Seller stealing images and posting information!

[georgiacrafts]

SELLERS BEWARE of eBay  seller  stealing your images!

They are using the main page image , all secondary images, color selection, and all data from your drop down menu.  They are hiking prices on popular items and looking for quick cash on items they do not have!!

Repeat…..   eBay store:     IS STEALING AND USING YOUR POSTED ITEMS!

[mtgraves7984]

Sorry to tell you, but if you post photos, etc., here now... anyone can use them. Plus, it's wrong to 'name and shame' here.

[house*of*paws]

Hi @georgiacrafts 

I understand how infuriating it is ... but eBay no longer will take any action.  You can contact the 'borrower' and try to embarrass them into removing the pilfered content ... but that's about it.

BTW, we're not allowed to 'name and shame' other members on these Boards.  If you don't remove the member's name yourself ... a moderator will do it for you.  [Click on the 'v' in the circle ... upper-right corner of your post > Edit post.]

[mkaczorsee]

Contact the police if you have proof they are selling stolen goods. 

[georgiacrafts]

Hi mt!

Im not familiar with the guidelines here…just trying to feed the fam ‘honestly.’

When I was on the phone with security, the said it was ‘unacceptable’ and will have all my pages removed from off this sellers store!  I find it hard to believe that a main image with your logos, secondary images, drop down lists, and every other detail can be used by another seller-  that does  not even posess the items to sell!    I have many vintage and out of production items, so it is impossible!

What is a ‘shame’ is that buyers will be scammed on eBay which hurts us all!

[mtgraves7984]

I hate it, too... and think it's shameful (and dangerous) when the seller lists what might not be in the photos in their own listings. And I hate the bad info you just received... I bet your photos will remain there, unless you can appeal to the seller.

[px_455 · Accepted solution]

No...

What the OP is referring to is sellers using stolen listings to dropship YOUR items.

When a buyer purchases one such item, the seller then purchases it from you through a guest account and enters the buyer's address as their own.

Technically one shouldn't be worried right?

More sales, no?

The problem happens when a return ensues...

YOU pay for that, and since these dropshippers really don't have a clue as to what it is you're selling (they don't care, a product is a product to them and if a buyer has a question they don't have the right answers), further, most of the "stolen" listings are not as exactly copied as they should be... Often they miss critical details and between that and the dropshipper's general ignorance in regards to the product itself results in a higher than average return rate.

So, it does affect you.

Just in case you've ever wondered where those flurries of returns come from, especially the more ignorant ones.

[georgiacrafts]

Thank you, I plan on staying on top of it!  How can I not?

thnks!!  

[avendre1968]

Interesting. I wonder if that is what I experienced a few months ago.

I purchased a dozen items from a seller; a few came in (separate shipments) within a week or two, but with different return addresses from what I expected (different city than the seller). Half my purchases never arrived. The seller responded to emails with lame excuses, then stopped responding at all. Had to get eBay to intervene and eventually refund my money... about 2 months after original sale. Some of the listing titles had a prefix DFGH, others EKIM. In my emails I had asked the seller what those abbreviations were, but she never gave me an explanation. Now I wonder if this was an indication to her of who the REAL seller was so she could make the purchase and ship it to me.

[fashunu4eeuh]

@georgiacrafts What that seller is doing is no longer allowed on eBay. It is considered retail arbitrage and below is a link to the policy if you want to report the seller.

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

“…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.”

As for them using your photos and text, even tho eBay will not intervene, it is still a violation of copyright law. The are stealing your intellectual property. Below is the eBay policy discussing the matter. Ebay urges all sellers to take their own pictures and write their own text, but if ebay places your content in their catalogue, then anyone is invited to use it. If you review the policy, it may help with next steps. Good luck.

https://www.ebay.com/help/policies/listing-policies/images-text-policy?id=4240

[georgiacrafts]

There are so many companies working with drop shippers, there is absolutely no need for this nonsense.  So lazy, they don't want to write a post on any items available for drop shipping…, just copy the whole dang thing off somebody’s store!!   Of course, never knowing whether it will be available or not, because so many eBay stores have vintage or one of a kind items.

eBay needs to protect its ‘uniqueness’,  and stop trying to compete with Amazon and their total  saturation of drop shippers who don’t give a hoot!

Thanks for your thoughts, and I will cancel every order coming in from this nasty store (if it even happens with their absurd prices), …..I got my ways of figuring out ‘who is who!’

[georgiacrafts]

Avendre, thanks I wrote more to you… but somehow the top paragraph got the chopping block!

🤷🏻‍♀️

[georgiacrafts]

Thank you !!   I will look it all over!!

You know, these folks wont do well when two exact post come up side by side….

the real one says $4.99 and the fake one says $19.99…..

The real harm is to eBay as a whole…., and man …do I wish they would get their customer service back in full force to chop this stuff at the heels as soon as it happens. 

Thanx yawl!

[sewbusybiz]

eBay policy on images and videos here:

https://www.ebay.com/help/policies/listing-policies/images-text-policy?id=4240