Venting. Stock images should be banned from Ebay

[clu3]

It's extremely aggravating when Ebay sellers use stock photos.

I'm looking for a book, there are 8 available on ebay but every one has only the stock image.  The only ones that have sold have real photographs of the actual book.

I'll save the search and wait for a seller that isn't so lazy.

[mypostingid15]

Sometimes it's discouraging when you see it selling online for a penny, plus nothing is more boring than taking a picture of a book.

[ittybitnot]

It's extremely aggravating when Ebay sellers use stock photos.

Oftentimes it is EBAY that is adding the photo from their catalog. It gives the appearance that all sellers are lazy and using the same picture but that is not always the case. eBay inserts the descriptive portion, too. 

The seller may not be choosing it, but this is a function of the seller using the ISBN number in the item specifics section of the listing form.  eBay thinks it is a good idea to have all the same titled books on one "product page"  that does not account for condition, editions, covers, etc.  unless the buyer chooses to "see more". 

I would venture to guess that the books that do not have the same generic gallery picture either had no ISBN number in the beginning, or the seller listed without it.  At one time ebay was getting very adamant about using their "catalog" and stated that they would "not show" (also commonly known as 'hide')  listings that did not comply, or not even let them go live.  Of late, I think they are letting up on this demand for a while. 

[gracieallen01]

Unfortunately, it is the nature of the beast - ebay and their catalogue.  If one puts in the ISBN, one gets the pre-filled information of ONE seller, no matter if there is one book or 2,957 of that title.  Doesn't matter what edition, condition or other specifics.  This way, it is uniform - everybody selling that title must be selling that, identical book and since nobody collects books, why bother with all the time and trouble of identifying a first or signed or ......

Just sell it, give them the fees and get if done!  Velocity, velocity, velocity, and to heck with quality or condition - that's what returns are for!

(just the way it seems to work out)

[clu3]

It's a $50 out of print title.

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@mypostingid15 wrote:

Sometimes it's discouraging when you see it selling online for a penny, plus nothing is more boring than taking a picture of a book.

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[uncseniorsportsfan]

Not only is eBay automatically inserting stock photos of books, but you have to delete them in order to insert an actual photo of the book being sold.     

Real benefit is for the big booksellers who didn't use photos to begin with and often don't even have the dust jacket shown in the stock photo.   It's hard enough to compete with those selling books for $3.99 with free shipping plus buy 3, get one free - especially when they don't even have to show the actual book being sold.  

[clu3]

Even when pre-filling a listing with the ISBN catalog info, sellers have the option to add photographs, either in lieu of or in addition to, any stock photos.

[clu3]

Sad to say that you're correct on that one.

Ebay booksellers have a pretty wide range of condition assessment.  I purchased a "very good" condition last year that arrived with a torn and scotch tape-repaired dust jacket.  So everyone's time was wasted on the return.

[gracieallen01]

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@clu3 wrote:

Even when pre-filling a listing with the ISBN catalog info, sellers have the option to add photographs, either in lieu of or in addition to, any stock photos.

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Yes, this is quite true.  However, how many people are just selling books, and how many are 'booksellers'? 

And ebay couldn't care less which is which.

[goodluckselling]

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@clu3 wrote:

It's a $50 out of print title.

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@mypostingid15 wrote:

Sometimes it's discouraging when you see it selling online for a penny, plus nothing is more boring than taking a picture of a book.

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In the eBay picture policy  click here sellers are not allowed to use stock photos for used, damaged and or defective items.

Good Luck Selling!

[clu3]

Thank you for giving me a chuckle this morning. 

As if Ebay would enforce it's own policy...   LOL 😄

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@goodluckselling wrote:

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@clu3 wrote:

It's a $50 out of print title.

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@mypostingid15 wrote:

Sometimes it's discouraging when you see it selling online for a penny, plus nothing is more boring than taking a picture of a book.

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In the eBay picture policy  click here sellers are not allowed to use stock photos for used, damaged and or defective items.

Good Luck Selling!

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[hillbillymedia]

"Thank you for giving me a chuckle this morning. 

As if Ebay would enforce it's own policy...   LOL "

I would like ebay to enforce this policy as well. About 7+ years ago I had 5,400 listings. Ebay made some changes to pic. size, etc where I needed to take down my listings to re-pic to keep in compliance. I ended up fixing and relisting about 1,000 out of the original 5,400.

A few years back in another update they made more "mandatory" picture requirement changes and again, I found myself re-doing pictures to comply. I see people doing whatever they please here......quite discouraging.

On at least 2 occasions since I`ve been a seller here, ebay has lost many sellers pictures as well. The last incident was about a year ago. Folks with GTC listings lost their pics....POOF, gone. Sorry.

The 1st lesson I learned was to keep my listings at a minimum in the event of future changes. The 2nd lesson I learned was that ebay doesn`t enforce their own policies evenly or fairly.

[evry1nositswindy]

I have hundreds and hundreds of books that I sell.  If you add the isbn number, the stock photo pops up along with the description.  I don't want that so I add the isbn number to the title and don't add it to the listing.  That way I can take my own photos and write my own description.  I also add a line in my description stating these are photos of the actual item, not stock photos.

Yes, it takes more time...but as a reader and book collector, it matters to me.  I share your frustration.

[city*satins]

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@clu3 wrote:

It's a $50 out of print title.

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@mypostingid15 wrote:

Sometimes it's discouraging when you see it selling online for a penny, plus nothing is more boring than taking a picture of a book.

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Even an out of print book can be new/mint, in which case the seller is allowed to use the catalog picture.

[tunicaslot]

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@clu3 wrote:

It's a $50 out of print title.

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@mypostingid15 wrote:

Sometimes it's discouraging when you see it selling online for a penny, plus nothing is more boring than taking a picture of a book.

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Have you opened the listings to see if pictures are in the listing itself to give you an idea of the condition? I've personally used stock photos for New items but I also take my own photos and put them in the listing. I was listing a used CD the other day and with the light - kept getting a glare so did feature the catalog photo as well as my photos in the listing just so perspective buyers would have a clear picture of the item.