Way too much bait and switch sellers. What a turn off to shopping Ebay

[pet18801225]

Ive noticed that multiple sellers are posting a picture of an item for sale that comes up on the search page, but the price is a range from low to high, then when you click on the item to  review the listing, there is a drop down menu box and when you click on the item pictured, a much higher price shows up if you choose to purchase.

Also in the skin care devices and machines, especially, many sellers purposely post a very low price under the picture of the device on the search result page but when you open up the item  to view the details, there again is a drop down menu box so when you click on the item that is picturesd, a much higher price suddenly is posted if you choose to purchase it.

It is nothing more than a bait and switch scheme going on in multiple posts to where it is epidemic.  If Ebay doesnt start monitoring their website to have honest practices, I assure you they will just drive away traffic because no one likes to feel taken advantaged of which is exactly what is happening here.

I have already begun to move away from buying anything off Ebay due to the unrestrained dishonestly of its Sellers on this site.

People would rather shop online at other venues where the advertised item is honestly posted with the purchase price clearly stated.  

Ebay start getting rid of these Sellers if they dont start being honest with their customers!!!!  Remove their items for sale if the facts are not accurate!!!

[luckythewinner]

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@pet18801225 wrote:

Ebay start getting rid of these Sellers if they dont start being honest with their customers!!!!  Remove their items for sale if the facts are not accurate!!!

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I can sympathize with that completely.  It's getting to point that sorting by price can be almost useless in some categories.

[jda11121]

That is not bait and switch. It is a feature eBay offers sellers. If you don't like the feature, bypass those auctions. They are easy to identify. You can also eliminate them by doing a more specific search.

[bonjourami]

Those are variable listings, which are allowed,prices vary due to the specs of the item.

[janet9988]

Sadly ebay also allows sellers to use it to get around ebay's item location policy.

I have seen drop down menus with "shipping from ....xxxxxx"  used as a variation.

I reported them  but nothing was ever done..so it must be allowed to use that way also.

[gwzcomps]

Yeah I hate how eBay blindly allows sellers to abuse the variations function.

[coolections]

I think most everyone agrees. Not sure if Ebay will ever remove the option of multiple items in a single ad. I always just pass up those listings with multiple prices. That is about all you can do. 

[coolections]

@jda11121 

Yes it is a bait and switch. Anytime someone places and ad for $10 and when you click it the item is actually $50 it is baiting a customer.

[luckythewinner]

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@jda11121 wrote:

That is not bait and switch. It is a feature eBay offers sellers.

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I disagree. 

Both the variation listing guidelines and the search manipulation policy explain that variation listings are intended for variations of the same item, not for completely different items or for manipulating search results. 

In most of the cases I have seen, the seller will list something of value (an iPhone, for example) and the use a variation listing to include an iPhone cable or an iPhone case to artificially make the iPhone listing higher in price-based searches. 

Yes, it is a "feature eBay offers sellers" - but that does not mean that everyone using the feature is following policy.

[jda11121]

You can't find any policies that someone won't misuse. That DOES NOT make it eBay's fault. Instead of complaining here perhaps the OP should report the auctions.

[luckythewinner]

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@jda11121 wrote:

You can't find any policies that someone won't misuse. That DOES NOT make it eBay's fault. Instead of complaining here perhaps the OP should report the auctions.

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Show me where I said it was "eBay's fault".

In fact I specifically complained about sellers who were violating policy.

I can sympathize with the OP's statement that it is a turn off to shopping on eBay and that he hopes eBay gets rid of them with saying it is "eBay's fault".

[xguy12]

if they put one's price and a different's picture(they do) it is bait and switch.

[rugerskick]

This is not bait and switch.  Its a menu choice of being able to select various combinations of items that the seller sells in various bundles.  When you offer variations of the same thing with different accessory bundles ebay wants sellers to make just one listing with multiple variants, rather than umpteen different separate listings.

[inhawaii]

I have variations listing where for example the colors are different.

Some colors sell better than others.

I adjust pricing by cost/demand/availability.

Orange widgets may be $12.

Blue widgets may be $19.

Does anyone see anything wrong with that?

[kh-stanley1]

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.