@reggiomedia1 wrote:
In regards to pre-order listing, I understand it is allowed. My question is in regards to the image usage in the listing. Obviously the image would most likely be a stock image as the item is not in hand yet. The problem is that eBay states to use your own pictures to avoid VERO complaints. Does this not make sense to anyone else? How to create a pre-order listing but to use your own image when the item is not in stock. Anyone have any ideas?
@reggiomedia1
I think your confusion might stem from a misunderstanding about the term "stock image."
When eBay is talking about a "stock image" they aren't talking about a photo you have physically taken *of the stock* you are listing for sale.
What they are talking about is:
A) A photo that's usually shot by a professional or semiprofessional photographer at the request of the manufacturer for company corporate advertising/marketing/sales promotion purposes, OR
B) A more generic type photo that was specifically shot by a professional with the intent of selling the use rights to a third party who can use it for their own purposes. (Think generic shots of an orange or a relaxing beach that an orchard or resort might want to purchase/use in their own promotional materials, website, etc., for example.) Common online stock image databases that sell these types of images are sites like iStockPhoto, ShutterStock, etc.
To explain it another way, let's say you were selling a new, but open box, HP Printer...
If you were to take a photo of the actual item on your kitchen table, though you would be photographing *the stock* you plan to list on eBay, the photos you take *are not* stock photos.
However, if you screen-grabbed a photo of the exact model you're listing off HP's website THAT photo would be considered a *stock* image as it's a photo HP paid someone to shoot for them that's used as the standard image to depict that particular product.
*You* don't own the use rights to that screen-grabbed image -- the company/individual who commissioned the photo does. Do people use a manufacturer's stock images to advertise/market the same items they may have for sale on eBay (or elsewhere)? Yes, but technically it's illegal and as eBay has warned you can run into copyright/Vero issues.
It's also not a good idea to use stock photos from the standpoint that sellers want to see what shape an item is really in. A stock photo doesn't show them that -- all it shows them is what the stock image of the item looks like. That's another reason why eBay prefers photos of an item be of the actual item for sale.
Does that help clarify?
Now, regarding your situation...
A) Is this product one you had manufactured *for you*? IOW, the product/packaging is of your design and you engaged a manufacturer to produce it for you? OR,
B) Is this product one someone else designed/made and you are just buying a quantity of it to re-sell?
If the answer is "A" -- technically you own the product and any photos you take of it belong to you which you can do with as you please. If the products are still being manufactured, you could ask if the factory could take some product photos for you or you could engage a photographer in that area to take some photos of the item and send the digital images to you.
If the answer is "B" -- I'm guessing the manufacturer probably makes this item specifically for resale. If that's the case, they probably already have stock photos of the item that they use in their own marketing efforts.
Ask them if they have any, if they can send you digital files of the product images , and also send you something in writing that indicates you have permission to use the images for your own sales/marketing purposes. As long as you have permission to use these photos from the copyright holder, and you can provide documentation to that effect if required, you're fine.
Once you have a quantity of the product in hand, you can always shoot some auxiliary pix to show aspects like scale, use, specific features, etc. and use them from then on in your listings in addition to any stock photos you may have been able to acquire in advance.
Hope this helps...
