7 Different Sellers, 7 Different Prices, Same Item AND With Exact Same Pictures?!

[brightfuture50]

Hello! 

What does it mean when 7 different sellers are selling the same item AND are also using the exact same pictures? There are also 7 different prices. You can see they are obviously the same pictures. Now, if I bought all 7, would every one have the exact same scratches?! Is this the same seller with 7 different accounts?

I'm interested in the item, but I'm not going to do business with someone who plays games. What's going on here? The item is:  BANDAI Burgertime

Use those exact words in the search, and the 7 in question should all show up near the top. Thanks!

[dbfolks166mt]

      There are a few possibilities. It is not unusual for drop shippers to use stock photo's from their suppliers. You will find lots of listings like this especially for drop shippers selling stuff out of China. It may be possible that it is the same individual/business with multiple accounts, again nothing wrong with that. If you look at the item locations there are some differences between some of them so I doubt they all the same individual and/or business. 

[dakotasnowshine]

While I can't explain what they are doing. I wouldn't expect the exact item pictured. Shouldn't be any worries as a buyer with ebay's MBG.

[dirk12955]

Feedback usually tells the tale.    Are they new sellers or are they 100% positive with 20,000 

transactions as sellers over the last 20 years?

The devil is in the details.

Are they all located in China?    1 in USA   1 in Canada   1 in Spain   1 in Ukraine ???

It ain't a problem till it's a problem.   

[redlinear · Accepted solution]

On a used item?   In the same location?
I would assume it's the same seller, using different ID's, in order to get around eBay's duplicate listing policy.  
WHILE, at the same time...getting 7 times the publicity.
It might just be a single, listed that way (see above). When one sells, they all disappear.
OR..  
They might actually have seven of them.  With the one shown being the worst appearance.  And just too lazy to take pics of each one.
I doubt it's a scam though.  Just some creative marketing
 

[brightfuture50]

It is for a used item, from 1983. So, don't they have to use the exact pictures of each item, i.e., 7 different USED items should have 7 different sets of pictures? I understand, as one answer pointed out, that if it's for a NEW item, they are allowed to use stock photos. This isn't the case here.

They are all located in Japan, but in different cities. 

I just found TWO MORE listings using the same sets of pictures. That's all 9 of 9 that show up in the search, displaying the same set of pictures!!!

[redlinear]

No, they do not have to use actual pics of each item on used.  BUT, under the same user ID, that would get flagged as DUPLICATE listings.
However, under different user ID's....it's fine.  (lets say ebay legal, maybe not morally legal though).
I would bet it's ONE item, just listed under different ID's.  To skirt the duplicate listing policy AND get lots more coverage. (marketing/advertising/SEEN)

[redlinear]

Ebay duplicate listing policy kind of sucks for USED items.  
I can have 10 steering wheels, all removed from 2001 Chevy Trucks.  ALL different conditions.
BUT, I can only list one of them. 
Unless, I get creative with the Item Titles.
Unless, I list each one under a different user ID.  

[albertabrightalberta]

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@brightfuture50 wrote:

It is for a used item, from 1983. So, don't they have to use the exact pictures of each item, i.e., 7 different USED items should have 7 different sets of pictures? I understand, as one answer pointed out, that if it's for a NEW item, they are allowed to use stock photos. This isn't the case here.

They are all located in Japan, but in different cities. 

I just found TWO MORE listings using the same sets of pictures. That's all 9 of 9 that show up in the search, displaying the same set of pictures!!!

---

I've seen both legitimate listings and scam listings using that tactic.

In the "legit" ones, I've seen it from Japanese sellers of designer handbags. There seem to be a group who works together and presumably, if one ID sells the item, they end the other listings.

[fashunu4eeuh]

Hi, i see what you are saying. Different sellers, different item locations. Same picture. Pretty odd, but not sure much can be done about it, except to vote with your wallet and not purchase from one of those listings.

[coolections]

I read the item is used. The best you can do is ASK QUESTIONS!!!  There are millions of sellers and many are really lazy and will just sell similar to someone else and not take their own picture. Not much you can do but as a buyer but ask all the pertinent questions about the item. Do not get into accusing the seller of anything about copying pictures.  The answer will give you a good idea of who you are dealing with.

[knifeaholic]

redlinear;  I'm in the same boat with the items that I list - technically I may have 10 of the same pocketknife listed, but with natural handle materials, the buyer needs to see photos of each exact item that they are buying.

I have found it very simple to get around - just put #1, #2, #3, etc. in the title.

For example - Chevy 2001 Truck Steering Wheel #1,  Chevy 2001 Truck Steering Wheel #2, etc.

That works fine. I used to try to gat creative and change a bunch of the wording, but simply adding a number gets you past eBay's algorithms.

[dirk12955]

I run into the same problem with stamps.    I might have 10 sets of the exact same stamps but each one is unique.   

If I make a listing for 10 sets and the pic only is for 1 of the 10,   I'll get that dreaded message,    "You didn't send me the one in the listing!   What are you going to do about it?     I'm VERY disappointed"

So like you,   I assign unique inventory numbers to each listing for a workaround.   

[djvp53]

I wonder if they are all different people who are dropshipping from Japan. They look online for things that are listed for sale in Japan at a price where they think they can sell it to an American at a good markup. If you order it, they buy it from the website, and have it shipped directly to you. You probably aren't shopping on the same site because you don't speak Japanese. The pictures are all the same because they are taking them from the same listing on the Japanese website. Some of the sellers have repeated feedback that they didn't ship items that were "damaged."  I think that means that the item they planned to buy to fulfill the order sold before they took the listing down.

[djvp53]

Is this a candidate for variation listings? I don't sell stamps so I don't really know but you could photograph each set individually and offer them in one listing, each one listed separately as a unique variation. You can even price them differently based on condition and let people pick which one they want. You just need a system for matching a particular variation with a particular purchase but that's easy (#1, #2, etc.).