EBAY has a defect in their software that does not remove sold items.

[jbrierly]

I have filed many complaints repeatedly over the years about Ebay not removing sold unique items only showing ONE available.   So, after the unique item is sold Ebay leaves it in my store for someone else to buy what I do not have.  Ebay calls this my store's defect when it is their defective software.   I have been fighting over this issue for 10 years at least.  And it has done no good.  The error still pops up regularly causing Ebay to call it my store's defect when it is Ebay's defect.   Ebay then says my store is below standard and kills many of my best listings.  They put an artificial limit on what I can sell.  So, I'm backed up with potential sales that cannot be listed due to restrictions placed because of their wrongful assigning a defect to my store.   What can I do to finally get them to fix their system for removing items that are sold and gone forever.  Their system keeps saying that it is a restocking defect when the item is not restockable.  One of their technicians said  that Ebay has a way to disallow restocking of sold out items.  I'll be damned if I can find any such capability in Ebay listings.   

[jbrierly]

I doubt this message will help the situation of Ebay's erratic software defect assigning.   I may have to call Ebay management to fix this horrible situation that prevents me from selling more stuff in my store.   I sure would like to hear from any other Ebay store owners if they had that problem.   Maybe they will finally listen to my complaint and fix it if enough stores complain.   

[dhbookds]

Been here since 2004 with a store, never had a sold item relisted......

[ebooksdiva]

This is what ebay's policy states:

Listing durations and timings | eBay

Listing duration options

• Auction-style format – 1, 3, 5, 7, and 10 days. Unsold items may be automatically relisted
• Fixed price format – Good ’Til Canceled. This means that the item will be relisted every month until it’s sold or until you end the listing

It looks like it is up to the seller to end listings. 

[powell-memorabilia]

I’m sorry,  but your out of stock issues are from user error.  Most have zero, zip, zilch issues with “ghost listings.”

[ebooksdiva]

@dhbookds 

Same here. 

[ebooksdiva]

@jbrierly 

Try this..Selling preferences (ebay.com)

Scroll to look for "Listings stay active when you're out of stock" turn off the switch ..it might be the issue then it might not worth a try though.

[cardxcraft]

It's a well known glitch.  The way to fix is go to My Account>Selling Preferences>Selling Prefrences>Multi-Quantity Listings>Turn Off "Listings Stay Active when you're out of stock."

The problem with this solution is that it's a short term fix as Ebay will randomly revert your listings back to "Listings Stay Active When You're Out of Stock".

[cardxcraft]

Nah, not at all.  See my fix.  It's a glitch; and there's no long term, or permanent fix...at least until Ebay acknowledges the problem.

[ebooksdiva]

@cardxcraft 

That is not necessarily true. I have that feature turned off and never had an issue. It has never turned it's self on for me. My ended listings stay ended until I either relist or delete.

[cardxcraft]

You're fortune, but this issue has been discussed here previously.  It's happened to me twice over the last 4 years.  At one point, everyday for over 2 months I would have to switch it off.  One day it just stopped (I suspect after an update).

[reallynicestamps]

@dhbookds 

Been here since 2004 with a store, never had a sold item relisted......

And I have. Multiple times over four selling accounts and 25 years here.

And I find duplicated listings every time I sweep my active listings, which I do monthly.

Since I sell unique philatelic collectibles, this has nothing to do with OOS relists. It's items that only exist in one example. 

But it also happens with books, which I sell on another ID. I have some titles that I buy whenever I can (Wyndham, Adams, Norman, LeGuin) but again, usually only have one copy in stock at a time and the next copy may be  an entirely different edition and cover.

I hope you do not become a victim of Murphy's Law. 😑

[calicorecordsandcds]

its called archive,  It's really easy to do

[joseh1445]

Its a well know glitch, that has been happening over the years.  I check my items couple times per month, and I have found about 2 or 3 items that were relisted, even though I have already sold them.  

Any way, reach out to eBay for Business on Facebook.  The agents on Facebook are eBay employees, not contractors and will be able to help you. 

Good luck on your selling journey.

[lacemaker3]

@reallynicestamps,

Could you provide any examples of listings that were duplicated? If possible, please provide the item # (if less than 90 days old) and the complete title. I'd like to see if I can investigate this.