topic Re: When is eBay going to crack down on multi-item pricing fraud? in Buying

When is eBay going to crack down on multi-item pricing fraud?

spechter0 — Thu, 16 Mar 2017 01:00:53 GMT

Sellers are clearly abusing the 'multiple items in one ad' function to manipulate their position in price-sorted view.

i.e. They are listing a $10 item. But they also list a $1 item in the same ad.

Now the ad shows us with a PICTURE of the $10 item, but with a $1 price FOR A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT ITEM.

This is making eBay frustrating and unusable. You have to click through every damn ad to find out the REAL price for the item pictured.

I've been waiting for eBay to crack down on this.

Why is it taking so long???

There isn't even a specific 'Report Item' sub-category to cover this.

Seriously, I try to avoid eBay as much as possible now because of this issue. It wastes my time.

Personally - I think eBay should list the MOST expensive price of the multiple items. That would fix the problem over-night, and stop these time-wasting ads and tricks. The listed price should be for the item pictured!!!!!!!!

ANYONE AT EBAY LISTENING???

Here's one example:

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/USB-Powered-Audio-Speakers-Amplifier-Earphone-Jack-For-PC-Laptop-Computer-PYH/351964826405

Please fix eBay.

Re: When is eBay going to crack down on multi-item pricing fraud?

lyndal1838 — Thu, 16 Mar 2017 01:02:56 GMT

No-one at ebay reads the boards so you have wasted your rant.

Re: When is eBay going to crack down on multi-item pricing fraud?

Anonymous — Thu, 16 Mar 2017 01:22:50 GMT

Have you asked ebay?

Re: When is eBay going to crack down on multi-item pricing fraud?

digital*ghost — Thu, 16 Mar 2017 01:50:12 GMT

I would like eBay to police this problem as the listing format is extremely useful when used correctly.

You can, however use a couple of methods to get the correct price displaying in search results. If it's a $10 item, set the minimum price for the search above the prices of the token cheapie, e.g. $2 or so, to exclude the bait pricing. It doesn't remove the listings that include a bait item, but at least you can see the proper item prices without clicking on the listings.

Re: When is eBay going to crack down on multi-item pricing fraud?

go-tazz — Thu, 16 Mar 2017 05:18:01 GMT

Those ones are simple as you know that when they list that way you can just ignore them,(that's what I do).

Try these ones where there isn't a clue of the deception till you go into the listing,(scroll down to the items found

from eBay international sellers and select the ones with the "BIN" of $1.31).

http://www.ebay.com.au/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=m570.l1313&_nkw=6000LM+CREE+Q5+Waterproof+3+Modes&_sacat=0

When you go into the listing it has a multiple variation and this type of deception is on the increase,(Chinese

sellers are the ones that stated this carp so they could manipulate the search and browse by having the

low price and also have the listed item as a variation but at a higher price).

This search and browse manipulation is going to upset a lot of members and it will see a decline in buyers

IMHO as they get fed up with going into a listing and then finding that the advertised item is not at the

advertised price.

I've searched for items at times and keep coming across those listing and just delete the search as I'm

fed up with those type of "sellers",

In the end the ones that will get punished is the genuine seller who uses the multiple listing variations in

the correct manner,(plus the buyers as they give up and stop buying on eBay).

Re: When is eBay going to crack down on multi-item pricing fraud?

teal_27 — Tue, 21 Mar 2017 13:04:08 GMT

Sellers are getting wise to that too. They create duplicate listings, but one will have a $1 USB cable. The next will have a $5 phone case. I've seen up to $100 dummy items (when the real products are around $300-$400) which makes it really hard to separate the dodgy ones.

Re: When is eBay going to crack down on multi-item pricing fraud?

teal_27 — Tue, 21 Mar 2017 13:07:34 GMT

One method we could use is to simply spam eBay with reports of listing violations... Eventually they might catch on as to why.

The really stupid thing is eBay can fix it very very easily... Just make "lowest first" use the highest value in their listing. Problem solved. The dodgy listers will go to the end of the queue.

Re: When is eBay going to crack down on multi-item pricing fraud?

go-tazz — Wed, 22 Mar 2017 00:10:20 GMT

@teal_27 wrote:
One method we could use is to simply spam eBay with reports of listing violations... Eventually they might catch on as to why.

The really stupid thing is eBay can fix it very very easily... Just make "lowest first" use the highest value in their listing. Problem solved. The dodgy listers will go to the end of the queue.

eBay need to put a stop to it and start suspending those sellers,(eg: send out a general Email to all account

holders that anyone that has these type of listings needs to comply with the policies within a month? and set

them up correctly or they will get suspended).

Then they need to do is put a simplified section into the report links so that those that ignore the timeline

can then be reported easily,

Re: When is eBay going to crack down on multi-item pricing fraud?

digital*ghost — Wed, 22 Mar 2017 02:01:14 GMT

@teal_27 wrote:
Sellers are getting wise to that too. They create duplicate listings, but one will have a $1 USB cable. The next will have a $5 phone case. I've seen up to $100 dummy items (when the real products are around $300-$400) which makes it really hard to separate the dodgy ones.

But the actual item prices tend to be fairly consistent, so different prices but same technique means same solution (eg if the item price is in the $300 range, start searches from $200, if it's in the $10 range, start them from $7 or so).

The other method is to refine via keywords, eg if you're looking to by a mobile phone from China and they commonly use a case or screen protector as the bait item, then you would type this kind of search

mobile phone -case -protector

and it works the same way as the price range filter (as in, it eliminates the prices for those item from showing up in listings). It's not perfect, as some sellers will use #1 etc instead of item names in the variations, but it's a lot better than trying to sort through all of the listings.

I have to ask though - am I the only one that sees search results like this? Because it tends to make the listings with bait items really obvious (though there are exceptions, as sellers will have big price ranges for the same item due to quantity options, eg $1 for one, up to $75 for 100).

This listing (and may others that display the same way) came up in a general keyword search with no refinement, and is for a cheap watch. The seller is actually offering a watch for $1 (a really cheap looking silicone band thing), while the $10 watch is what is pictured in the gallery and a little nicer looking.

(Sidenote - when variation listings were first introduced, eBay used to display the image of the variation that was showing in search results, so in the case of bait listings, if the cheap $1 item price was displayed, that item's picture would be right next to it. I wonder why they stopped doing that? )

Re: When is eBay going to crack down on multi-item pricing fraud?

go-tazz — Wed, 22 Mar 2017 02:26:54 GMT

@digital*ghost wrote:
@teal_27 wrote:
Sellers are getting wise to that too. They create duplicate listings, but one will have a $1 USB cable. The next will have a $5 phone case. I've seen up to $100 dummy items (when the real products are around $300-$400) which makes it really hard to separate the dodgy ones.
I have to ask though - am I the only one that sees search results like this? Because it tends to make the listings with bait items really obvious (though there are exceptions, as sellers will have big price ranges for the same item due to quantity options, eg $1 for one, up to $75 for 100).

This listing (and may others that display the same way) came up in a general keyword search with no refinement, and is for a cheap watch. The seller is actually offering a watch for $1 (a really cheap looking silicone band thing), while the $10 watch is what is pictured in the gallery and a little nicer looking.

That's the general way they list that Teal is talking about,(one low priced "bait" item and then the actual

listing title item is a much higher price when you select it in the listing).

Generally the bait item isn't even mentioned in the listing title.

(Sidenote - when variation listings were first introduced, eBay used to display the image of the variation that was showing in search results, so in the case of bait listings, if the cheap $1 item price was displayed, that item's picture would be right next to it. I wonder why they stopped doing that? )

The Chinese sellers themselves probably found a way around that loop hole or their "managers" may have

requested it's removal?

The other way they now list is as per my post 5 link,where they just have a standard price and it doesn't come

up as a variation listing until you go into the listing,(the ones in question are now $1.28 BIN).

The listing title is for a 6000 LM torch for $1.28 but that price is for the bait item which is a 2000 LM torch and

the 6000 LM torch is actually $2.57

Nothing in the listing title relates to the bait item and it's circumventing the search and bowse policy.

Re: When is eBay going to crack down on multi-item pricing fraud?

digital*ghost — Wed, 22 Mar 2017 03:31:29 GMT

@go-tazz wrote:

That's the general way they list that Teal is talking about,(one low priced "bait" item and then the actual

listing title item is a much higher price when you select it in the listing).

Generally the bait item isn't even mentioned in the listing title.

I understand all that 🙂 What I am saying is that the full price range is displayed in search results, before you ever even click on a listing - eg here's what I see in the torch search, after clicking 'worldwide' and sorting price +postage, lowest first:

Re: When is eBay going to crack down on multi-item pricing fraud?

go-tazz — Wed, 22 Mar 2017 03:54:41 GMT

But that's because you clicked on the worldwide option,(which I don't use).

So for me those listings come up as $1.28,but once I go into the listing it's a variation listing that has the item

listing at a higher price,(that's deception OMO,eg: cheating).

Ii it's an eBay "glitch",then they need to fix it,(but the listing clearly states nothing about the 2000 ML torch).

The main problem with them is that the low priced item has nothing to do with the listing title.

This is what I get with a standard search:

Re: When is eBay going to crack down on multi-item pricing fraud?

digital*ghost — Wed, 22 Mar 2017 04:08:53 GMT

I don't know why my results display differently but I had to click worldwide to see the OS listings as they don't show otherwise. However I see them displayed that way without changing anything at all, like in my earlier screenshot. 😮

Re: When is eBay going to crack down on multi-item pricing fraud?

go-tazz — Wed, 22 Mar 2017 04:27:47 GMT

Ok,it looks like changing the search to world wide is the way to see them all in the same format,(with the two

prices in place).

I just went to my search from post five and selected worldwide and got what you see,(it will make it easier

to ignore all those type of listings from now on).

Re: When is eBay going to crack down on multi-item pricing fraud?

*tippy*toes* — Wed, 22 Mar 2017 06:44:05 GMT

This is what I get for a default standard search. Normally I search time ending soonest, but changed it to price + postage. I didn't change it to worldwide. The $1 item is for a 3W mini light, which is not mentioned in the title. Nor are the other 2 items listed between low and high price.

The search results were totally confused because there were $1-21.66 items, followed by $2.84-$4 items, followed by $1.87-$2.47 items. All with free postage. There was no rhyme or reasoning with the results when you looked at the dollar amounts. It wasn't showing the low price in order, nor was it showing the high price in order. Definitely not listed in order of low to high price.

Re: When is eBay going to crack down on multi-item pricing fraud?

go-tazz — Wed, 22 Mar 2017 07:41:55 GMT

It's search and browse manipulation no matter which way it's looked at and it needs to stopped.

I feel sorry for the sellers that use the variation listings because I for one will be totally ignoring them due

to the way the Chinese sellers just keep breaking the "rules and policies".

The low cost item isn't mentioned in 99% of these listings and most people will probably work out in the long run

that the listing title and photos only refer to the high cost item and will start to ignore the variation listings.

Re: When is eBay going to crack down on multi-item pricing fraud?

megrenk — Sat, 25 Mar 2017 10:13:02 GMT

Why not simply block the seller?!

Or as said before, if the item is wortrh more than $20, start at $18 minmum price...

But yes, understand what is being said, and support it being banned too.

Re: When is eBay going to crack down on multi-item pricing fraud?

tomdk33 — Wed, 05 Sep 2018 00:07:31 GMT

September 2018, a year and half later and it's only gotten worse 😞

How do the people behind ebay expect this platoform to survive with practicses like that being rampant?

Re: When is eBay going to crack down on multi-item pricing fraud?

go-tazz — Wed, 05 Sep 2018 11:57:41 GMT

@tomdk33 wrote:
September 2018, a year and half later and it's only gotten worse 😞

How do the people behind ebay expect this platoform to survive with practicses like that being rampant?

They simply don't care.

The same as the listing policy of not being allowed to list the same item,(was searching for something the other

day and the first 10 pages,(2000 listings) were all for the same item from the same seller and the only thing that

was different was the number on the end),

Re: When is eBay going to crack down on multi-item pricing fraud?

shayne.oneill — Tue, 21 Mar 2023 13:35:20 GMT

This is still happening. I found a particularly obnoxious one today looking for "double wall glass coffee mugs". Saw a listing for 6 for 16 bucks. Thought that was a pretty damn good deal.

Click through ready to buy and at the last moment I notice that its actually for a 12 pack of straws. on the drop down. The actually coffee mug in the description isnt available.

This is straight up fraud, trying to catch people not paying full attention AND it heavily screws up the listings and reduces trust.

And this has been going on for *years* and appears to be legal, and I'm bamboozled as to *why* its legal?