Determining Price Gouging

[holisticyouhealth]

Who is determining what amount an item is selling for is price gouging? And who determines the products that are essential? I've just had kids multi vitamins listings, elderberry, and vitamin C listings taken down due to a price gouging policy? I've sold many and have all positive feedbacks from buyers.  Besides competitors and random users using the price gouging report option, who sits determining what is too much to sell an item for? Sellers are selling the same items for double the amount.. I just dont agree with this. I sell on Ebay to try and make extra money. I dont sell on ebay to lose m ok ney or break even.. 

[jerzee908]

I'll also add...........say a bottle of perfume is $25 at Walmart, but a CVS or a Walgreens has that same bottle for $50........

It's Christmas morning......Walmart is closed, but the 24 hour Walgreens is open.  Go to a Walgreens on Christmas morning and you'll see how packed it is.  Nobody even questions the $50 price of the perfume.

[mam98031]

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@pkaszuba10 wrote:

It doesn’t matter if you list your item for a penny nowadays weirdos are reporting everything they see and putting price gouging as a reason. I’m sure soon eBay will see the flaws in adding a price gouging button and remove it since people have nothing else to do and are taking advantage of it. You could have a necklace listed and someone screams price gouging! 

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The price gouging options have nothing for a reason to report a piece of jewelry.  Besides listings for price gouging do not get closed simply because someone reports the listing.  Nor is there any way for you or anyone else to even know someone reported your listing unless they wrote you and told you.

[mam98031]

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@supplies65 wrote:
You cant make any money after paying for ink, packageing ebdy and pay pal fees. 10 % is a joke. Driving to po. Sourceing the products. Your clueless

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Sure you can.  But it does depend on buying thing wholesale not retail.  If you are paying retail for the stuff you want to sell on the internet, then you certainly would be correct.  Which would then mean those items you are paying retail for you should not try to sell on the internet.

@supplies65 

[mam98031]

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@oldwestgold wrote:

For example, I checked one of your listings, Chrome Azzaro for $49.95. Walmart offers this exact item for $36.95.  Another Houbigant ~ QUELQUES FLEURS. Yours $171 and Walmarts $81 - more than twice the price.  WOW!  By definition, you are price gouging - over 10% of what it normally sells for. Should I report this listing? Not my business to do so. Watch before you throw stones at others.  Good luck!

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It helps to compare the like sizes.  The $81 fragrance was Quelques Fleurs Royale which is a different scent.

https://www.overstock.com/Health-Beauty/Quelques-Fleurs-Womens-3.4-ounce-Eau-de-Parfum-Spray/3002833...

And I'm sure there are places you can get it for less money.  I've made no claims of being the lowest price on the internet for anything I sell.

But no it isn't "price gouging" either.  I know that there are those that want the term price gouging to be about all items sold by sellers no matter what kind of item it is.  But it is simply NOT what it is all about.   It is SPECIFIC to the current health crisis and State of Emergency that has been declared for our country.  It isn't about a bottle of perfume, or a toy, or a puzzle or a chair, or a rug, etc.  It is suppose to be specific to the times Americans need to help them stay healthy and safe. 

To try and make it about more than that is simply trying to deflect responsibility.  Or there are those that don't see the difference and that is rather scary too.

https://consumer.findlaw.com/consumer-transactions/price-gouging-laws-by-state.html

Now I know Ebay has removed some listings that should not be removed for price gouging.  IMHO that was a mistake on their part.  I also don't believe Ebay should be removing fabric mask listings.  And it is my hope they will change their mind on that very soon.

@oldwestgold 

[griffithbarbara1]

Nice effort but I've searched the same size and all I've found to be much higher than other sites. 

[sas3177]

Believe me they DO WRITE YOU AND BRAG THAT THEY REPORT YOU AND EVEN WHEN YOU BLOCK THEM BECAUSE THEY ARE HARASSING YOU BECAUSE THERE IS AN EMAIL THREAD THEY CAN CONTINUE TO HARASS YOU AND EBAY WILL DO NOTHING.

[sas3177]

So as I've said before but maybe not as clear e bay has the ability to create algorithms and programs to scrape, prevent and null postings of items that would trigger their parameters they set in program. Ppl on Reddit know how to do it. See below pics.

So ANYONE who argues that sellers are price gouging then you are seriously missing the BIG PICTURE!! ultimately e bay is making money. They can shyly turn their head and claim plausible deniability. They are a HUGE TECH giant. you cannot tell me nor convince me that they do not have the power within programming to change this themselves. They don't do it because bottom line a dollar is a dollar and they are making millions right now off of this. So don't point at the sellers for doing something that's natural to human existence.

Y'all are so blind and programmed. Way to go, they've successfully turned y'all into their sheep!

[mam98031]

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@sas3177 wrote:
Believe me they DO WRITE YOU AND BRAG THAT THEY REPORT YOU AND EVEN WHEN YOU BLOCK THEM BECAUSE THEY ARE HARASSING YOU BECAUSE THERE IS AN EMAIL THREAD THEY CAN CONTINUE TO HARASS YOU AND EBAY WILL DO NOTHING.

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@sas3177 

I have read some posters say they do that.  If I've responded to one of their posts I've told them I think that is a very bad idea.

Unless you have a current transaction with them, you can block them.  Go to your Site Preferences, then Buyer Requirements.  There is a box you can check that will block buyers that have no current transaction with you from emailing you.

Ebay will help you if you let them know what is going on.  At least that has been my experience.  But you do need to tell them what is going on for them to take action.  You can email them or use Twitter or Facebook.

[sas3177]

Ebay wrote back and yes they are blocked, I knew how to block the person. But ebay said that since there is an open conversation before blocking, even tho the person never bought from me, then there is nothing that can be done. Seems a bit uncaring especially when someone says it won't be too much longer until I die. but hey ebay isn't in this to make friends just more money!
Take care ❤️

[mam98031]

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@sas3177 wrote:
Ebay wrote back and yes they are blocked, I knew how to block the person. But ebay said that since there is an open conversation before blocking, even tho the person never bought from me, then there is nothing that can be done. Seems a bit uncaring especially when someone says it won't be too much longer until I die. but hey ebay isn't in this to make friends just more money!
Take care ❤️

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Thank you for that tidbit of information.  I had not heard that before.  It is good information to have.

With that said, they are wrong that they can't do anything.  If it were me, I'd respond to that email and insist they stop the other member from their harassing emails.  They absolutely can stop it and they should.  If you do social media, I'd go to Twitter of Facebook and politely insist on some action against this other member.

[sas3177]

Here is what support sent to me

[bar-29368]

Customer Support is dead wrong. Blocking someone will not prevent them seeing your listings.

[voguevintage]

The problem is eBay has no idea what consists of a 10% mark up or what retail prices are. It's not like they're looking at listings and figuring out the average retail price and seeing if it's over a 10% markup, especially if it's a multiple item lot which a lot of the most frequently taken down items are. They don't have the time or man power to do that. So, with that, there is no clear standard for what consists of "unfair pricing." Instead, eBay doesn't even say 10% anywhere in their policy.

So what's really happening, as others have mentioned, is that ANYTHING getting reported for "price gouging" is removed. Their is no actual review to see if the report is true and if it's not, which often it isn't, they have no mechanism for a manual review or to fix the situation because they don't have the man power to do it -- and that's assuming you manage to get through to their near non-existent customer service ATM.

What's happening a lot -- and this has happened to me -- is people who are selling the same item will report competition to eliminate it. 

Someone mentioned in the thread no one knows how many violates = a permanent ban but I can tell you how many will give you a 3 day restriction: 12.

I have perfect feedback. I am Top Rated. I bend over backwards for my buyers.

....and here I am, restricted and no way to really get it removed without customer service.

It started because I was selling items they banned before the ban. Suddenly they banned the items and removed my listings. So I sold different items. Yes, my mark up was above 10% but standard mark up for retail is 30%. eBay CHARGES US more than 10% in fees. Are they gouging us then? But my prices weren't insane like some are and as such I was selling out very, very fast. I sold everything and then after the fact I get a item removal notice because I was "price gouging." I e-mailed customer support for clarification and they didn't give me any, just linked me to the policy.

I also, at this point, found out it was competition that reported me this time because I was getting all the sells as I was charging a reasonable price.

I was going to be done with it, but I kept getting messages from people asking if I had more. Nurses. A trucking company. Regular people just wanting to stay safe.

So, I went and got more. Lowered my prices to the point that, after fees, I was probably LOSING MONEY most of the time. And for a solid week I had no problem. I helped so many people. I got so many nice messages and wonderful feedback. I was giving people something they wanted that they can't get anywhere else. Amazon is sold out. Wal-Mart is sold out. Stores where they are have nothing.

Everything was going great until tonight all my listings were taken down (4 total) and this time the message said I was under account restriction for 3 days.

My guess is some competition reported me because I was not gouging. But in a world where reports = removal and restriction or even a ban, that's the reality. I'm just sad I can't sell people items who want and need them and can't get them anywhere else.

[sas3177]

That is absolutely horrible. I am so sorry this has happened to you. I don't know if you read all what I wrote but I had one member tell me I was going to die soon because I would catch the virus for Price gouging. I even emailed this person a detailed itemized list of costs and expenses and still didn't say sorry or nothing. And I will say these 2 things again:
When I first started selling these items I was going off of what ebay was suggesting, according to recent sales. How is that my fault for price gouging when I am directly using what ebay is saying for price point??
and again, what is ebay doing with all the 10% of the price gouging items that have already sold... I said millions they are making but I bet it's upward toward a billion in revenue for them... tisk tisk ebay...

I hope you get this lifted soon.
Take care!

[sas3177]

Below is a screenshot I just took on eBay. If you go to categories>home & garden>household supplies and cleaning>cleaning products 

You will see the below (this was from Android App on S9+ phone).

Again if they have banned WIPES how come it's the second picture when you get to this page?? 

Something isn't right here. If it's banned take it off the website!! 

Anyone else see the flawed premise here?!?