All the shadow banning threads are being closed "due to age."....LOL.

[stevemartin60]

eBay, you need to stop treating your most loyal long-term sellers with such blatant disrespect.  ALL ITEMS SHOULD BE LISTED WITH THE SAME VIEWABILITY.

If items must be "promoted" by forcing sellers to give up what little profit margin they may have left in this runaway inflationary economy, you will soon have no sellers left except your favored fraudsters, cheats, scammers, drop shippers, etc.

[house*of*paws]

There's no 'viewing block' ... just blocks for 'buying' and 'messaging'.  Try using another browser or look from eBay Canada:  www.ebay.ca/

I have no idea who you're referring to or I'd check.

[yuzuha]

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@stevemartin60 wrote:

Technically, I feel you should have the right to demand the item back.  Ebay lets users refuse to sell to certain people all the time.  Why should this bogus account in Michigan that resells product that often was falsely rejected by Bowes not face that same stricture?

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Because the item ceases to be yours the moment it has been paid for. It belongs to the buyer from that point on.

[stevemartin60]

Thought provoking.  Thanks!

[stainlessenginecovers]

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@stevemartin60 wrote:

My device doesn't show those quotations or I would be glad to use them.   Ebay progammers have so MANY things like that which are making the eBay experience harder and harder.  When they finally say that we must use a certain appoved browser or device, that will be the end of the road for me.

The trail to the post I quot dmyself on leads back to a claim that eBay's apparent liquidators of Bose/Customs seized items always disclose that is where they get their merchandise.  They do not.  

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Are you using a phone? 

[house*of*paws]

@stevemartin60 

Thanks for the info.  I read the article and checked the seller's items.  I did NOT see the 'explanation' in the Description that I saw in other listings from similar liquidators.  THIS seller describes themself as a 'leading asset recovery provider' elsewhere.

That seller is NOT the only eBay seller dealing with confiscated GSP/customs items.  Nor do they seem to be getting their items ONLY from eBay.  

Forgive my naivete ... but I really don't understand what the problem is.  Items sold on eBay (that can't be delivered to the buyer) are resold to individuals/companies who deal specifically with that kind of thing.  The buyer is refunded ... AND the seller keeps the buyer's payment.   Neither the buyer NOR the seller are out any money.   

There is a illustrative eBay/GSP message to the seller in that article that explains that their item can't be shipped to the buyer ... and what will happen.  [I wasn't able to Copy & Paste it here due to my 'low-techiness'.]

But again, I don't understand what is wrong with this whole procedure.  It appears to be a Win(buyer)-Win(seller)-Win(eBay) situation for dealing with undeliverable items.  The writer of the article starts out by saying:  Nothing Earth shattering here... just an FYI

I'm certainly open to hearing why you think this is a bad thing ... but I just don't see anything reportable or worrisome.  🤔

[my-cottage-books-and-antiques]

@stevemartin60 

"Our inventory is purchased from various different manufacturers, retailers, and 3rd party sources."

"Since 2016, (REDACTED) has been a leading asset recovery provider supporting national retailers, brands, and manufacturers. Our 60,000 square foot processing and distribution facility located in Cass City, Michigan has allowed us to become industry leader in turning difficult problems for manufacturers into great deals for our customers."

I believe "3rd party sources" would cover ebay and/or Pitney Bowes. While it is possible that, at this point, only such items are being sold, it is also possible that items from other sources are being sold as well, or that the business sells other sourced assets elsewhere.

I acquire my inventory from "3rd party sources" and there is no ebay requirement that I disclose that, much less provide any details. You are not required by ebay to disclose your inventory sources, and neither is this seller.

[earthdreamer]

It has taken me three tea breaks to catch up on this thread.

Forgotten why I wanted to get to the end in the first place....

[simply-the-best-for-you]

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@stevemartin60 wrote:

Or, we could dump this "pay-to-play" crap, and go back to being an egalitarian platform whose sales/users and other important data doesn't just keep plummeting (and for good reason.)

Randomized results worked fine, before some genius decided they could "boost sales" by squeezing the little guys.

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What I want to know.  What I really, really wanna know...is when were Search Results EVER randomized?  Where did this idea come from?  They have never been randomized.  Been here since 97, they were not randomized then & they haven't been randomized since.  That's an odd premise that anyone with even 1 day of IT experience would know is not how search results are presented.   I mean, I wasn't around for the first 1 1/2 years of eBay, but I was in IT for decades & results are never presented in a random order.  

As for the 'pay to play', well, right or wrong, any big site you go to is going to have the same thing.  I do have concerns about it's long term viability, but I'm certainly not surprised eBay implemented it, since it's where all of internet commerce is going. 

[theteamsetguy]

@stevemartin60 ,

Didn't ebay keep the money for the item you sold that customs seized?

[theteamsetguy]

@stevemartin60 ,

I wouldn't say Ebay, Etsy, Target, Walmart, Home Depot, and Etc. are big tech. 

[theteamsetguy]

@partsofused ,

Exactly. It is not rocket science. My goal is to net at least 50% after all expenses including COGS. My ebay expenses are roughly 15% so therefore I pay no more than 35% of my sales price for inventory. Most of the time I pay less than 35%.

[chapeau-noir]

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@earthdreamer wrote:

It has taken me three tea breaks to catch up on this thread.

Forgotten why I wanted to get to the end in the first place....

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I'm still trying to figure out what the title has to do with everything else.  And why "rockstar" is doing so much heavy lifting.

[buyologist-3]

"They do not "have" to show everyone's listings with the same visibility."

====================

It used to be, in the Olden Days" that doing good business, sending in a timely manner (same or next day) answering messages, leaving feedback, and resolving issues without ebay coming in, would keep your listings up in the views.  It was working great and then...splat....it takes sharing the profits to get seen.  It's making the profits very hard for many sellers because the profit margin can get pretty slim!  To stay competitive, sellers lower prices and send for free, just so buyers will consider them in the running! It takes a high-profit item(s) to play in this Tough Town! 

[buyologist-3]

 "If I ever decide conditions are unacceptable, it is my prerogative, just as it is for all sellers, to terminate and walk away."

=====================

Over the years I've heard things like this and while it's true in black and white, it's amazing to me and others just how much 'bending over backwards' some sellers will do for so little!  No limits?  Still watching! At least sell better things for a better profit? What's the answer?  Out in the Real World it's called working for a livable wage.  Sounds fair to me.

[evry1nositswindy]

I'm sure I will regret this, but here goes.  I could care less if someone else resells my item for more money after they acquire it.  I have made my money and moved on.

As for the name calling debacle, rock star, scout, thrill seeker, etc are NOT selling designations.  They are arbitrary names for number of posts on the community.  Many of us think they are stupid and childish monikers, but we can't change that.  That is all they are, nothing more.  They have  nothing to do with how much you sell or what you sell.