Mystery Boxes ** Grab Bags ** - How specific do you need to be?

[Anonymous]

Sellers are required to identify the content of mystery boxes grab bags but obviously the point is that it's a mystery. How specific do we need to be?

Is it in compliance with eBay policy to say "tools and accessories" or do we have to be more specific like "drill bits, clamps, assorted hammers and wrenches, various tape rolls, etc"?

[brian@ebay]

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@Anonymous wrote:

I think it would be good if eBay could clarify this since the policy is vague. They may want to update the policy page as well since they appear to use grab bag and mystery box interchangeably instead of using both terms all the time.

brian@ebay 

@Anonymous 

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Hi @Anonymous, I'm happy to clarify! Mystery item listings aren't allowed. This includes the following:

• Listings that are described as a "mystery item"
• Listings that don't identify the contents, number, quality, or condition of the items for sale

These listings often confuse people about what is actually for sale, which may result in negative feedback or claims being filed. Sellers can list most items as long as they identify what is for sale and don't describe the listing as a "mystery item."

As others have mentioned in this thread, 'grab bag' listings are allowed if the seller:

• Identify all contents; the number, quality, or condition of each item doesn't need to be identified
• Don't single out anything that "may" be included with significant monetary or collectible value

I've reviewed this help page and I'm not seeing the terms grab bag and mystery box used interchangeably. If you can point out the parts of the help page that are not clear then I'll be happy to pass along the feedback. Thanks! 

[wastingtime101]

But the eBay podcast is promoting mystery box listings?

[brian@ebay]

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@wastingtime101 wrote:

But the eBay podcast is promoting mystery box listings?

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Hi @wastingtime101, I understand why the comments on that episode about mystery boxes may have caused some confusion  since it wasn't explicitly stated that these types of listings are against our Chance Listings Policy. I've already passed this feedback along to the podcast team. I want to reiterate that mystery boxes are not allowed on the site.

[inhawaii]

I wouldn't touch selling a grab bag or mystery box with a 10 foot pole.  IMO you're just asking for trouble.  In the history of man kind no one has EVER been happy with the price and contents of their mystery box.  😃

[dbmm-media]

who in there right mind would buy something and have no idea what they are getting.

I see a lot of Nad cases in your future. 

[the*dog*ate*my*tablecloth]

I’d be especially careful selling anything that appeals to influencers. Seems to me they’re just people who want free stuff instead of getting a job. They’re sort of like those affiliation sites who get paid for creating barriers between real websites and potential customers.

[Anonymous]

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brian@ebay wrote:

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Hi @Anonymous, I'm happy to clarify! Mystery item listings aren't allowed. This includes the following:

• Listings that are described as a "mystery item"
• Listings that don't identify the contents, number, quality, or condition of the items for sale

These listings often confuse people about what is actually for sale, which may result in negative feedback or claims being filed. Sellers can list most items as long as they identify what is for sale and don't describe the listing as a "mystery item."

I was not talking about a "mystery item". I was talking about a "mystery box". For example, a seller could have a mystery box of cosmetics, state that it includes (list of brands) and (list of types of products) without revealing exactly what's inside leaving an element of surprise for the buyer. It looks like this IS permitted but eBay is calling it a "grab bag" in the policy and a "mystery box" on the podcast?

As others have mentioned in this thread, 'grab bag' listings are allowed if the seller:

• Identify all contents; the number, quality, or condition of each item doesn't need to be identified
• Don't single out anything that "may" be included with significant monetary or collectible value

I'm aware and linked that policy in my OP. If the distinction is in calling it a grab bag vs a mystery box then please revise the term "mystery box" in my OP to "grab bag" and advise on the example provided and how specific one needs to be. I would still like an answer to that original question.

I've reviewed this help page and I'm not seeing the terms grab bag and mystery box used interchangeably. If you can point out the parts of the help page that are not clear then I'll be happy to pass along the feedback. Thanks! 

I suppose my interpretation was incorrect. This is how it read to me, with my interpretation added in red font.

Grab bags / mystery boxes can be listed as long as you follow these rules:

• Identify all contents; the number, quality, or condition of each item doesn't need to be identified
• Don't single out anything that "may" be included with significant monetary or collectible value

Not allowed

Examples of listings and products that are not allowed:

• Mystery items / grab bags where contents aren't identified

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brian@ebay 

[brian@ebay · Accepted solution]

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@Anonymous wrote:

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brian@ebay wrote:

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Hi @Anonymous, I'm happy to clarify! Mystery item listings aren't allowed. This includes the following:

• Listings that are described as a "mystery item"
• Listings that don't identify the contents, number, quality, or condition of the items for sale

These listings often confuse people about what is actually for sale, which may result in negative feedback or claims being filed. Sellers can list most items as long as they identify what is for sale and don't describe the listing as a "mystery item."

I was not talking about a "mystery item". I was talking about a "mystery box". For example, a seller could have a mystery box of cosmetics, state that it includes (list of brands) and (list of types of products) without revealing exactly what's inside leaving an element of surprise for the buyer. It looks like this IS permitted but eBay is calling it a "grab bag" in the policy and a "mystery box" on the podcast?

As others have mentioned in this thread, 'grab bag' listings are allowed if the seller:

• Identify all contents; the number, quality, or condition of each item doesn't need to be identified
• Don't single out anything that "may" be included with significant monetary or collectible value

I'm aware and linked that policy in my OP. If the distinction is in calling it a grab bag vs a mystery box then please revise the term "mystery box" in my OP to "grab bag" and advise on the example provided and how specific one needs to be. I would still like an answer to that original question.

I've reviewed this help page and I'm not seeing the terms grab bag and mystery box used interchangeably. If you can point out the parts of the help page that are not clear then I'll be happy to pass along the feedback. Thanks! 

I suppose my interpretation was incorrect. This is how it read to me, with my interpretation added in red font.

Grab bags / mystery boxes can be listed as long as you follow these rules:

• Identify all contents; the number, quality, or condition of each item doesn't need to be identified
• Don't single out anything that "may" be included with significant monetary or collectible value

Not allowed

Examples of listings and products that are not allowed:

• Mystery items / grab bags where contents aren't identified

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brian@ebay 

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Hi @Anonymous, sorry for the confusion. Mystery items and mystery boxes mean the same thing. If it's a mystery to the buyer what items are in the box, then it's not allowed.

When listing grab bag listings, sellers need to let buyers know what items are included in the box. Multiple quantities of duplicate items do not need to be disclosed, but sellers must state that at least 1 of each item mentioned is included. For your example using parts and accessories, sellers need to list each unique wrench, clamp, drill bit, hammer, etc. and include any relevant information to that item, such as brand, size, material, etc. Basically, the things that would normally be used to describe an item in a listing would still need to be included in a grab bag. The only things that don't need to be described are the quality, total number (if there are duplicates of the same item), and condition of the items. Everything else should be described in the listing description.

[Anonymous]

brian@ebay 

Thank you for the additional information. I think next week's podcast should include this information - call it a retraction, an addendum or a clarification, doesn't really matter as long as you make it clear that mystery boxes are still not allowed. The entire segment was about how eBay policy was changing to keep up with the times and that mystery boxes purchased on eBay were a big deal on social media.

The segment was promoting these types of listings. Sellers who heard it and don't find this post could be misled into creating mystery box listings thinking it's ok. Not everybody is going to look to see whether they're allowed before listing when the podcast talked about how great they are.

[monster-deals]

Why not just say "mystery boxes" are not allowed period because explaining what is in one is not a mystery box at all. Now it's just a lot.

To say this thing is not allowed unless you completely change the dynamic so it is no longer the thing that is named just makes zero sense.

[city*satins]

I really don't understand why eBay still has a mystery category. 

Mystery boxes were a big thing, mostly a bad thing, for altogether too long with buyers seeking something fabulous for a bargain and a lot of PT Barnumesque sellers seeking $$$ from fools.

There were a small number of sellers who actually had some cool stuff, even putting a $20 or $50 bill into the lot and showing a photo of it on top of the open box.

A few honest sellers tried mystery boxes because putting together "lots" was such a pain in terms of labor involved for very few bids.

As an experiment, late in the lifetime of the notorious Mystery Box saga, I tried my hand at one mystery box myself. I offered $5000 worth of new with tags fashion items with a starting bid of $49.99.  I stuffed a clear Nahui Ollin tote bag (NWT $300) with high-end piece, all NWT and retail $250+ each. Good brands like Missoni, YSL, Valentino etc.   The contents weren't even a true mystery since you could see through the sides of the bag and a bit of squinting revealed the contents quite well.  If anybody had bid on this listing and won,  they would have swooned with delight when they got the package.

Nobody bid on it.  Despite my great seller feedback, the target audience had long ago become jaded.

Again - I really don't understand why the category still exists.  

[Anonymous]

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@monster-deals wrote:

Why not just say "mystery boxes" are not allowed period because explaining what is in one is not a mystery box at all. Now it's just a lot.

To say this thing is not allowed unless you completely change the dynamic so it is no longer the thing that is named just makes zero sense.

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The grab bag concept is pretty pointless when there is zero mystery involved. You're exactly right - it's just a lot.

[brian@ebay]

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@monster-deals wrote:

Why not just say "mystery boxes" are not allowed period because explaining what is in one is not a mystery box at all. Now it's just a lot.

To say this thing is not allowed unless you completely change the dynamic so it is no longer the thing that is named just makes zero sense.

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Hi @monster-deals, I'm sorry for any confusion. As I stated in several of my previous posts, mystery boxes (or mystery items) are not allowed. Additionally, the help page that has been linked a few times in this thread states that mystery boxes / items are not allowed. 

What is allowed are grab bag listings. These are not mystery boxes and can be listed on the site. The OP in this thread was seeking clarification about grab bag listings, as well as clarification about the mystery box segment in this episode of the Selling on eBay Podcast. I sought to clarify both the mystery box policy and the grab bag policy in this thread. I hope that helps clarify this discussion in this thread 

[brian@ebay]

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@Anonymous wrote:

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@monster-deals wrote:

Why not just say "mystery boxes" are not allowed period because explaining what is in one is not a mystery box at all. Now it's just a lot.

To say this thing is not allowed unless you completely change the dynamic so it is no longer the thing that is named just makes zero sense.

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The grab bag concept is pretty pointless when there is zero mystery involved. You're exactly right - it's just a lot.

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Hi @Anonymous, while Lot listings and grab bags are similar, there are important points that make these listings different. A lot listing is for a group of similar or identical items (a case of batteries, a CD collection, etc.) that are sold together. Grab bags can have a wide variety of items that may not be similar or identical. Additionally, the quality / condition and quantity need to be described in a Lot listing, while they do not need to be described in a grab bag.

[my-cottage-books-and-antiques]

For those who are following this thread, here's what eBay's Sam Bright had to say on the recent podcast. Note that he did not explicitly say ebay now permits mystery boxes, but the context sure makes it confusing. He does say the policy for "case breaks" in the sports card category has changed. And it sounds to me like the mystery box policy might be under review. He mentions influencers opening mystery boxes they bought on ebay and at no point does he indicate disapproval of those boxes:

"... I think there are a couple of interesting trends that have emerged over the past couple of years that speak to just how buyers are gamifying the collectible experience, especially the new generation of buyers. For example, we pushed pretty hard to reverse the policy that we had had for a long time against case breaks. And the reason why we did that is because we saw that a lot of our younger collectors within sports trading cards really liked being able to take a stake in a box set and then be able to kind of have a little bit of the excitement of figuring out what kind of card would actually be seen once it was opened and then if it was a very valuable card, being able to benefit in the upside. There are whole YouTube channels right now dedicated to folks who are breaking these boxes as they, as they come out and it's become an interesting business.

Did we not allow that in the past?

No, we, we hadn't allowed it in the past. And so that was an area where the verticals and my team saw that and heard that feedback from sellers and buyers a couple of years ago and said, hey, you know, I'm sure we had good reasons a years ago when we put these policy prevention's in place, but let's refresh the policy. And so that opened that up. Similarly, mystery boxes aren't new, but if you look at a lot of the social activity around eBay, there's influencers who love getting mystery boxes off of eBay and then actually videotaping themselves showcasing what they get. It's a really interesting engaging way to approach a mystery box and it's just sort of people liking the gamification of what they might get from someone else. Again, these categories are constantly evolving because there a reflection of the culture. Our job is to try to stay on top of that and to listen to our sellers and listen to our buyers and understand like how that is evolving and how eBay can be a support and multiplier of that."

Sam seems to be saying "We really like these mystery box videos" which suggests he approves of mystery boxes....but brian says ebay does NOT approve of them. So I can understand the confusion this has generated.