Rules for Listings

[lirrman]

I buy a lot of  model railroad stuff on E-bay.   Lately I've seen listings with false manufacturer's names. Is caveat emptor/buyer beware the policy of E-bay?  As an example, Model Power brand is an old affordable, lower cost, manufacturer.  On the other hand, Menards is a manufacturer who produces very high quality and expensive model railroad kits.  The one listing I'm referring to, and their are others, has a small Model Power kit (Model Power Co. has been out of business for some time)  clearly showing the Model Power name on the box but listed as a Menards model.  The listed price is 3 times the the usual price and the shipping of $33 is way out of line for the small item. The sellers rating is 97% and I can guess why.  Being into model railroading I am aware of item values, but a Dad buying for his kid may not be aware.  It just ticks me off to see these antics by sellers and was just wondering if E-bay tries to control this kind of stuff or is caveat emptor the rule of the day?  There, I vented.

[selforfun]

Hi @lirrman 

I totally get where you’re coming from, and it’s frustrating to see stuff like that. I’ve reported a huge number of listings over the last 28 years of my experience. It’s important to flag these issues—thanks for bringing it up. We all want to make eBay a safer community. eBay is doing its part, and we have to do ours.

eBay does follow the buyer beware rule to some extent, but they also have policies to address things like excessive shipping charges and unfair fees. If you come across a listing with inflated prices or hidden fees, it’s worth reporting.

To report it, just look for the "Report Item" button on the listing page. You’ll usually find it near the item description or under the seller’s name. From there, select “Charging excessive shipping and additional fees not already included in the price of the item, or passing seller fees on to the buyer.” eBay has a Fee Avoidance Policy for this kind of situation, so it’s definitely worth reporting if something doesn’t seem right.

It’s a shame these things happen, but reporting helps keep the marketplace fair. I understand your frustration, especially when you know the true value of the items. By flagging these issues, eBay will hopefully take action.

I’ve watched these items myself, and I’ve seen that eBay does take down these listings once they’re reported.