Chinese seller with 15 Ebay IDs and 1000 items lists 15,000 times

[dp_30]

I recently discovered 15 Chinese Ebay IDs who are "collaborating" by submitting multiple listings for the same items at the same price.  Their store database is almost identical and sell nearly 1000 of the same items. Technically they have 15,000 Ebay listings and this is all through one company or individual which puts my honest, paltry 65+ Ebay listings in the lowest ranking on Ebay's search engine.  Their user IDs are fake and are purportedly selling from Sydney, China, US and Germany.  In some instances, even the Ebay user IDs have been created on the same day and the same physical location in Sydney!  They tweak the photos and headings, use JPGs instead of product descriptions to avoid the Ebay BOTs but are still silly enough to list these duplicate items at the same price.

My sales for February have been significantly lower and although this is traditionally by low season, I can't explan the drop in my "bread and butter" items.  My listings were near the top of search listing a few weeks ago and have dropped to about 20, even though my prices are competitive.  I could move my item to other online selling sites and use the fees I would ordinarily pay to Ebay to pay for additional advertising for my website.

These guys are seriously undercutting my business as they are selling similar products and I will need to close my Australian Ebay store if Ebay does not address this.  I realise that 15 sellers and a potential 15,000 listings is just a drop in the ocean, but it's my drop.  I see this happening everywhere on Ebay and have asked the US discussion boards for their advice.  In the US, when a seller is banned, their IP is also banned but this is not the case in China.  Sadly, these sellers will reregister as soon as they are removed.

I submitted very comprehensive evidence to them on 2nd March 2016, called a "human" today and they said I'll have a response in the next 24~48 hours.

I'm sure the media would be interested.

[amber-eyed-girl]

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@*tippy*toes* wrote:

EBay Australia most certainly uses IP blocking (amongst other things). That's one of the ways family members find themselves suspended if another family member gets shafted. These forums also use IP blocking.

Yes, there are ways to get around it. One way is moving house (expensive!). Another is changing internet providers. That is still not a guarantee though because they would still have all your details on file, so it wouldn't take long until they realise that it's really you with a new IP address. Changing providers AND moving house would take them longer to work it out, unless you keep using the same ID, then they would find you almost instantly.

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The forums use IP blocking?

Does eBay care to that level? Interesting! If someone was blocked, went to the trouble of changing providers or moving, they almost deserve to be let back in! 😉

[davewil1964]

My internet is mobile. My IP address is different every time I connect.

[amber-eyed-girl]

Easy enough to circumvent a block then. In terms of the forums, people have a certain writing style, too.

[davewil1964]

I could always forget spelling, grammar and facts

[amber-eyed-girl]

Forget or forgive? 

In others of course 😛

I checked out my public IP through my router and my mobile data. They (individually) stay the same. So my household has a maximum of two IPs to frolick about on the boards with.

[*tippy*toes*]

I have a static IP address at home. I'm assuming my phone has a dynamic IP. Never really checked that properly. I access the forums using both. Therefore, I'd have to move house and change service providers! I couldn't think of anything worse than moving! Perish the thought.

I knew someone who visited here occasionally several years ago. They got sent away after some fisty cuffs. They tried to login with one of their other accounts and that one was sent away in a few hours. They tried their 3rd account and it got sent away too. They didn't post with the 3rd ID, just logged in. They gave up after that and didn't bother trying to come back. 

I highly doubt the mods would have access to personal details, so it could really only be IP addresses. Especially as IP addresses are shown under your ID if you click on it. I could be wrong though!

[amber-eyed-girl]

The public IP address is easy to see by using Google. Just ask "what is my IP address?" and it comes up. That's how I saw what my phone's mobile data IP was versus connecting using wifi through the home router.

So you could check your phone's IP that way.

In terms of avoiding detection, your story of multiple IDs being caught out sounds like an IP block, yes.

Easy enough to avoid that by starting a fresh ID up on a not-used-to-access eBay before device, I guess, if that's the case. Not that I'm advocating giving that a try!

I use both wifi and mobile data to access eBay. I'd have to get a new source of data, as you say, change provider, etc...

If I were banned I'd miss a few people here, but I would have too much pride to come back. Be a bit humiliating having to play a masquerade!

[ourphonecase]

Also when you create new accounts you are extremely limited as well as having PayPal doing a 21 funds hold for new users (which a lot of people are not happy about). You can list like allowed to sell an item 10 times in The first month. I doubt just because the person is Chinese they will get a bypass on the limits at all. Their accounts has to be aged quite a bit for it to have 15000 items listed (including quantities).

So I would say it's my easy to get the accounts banned (but if you do the. Good work)

[amber-eyed-girl]

Major retailers on here seem to get an exemption on selling limits from day one. Ones with Australian B&M stores.

Paypal limits is a good point.

[*tippy*toes*]

I recently started a 3rd selling account (a week ago) and immediately had my limit increased to 30 a month when I linked it to my existing accounts. I have seen others in here that weren't established, RING eBay asking for a limit increase and were immediately increased to 100. I think some of those got further increases once their feedback came up a bit and proved they weren't scammers.

In the case of the Chinese, I know with the scammers that don't hijack accounts, they will either sell lots of $1 items or will buy lots of $1 items to get their feedback score over the threshold. I think most sell the $1 items so the PayPal hold is lifted too. In the case of genuine Chinese sellers, there would be nothing to stop them ringing and getting limit increases, same as we can do here. I could ring and get an increase on my new account, but I really can't be bothered.