There are so many items on eBay that show items at a lower price than the actual price you need to pay that is mostly
twice or more than the price shown. An example is in the picture below, a screen capture of the advert. The advertised price is $2.79. But there is no way that you can order an item and pay the $2.79. Choosing any combination of options results in the price of the item changing to a minimum of $6.89.
The obvious answer is "find a different seller". That's not the point. MOST of the sellers do it, so its virtually impossible to find a seller that is honest with their initial advert. Why is this practice permitted under eBay rules? At the end of the day, $2.79 is plainly a ridiculously cheap and unrealistic price. So why do sellers bother to do it? Perhaps sellers regard buyers as stupid? It is certainly disrespectful. Perhaps its time the ACCC looked into eBay's rules and the behaviour of eBay management. I know that its supposed to be a self regulated seller/buyer marketplace. So a good question would be "If the transaction was face to face, and not hidden by an online shield, how many sellers would have the courage to act this way?" Obviously, the answer is "None."
To the designers of the eBay marketplace - you frequently advertise that rules have been reviewed and changed. Its about time for another change - and not to "protect" buyers, but to improve the level of honesty both buyers and sellers are entitled to expect.
