Multiple Listing Bait and switch gap could be closed by eBay.

[imakesugar]

On the Community Boards we have discussed how many Sellers put an odd cheap item in their Multiple listings lower priced to get their items Higher in search. Then when a Buyer clicks on it they realize that they've been had.

 The price that they are looking at is not the Item they wanted to buy. It is replaced with something that is much cheaper. 

I consider this dishonest as do many other Buyers. Buyers these days don't have the time to waste on the computer LOOKING AT SWITCH AND BAIT Listings. I get real disguisted as a Buyer wasting my time on Clicking on these false listings. 

One of the problems I see is that during the listing process there must be a way to put a dollar amount in the select field. Now I see listings that all have the same item for the same price but when the listing is coming up SELECT is the item with the cheaper price and NOTHING IS OFFERED at the cheap price. 

eBay could change this option so that SELECT CANNOT have any amount of money NOR allow any in this field. By eBay being proactive on this Many bait and switch listings could be stopped. If that can not be done have the field so the items price has to match the price of the items in the multiple listing. Just saying.

Here are examples I have copied and pasted to show how it is working...  Pam

[chrysylys]

The proposal I made in the Weekly Chat a few weeks ago was that all items had to be the same price.  Variations could only be for color, size, type, etc.

[rolenboy01]

It's not a question of could but a question if they want to and I do not believe they want to.

[slippinjimmy]

They are called "Variation Listings".

I agree it's a problem.

The price range returned in search results ($x.xx - $y.yy) should reflect only the price range of the items in the Variation listing which are actually in stock.

There would still remain the issue of Variation listings that include vastly lower priced variations which only qualify as a variation by a hair if at all.

[slippinjimmy]

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@chrysylys wrote:

The proposal I made in the Weekly Chat a few weeks ago was that all items had to be the same price.  Variations could only be for color, size, type, etc.

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That is not going to fly.......lots of Variation listings are priced by "size", either as in quantity

Widget - pack of 10, pack of 25, pack of 100

Or in clothing where there is a price diferential between S, M, L, XL, XXL

[chrysylys]

Then those need to be different listings.  One listing, one price, no matter the other variables.

[duchess-at-speakeasy]

The solution really is quite simple. The generic name of the item (socks, shirt, dress, shoes, etc.) should be static. That is, NOT a variable. The variations should be size, color, style and so on, with a price assigned to the dominant variables. For example, the buyer wants a blue shirt. The primary variables are size and style. Larger sizes cost more than small sizes, and long-sleeve shirts cost more than short-sleeve shirts. But the item is still a shirt -- not a key chain, socks or packet of buttons. Look at any mail order catalog for examples. Too bad eBay does not understand the basic principle behind variations. ~~C~~

[slippinjimmy]

eBay understands the "basic principles" behind a variation listing just fine. The problem is that there are plenty of sellers who will stretch the issue to the max and abuse the basic principles.

In ther mail order catalog business it would be done by splashing big discounts on the cover and when you look at the actual product page you find that's the price for the version you nobody wants.

It's a rampant problem all over online, I shop at lots of sites where the "gallery" style search results show a range but the details page shows that only the XS or XXXL are at that price while the rest of the sizes are at "regular" price.

It's just your basic click bait, it's rampant, it's annoying, it's become much more of an issue over the last couple of years. eBay's variations were fine for years, it's abuse by sellers that is the problem now. Hopefully can eBay can do something to reduce it but I doubt there is a simple solution that would not have problematic ramifications.

[dtexley3]

Shirt - Red 9.99

Shirt - Green 9.99

Shirt - Box .99

Well that didn't help. 

[imakesugar]

Well maybe it is hard to get rid of some variations but letting nothing be on the Select with a price would get rid of most of them. generally I personally hit the back button when In my mind it is a Bait and switch. I feel If they will cheat on that on listing then they will cheap on anything! 

Sometimes I do see Multiple listings marked .99-15.99 Not all of them are listed that way. That does seem to ease the pain...at least I know the item might NOT be .99 (cents)  So, I don't understand why ALL of them are listed that way. 

OT but then I was just thinking that when I have BID on something and ebay has the list of recommended items either under items I purchased, didn't win, or whatever their suggestions are...Why don't they show MORE BIN after I have lost on a bid item?  

Then IF I waited for an auction on something then I could just buy it right away. Instead they show me a CHEAP AUCTION item and I have to start the bidding all over again. I would think that would help eBay get more sales.  pam

[portieradesigns]

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@slippinjimmy wrote:

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@chrysylys wrote:

The proposal I made in the Weekly Chat a few weeks ago was that all items had to be the same price.  Variations could only be for color, size, type, etc.

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That is not going to fly.......lots of Variation listings are priced by "size", either as in quantity

Widget - pack of 10, pack of 25, pack of 100

Or in clothing where there is a price diferential between S, M, L, XL, XXL

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Totally agree.  This is not a good time for one of eBay's solutions that is worse than the problem.  I quite often put a slow-moving variation on SALE, so it CAN work in the buyer's favor.  Some colors or styles are just not as popular and need to be closed out. 

Separate listings for sizes of the same t-shirt would be even less user friendly.  They need to impose a reasonableness test on the RANGE of prices or as others have suggested, at least enforce the item being basically the same thing.

[mybuyingside]

More rules aren't going to stop the people doing this. They are already breaking the rules and don't care. 

Thesimple solution would be if eBay would actually *do* something about ending listings that violate the rules, like have people actually look at the reported listings and end them. It might take a while, but they could get this place cleaned up again.

I do agree that it would be nice if the price range shown in search results only showed the range for available options, not including the 99cent OOS item.

[tunicaslot]

As frustrating as this is - it's a problem on most every shopping site on the web - not just Ebay. Ebay has enough problems without trying to get IT to mess with this and hopefully get it right.

Is it a waste of time - yes - no different than my shopping on Kohls - clicking a link for that $2.99 shirt and it's sold out. If it's sold out - then it should no longer be offered for sale on the site. Same if I click through and that $2.99 price only applies to the Small while the 2X I want is $24.99. Sears, Macy's Bonton, JCP - all have the same problem.

I get that it's upsetting and time consuming - but to keep complaining about problems that are rampant on most sites on the interent like it's exclusive to Ebay is also wasting your time - as this probably is not going to be changed. It hasn't stopped me from shopping at Kohl's even tho I'm cursing everytime I click one of those links.

[chrysylys]

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@portieradesigns wrote:Totally agree.  This is not a good time for one of eBay's solutions that is worse than the problem.  I quite often put a slow-moving variation on SALE, so it CAN work in the buyer's favor.  Some colors or styles are just not as popular and need to be closed out. 

Separate listings for sizes of the same t-shirt would be even less user friendly.  They need to impose a reasonableness test on the RANGE of prices or as others have suggested, at least enforce the item being basically the same thing.

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Shirt, Red, L  $20

Shirt, Blue, M  $20

Shirt, Green, XS  $5

How wide a price range should be allowed?

As a buyer, I don't want to see that kind of thing to begin with.  Sale items should be pulled out of the MV and put into separate listings.  Just like a sale/shelf rack in a store.

One listing, one price is the ONLY answer here.

[worley8803]

Filter the seller in your search for items, and tell them they have been excluded.