topic Re: Listing Descriptions in Selling

Listing Descriptions

blueedgecrafts — Sat, 12 Apr 2014 04:04:50 GMT

When listing products for sale on eBay, do you use your own unique descriptions, or do you borrow them exactly from online stores? I only ask as I found a seller who has taken text exactly from our online store. I created the description - we always try to use original descriptions. I'm astounded by her reply that it's her own text - when it's exactly the same - how can that be? I know great minds can think alike, somehow I don't this is the case here

I do remember this seller from a few years ago as she stole one of our online store pictures and claimed it was her own when challenged. When I showed her the original, she backed down and took the time to take her own picture and removed ours. It's a little bit cheeky don't you think? Not to mention lazy - I don't spend my time thinking up original stuff to have it used without my permission.

Re: Listing Descriptions

blueedgecrafts — Sat, 12 Apr 2014 21:52:26 GMT

These cute owls die cut sheets are great for card making and scrapbooking, decoupage and many other paper craft projects. All these sheets are pre cut, which means the shapes just "pop out" ready to put together. Two design projects are shown on this sheet of A4 card each with numbered pieces for easy placement. The sheets also include a tag and two borders.

Just pop out and build into a 3D picture using 3D foam squares.

And this is my online store description:

These wonderful Owl themed die cut sheets are great for card making, Scrapbooking, decoupage and many other paper craft projects. All these sheets are pre cut, which means the shapes just "pop out" ready to glue together. Two design projects are shown on this sheet of A4 card each with numbered pieces for easy placement. The sheets also includes a tag two borders.

Another idea for 3D paper tole designs is to make them into pictures. These would look cute made into little mini hanging decorations.

Re: Listing Descriptions

clarry100 — Sat, 12 Apr 2014 04:11:32 GMT

I would think pretty much all you can do is to report the listing to ebay as plagiarism.

Not that I would expect they would do too much about it tho.

Re: Listing Descriptions

blueedgecrafts — Sat, 12 Apr 2014 21:53:05 GMT

No, I don't suppose eBay would do anything, it's just such a cheek when she has done it before. How lazy can you be not to come up with your own words and pictures? Anyone can copy and paste - the fact that our online store sells them for for over half what she is selling them for is neither here nor there 😉

Re: Listing Descriptions

phorum_junkie* — Sat, 12 Apr 2014 04:50:09 GMT

The text is not absolutely identical, the change of a few words means it is not a breach of copyright.

If both descriptions acurately describe the product then they could say that was reason enough for there to be many similarities.

It is a bit easier with photos that you have taken yourself as long as you have a liting that appears earlier than yours but I am afraid you will not get much joy if you report the text, no harm in trying though.

Re: Listing Descriptions

digital*ghost — Sat, 12 Apr 2014 04:53:10 GMT

eBay has a clear policy when it concerns listings on eBay http://pages.ebay.com.au/help/policies/vero-image-text-theft.html (i.e. both your and the other member's listings are here), not so sure about website > eBay theft, most likely because it's harder for eBay to determine which one came first, but if you can prove you're the copyright holder of the text, you can send them a cease and desist notice, which could be followed up by legal action if they ignore it (I'd advise consulting a real lawyer if you go that route).

Re: Listing Descriptions

digital*ghost — Sat, 12 Apr 2014 05:01:32 GMT

@phorum_junkie* wrote:
The text is not absolutely identical, the change of a few words means it is not a breach of copyright.

If that were true, I could change the first word or two of a novel and claim it's not a breach of copyright,

Re: Listing Descriptions

blueedgecrafts — Sun, 13 Apr 2014 22:36:52 GMT

We were the first to import these items into Australia, so my original text came first. Although they are not exactly identical, the other words used come from other items listed (same items, I just used slightly different descriptiosn for a few of the others) What this person has done is take the text from one or to items on our online store.

I have asked her why she has used it and would she mind mentioning that she copied and pasted it from our online store - so far, she has just claimed that it is her's and that it's original - which it so obviously is not.

Thank you for your replies, it's not a case of being petty and mean, we take the time to come up with original detailed descriptions and so often people are too darned lazy to do that themselves. They obviously think I shld waste my time to make life easier for them.

Re: Listing Descriptions

digital*ghost — Sat, 12 Apr 2014 06:11:23 GMT

One thing I would recommend after checking your site is to add in some terms of use expressly forbidding the use of your site's content in any way, shape or form, including text, images etc. Not that not having that there means it's ok to breach copyright, but some people presume these things are freely available for their use just because it's on the 'net.

Re: Listing Descriptions

blueedgecrafts — Sat, 12 Apr 2014 08:44:28 GMT

Thanks for the advice, I thought we did have it on our website, I'll check it out later.

Her replies beggar beleif, one would think that once you'd been caught out, you wouldn't then be rude to the person who's work you were stealing. Oh well, better just get on with the cease and desist to eBay and see if they will stop her silliness. Some people just don't get how annoying it is when we try to be a bit different and actually think about describing a product, they they come along with their copy and paste.

Re: Listing Descriptions

chameleon54 — Sat, 12 Apr 2014 11:20:37 GMT

I've had the same problem a few times with sellers cutting & pasting my descriptions. I hav'nt worried about it as they have been private sellers with single items. If they made a habit of it on multiple items I would certianly report them as it breaches ebay listing policies.

Re: Listing Descriptions

blueedgecrafts — Sat, 12 Apr 2014 13:16:58 GMT

Well, now I get a message saying she's too busy to take down her listings and that they are her own words, which is utter rot. Also, threatens to report me to eBay for harassing her. Also, accused me of being a bully, plus she's had a solicitor friend to look it over - yeah right, any solicitor wojld say that from the details of her listings they are exactly the same - our website date stamps when items are input so we know when we did the details.

I have emailed eBay with the details, not sure what to do now, it isn't a few listings this is a business using our descriptions directly from our website. Wonder if she's done the same to other store owners or other eBay users. Seems like she's the big bully who gets angry when she's outed.

This is one reason why I don't list on eBay, it seems to let people get away with this type of stuff.

Re: Listing Descriptions

chameleon54 — Sat, 12 Apr 2014 14:14:44 GMT

The ebay email thing has never worked for me. If I want something done, I always phone customer support as I find a real person a bit more responsive than a computer. You dont always get the result you want, but the success rate is a lot better than the email thing. Make sure you have the copied listing item numbers ready & read the policy relating to your complaint and keep reinforcing that the cut & paste pest is breaching the particular relevant policy. If you look like getting side tracked go straight back to the policy. If no success from first call centre staff member ask to speak to a supiviser and ask them to REMOVE the offending listings.. Good luck.

Re: Listing Descriptions

blueedgecrafts — Sat, 12 Apr 2014 22:08:03 GMT

Thanks Chameleon, I'll ring them on Monday, I get the luxury of having the weekend off which is how I stumbled across this.

I do understand that people get bit embarrassed and angry when caught how, so maybe I could have handled it differently. Although, going by our last copy from this same person, the result was so similar. Why not just say "Oh yeah, sorry, I did copy you, can I use it still?" Then, I could have said no instead of having to report them. They now run the risk of having their account suspended.

Re: Listing Descriptions

bsal6160 — Sun, 13 Apr 2014 04:30:26 GMT

one word for our complaint "petty"

Re: Listing Descriptions

blueedgecrafts — Sun, 13 Apr 2014 06:00:19 GMT

lol, yeah they are rather aren't they? No originality, just good with click and paste, very petty. Thanks for the comment 😉

Re: Listing Descriptions

casaudio — Sun, 13 Apr 2014 09:10:02 GMT

I don't understand. You are aggreeing all this is petty but you continue to waste time on something that is going to be hard to proove.. You don't have any listings so how can you say this person has copied yours? You would have to proove that it is your own wording and how do you do that? I don't think you have a leg to stand. The text isn't exactly the same and if you need these words to describe a particular product I don't this seller has done anything wrong. I would be very carefull in calling this person a lier and stealing, they are pretty deframatory comments and may get you into trouble. If I was you I would move on and not get so petty on the little things. Especially when you don't sell on ebay I don't see how they are going to support you.

Re: Listing Descriptions

blueedgecrafts — Sun, 13 Apr 2014 10:28:55 GMT

I think you should look up the word plagiarism, read the rest of this topic and fully try to understand what has actually happened before commenting. My online store has these items listed, I wrote the text and the eBayer has just copied it exactly from my online store. It is against eBays rules to use descriptions which are not your own.

Added to the fact is that this person took one of our pictures and used that too. eBay did get them to remove the picture and tey took the time to take one of their own. It isn't hard to understand that if you copy someone else's work, and you get found out, then you should either remove the text or face the consequences.

I have to admit to being a bit factious in agreeing with the last poster who thinks the whole thing is petty. As I said, I haven't sold much on eBay since joining in 2001, that doesn't mean it isn't wrong to copy another persons work and claim it as your own. I do have proof that it is my text, so I can PROVE it, our website has date stamped the items when they were listed, that should be proof enough that the text is copied exactly from our website.

I will move on as soon as they remove the listing with my text.

Re: Listing Descriptions

thecatspjs — Sun, 13 Apr 2014 10:57:04 GMT

It would annoy the heck out of me too ....

But .... at some point as sellers we have to take some responsibility and action in relation to trading practices such as these.

I personally would get my solicitor to prepare a letter on my behalf demanding the removal of offending text within x amount of days. I would send it to the seller and I would send a copy to eBay.

The solictor cost could be a possible tax deduction as it directly relates to business activities.

Re: Listing Descriptions

blueedgecrafts — Sun, 13 Apr 2014 11:11:09 GMT

I am looking at that option, another option is to see how many they have sold and charge them a fee for every one they've sold using my descriptions. That might deter them in the future. The easiest thing for all concerned wold be for the seller to admit they have taken the text from our website, remove it and say sorry. I doubt that will happen though.

Either that or amend their listings stating that they have removed the text borrowed from us - that would be even nicer 🙂