Reporting Fraudalent Listings

[outfittersupport]

(I was a long time eBay seller) So now understanding how eBay works and their protocol for flagging specific listings, apparently you can get 3-4 friends or more with active accounts on eBay, and spend as much time as you like flagging competitor listings to ruin other sellers lives and their potential sales. (Also you can buy new eBay accounts online to rinse and repeat this, use a fake address/information singing up on each account, which eBay has no control over apparently until its figured out which unfortunately is too late for the damage that is done.)

This works right now and the scum of the earth are doing it.  Also Ebay shrugs their shoulders to this when you as seller confront them on this... What a curve ball, wonder how they'll stop that or will this be another federal lawsuit against eBay? ? ?

[itscalledapostingid]

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@outfittersupport wrote:

@itscalledapostingidsigh.., I respect that. But you said: "Unless you are deliberately creating listings with violations then you are certainly abusing the system by wrongfully flagging listings."

Yes and no, listings are being created of specific items but they have no violations on the listing, these are  volunteers that knowingly waiting for that item to be flagged by another one of the volunteers. Finding that specific items CAN be removed from "false" flagging. Were also finding out the differences of "false" flagging as a seller and buyer.

Flagging for Authenticity on specific items, even with a perfect listing, can get the listing removed. (even when the items are 100% authentic) and doing this is proving that you can and it needs to be stopped.

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That's a lot of words just to say that you will be attempting to takedown listings that aren't in violation.

You could have just said yes.

[inhawaii]

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@inhawaii wrote:

Just to prove you wrong, why don't you and your buddies all flag my listing for a tape measure.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/222966830401

Use whatever violation you like.

I bet you it wont be removed.

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I'll be the first one to admit when i'm wrong.

My tape measure listing was just taken down for being counterfeit!!!

Now how on earth will I be able to get i restored?   LOL

Anyways,  my apologies for doubting you. 

[outfittersupport]

“The person who follows the crowd will usually go no further than the crowd. The person who walks alone is likely to find himself in places no one has ever seen before.”

[outfittersupport]

An update, we have contacted eBay and started talking about the issue with them. We've discussed as group and obviously want the problem fixed asap, decided we won't release the evidence to them until we know they'll be fixing the issue. Jumping through CS reps and hopefully we'll get to who we need to talk to very soon. Looks promising to get this resolved though

And to everyone here that doubted me and doubted that this method exists... well I can tell you it feels great to be right. Maybe next time take things with a grain a salt

[lux.ra_14]

So, what's the secret for getting eBay to act on an actual fraudulent or counterfeit item?

I'm not impressed with ganging up on an authentic tape measure that probably can't be relisted now.

What about the real fakes? A single report by a single user is useless?

[kensgiftshop]

If you were talking to the phone reps, good luck, they'll tell you what you want to hear just to get you off the phone.

[outfittersupport]

@kensgiftshop 

I hear ya there, I live in Seattle, Washington, worst case scenario and more than likely I will be going in-person to corp eBay. I'll get to who I need to if phone reps don't do their job.

[outfittersupport]

@lux.ra_14 

I'm pretty positive there will be update to better their flagging system overall, we also have some fixs for them or at-least compiled information to assist in a fix. I'm also willing to spend more time and my own money if there resources can't fix it either.

"I'm not impressed with ganging up on an authentic tape measure that probably can't be relisted now."

I believe he asked for people to do that but don't quote me there

"What about the real fakes? A single report by a single user is useless?"

Flagging should work correctly for real fakes, a updated fix will take however long for eBay to get that completed and then implemented. (That is TBD) But first we still need to present all the information to corp. eBay or at least someone in their software management / development team. I'll give updates along the way

[inhawaii]

What happened with my tape measure listing is pretty rock solid proof that a listing in fact CAN get taken down simply by people report it, even if they are wrong or lying.

........ unless i did open a factory in Malaysia to  manufacture counterfeit $5 tape measures that I can sell on ebay.    😉

[itscalledapostingid]

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@inhawaii wrote:

What happened with my tape measure listing is pretty rock solid proof that a listing in fact CAN get taken down simply by people report it, even if they are wrong or lying.

........ unless i did open a factory in Malaysia to  manufacture counterfeit $5 tape measures that I can sell on ebay.    😉

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I hope your account won't be negatively affected by the wrongful takedown of your item.

[itscalledapostingid]

@outfittersupport 

They probably already have safeguards in place to prevent gross abuse of the report item function.

The system probably just starts ignoring all of your reports after a while.

It's not like this is a new type of abuse. It's been going on since the internet started.

[outfittersupport]

@soh.maryl

@pjcdn2005 

@yuzuha 

@fashunu4eeuh 

@tobaccocardyahoo 

^ No disrespect to your opinions on what you thought and trusted. Its important to find the truth as I'm sure you know and can agree to that. Sorry if this thread came off negative to you or a "lie", hopefully eBay's flagging system will be that much better once this is fixed for all sellers.

[outfittersupport]

@itscalledapostingid 

This is part of what we've been testing and it can be grossly abused/manipulated. Its been going on since flagging was implemented, and if i was able to do what I've done in a few relentless days... you can imagine how many others have as well.

We also found some things that are worse than I initially thought which will never be disclosed to the public. There will definitely be updates coming, I just need to get my meeting with corp which will happen.

I'm a software developer (most of my work history has been with Microsoft) and this is directly in my wheelhouse, it also shows that whomever did design this system didn't do it well enough but regardless it can be fixed and strengthened for the better of all users on eBay.

[itscalledapostingid]

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@outfittersupport wrote:

@itscalledapostingid 

This is part of what we've been testing and it can be grossly abused/manipulated. Its been going on since flagging was implemented, and if i was able to do what I've done in a few relentless days... you can imagine how many others have as well.

We also found some things that are worse than I initially thought which will never be disclosed to the public. There will definitely be updates coming, I just need to get my meeting with corp which will happen.

I'm a software developer (most of my work history has been with Microsoft) and this is directly in my wheelhouse, it also shows that whomever did design this system didn't do it well enough but regardless it can be fixed and strengthened for the better of all users on eBay.

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I wouldn't hold my breath waiting on that meeting to happen.

Have a nice weekend.

[outfittersupport]

Thank you and you as well, and you may be very right about that. Worst case ill be going into eBay corp in-person and I'm sure I'll get someone to listen. - Seattle, Washington