Ebay etiquette

[shahmink]

When I'm looking for items on ebay I regularly come across seller's mistakes in their listings.

For example, in a seller's store they have the exact item listed twice at different prices. It's listed once in a clearance section for BIN $25.99 and then listed in a 50% sale for a BIN $39.99.

Shall I point out these sorts of mistakes to sellers?

[davewil1964]

I sometimes have the same book in different condition. The better condition gets the higher price, regardless of whether or not it is the same printing. They are NOT identical.

As I, and most of the Australian population (including you, cats, Victoria I believe), don't live in Western Australia, forgive me for ignoring the cherrypicking of particular states' legislation to support a tenuous, at best, position.

[1sweetap6v8]

No Dave that guide is Australia wide but the clauses in it alone allow a seller to simply withdraw the item from sale if someone complains meaning its just to get rid of the pests who find it hard to comprehend.  And its only a guide.

And in no way do you have to sell at the lowest price , you price it to what ever you like don't mean you will sell it though.

[thecatspjs]

It is also on ACCC site and other jurisdictions websites too - the legislation is NATIONAL that was said in an earlier post.

[thecatspjs]

I sometimes have the same book in different condition. The better condition gets the higher price, regardless of whether or not it is the same printing. They are NOT identical.

So it does not apply, they are not identical.

It applies to identical items being retailed, not damaged stock, not new versions, not different colors, not second hand, only identical.

[thecatspjs]

Dave, for your future reference, a range of legislation including consumer, product safety and sale of goods were harmonised as outputs of a COAG IGA.

[shahmink]

I finally decided to brave it and email the seller to see if it was merely an oversight.

I didn't get abused. The response I got was that the product doesn't sell well at the 50% off BIN $39.99 price so they list it for $25.99 in the clearance section at the same time.

Even more confusing is that when I was looking in this store last week, the item was only listed in the clearance section for BIN $25.99 and there was NO listing in the 50% off.

Furthermore, this store keeps on advertising items at % off "sale"prices that supposedly end in 4 hours, 2 days, etc but the sale just keeps getting extended time and time again. I've not once seen any of the items advertised at full price.

I forgot to mention that this seller is also the manufacturer of these items so the old stock/new stock argument is not applicable IMO.

[davewil1964]

You might have a leg to stand on then.

The average (maybe, just, still) eBay seller is not a business, nor a manufacturer, nor a retailer of new goods.

Whilst cats' contention may well apply to new goods from a registered business/manufacturer, they definitely don't apply to casual sellers of second hand goods.

That legislation may apply in this case, but a lot of sales are not subject to Commonwealth or State fair trading legislation.

[thecatspjs]

In any case, it is against ebay policy to have more than one listing of an identical item listed at the same time - there has to be variations - not just clever wording in the listing title and price, but in the item itself - so listings can be reported.

Second hand is a different kettle of fish altogether.

, 

[davewil1964]

Settle, cats, that's the second time we've agreed in a month. ish

[shahmink]

In any case, it is against ebay policy to have more than one listing of an identical item listed at the same time - there has to be variations - not just clever wording in the listing title and price, but in the item itself - so listings can be reported.

Second hand is a different kettle of fish altogether.

, 

Cheers. Will do.