Price Gouging

[dirk5371]

Ebay should not be a platform for disreputable and unethical sellers to price gouge their products. I hold Ebay to a higher level and believe it to be a completely upstanding website.

[fab_finds4u]

eBay has a policy against price gouging necessities. The sky  is the limit on everything else.

[femmefan1946]

If the item is priced too high, it will not sell and the seller will waste time listing it.

If the item is priced too high for you, someone else will buy it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=krxU5Y9lCS8

[tdumonde2014]

What is an acceptable profit? Who would determine this? Would it be arbitrarily applied or would every eBay item be covered? How would one determine a seller's profit? 

[pburn]

I think you've misunderstood the definition of "price gouging."

"Price gouging refers to when retailers and others take advantage of spikes in demand by charging exorbitant prices for necessities, often after a natural disaster or other state of emergency. "

[luckythewinner]

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@dirk5371 wrote:

Ebay should not be a platform for disreputable and unethical sellers to price gouge their products. I hold Ebay to a higher level and believe it to be a completely upstanding website.

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eBay is an open marketplace where buyers are free to choose whether to buy any item. 

Your suggestion assumes that buyers and sellers and eBay  can agree on

1. the precise definition of "disreputable"
2. the precise definition of "unethical"
3. the "acceptable" price range for every single one of the 1.5 billion items listed here 

Can you put together a quick spreadsheet for #3? 

[*madison]

There is nothing wrong with a good old price gouge providing it's not essential items.

I've been price gouging for decades, but no-one has ever needed my items, they just wanted them.

There is a big difference between need and want.

[*smedley*]

nobody's forcing anybody to overpay... a seller can ask any amount for any item... if you don't want to pay the price, don't buy...

[mtgraves7984]

What have you found that is out of your price range? An essential item?

[ceyvov_0]

The funny part of it is, gouging does not refer to the price of something.

Rather, gouging most commonly refers to profiting from essential goods and services during a crisis. 

Whether that profit be 10 cents or forty thousand dollars, that matters little.

I'm going to throw out a WAG here that the PS5 is not considered an essential good.

Same goes for the latest graphic cards.

However, toilet paper and sanitizers most likely would be.

Again, fairly regardless of how much or how little actual profit is in it.

[mrdutch1001]

ever been to a live/in-person &/or online auction site?

It is the buyers/bidders who determine the value of the item.

On eBay &/or any selling venue, a seller can set the selling price of items at whatever they so choose...it is the buyers choice to purchase or not...

the only exception to any of this is the price gouging policy as set out for those items as deemed "necessities" of life and/or items necessary in times of crisis,disasters,etc.

[donsdetour]

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@dirk5371 wrote:

Ebay should not be a platform for disreputable and unethical sellers to price gouge their products. I hold Ebay to a higher level and believe it to be a completely upstanding website.

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You got to have it so Is gona get 10 mill for it seeeeee.

Of course I would never sell it.

If items you want are to high priced do not purchase them.

[bigdeals.etc]

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@tdumonde2014 wrote:

What is an acceptable profit?

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I've had some buyers complain and believe it should be 0%. Sellers should sell at the price they got it at.

[ittybitnot]

Actually, ebay apparently does not allow "price gouging" on any item on their site.  It does not have to be on their "essential" items list to get the axe.  Sneakers are seemingly given a 'pass'. 
One of the classic threads on the subject from April was resurrected today, and is a very good read.  I think it came out right around the time the guy was slapped for price gouging on the minnie mouse ears headband, and another for matchbox cars.  

Though it is a rather long read, one 'rule" that is not a rule is outlined in post 215.  

https://community.ebay.com/t5/Selling/eBay-removed-my-video-game-listing-for-price-gouging/td-p/3081...

[evry1nositswindy]

I had a customer accuse me of price gouging a few weeks ago...on an Elf on the Shelf item.  In actuality, I made very little on the transaction after fees, etc.