Price gouging

[skysurfer73]

Hello.

I am trying to report possible price gouging but such option is not available. Spoke to eBay customer service directly via chat but their response was very foggy. It felt like they just gave me some kind general information and that was it. No clear answer was given. I was told to click on Report and item and/or File a report and followed those steps I found three options to make a report from drop down menus but non of those had Price Gouging. Any other ways I can make eBay look at such issue? Thanks

[kensgiftshop]

---

@skysurfer73 

---

Price gouging only applies to certain items.

What kind of item where you trying to report?

[rwdesperado]

You are unhappy with an offers price. 

What criteria are you using to determine that it is price gouging?

Have you shopped the item elsewhere?

Does it come with free shipping and free returns?

[7606dennis]

Unless an item is essential to survival or safety in an area that a state of emergency has been declared, I don't believe the term "price gouging" would apply.

What is it that you believe is being sold where the term would apply?

[toysaver]

"I am trying to report possible price gouging"

That's like being sort of pregnant...

"I am trying to report possible price gouging"

EBay doesn't have the human resources to track possible price gouging.  Every listing would be reported in an attempt to get a lower price. 

[soh.maryl]

Care to share the listing # or just explain what the item was?

[golfwrxbarrysanders]

There is no such thing. 

[soh.maryl]

"There is no such thing."

No such thing as what? Price gouging? 

[golfwrxbarrysanders]

you have your choice of not buying it

[soh.maryl]

I am pretty sure you intended your reply for the OP, not me.

But I'd still like to know what you meant by your remark:  "There is no such thing."

[maxine*j]

---

@soh.maryl wrote:

I am pretty sure you intended your reply for the OP, not me.

But I'd still like to know what you meant by your remark:  "There is no such thing."

---

As would I.

Price-gouging exists in the informal but well-known sense, as when hotels and restaurants raise their prices during a big event that they know will bring people into the area.  It may be legal, but many see it as unethical or immoral.

Then there is price-gouging in the legal sense, as a criminal offense, and 34 of the 50 U.S. states have laws against it.  The laws apply during declared emergencies or natural disasters, and they apply to prices charged for essentials such as food, shelter, water, medical supplies, etc. 

So,  there certainly is such a thing as price-gouging, although we have no way of knowing if OP's complaint is actually an example of it.  

[7606dennis]

---

@maxine*j wrote:

---

@soh.maryl wrote:

I am pretty sure you intended your reply for the OP, not me.

But I'd still like to know what you meant by your remark:  "There is no such thing."

---

As would I.

Price-gouging exists in the informal but well-known sense, as when hotels and restaurants raise their prices during a big event that they know will bring people into the area.  It may be legal, but many see it as unethical or immoral.

Then there is price-gouging in the legal sense, as a criminal offense, and 34 of the 50 U.S. states have laws against it.  The laws apply during declared emergencies or natural disasters, and they apply to prices charged for essentials such as food, shelter, water, medical supplies, etc. 

So,  there certainly is such a thing as price-gouging, although we have no way of knowing if OP's complaint is actually an example of it.  

---

You are essentially correct.  The OP has failed to provide us with enough information regarding the listing he was wanting to report for us to be able to determine the nature of the situation. 

Since eBay is pretty much a global marketplace, the availability in a particular location would affect the price.  While I'm not aware of any current global disasters I suppose there are some somewhere that would qualify.  Perhaps the tsunami near Alaska.  However, until the OP provides more information all we can do is speculate.

Alas!  It is all too common on these boards to see posts about high prices being asked by sellers for items that someone wants but does not actually need.  Often the poster mistakenly uses the term "price gouging."   

[skysurfer73]

Deleted. Double posting. 

[alcoforever]

Fair does not apply in the business world.   Profit & loss is what counts.   If you don't like the price of those cards, buy them elsewhere.   Not available elsewhere?  Well, there you are.

[nobody*s_perfect]

As you can see from the above discussion, the term "price gouging' applies only to essentials such as food and medicine, not to video cards.  Thus even if there was an easy way to report actual price gouging there would be no reason to use it to report elevated prices on other items such as video cards.

The US economy is based on capitalism in which prices rise based on demand.  Most eBay sellers are here to make a profit and they mark up their items as much as the market will bear.  If the cards sell for the prices that those Sellers ask, then that is the market value of the cards. Would it be OK with you if the sellers listed their items in auction format with a starting bid of $1 and then the bidding went up to $3000?