❝If a business has a policy or practice of discounting goods when not on sale and uses two-price advertising in relation to sale periods, there is a significant risk that the use of two-price advertising will involve conduct that is misleading. The business would be representing to consumers that they will make a particular saving if they purchase the item during the sale period, when this is not necessarily the case.

Similar considerations apply to the specification of dollar amount or percentage savings such as 60% off.❞

- ACCC (Displaying prices)

It's illegal (in breach of Australian consumer legislation) to raise the price just before a discount is offered, in order to mislead consumers into thinking they are saving $xx.

Dr Michael Schapter, Deputy Chair, ACCC (2014) explains was/now - aka "price-jacking".

A SPECIFIC EXAMPLE: Kogan pays $32,400 penalty for alleged false or misleading representations in a Father's Day promoti...

I think the key term in cupboards' post is 'private seller'.

Yes. I should have stressed that what I quoted was just in terms of a business.

I was really focusing on the sorts of sellers mentioned by digital*ghost (where an eBay discount code applies to specific sellers only rather than being site-wide), and of course those sellers would definitely be businesses. Mea culpa - I should have added that yes, private sellers can do what they like with listing prices, so far as I'm aware.

Aha! I've just found a very reasonably-priced copy of Near Eastern Archaeology: A Reader.

Well done. I hope it's not from a UK dropshipper. Although I have had no problems with my one purchase (better than described, at less than 1/3 of value), the main two don't always deliver as described.

It's not. (I think I know the one you mean, and I prefer not to purchase from that seller... WOB?)

The seller is in Oregon, and as I have other items sitting with my parcel forwarder there (also in Oregon), I've used that address in the interests of getting this more quickly. 

That's the one. I had a supplier in the US, but I'm fairly sure they aren't in Oregon

You're not allowed to name and shame on the boards.

The moderator will slice and dice your post and then it won't mean much.

Welcome to the boards.