Ridiculously overpriced

[swtdls4u]

Does anyone know why Ebay allows some sellers to overprice items by thousands of dollars?

Example: sellers have an item listed at the correct price of $24.00, there is one seller who has the same item listed for $2,499.00 U.S. Dollars. I have seen this with many items. No matter what I search for there is always the one selling for thousands over that the item is worth. Why is a seller allowed to overprice by such a high amount?  I doubt that person would make any sales so it might be not an actual seller, but Ebay shouldn't you be on top of that and delete the account?

[bonjourami]

LOL..those listings make me laugh.

[soh.maryl]

So you don't think that might be a typo? If its value is $24 or so, obviously it won't be bought.

Or maybe the seller is using that price as a place holder.  He has run out of the actual item so jacks up the price to hold its place til he gets a new supply.  

Sellers everywhere are allowed to set whatever price they want.  Why would eBay consider deleting the account? No eBay employee policing listings checking whether prices are reasonable or not.  

[adamcartwright]

@swtdls4u 

I've done it before on purpose, for certain reasons. Why does it bother you? Just scroll past.

[robbie31415 · Accepted solution]

They most likely don't want to sell it for whatever reason. (Out of stock/seller vacation/seller ill/bad weather) who knows.

Ebay does have some tools such as vacation mode. However vacation mode has some draw backs and has longer impact on deprioritizing traffic even when you turn it off.

Personally, I use the out of stock feature to keep listings alive. So I can bulk change all to 0 inventory and then bulk edit them back to their proper inventory level. I find this much better than vacation mode.

Some sellers set the prices at an amount no one would ever buy it.

Why eBay allows it. They should. Some places don't. Amazon for one. However I believe in trying to keep the market as free as possible and if someone wants to treat a 10 dollar item as a brick of gold. That's fine.

[slippinjimmy]

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@robbie31415 wrote:

Personally, I have a store so I have access to out of stock feature to keep listings alive.

 All sellers have access to the Out Of Stock option, a Store subscription is not required.

[robbie31415]

Thanks for the correction.

Some reason I thought it was an option given to store subscribers.

[slippinjimmy]

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@robbie31415 wrote:

Thanks for the correction.

Some reason I thought it was an option given to store subscribers.

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No problem, you were probably thinking about Vacation Settings (now Time Away) which at one time many years ago was only available to sellers with a Store.

[bonanza125]

"Why is a seller allowed to overprice by such a high amount?"

That is because they can and there is no rule against it. Unless Ebay updates there policy where they base prices on an average what an item sold and sellers are blocked for selling an item for say 3 times more or higher there is nothing that will be done. Personally it shouldn't matter what someone else ask for an item. They could be doing it for multiple of reasons others have stated. 

[dnasilver]

Why waste time worrying about what others do. Ignore those that are overpriced. That is their choice, just as it is yours not to buy from them. 

[femmefan1946]

an item listed at the correct price of $24.00, there is one seller who has the same item listed for $2,499.00 U.S. Dollars.

I be that's a typo for $24.99.

A polite note letting them know of the error may generate good karma for you.

[meme6253]

I thought those sellers doing that was more a silent protest type thing, due to our rising costs

[ed8108]

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@swtdls4u wrote:

Example: sellers have an item listed at the correct price of $24.00, there is one seller who has the same item listed for $2,499.00 U.S. Dollars. I have seen this with many items. No matter what I search for there is always the one selling for thousands over that the item is worth. 

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Ebay apparently doesn't really care if this may create a less than favorable buyer perception of ebay & it's sellers 

[swtdls4u]

Your right it could be a typo. I originally thought that until I started seeing them so often. Of course I didn't know that sellers sometimes do this as a place holder. I wasn't looking at it as a store, so for those who do this to hold their items place, I apologize. I do have a lot to learn. This actually started out as more curiosity than anything. 

[swtdls4u]

Thank you for your reply. It really doesn't bother me. I didn't know sellers do this to hold the items place but I have learned that in the meantime. I do have lots to learn yet.. :-{

[swtdls4u]

Thank you for your reply. I am still learning the ins and outs of Ebay. Your reply is very informative and helps to clear out the 'mystery' as to why the high pricing is done. Thanks again.