Is there any other way to report scammers that will actually work?

[sd-redneck]

Yesterday I noticed a posting for 10 Oz Silver Bars selling for about $109. 00.  As a seller of silver and gold, I knew it was WRONG.  The spot price for 10 ozs silver was about $169 right then.   At first I thought it was an error by the seller, but the available bars of silver was very high.  The account had been dormant for about 6 months, and prior to that had only one other item sold (a picture or paper poster. )  The post was slapped together by cutting and pasting an add from one of the bigger dealers.  They even copied the name of the large dealer with the text regarding descriptions  and information within the add several times.  Buyers were buying up the silver bars at a record pace.  I didn't know for sure it was a scam or an error, so I checked on it from time to time until they sold out (about 40 bars in 2 hours!)  Today I saw the exact same post, even the same cost, but a different seller.  This account was dormant for about 2 months and prior to that sold children's clothing.  But today she was a precious metal dealer selling silver at half the spot price!  The post was slapped together with the same material plagerized from the same large dealer.  I saw it early on and knew it was a scam.  I reported it to the Ebay police.  Over 5 hours later, I checked back only to find the last few bars get sold and poof the add disappeared.  In that time, I found the same scam used for the 5 Oz silver bars.  Reported, and they were allowed to sell out (as if they had any to begin with.)  Is there really no way to stop this?  Plus, I didn't sell a thing all morning!!  Haha!  Is there any other way to report this stuff?

[missjen831]

Other than using the report link on the listing, you can try calling customer service. 

[ed8108]

Thanks for posting an example of a ebay listing where greed obviously clouds the judgement of some buyers.

If it looks too good to be true ...........

[southern*sweet*tea]

Those sound like hijacked accounts. You need to report them as such.

[sd-redneck]

You are only given very vague and skeptical multiple choice options. No way to comment or explain.

[mudshark61369]

@sd-redneck,

 "You are only given very vague and skeptical multiple choice options. No way to comment or explain"

If you report the items, using the report item button on the listing page to the right of the Description, and Shipping & Payment tabs.  Just select Listing Practices, Other Listing Practices, then Jewelry, precious metals and loose beads

Once you click on the Continue button, I believe you can write a description of the problem.

There is one problem with you reporting listings like the ones you have described.  That is that you also sell precious metals. A report by you has to be taken with a grain of salt, since you could be reporting to shut down competition.  They have to proceed cautiously, after all if ebay were to pull a listing, that turned out to be from a legitimate seller, no matter how it was constructed, they could be facing a  lawsuit for restraint of trade. 

[sd-redneck]

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@mudshark61369 wrote:

@sd-redneck,

There is one problem with you reporting listings like the ones you have described.  That is that you also sell precious metals. A report by you has to be taken with a grain of salt, since you could be reporting to shut down competition.  They have to proceed cautiously, after all if ebay were to pull a listing, that turned out to be from a legitimate seller, no matter how it was constructed, they could be facing a  lawsuit for restraint of trade. 

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Yup, that was one of my biggest concerns, to be seen as a vindictive competitor.  The metals market is dog eat dog by nature, but that is why it attracts enouph customers for all dealers.  It also creates a higher probability of the scenario you mentioned.  In this case, all legitimate metal dealers took a hard hit because the scammers knew how to draw customers away from us and to them, like flies to fecal matter.  

[castlemagicmemories]

On the one hand, it makes sense for a report from a competitor to be viewed with suspicion.

On the other hand, one will more likely have the knowledge in a particular area as to the legitimacy of a listing.

It does make more sense for a competitor's reports to be discarded, though, because the unscrupulous could use that to eliminate their competition.

Not saying that that is what you are doing, OP.