
onefootflipper
·1 month ago · EditedMessage erased, leaving forum due to threatening forum member following me around on the internet.
bobross2
OP1 month ago · EditedI just noticed previous discussions on this topic. One person commented that Ebay is hosting what amounts to a fencing operation for criminals. EBAY should be proactive in keeping scammers off its platform. My suggestion: put a button on listings of items known to attract counterfeiters of goods in categories where the greatest number of scam complaints occur. A certain number of site visitor alerts, say three, would trigger an Ebay investigation. Ebay should set up a system of experts, paid or volunteer (including trusted industry leaders), on call to evaluate scam claims and recommend appropriate action where warranted. Some of these decisions would be very easy to make. Start by piloting in just a few categories.
eburtonlab
·1 month agoEbay should set up a system of experts, paid or volunteer (including trusted industry leaders), on call to evaluate scam claims and recommend appropriate action where warranted.
How does an expert evaluate a claim without access to the item itself? Scammers can use pictures of genuine items and then deliver counterfeits, after all.
Some of these decisions would be very easy to make.
One problem with using experts to identify obvious scams is that less-obvious scams are not caught. The net result of catching the easily identified scams is that the remaining scams get harder to spot, and at the same time, scammers are being trained to avoid detection and get better at scamming.
Scammers do not stand still; when one scam technique stops working, scammers adapt and try new things until something else is found that works. Then other scammers notice the successful scams and replicate them.
There is no magic bullet that makes scamming impossible. It is a never ending arms race.
Buyers should not expect that eBay will be able to remove every scam listing before a buyer sees it. Scammers can put up listings much faster than eBay can identify them and take them down.
oldwestgold
·1 month agoExperts?!?! I have a computer file full of misattributions and mistakes, slabbed photos from NGC and PCGS - THE so-called experts. PCGS has many mistakes on their Coinfacts website at any given time.
gone.c-33
·1 month agoThey don’t allow it any more than police departments allow hard drugs to be sold on the streets, it’s just not that easy to police.
bolensparts-360
·1 month agoI honestly think ebay doesn't care as long as they are getting their commission fees, we got the same thing with sellers out of china selling counterfeit mower parts they even are using the original manufactures logo nothing is being done , reporting does nothing .
inhawaii
·1 month agoJust because you see them listed doesn't mean ebay "allows" it.
eburtonlab
·1 month agoCounterfeit items are not allowed to be listed on eBay at all. No one is authorized to sell counterfeit items. That fact alone does not stop some people from trying to sell them, however.
The problem is that unscrupulous or uninformed sellers can list genuine items and then deliver counterfeit items.
It is not always possible to look at a listing and know in advance exactly what, if anything, the seller intends to deliver. For one thing, a scammer can simply copy a listing from a genuine seller, using a genuine photo of a genuine item.
Except for a few specific categories of items that go through authentication, eBay never sees what the seller ships or the what the buyer receives, so there is nothing for eBay to check unless someone complains about what was received by invoking eBay's money back guarantee.
Sellers are responsible for the descriptions they provide, and buyers should not assume that eBay screens the listings in advance.
As long as counterfeits exist and there are folks trying to sell them, buyers will still have to be on the lookout for them, and avoid deals that are obviously too-good-to-be-true, whether they are being sold by accounts registered overseas or by domestic sellers wittingly or unwittingly buying counterfeits from overseas to sell here.
Buyers that doubt their ability to distinguish a genuine article from a counterfeit one should only consider purchasing from trustworthy sellers that have an established reputation for delivering exactly what was described, and should avoid deals that are too-good-to-be-true, or deals that are offered by inexperienced sellers that might disappear soon after the transaction is made, or else be prepared to get items authenticated by trusted sources within thirty days to be able to take advantage of eBay's money back guarantee.
If you have waited too long to ask for help from eBay, you may still have some recourse through your payment method; many credit cards offer some protection for purchases for up to six months from the date of purchase.
grann-4629
·1 month agoeBay cannot determine whether or not a listed coin is counterfeit ... they don't 'allow' it. Onus is on the buyer but eBay has remedies that can help a buyer who received a counterfeit anything.