posted on October 10, 2006 04:54:37 PM
Has anyone ever realized that there's a lot of really big PowerSellers getting away with everything? Please read this whole thing. I know it's long but you'll see there's a lot of corruption in eBay!
Back in August, we had our shipping at 4.99 and 5.99 with the item prices at about 3.99 to 4.99. We ended up having these auctions pulled down for excessive shipping. We then noticed the user accstation, eforcity, itrimming, and everydaysource having the same items as us with a .01 and .02 buy it now with 5.99 and 6.99 shipping. We then reported these items hundreds of times and not one listing was removed. Had this been us, we would have lost powerseller status and everything!
I also did some investigating and realized that the user ID's accstation, itrimming, eforcity, and everydaysource are really all the same seller just flooding the marketplace and taking over everything. They sell about 20,000 a month under each ID and it is very unfair the way they control the market but charging .01 and .02 for everything and having too many listing of the same things to count! I've reported them and email ebay numerous times and I keep getting the runaround. Does anyone know how to stop this?
Here's my proof that I've been able to prove that they are the same person. If you go to www.accstation.com, www.eforcity.com, www.everydaysource.com, or www.itrimming.com, they all have the same mailing PO Box address. Most of their pages are similar, and they all have the same shipping logos on their webpage. Also, if you go to Accstation's policy page on www.accstation.com, you will also see in the first sentence that they didn't proofread it and accidentally left the words eforcity in the paragraphs as if it was their page. Does anyone know what to do? If eBay were to make them shut down 3 of these and stop breaking the rules, the cell phone accessory business would be fair again allowing everyone to make money.
I'd love to hear everyone's thoughts on this!
[ edited by gtonline on Oct 10, 2006 04:55 PM ]
posted on October 10, 2006 06:12:54 PM
Thanks for responding! I'm glad other people see this as a problem. As far as getting a media person to do something like that, does anyone have connections that would allow us to get the word out to them? I even thought about going to eBay live in Boston this year and really letting a lot of people know about it but by the time that comes, we would have lost so much money by then. I know eBay needs to make money for their shareholders but this kind of practice is illegal. It's almost a "monopoly" of some sort. If you think about it, any of the thousands of sellers that are involved with printer ink, cell phone accessories, and ipod accessories are being hurt by this. It's only going to get more out of control especially with eBay turning their heads. I've been reporting them for 2 1/2 months now and nothing has been done so it's the worst feeling of being helpless. One response from ebay, they told me to respond to their email with specific examples and item numbers and I did that with links to their sites, and individual item numbers and then the response back I got was that if I'd like to report items I have to go to the listing policy violation page. It's so frustrating! I just wish I could go right to Meg Whitman and tell her she better hope I don't find a high profile attorney who would like to take on a class-action lawsuit against them. I've already been in contact with other sellers that sell cell phone accessories and they've all stated their disliking about this.
posted on October 10, 2006 06:23:30 PM
GTONLINE
Perhaps the person producer or reporter on CNBC that did the ebay hour long last year would be the person most likely to take interest in this. In my categories Antiques and Collectibles.. we have our "top sellers" who get special breaks. antiquesuncommontreasures for instance is allowed to put a link her "website" ruby lane on her sale page. She has wonderful stuff... I have sold to her and bought from her. I don't know how she gets away with having that link but I sure wish I could! She sells pots of $ every month and has several employees (family) good for her... but I sure wish we all had and EVEN playing field
A QUESTION FOR SOME BRAVE SOUL AT EBAY LIVE PERHAPS TO MEG THE QUEEN??
posted on October 10, 2006 08:32:23 PM
It's galling to see that happen time and time again. I've done the same by reporting numerous bootleg CD/DVD sellers - $0.01 BIN + $9.99 S&H but eBay doesn't stop them. No idea why as under the revised eBay policy they can now keep all listing fees. Most of them crash and burn with six weeks to a few months as the negative feedback builds. At least they can't make their feedback private anymore to delay the inevitable NARU.
posted on October 11, 2006 12:25:18 AM
Been in contact with other sellers ? then try to get them all in a letter writing campaign to ebay or consult an attorney to see if you have a case have you kept ebay's emails etc.? Anyway would not hurt to try to organize a campaign or a news blitz if everyone would contact a news agency and with more than a few contacts they might think there is a story there. Seems like if Ebay knew this person was selling under several IDs breaking the rules they would want to do something before media got hold of story.
If you have the time and money get a lawyer.
************** Check it out
posted on October 11, 2006 05:51:51 AM
If you decide to contact media let us know I am always good for letters to editors,Senators... PRESIDENTS! It really is an uneven playing field... but if we acted together I really do think we could move the MT.
posted on October 11, 2006 11:09:47 AM
I have absolutely no doubt that ebay allows the "BIG" sellers to link to their commercial websites, every though it violates ebay's policies.
A small seller with under 20 items will surely have their listing yanked very quickly, if they dare have any kind of link to an off-ebay webpage.
posted on October 11, 2006 12:34:53 PM
So ebay just makes money off the listing fee on these sellers with .01 BIN? Ebay doesn't charge fees on shipping.
Isn't there any government agency that has some jurisdiction over ebay?
Ebay really should not be allowed to set rules and then pick who they allow to break them!!
I like the idea of the CNBC guy - can we put in some stuff about paypal while we are at it?
[ edited by ladyjewels2000 on Oct 11, 2006 12:35 PM ]
posted on October 11, 2006 01:39:32 PM
"A small seller with under 20 items will surely have their listing yanked very quickly, if they dare have any kind of link to an off-ebay webpage."
Oh, if this were only true. I think it is only the posters here at Vendio who get their listings pulled
I decided I had enough of the "links in listings" crap in the area where I sell, so I started reporting them daily for the last week. 3 different sellers, about 15 listings each.
Ebay has done nadda. I even called Live Help and asked why this is being allowed. Their idea of help? They told me to keep reporting them. BFD
I'm tempted to set up a new Seller ID and and start selling my stuff with a big freakin banner pointing to my website. I bet my listings would not last 6 hours.
posted on October 11, 2006 01:52:29 PM
I'll bet the large sellers laid the groundwork with their eBay rep and mutually agreed on an acceptable "handling fee" they could add to their average shipping cost before listing them. From the items I looked at, it might be $3.00 or $4.00. High yes, exorbitant, I don't think so. I'm sure big sellers have better and higher access to eBay folks but I wonder if small sellers might be able to contact eBay and nail down an acceptable s&h fee that wouldn't get their auctions pulled, even if reported.
[ edited by pixiamom on Oct 11, 2006 01:56 PM ]
