eBay

funnymaniac · ‎04-21-2020

Just wondering if I get 2 stores if I can list my items in each store, maybe at different prices. One with a buy it now and no best offer at a low price, the other at a higher price with a best offer?

Ok, so this is a joke right? No, because I found THOUSANDS of the very same item, (NOT STOCK PHOTOS!) listed by sellers using the same pics, with one listed at a lower price for example, $200, the other store, same pic/item/description, listed for $300 with a best offer. Is this legal or not? Because I inquired to ebay and they said that I should not bother thinking of such things that it is their job, not mine.

I was simply looking to gauge a value to price an item so to sell quickly and so was doing some diligent research and found sellers/from the same city/town, with the exact same item listed as stated above, under two different names. Yes....THOUSANDS of items. Ebay "Assured me", they are different people and indicated they are probably using an EBAY STOCK IMAGES and to ask for "real" pics, but I found other items, same book, same sellers, (4 listings) using two different photo's, so they can't be stock images. (in other words, a total of 4 listings, 2 pairs of the same item, in 2 different visible conditions. I then did a little more digging and found the two "different" sellers, had done this with literally thousands of items. I would think this gives a false sense of value to a buyer and makes it hard to compete with. It's so obvious because I look closely at the condition before I purchase. They can't be stock photo's if one photo, used twice, has simply a crease and the other item (also listed twice) has a chunk out. (all 4 are the same item. If they used stock photo's then I would assume the written description would be different but all 4 pics the same.

Would like to hear comments/thoughts. Thanks!

mam98031 · ‎04-21-2020

@funnymaniac wrote:
I can see what is going on, it's pretty clear. two different stores, two different items, two pairs of identical photo's. (repeated with THOUSANDS of items) ALL PICTURES ARE EXCLUSIVE TO 2 of the same sellers. What proof more do you need? THEY SHOW IDENTICAL PICTURES, THE DESCRIPTIONS ARE IDENTICAL. SAME WORDS, SAME SHIPPING!? Same city! TWO OFFERS RECEIVED from the sellers AT NEARLY THE SAME MOMENT!????????????

I get it, sellers from China are quite plentiful on Ebay and other sites. They are many duplicate items for some sellers which is because they have good sell through rates. And there are many sellers from China that sell the same stuff. Are they connected? IDK

As I tried to explain earlier pics aren't a dead give away. Once a pic is on the internet without any watermarking, it is for the taking many times. I seem my pics from some of my listings elsewhere on Ebay and the internet.

For some of them they are likely stock photos from their suppliers and there are likely many sellers that use the same supplier.

But you are right there are likely many operating out of the same building, it sounds plausible to me. We can't compete with them, nor would I want to. That would just be a race to the bottom. So I try to steer clear of stuff that they sell so it doesn't affect my business too much. I know for others that is hard to do.

mam98031 • Volunteer Community Member • Buyer/Seller since 1999

"I can explain it to you, but I can't understand it for you." Quote from Edward I Koch

funnymaniac · ‎04-22-2020

hi! It's OLD COMICS, they are not from CHINA. FLORIDA!

with old comic books, you need to see the book you are buying because condition is PARAMOUNT. They do not state STOCK PHOTO's. Usually when a comic book dealer uses stock pics, they say stock pics. This is done with the intent to create a false sense of value for another rare item offered at a lower price. I believe if I were to purchase either item from either seller, I would receive the item in the pic. THAT is NOT the point. The point is, to offer 2 items that are the same under different names at different prices, as in the question I posted in the thread title.

I have been on ebay for over 20 years, I think I know what's going on. More so than ebay knows. This isn't my first rodeo as they say.

funnymaniac · ‎04-22-2020

ok, search TOM MIX COMICS 1 VG - (There are only 2) do not confuse with photo cover comic, this one is a premium/giveaway by RALSTON - PURINA 1940. It's a rare comic that guides at $200 in GOOD and $3200 in NM. As far as westerns go, it's #9 on the most valuable list. If your interested to learn what is supposedly OK according to ebay, check it out. If this is ok, then fine, it's ok, but I just want to know what I am in competition with. If I purchase both, I will bet anyone here I will receive 1 and the other will be cancelled due to a listing error.