Ebay removed my authentic item based on being reported as fake

[sz_balazs]

Out of nowhere Ebay decided to remove my listing, without contacting me, asking me for proof, without any explanation....nothing. When I contacted them, they told me the item was removed for violating their rules of authenticity. I asked them based on what did they consider a simple $37 jacket fake? They couldn't answer, instead they sent me some links to read the rules. I told them that I can provide photo/video evidence if they want me to, yet they started threatening me saying if I relist the item then my account will be suspended. Here is the jacket:


Stitched logo, 2 tags (one of them even showing the item's code), yet they still say based on some random report that it's fake. Obviously the item is genuine, no question about that. It's unfair and unprofessional to remove items without explanation, without contacting the seller and asking them to prove if it's fake or not. Yet, all the Chinese fakes can be freely sold on the site without any problems. 

[sz_balazs]

Then maybe read my earlier posts and see that I contacted ADIDAS in the meantime, with pictures and told them the whole story. They wrote me back after a few hours saying it is genuine and a model from 1991. If that's not enough, then I don't know what else.

[orangehound]

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@sz_balazs wrote:
2. Chinese fakes don't use the actual brand's name, they use altered ones.
For example, there is the new model of Adidas Yeezy winbreakers, Chinese fakes are called YEEZUS, same model, same color palette.

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This is not true.  There are actually replicas made of a lot of authentic products, right down to logos and tags.   Typically, however, it is of very expensive items (designer purses, premium bicycle equipment, etc.) ... but not always.

[sz_balazs]

Again, I contacted ADIDAS and they told me it's a "1991 model - shell suit jacket", so the item is genuine. I wrote on Ebay's facebook page too, instead of answering they DELETED my comment. Luckily I've made a screenshot. I asked them in another comment (with the screenshot of my earlier comment included), "Are you guys seriously deleting comments? What kind of company is this?", and they deleted that one too. So, I'm done with Ebay. After my recent listing times expire, I'm done. This is lower than a 3rd world country's service, unprofessional and unfair. Worst experience in selling online.

[fashunu4eeuh]

I'm very sorry this has happened to you as a new seller. There are challenges to selling online and even more so that you are based internationally. The rules and policies allow ebay to remove any listing at their discretion. You agreed to this when you signed up to use the platform. Ebay is not threatening you--they are warning you. Sellers can get suspended and ebay reserves the right to do so. I hope you can work this out and continue to sell here--don't burn your bridges over this. Good luck to you,

[sz_balazs]

After this experience there is absolutely nothing that could make me sell stuff on ebay ever again. I understood they can remove an item if it is illegal, if it is against their selling policies and so on. I can't accept them removing something without ZERO explanation given. Sending me links after links, without being able to explain what happened, how did it happen and at least to try to find a solution. All this even after I contacted the brand and got their confirmation that the item is genuine. I wouldn't say a word if ebay at least would offer a solution, but no. They even deleted my comments on their Facebook page regarding this subject. As I said, this is a whole new level of low for an international company like Ebay. Unprofessional and unfair.

[rw011164]

It is tough when you have a legitimate item removed. As mentioned before if it is Vero then it is out of ebay's hands. If it was reported by others, then you are dealing with ebay, but the truth is that you will likely not be able to relist it. 

It is not fair, but we are not promised fair. It happened to me in my other ID many years ago. I had a very old platter from the 1800s made by a company in England. It is worth about $100. The platter was correctly marked with the manufacturers name and the pattern name. The pattern is called Meissen. 

The platter was not made by the German company Meissen, it was just the pattern name. I listed it as who it was made by and the pattern name. Even today you can find many many listings by the same company, same pattern, listed the same way mine was and none of them were taken down, mine was and I received a policy violation. 

I called eBay and explained everything to no avail. I did get them to remove the policy violation and promised to never list the platter again. I never did. It hangs in my kitchen as a beautiful reminder that things are not always fair. I actually love the platter and am happy to still have it. One day I will hand it down with its life is unfair story.

I could have been angry and never listed again, but frankly I would have hurt no-one but myself. Instead I kept the platter and moved on to sell a lot. 

The choice is yours but losing income over a $35 jacket seems extreme

[sz_balazs]

I'm not living off ebay, so it's not a big deal at all. Plus, there are enough other sites like ebay where maybe the costumer is more respected. You see, this is the problem with most of the people, they rather stay in one place even if it's bad instead of making changes. If ebay's costumers would leave, or at least stop listing, I'm sure ebay would understand the sign.

[cal_w62]

eBay has something called VERO, all it takes is for some dumb kid to write them a note and they take listings down, these kids work for the Trademark holder.

eBay does not consider any evidence, they just take the dumb kids word for it.

They pulled down a listing of mine when the Trademark holder who owned the word 'Survivor' sent eBay a note to their VERO department, the one I listed was listed as 'Xtreme Survival'.

Google eBay VERO fraud and find out all about it.

Like I said, eBay uses ZERO LOGIC in pulling down listings, could even be your competition that is making the complaint just to keep you down.

[sz_balazs]

Yep, I just read some statistics that 75% of the VERO cases are scam and Ebay does nothing about it. Basically anyone can send them a mail in the name of any brand and that's all it takes for honest sellers to be screwed over. I'm repeating myself now, but at the level of a company like Ebay this is very unprofessional and unfair.

[rw011164]

No one says you have to sell here. If ebay doesn't work for you then you have a decision to make. I am sure you have many options which is good for you.

Why should the rest of us leave when we are successful selling here? Most of us are not going to pull up shop and leave because we do not agree with something, we evolve. We do that because we are selling items and getting the exposure here.

Had I pulled everything when ebay took down my listing, I would have harmed myself and my business and that is not why I am here. It's not that any of us want to stay in one place, we can and do make this work

You suggest that sellers leave if they don't like something, well I have been around a long time and you may find what I found a long time ago: no place is perfect. Wherever you go you will have to make it work or you will do a lot of bouncing. EBay is certainly not perfect, but it works for a lot of sellers

[cal_w62]

The reason eBay does this is not to protect the sellers or buyers, it is to protect eBay from legal liability from potentially thousands of lawsuits per year, that is why they created the highly flawed VERO program that is not administered properly and is underfunded.

[gramophone-georg]

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@ellis61 wrote:

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@sz_balazs wrote:

Yet, all the Chinese fakes can be freely sold on the site without any problems. 

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I agree ... I've tried to report obvious fakes out of China, but eBay allows them to continue.

Regardless, don't relist it or you may be banned.

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That's because eBay knows that fakes from China are genuine  fakes. Guess they don't want to ever be accused of selling fake  fakes so they pulled the OP's.

[megadestroyers]

I hear ya!!

Apparently, ebay's got closets full of experts in every conceivable category such that these types of decisions can be made, fairly!  (snicker).

Those experts, along with the "one hand on a Bible, the other raised to the sky" so called reporters, offering up sworn testimony as to the authenticity of your item, are most assuredly sufficient in getting your item yanked!  (snicker snicker!)

You have every reason to be ticked!!  ebay offers no help, as has become their SOP.  And some of these posting nuns, with their rulers, just seem to hover over these boards, looking to SMACK the first set of "bad" knuckles they come across!

You do have some nice stuff listed.  Good luck!

[cal_w62]

LOL, rumors are that eBay has two underpaid kids in their VERO department and all they do is take down listings upon any complaint by anyone.

That pretty much takes care of this issue.

[thebootsmarket]

We all know Ebay isn't fair for sellers. Yet millions sellers are putting up with them for a reason. And that reason being is the sheer amount traffic. We can't get anywhere close to 30% of Ebay traffic on any other sites. They know it. We know it. So they do what the want and we have a choice to use their service or not. It's just that simple. Me? I'll just move on and list other items. Losing thousands and thousands dollars of profit just because of my pride over ONE item is counterproductive for me. That's my reasoning.