eBay

oletooks · ‎10-02-2022

What exactly is eBay's policy for photos for books. We have had numerous questions from our customers asking why do some sellers use stock photos for used books, some that have obvious flaws and damage. It is our understanding that stock photos are for new books and not be used for used books. We scan all of our books so that the potential buyer can see what they are buying. Any flaws are also described in the detailed in the item description. If eBay has a stock photo policy, why don't they enforce it. If book sellers are too lazy to scan their books, then they should be prohibited from using stock photos for books that are not new or even using a photo that is just a logo and not the actual book they are selling at all. eBay please explain why this is happening, our customers what to know.

femmefan1946 · ‎10-03-2022

Two examples of eBay closing down big sellers, possibly in an excess of caution. More than I remembered.

If ebay actually forced the charity booksellers who don't pay ebay fees and actually have media mail discounts to use real photos they would start doing it and then it would be even harder to compete against them.

No fees? Or greatly reduced fees?

Media mail discounts are based on the number of units shipped. There may be a further reduction for registered charities.

And a charity is working under different overheads. We may be able to work from the basement in our jammies, but the charity is paying rent, utilities, payroll, payroll taxes, and insurance, which for the most part we little guys don't have to deal with.

2013grotz · ‎10-03-2022

@onefootflipper wrote:
You should be absolutely thrilled that at every bad practice every one of your competitors has. Ebay enforcing the rules on them is not going to remove them as competition, it would just make them more competitive with you.

The issue is that they are being successful exactly because of the bad practices they're doing that other sellers aren't (and won't be allowed to by ebay). If they actually had to satisfy all the ebay requirements instead of flagrantly violating them at very turn (my favorite I thought of after the last reply I made here was the ones that put up "Picture not available" text instead of even a real stock picture - and their logos of course) , they'd be putting in more time and resources and ultimately maybe would think twice about dumping their product (another issue with selling books) on eBay.

deltilogical · ‎10-03-2022

Charities don't pay fees? You mean we're subsidizing them on the platform with our fees?

onefootflipper · ‎10-03-2022

They pay 2 percent instead of the 15 percent that everyone else pays on books. I am sure they probably have some postage discount as well. And in competing with each other over the pennies they drive most common books down to prices that a normal seller would actually lose money shipping the book out at.

oletooks · ‎10-03-2022

Thanks Tiger. Your comments much appreciated. What we would like to hear about is the policy from eBay officials. Where is their policy and if it does exist, why isn't enforced. Why penalize hard working eBay sellers that want to treat their customers as they should be treated. I had one customer say that they ordered a book from the sleazy book dealers and all they did was throw a damaged book in a flimsy bag and ship it. They were very upset. Like the old say you get what you pay for.

onefootflipper · ‎10-03-2022

@oletooks wrote:
Thanks Tiger. Your comments much appreciated. What we would like to hear about is the policy from eBay officials. Where is their policy and if it does exist, why isn't enforced. Why penalize hard working eBay sellers that want to treat their customers as they should be treated. I had one customer say that they ordered a book from the sleazy book dealers and all they did was throw a damaged book in a flimsy bag and ship it. They were very upset. Like the old say you get what you pay for.

I have found that all the big booksellers just dump their books in polybags. Very rare to even get a padded envelope from one of them. I myself don't ship books that way, but I also won't even sell any books in the price ranges they normally deal in.

maxine*j · ‎10-03-2022

@oletooks wrote:
.. I had one customer say that they ordered a book from the sleazy book dealers and all they did was throw a damaged book in a flimsy bag and ship it. They were very upset...

So, why did the person complain to you? You didn't sell him the book. Why didn't he just open an INAD case and get a full refund? Would he go to the Target customer service desk to complain about a problem he had with a Walmart purchase?

eBay has something like 19M sellers and 1.5B listings on any given day. It could not police them all, even if it wanted to, and it does not want to.

Concentrate on your own listings, and your own sales, and your own buyers, and let the devil take the others. Remember that you do not want customers who would buy from sellers who use stock photos, anyhow. You want buyers who know what they're buying and why they're buying it. You want buyers who seek out the good sellers, sellers who provide proper photos and good descriptions.

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