Question.

[inhawaii]

I've sold a candy that was quite popular.

I sold 400+ of them.

I just found out they have been discontinued.

Will ebay let me keep the same item number and let me change the product to a similar product?

 I would be changing the title, the pictures , the description; etc.

[b86fiero]

Interesting thought but perhaps Devon could share the official eBay stance on this proposal?

@Devon

[sextons-sweet-deals]

No need to bother Devon. 

This comes down to simple honest business practices and what I call Karma. Karma will get those who cheat, lie, and steal. It may take time, but it will happen. 

[12345jamesstamps]

I guess it's all about those 'repeat buyers'.

It wouldn't be fair to those repeat buyers who think they are buying the same thing.

You don't want to hurt repeat buyers with something different and yet you don't want to lose repeat buyers changing the item number.

But changes are changes...as a seller I would not keep the same item number even if it was possible.

[gloryglorygifts]

Isn't that kind of unethical? It's not the same product and you haven't sold 400+ of them. Similar is not the same but I know losing that 400 in sales is going to hurt. In the past month, I relisted items using the sell similar and ouch. I've sold hundreds of some of them and they aren't even getting views now. Double ouch. You do what you can live with because it seems that you can do it. Ebay doesn't care. 

[mam98031]

---

@wpt05 wrote:

---

@mam98031 wrote:

---

@ten_o_nine wrote:

Why would you do that? Start a new listing and it may gain popularity. t might cause you a headache if I clicked on the old title and got the new products, my advice, end item if it's discontinued, start a new item.

---

Because that beautiful sales history means a lot in the search results.  It is a big deal, especially 400 previous sales.

---

If it is not the same product, isn't that a form of search manipulation?  

Also, if there are any reviews of the previous product, they may not be accurate for the new product.  

---

No.  Not as far as I know.  But if you see something in the policy, please share.

[gurlcat]

THIS POST HAS EVERYTHING.  I can't love it any more, LOL!  
On the one hand, you may have cracked a code on using eBay's algorithms to a brilliant advantage.  On the other, you could potentially kill somebody.  I mean we are talking about a FOOD, particularly an allergy-rife category of foods.  

I would just say if you're going to do this, DON'T replace the macadamia nuts with anything 'similar' enough that a previous buyer could accidentally re-purchase, thinking they'll get the same thing as before.   Replace with something different enough that the image thumbnail alone would alert them that this listing is no longer the same product.  

[chapeau-noir]

@inhawaii  I think you can rely on your successful sales and rep here to start with a fresh listing and do just fine.

[redlinear]

If you sold out, the listing has ended.   Can you re-list and the information stay (and the item number?)
If the listing was still active, you could just change everything to whatever item you wanted.
But I don't know...since the listing has ended

[gurlcat]

---

@gloryglorygifts wrote:

 In the past month, I relisted items using the sell similar and ouch. I've sold hundreds of some of them and they aren't even getting views now. 

---

I'm confused. 
Are you saying you relisted the SAME item that used to get hundreds of sales and now they're not even getting views? If that's what you meant, why did you mess with the already-successful item at all?

Or do you mean you used 'sell similar' from the hundreds-sold item to list OTHER items, and THEY are not getting views?  

[robbie31415]

You use out of stock option to keep listings active regardless of how much quantity you have.

But for the OPs situation I think it's wrong and a form of manipulation to try and pass a different product off with different sales history.

I know Amazon has gotten hit with sellers doing similar perseving their ASIN with a different product once it's discontinued to pass over their established product reviews.

[gurlcat]

---

@robbie31415 wrote:

I know Amazon has gotten hit with sellers doing similar perseving their ASIN with a different product once it's discontinued to pass over their established product reviews.

---

Define "gotten hit."  

[inhawaii]

---

@chapeau-noir wrote:

@inhawaii  I think you can rely on your successful sales and rep here to start with a fresh listing and do just fine.

---

Awwww that was the nicest reply yet!    😃

[jameshen1]

---

@isaiah53-57 wrote:

---

@inhawaii wrote:

I've sold a candy that was quite popular.

I sold 400+ of them.

I just found out they have been discontinued.

Will ebay let me keep the same item number and let me change the product to a similar product?

 I would be changing the title, the pictures , the description; etc.

---

So the goal here would be to fool buyers into thinking you sold a large number of these candies when in fact you hadn't sold any in the hopes potential buyers would come to the conclusion that if so many others found it appealing they may also?

Seriously? That's what you contemplating?

---

I should write this on the calendar.  I think it is the first time I have ever agreed with any of your posts about anything.

[inhawaii]

Thanks for everyone's replies and opinions (even the harsh ones).

At this point i'm still deciding.

I will most likely  start fresh.

[robbie31415]

Well it was a big news cycle at one point.

FTC made a statement about it. They called it something like 'review reuse fraud'.

You could see an item on amazkn with like 20,000 reviews but all those reviews were for a different product. Sellers would switch.

It was also used to try and get more sales on expensive items. 

Say you sell a mouse cheap one for like $4 sell like 10,000 units. Then you change it to your more expensive mouse that's like $25.

I know Amazon cracked down on it because they got push back but I have no clue if anything came of it.