Variation listing question.. is this search manipulation?

[windorphin]

I've been seeing some variation listings where the lowest variation shows up as 99 cents, and of course populates the first page of a sort by lowest price.  The thing is, these items are "samples", and the seller states they will not ship unless a minimum order threshold is met. I'm almost certain this is against policy, but couldn't find anything concrete about it in ebay's help pages.

[kare-bearb · Accepted solution]

It's search manipulation.

It also violates at least one other listing policy ....

Usually that cheap item isn't similar enough to be included in that listing with variations.

It might not even be similar enough to be listed in the same category as the other items in the listing.

Unfortunately, this is a common practice with items sold from China.

[stuff4divas]

all listings have a 'report item' button

This ebay link will give you plenty of info, including search manipulation policy>

https://www.ebay.com/help/policies/listing-policies/listing-policies?id=4213&st=12&pos=7&query=Listi...

[vintage-car-magazines]

This is one of the things that aggravates me when searching. I search for something specific and a listing appears with the title of what I'm looking for and the price of something else in the variation listing.

Even if the item is similar, the price isn't for the specific thing I'm looking for.

[maros9416]

It is search manipulation, but it isn't always against the rules. If someone is selling clear plastic bags and they are all 4x4 and the only variation is quantity, then having a qty of 1 is acceptable minus the minimum purchase clause. I've seen this a 1000 times, but never with the clause. No one buys just 1 of these things, so I think most sellers would chance it w/o the clause to remain within the rules.

  Though this tactic loses its luster when there are 12 other sellers doing the same thing. Likewise, they are all losing the good opportunity to make a sale as they often get passed by. If I need bags then I type the qty I need in the search to circumvent these guys and get right to the item I need. 

[accumulation-station]

This is exactly what I was looking for, maros! I was looking for ziplock bags, and no it wasn't in china. It was Idaho! I had already omitted international sellers from my search and was particularly frustrated by the results that came up. I went ahead and purchased the 99 cent sample bags and of course he wouldn't ship. He canceled and got hostile with me, accusing me of trying to get "free bags", and like, WHAT? Paying for them isn't free. I started reporting his listings after that. Nothing's happened yet.

[accumulation-station]

Is it because you're also a seller and were looking for bags to put your items in? I bet we came across the same listings. But yeah, he's not just gambling that nobody will want just the sample, he's specifically saying it's not for sale by itself, which is , in addition to search manipulation, against other rules about requiring other sales... which is in the "avoiding fees" category for some reason.

[maros9416]

The funny thing is, I bet the China seller would have shipped the 1 bag! I suppose the trick works because so many people just click ' buy ' at the first listing they see...Then the Idahoan also has to take a knock for cancelling an order...If it was me I would split up the listing anyway because it's an ok deal when you buy 100pcs, but when you buy 200pcs it's only like $3 more! Better to advertise your best deals then have them buried by parlor tricks.

[maros9416]

I'm a savvy shopper when it comes to shipping supplies. A lot of money can be saved by searching around a little. Each staple item that I use is reordered from the same guys, but it took some doing to find them...If he would send the 1 bag for 99 cents, then I don't think there is anything directly wrong with it...The main reason from what I read is to come up first in the search ' lowest first '. Trying to avoid fees is the reason why eBay charges a vig on the shipping total. I remember the old days of 99 cents for the item and $50 shipping! 

[accumulation-station]

But he didn't take a hit for canceling, because he lied to ebay by clicking that I had requested a cancel.

[back2denali]

Yes it is search manipulation, reporting it doesn't seem to matter as I have reported many of these and ebay does nothing.  Unless we flood their customer service lines with complaints I doubt they will ever curb this. 

[michaeljabberwock]

Report it. I reported a lot of similar cases but I guess Ebay does not care. They get paid anyway. Contacting Ebay about this issue is also "mission impossible". Eitherway, I usually run through a lot of offers until I find one without such a phony "listing practice" --> then I buy from them. Everyone else (which is a lot) I avoid.

[hurryagain]

I have learned to look at these types of listings in a certain way...

When I see an item with a price range of $3.99 to $29.99 for example, I ALWAYS take the highest price in the range as the REAL price of the item pictured because it always is 😂

When you start to look at those listings in this manner, their stupid attempts at search manipulation is useless and they miss out on ANY potential purchase from me.

[nobody*s_perfect]

---

@michaeljabberwock wrote:

Report it. I reported a lot of similar cases but I guess Ebay does not care. ...

---

This thread is over 2 years old, so it's too late  to report the original listing.

As you noted, the reports are usually not acted upon anyway.

[kh-belma]

Hi everyone,

Due to the age of this thread, it has been closed to further replies. Please feel free to start a new thread HERE if you wish to continue to discuss this topic.

Thank you for understanding.