New, returning or infrequent sellers are always a risk to eBay as things change. Peoples lives change and there is no way for eBay to be aware that a change might be something along the lines of say desperation like "Oh my gosh if I can't pay the mortgage company $10K they are foreclosing" or "I better have $10 grand for the system in 48 hours for the bail bondsman."
eBay has no way to know circumstances and everything has and does happen. Now the fact you're say a stand up kinda guy doesn't mean these people over here are. Many new sellers come here to snatch folks money and disappear or sell a thousand dollar phone and deliver nothing of the kind or someone pays $800 for a purse that's supposed to be a Coach purse but is counterfeit or a Rolex that's actually not. You'd be VERY surprised how often such things happen.
"Oh really? I mean sure occasionally..."
No, it happens even to the point consumer have been physically injured by knock off counterfeit items. Reproduced clothing with toxins such as lead in the fabric and the list goes on, its a long list. Some folks claim counterfeiting as a whole not just online but as a global whole is more money than the US illegal drug trade, trillions of dollars annually.
As much as the eBay's, Poshmark's, Amazon's work hard to prevent counterfeiting as its very bad for their image and businesses. The manufacturers dont much care share critical information that would allow these points of sale to better spot counterfeit items right as they are listed. Instead, companies hire firms that devour buckets of listings through automation scanning them for potential counterfeits and said manufacturers/rights holders DO share critical information with them! Now those firms who do that as a business of course are against the points of sale getting that critical data as the better the points of sale can defend against counterfeits those business who do that work, have less or none to do!
Atop all that, those companies that seek out the counterfeiting also make mistakes and thus perfectly legit products end up flagged as not. Citizens who've done not a thing wrong as well as say eBay or Amazon or Poshmark are damaged due to that yet NO, NONE, NOT AN IOTA of liability falls upon those companies nor the rights holders/manufacturers for wrongful actions not to mention even legit products can say injure consumers.
So you sell a Rolex watch perfectly legit and Rolex has some firm protecting their interests from knock offs yet your watch isn't but said company or Rolex bares zero responsibility for impacting you. Instead, they blame the counterfeiters and points of sale but dont care empower the points of sale of even sellers with the detailed information to detect counterfeit items. Atop that, they don't tend go after the actual sourcing of counterfeit items nor the entry points into nations. Instead they want say, "Well its the responsibility of the point of sale just as would be the case in say Brick & Mortar selling knock off Rolex's" but its not that simple online at all!
Now take the drug trade as a parallel. Have source, dealers and buyers. The source nobody care deal with and most counterfeits happen in China albeit its a global problem. There's dealers of the stuff all over the place as money is to be made and then there are the buyers right? Difference between the two is buyers of illegal drugs are often now classified as folks with mental matters, its a disease. I'm sure for some that is the case and sure for others its not.
Point being there are good folks that are impacted by bad operators be they good buyers or good sellers as well as the points of sale themselves. Many of these brands want say, "Oh, we are not wanting to hurt the point of sale nor the legitimate owner of genuine goods wanting resell it... No, we're just about the counterfeits and safety along with the quality of our brand."
Right.
But if we walk in and ask any of them on the "Lie O' Meter," "Hey, would you rather have 50,000 consumers
annually buying pre-owned legit watches online or sell new ones?"
"Well of course we'd rather they buy new but we've no problem if they buy pre-owned as long as product is legit..."
DING DING DING... (OOOPS!!! The ole' meter is singing!)
Back in the day perhaps still today companies like Netgear and others... You buy a PC and it happen come with extra's, say a Netgear router or Bose Speakers, just in a brown box. "I dont need that, resell it..." OH NO! Thats not MEANT for retail sale so DONT DO IT!
"Well ok... Then I should be able send it back to the manufacturer and send me what its worth."
OH NO NO NO NO NO!
"Well... What!?!?!?! I just throw in the trash."
OH NO NO NO NO NO!!!!! That not environmental!
"Hmmm... Ok, well then I'll just give it to my neighbor as he said he needed one..."
OH NO NO NO NO NO!!!! Dont do that then he wont be at Walmart buying one!
"Well what I supposed to do with it?"
We dont care LOL. Set a lamp on it.
