Sellers gaming the system?

[777artemis]

I have noticed some sellers whose listings come up at the top of the search when the "price and postage lowest first" option is chosen seem to be gaming the system to get their listings up there in top spots.

The item might be listed at $1.50 but when you choose a colour and size the price goes up significantly from the listed price. I have found, however, that they will have one size choice that is ridiculous, like XXXXXXXXS or 8XXL or some other non existent size. That one will have the low listing price but if it's purchased the parcel never arrives or the seller sends a message to say that size is out of stock, even though it is still showing as in stock on the listing.

Is this allowed or are they breaking eBay's rules by doing this?

[kopenhagen5]

Not allowed.

It is using a function incorrectly for manipulation of search results.

But sellers from certain countries don't give a tinker's cuss.

[777artemis]

So why is eBay allowing them to get away with it? Looks like there are a lot of them doing it. Is it worth reporting or a waste of time?

[clarry100]

It's a practice commonly engaged in by Chinese sellers. You can report them to eBay for search manipulation but your report is lodged with eBay AU. EBay's own internal policies don't permit action being taken against by a member who is registered in another country. So all they will do is to pass your complaint on to eBay CN. And of course that's where it stops and nothing happens.
If they have said in their message to you that they are out of stock but cancel your order for some other reason (eg buyer requested cancellation) then you can also try reporting them for that. If eBay change the cancellation reason to out of stock then they will get a defect. Too many of these would see their account restricted. But I suspect such a report would also go the same way as I described above.
In short little you can do about it.

[clubesquire]

Yes, and it all trickles down to increase the ever widening divide between sellers and buyers, the latter of which all too often see us as all the same. If only buyers would exercise the enormous power they have and stop buying from sellers who are blatantly operating outside the common rules.

My husband has one word for people like this, ‘Grubs’, but you’d have to hear the way he articulates it to appreciate the depth of loathing.

But, as said before, they are a ‘protected species’ as far as eBay is concerned. Just battle on 🙂

Melina.

[enigmabear]

Ebay can't see the scammers for the trees

[777artemis]

I spoke to someone about this through eBay's instant messenger help service.

This is what they said   "the seller's account will be reported to the Listing Department for this behaviour"

We can only hope!

[countessalmirena]

eBay's Listing Department: walk into an empty room with a large computer whose black screen shows the executive algorithm working as tirelessly as an ant, bot-searching, bot-searching, in order to bring back the granules of the automatic keyword-based results...