Was just perusing my AuctionWatch invoice and noticed two image hosting fees. I do all my auctions via Auction Watch, so I don't have fees for images.
Went to the auction ID indicated and found some schmoe had not only stolen my images, but the entire auction text. AW layout, my terms of sale, everything as well as my pictures -- which are customized with text. He made some changes to remove PayPal and references to my other auctions.
One of my photos declares the item to still be "Sealed in the box", yet this person's item is NOT sealed in the box. I'm tempted to let the buyer know as well.
I sent him nastygram via ebay mail ordering him to pay a $2.00 fine via PayPal at once, or I would turn him into ebay/SafeHarbor. If he chooses not to settle "out of court" I am going to turn his butt in.
Sure it's only 20 cents and some HTML, but it is the principle of the thing.
posted on August 15, 2001 08:21:33 AM
"I sent him nastygram via ebay mail ordering him to pay a $2.00 fine via PayPal at once..."
Hey, that's a good idea. We should put in our TOS "sellers, by copying this text or photos to use in your auction you thereby agree to pay me $2.00 per auction via paypal immediately." Gee if you are good enough at descriptions etc you might make more money this way than by actually selling stuff!
Anyway this seems to be one drawback of selling items that others can also sell. I sell unique antiques and books so no one should copy my auctions... (I hope).
posted on August 15, 2001 08:25:03 AM
I went ahead and notified the High Bidder. Not so much that the guy stole the pictures, but that one of my pictures misrepresented the item the thieving, dirtbag, seller was offering.
In the event that it not being a NEW copy would be of significance to the high bidder.
posted on August 15, 2001 02:07:44 PM
I stole a picture once. A friend had an auction of something I was going to sell the next week. I called him up and asked if I could "barrow" his picture. He said, "Sure" and I did. I feel really guilty now...
posted on August 15, 2001 02:40:35 PM
It'd have been 1/2 bad if he stole just the image. He stole the actually HTML and the link -- so Auctionwatch charged ME for the use in HIS auction!!!
posted on August 15, 2001 09:13:42 PM
"If your auction is over, why not delete that photo, and upload a different one, and name it the same thing?
THAT would teach him to steal photos.
A nice picture of cat poop, like someone else did recently, would be nice."
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There are 2 ways to steal photos. A user can borrow the link and be vulnerable to a changed/deleted photo or a "copy picture" when a user right-button clicks on the image and hosts the image themselves or use eBay's photo server. The saved image is beyond any control by the original photo owner.
posted on August 15, 2001 10:57:07 PM
About a week or so ago another seller was complaining of the same problem in the services forum. Someone was linking to his AW pics for their auction and he was getting debited .10 per pop on his AW account. My suggestion was to delete the pic from his AW account, modify it with text, and re-upload it with the exact same filename. The text he was to add should read" Free fedEx overnight shipping worldwide on this item". In this day and age, where else could you have more fun for a dime?
The light at the end of the tunnel will turn out to be an oncoming train.
posted on August 16, 2001 12:50:02 AM
I did a pretty sleazy thing the first time I sold something on eBay. It was an item I just won and it didn't fit. So I put it up for bid and instead of adding an image (didn't have a camera then), I referred everyone to the original seller's auction since he still had some up for bid. What's worse, I said "just like the one in auction #xxxxx, but cheaper"!!
We could get by with anything at eBay in those days because none of us knew what we were doing anyway.
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