Retail arbitrage attempt's on my listings

[carolinavintage]

How do I get help when I believe that there is retail arbitrage occuring? In the last 24 hours I've had several extremely lowball offers, followed by badgering messages, demeaning my products and asking for very specific details that really can be obtained in the description or photographs. Followed by messages insisting that my listing is not authentic or really as great as I said, followed by extremely low-balled offers. Then it appears they have taken the image of my items, which are very rare and currently are no other listings just like them, and then created their own listing as if they were the ones selling my items. In their new listings, they describe the item in the way that tried to tell me my item wasn't tem was actually not. In other words, they've lied to me, told me my item was not something, then turned around and posted it as their own saying that it was actually what they said it wasn't. The problem is that this activity has caused my items to not be revisable or editable. Every time I try to edit one of the items that I believe has been the victim of a retail arbitrage attempt I receive an error notice that says "lds downstream error" if I try to revise a posted item that I do not believe is a victim of retail arbitrage I have zero issue with any kind of updates. I would like to take my rare items down off of eBay to protect them from being posted by a third party without my permission. But unfortunately, I'm not able to make those changes because I'm not able to edit these items. Additionally, I'm not able to figure out how to communicate with eBay about this issue, and from Reading through these community forum posts, it doesn't sound like eBay cares. I'm personally not comfortable or okay with a third party pretending that they own my item and are selling my item. I'm not comfortable with a third party using my photos and pretending that it's their photos and pretending that it's their item. This is just dirty, bad business, and not something that I'm interested in participating in. How can I get help for these issues?

[luckythewinner]

1) how do I get support for Retail arbitrage.

Raise the price on those items to 10 times their price, and wait.

[tarotfindsandmore]

Please provide a link to that policy. 

This was all that I was able to find...

https://www.google.com/search?q=does+ebay+allow+retail+arbitrage&rlz=1C5MACD_enUS1043US1043&oq=does+...

[eburtonlab]

@tarotfindsandmore 

Here is eBay's policy on Drop Shipping:

https://www.ebay.com/help/selling/posting-items/setting-postage-options/drop-shipping?id=4176

"Drop shipping, where you fulfill orders directly from a wholesale supplier, is allowed on eBay. Remember that if you use drop shipping, you’re still responsible for the safe delivery of the item within the time frame stated in your listing and for the buyer’s overall satisfaction with their purchase.

However, listing an item on eBay and then purchasing the item from another retailer or marketplace that ships directly to your customer is not allowed on eBay."

[gloryglorygifts]

Sellers on here can use your pictures as once you add them to a listing, they become part of the ebay catalogue. They can even use the "sell similar" button on your listing, or from the catalogue, to create their listing.

Dropshipping, from one ebay seller to another ebay seller, is against policy and prohibited. If you think that they are abusing you, report them. https://www.ebay.com/help/buying/resolving-issues-sellers/report-issue-seller?id=4022&st=3&pos=3&que....  Buying from an ebay seller to sell for yourself,  (retail arbitrage) is not. Many people use ebay as a source for inventory.

You should also block them, but be prepared because they could just create a new account.

If you can't change your listings, end them and then use sell similar to relist them. This way, you can change anything that you want and start fresh.

Good luck to you. 

[tarotfindsandmore]

Yes, so drop shipping is allowed.  The OP is not another retailer or marketplace.  

I would like the policy for retail arbitrage, as outlined by ittybitnot.  I was unable to find even a single mention of it in the eBay policies.  Perhaps you know where I can find it?

[eburtonlab]

@tarotfindsandmore 

Yes, so drop shipping is allowed. The OP is not another retailer or marketplace.

The OP is listing items for sale on eBay, which is a marketplace. The OP is not a wholesaler.

It is fine for someone to purchase something from the OP, then take possession of that item and list it on eBay and then later sell it on eBay.

What eBay does not permit is for another eBay seller to copy the OP's listing, wait for an eBay buyer to purchase the copied listing, then have that eBay seller turn around and purchase the OP's item and have the OP ship to the seller's eBay buyer directly.

[tarotfindsandmore]

Please provide the link to the policy page covering retail arbitrage.  We seem to have wandered into the weeds regarding drop shipping, which is permitted, according to this page...

https://www.ebay.com/help/selling/posting-items/setting-postage-options/drop-shipping?id=4176

[tobaccocardyahoo]

The OP and any other Ebay seller is a retailer.

Retail arbitrage on Ebay is harder than it once was. Trust and Safety issues have created more hurdles for sellers to jump in an attempt to curtail counterfeits and stolen goods on Ebay.

Trust and Safety issues have been ratcheted up whenever Ebay sees negative news stories on these issues.

[gone.c-33]

While the policy doesn’t mention retail arbitrage by name, the bolded part of eburtonlab refers to it. While you argue OP isn’t a retailer or a marketplace (I beg to differ, they ARE a retailer ON a marketplace) they are definitely not a wholesale supplier which is from whom dropshipping is allowed to be done.

[tarotfindsandmore]

Again, my previous response regarding retail arbitrage was to ittybitnot, who clearly is confused about what retail arbitrage actually is.  I would like a link to a policy page outlining that anything I've said regarding retail arbitrage is incorrect.  There has been no retail arbitrage here.  Furthermore, retail arbitrage (NOT drop shipping) is a huge part of reselling.  

If you don't know where the information is, that's fine.  I would like ittybitnot (or anyone) to show me where it is that eBay states that arbitrage of any kind is not permitted.

Thanks for all of your input. 🙂

[tarotfindsandmore]

I'm sorry, I guess I'm dumb.  I don't understand how or why ...

"Retail arbitrage on Ebay is harder than it once was. Trust and Safety issues have created more hurdles for sellers to jump in an attempt to curtail counterfeits and stolen goods on Ebay."

Retail arbitrage has nothing do with counterfeits or stolen goods.  A significant portion of my own items are "retail arbitrage(d)".  I buy retail items when they're on sale, hold them until they've become scarce or just plain unavailable, and then flip them for a profit.  No theft, no counterfeits, and receipts for everything.  That is what retail arbitrage actually is.

[eburtonlab]

@tarotfindsandmore 

Please provide the link to the policy page covering retail arbitrage.

Here is a link from eBay Australia with a bit more detail about what is and what is not allowed:

https://www.ebay.com.au/help/policies/selling-policies/third-party-fulfilment-policy?id=4718

[tarotfindsandmore]

Also, not arbitrage.  What I can see is that there is no policy regarding arbitrage.  The term doesn't even show up on that page.  You're still going on about drop shipping, so rather than wasting everyone else's eyeball time, I will leave you to it.  

[eburtonlab]

@tarotfindsandmore 

I buy retail items when they're on sale, hold them until they've become scarce or just plain unavailable, and then flip them for a profit.

That is fine and allowed by eBay. No one is saying otherwise.

The problem is different people mean different things by the term "retail arbitrage".

In the past, eBay has used that phrase to refer specifically to selling something on eBay that one does not actually possess (or have under contract from a wholesaler), then after the sale has been been made, turning around and purchasing the item from another retailer or marketplace (including eBay), buying the item from someone else and having them ship directly to the first buyer.

That is not allowed by eBay, though that fact does not stop many from trying to do it.

[eburtonlab]

Also, not arbitrage. What I can see is that there is no policy regarding arbitrage. The term doesn't even show up on that page. You're still going on about drop shipping

The OP is not complaining that someone is buying the OP's items and later reselling them; the OP is complaining that someone is listing items the OP is currently selling, then attempting to put the OP in the position of becoming an involuntary drop-shipper for someone who is selling something that person does not actually possess (but that the OP does) -- which is against eBay policy, whatever you want to call it.