Other eBay Seller Copies My Listing Almost Word For Word!?

[miss_minutes]

Hi,

I made an eBay listing a few weeks aog and it has been up for a while with some decent sales/views. I often check my list ranking once in a while and upon checking yesterday I realized another seller copied my listing LITERALLY word for word, title for title, and stole portions of my pictures. What can I do about this? I have tried reporting but eBay doesnt seem to care unless you have actual rights to the text/pictures which I can understand but its so frustrating to see that you spent several hours writing a good description/photo editing/ picking correct key words on title and then see someone simply copy and paste your exact listing and under cut your prices... Please any advice/help?

This is my listing:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=172588882985&ssPageName=STRK:MESE:IT

This is the copied listing:

[d-k_treasures]

Where did YOU get the photos from? If you got them from the ebay catalog, then anyone can use it. If you are opted into leting your photos be in the ebay catalog, then anyone can use it.

They look like stock photos from the manufacturer to me. And how many different ways can you really describe it?

[miss_minutes]

I got my photos from my wholesaler which is understandable, but he used my "eBay Prime" and simply cut and pasted it onto his photos. If you checked his listing description....its a direct copy from mine but he replaced his brand with mine.

[llllady]

---

@d-k_treasures wrote:

Where did YOU get the photos from? If you got them from the ebay catalog, then anyone can use it. If you are opted into leting your photos be in the ebay catalog, then anyone can use it.

They look like stock photos from the manufacturer to me. And how many different ways can you really describe it?

---

I'm still rolling my eyes at the main photo that says, "eBay Prime." Guess they forgot to edit out the last part, eh? You'd have thought at least one of them would have done it. 

[llllady]

@miss_minutes

You won't get any help from eBay with this.  If it was a smaller seller, you could have tried sending them a nice message and asking them not to do it again.  But this is a big seller who would probably laugh at you. 

[myboardid · Accepted solution]

Frankly, there is nothing you can do about him copying you.  I've had it happen from time to time.  My response is to change my listing to try to make it even better or to at least make it a bit different, and to cut my price to undersell the copier, even at the risk of some loss. 

[pacchou-0]

Are you a dropshipper, and how can I be sure the two of you are not the same seller?

[pacchou-0]

>> I got my photos from my wholesaler which is understandable Oh so now it's "Your" wholesaler? Sorry, I'm not feeling very understandable about this at all.

[d-k_treasures]

Well, I don't  know why you would even think about using somehing like 'ebay prime', which AZ may help in taking it down, since there is no 'ebay prime'.

And you both show the 2 pack in the main photo, only you really get one unless you purchase 2. A lot of people will probably expect to see the 2 pack coming.

But at least you switch to showing 1 when the quantity selected is 1 - the other listing doesn't.

[dhbookds]

I'm amazed at how many sellers seem to copy listings......including some on this board..........

[sockmonkeydave]

@miss_minutes

You are both using stock photos, get that ebay prime out of there.

Your discription looks like MFG boiler plate, with a few lines by you.

Bet yea, not much you can do.

[megadestroyers]

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery!

'Na's made a whole market/economy out of it.  Feeling flattered?

[videoncd]

Hi,

I had a SCUMBAG do the same thing to mine...

SELLER bigbip (A MIRACLE IN SOUND Various Artist
MERCURY STEREO DEMO 2 TRACK REEL TO REEL TAPE
#282646307159) Mine sold two weeks ago!

He was either to Stupid or Lazy to write his own.

I too called ebay and got the same story...

It does say in ebay policy "Don't "borrow" text or images (including photos) from other listings on eBay"

???????????????????

[nowthatsjustducky]

I'm not even seeing an actual description on the OP's listing, just the stuff in the item specifics.  So what got copied from there?

As for the title, that has never had any protection.  In fact, when you click on an item's "Sell One Like This" link, eBay copies the original title verbatim into your listing.

[hates2shop4more]

This is true. Nothing to be done. Ebay doesn't, and never has, followed up with the seller who has copied the listing in the form of any action taken. I suspect an email warning is not even sent, but I don't know this for sure. I do know that the other copied listing of mine (even when I have the exact item currently listed with THAT description) has run the full auction time length, and has never been removed.