Are highly misleading ads allowed on eBay?

[howtofixapc]

I'm a buyer and seller in the eBay community.  I'm concerned that eBay is allowing decieving ads that help build a bad reputation for the site and hurts the community as a whole.  Take this example:

https://www.ebay.com/p/LEGO-Disney-Princess-The-Disney-Castle-71040/230328168

The ad reads "lego disney princess castle (71040)" in the category LEGO > LEGO COMPLETE SETS & PACKS.  The picture shows the box of the complete castle.  The product rating is basially 5 stars.  NEW condition.    The seller has 99.9% positive feedback and 1100 sales.  Then the bull**bleep** starts.  

This is listed for $34.50.  This is a $350 MSRP set.  When you click the micro - friggen hard to find hyperlink to the description it says:

for sale LEGO Disney Mickey Mouse + Minnie Mouse Minifigures from set (71040) Authentic! 

mickey missing his skirt.

minnie complete

smoke free home.

This is NOT a complete lego set as advertised.  This is not even the disney castle as pictured in the main photo.  The only evidence of what you are actually buying is not even on the landing page.  

Buying things on eBay is way too difficult for the buyer.  The buyer has to work very hard to figure out what it is they are buying.  This is bad for business.  Amazon descriptions are very well controlled.  I don't have to work nearly as hard just to figure out what I am looking at.  Only people that are willing to put in a LOT of effort are ever going to buy on eBay as long as this kind of misleading and challenging purchase process continues.  

I'm asking for a transformation in the way eBay does business.  Because it's needed.  Thanks.

[alcoforever]

Sellers have been misleading buyers for thousands of years.   And you think ebay can stop it?

The rule here is, as it has always been, buyer beware.

[lacemaker3]

@howtofixapc

You posted a link to the product page for the Lego set 71040. That is not a link to a particular listing.

If you click to view details on that page, it takes you to a listing for a pair of figures from that set. The title and picture in the listing are perfectly clear about what is being sold. It is in the correct category (LEGO > Minifigures). There is no picture of a castle in the listing at all.

The listing is not deceptive, but it is linked to the wrong product  page. eBay requires listings to have Product Identifiers now, which they use to link them to their product pages. When the item is like this, a desirable item but not one which was marketed or sold on its own, this leads to problems.

But, there is nothing misleading about the listing itself. Nobody who views this listing page would think they are getting a castle set.

[southern*sweet*tea]

Ahhh, those wonderful product pages strike again!

Yet again the product page goes to a listing that doesn't match.

[mudshark61369]

@howtofixapc,

As southern*sweet*tea wrote, it is the product identifier that is directing you to the page with the whole set and that misleading main photo.  When ever you see those oversize options to BIN Add To Cart, Watch, look for the See Details just beneath the price and click on it to see the listing you were hunting for.

Were you using the Mfr's Part Number (MPN) 71040 in your search for the figures? 

[rolenboy01]

Rules go out the window if you make enough money for ebay.

[d-k_treasures]

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@howtofixapc wrote:

I'm a buyer and seller in the eBay community.  I'm concerned that eBay is allowing decieving ads that help build a bad reputation for the site and hurts the community as a whole.  Take this example:

https://www.ebay.com/p/LEGO-Disney-Princess-The-Disney-Castle-71040/230328168

The ad reads "lego disney princess castle (71040)" in the category LEGO > LEGO COMPLETE SETS & PACKS.  The picture shows the box of the complete castle.  The product rating is basially 5 stars.  NEW condition.    The seller has 99.9% positive feedback and 1100 sales.  Then the bull**bleep** starts.  

This is listed for $34.50.  This is a $350 MSRP set.  When you click the micro - friggen hard to find hyperlink to the description it says:

for sale LEGO Disney Mickey Mouse + Minnie Mouse Minifigures from set (71040) Authentic! 

mickey missing his skirt.

minnie complete

smoke free home.

This is NOT a complete lego set as advertised.  This is not even the disney castle as pictured in the main photo.  The only evidence of what you are actually buying is not even on the landing page.  

Buying things on eBay is way too difficult for the buyer.  The buyer has to work very hard to figure out what it is they are buying.  This is bad for business.  Amazon descriptions are very well controlled.  I don't have to work nearly as hard just to figure out what I am looking at.  Only people that are willing to put in a LOT of effort are ever going to buy on eBay as long as this kind of misleading and challenging purchase process continues.  

I'm asking for a transformation in the way eBay does business.  Because it's needed.  Thanks.

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Unfortunately, this IS the way ebay has been transforming the way listings are shown.