Someone else has listed something that's mine!

thriftwizard

Last night I was horrified to find an Ebay listing for an item that I have for sale at a local vintage/retro warehouse. At first I thought the seller must have bought it, then listed it an a much-enhanced price and with a misleading description - e.g. saying it's oak or walnut & very old, when in fact it's MDF and almost certainly from the 1980s, but they were using a picture of it on my stall, thus making it look to my own local regular customers as if I were selling it. So I contacted the seller, pointed out that the description was misleading, and asked them to remove the picture. I don't have any problem with people buying my stuff & selling it on at a profit, that's the nature of trade, but I do have a problem with people lying to potential customers & associating it with my business by implication.

However, when I popped down to my stall today, the item was still there, unsold. I checked the books & it hadn't been sold & not yet picked up. In other words, he's listed something that doesn't belong to him, without my knowledge or consent. I can see how this would work - sell it on Ebay at his price, run down to the warehouse & buy it at my price, discounted as far as he can wangle it. I've tried to report it to Ebay but can't find a way of telling them what the problem actually is, i.e. it's not his to sell, he doesn't have my permission to sell it, and he is misrepresenting it wilfully as I have spelt out exactly what it is on my price tag. I have contacted him again & told him to remove the listing, and physically removed the item from my stall, and informed the warehouse management, who to be fair to them were appalled, although they think they know who it is. My OH works for The Law, and is of the opinion there's no point reporting it, as he only has to say he mistook it for something someone else asked him to sell on their behalf. Technically it's fraudulent, but it's nothing that a Futures trader doesn't do 100 times a day.

There must be SOMETHING I can do? Some way Ebay will take notice & make him take the listing down? Or is it full of people behaving like this? I've been an Ebay seller for 12 years with 100% feedback - why is there no way of reporting this effectively?

Flyonthewall

If the item is no longer for sale and his plan was to buy it from you then he doesn't and never will have that item to sell. So if the item sells on ebay he'll have to refund and risk being reported as a non-performing seller and getting negative feedback. If he did get the item and the description was not describing it correctly anyway he'll have a very unhappy buyer who leave him negative feedback.

If he keeps doing things like that he won't be selling for long.

RainbowDrops

I'd be tempted to place a bid, then see what they do!

mgdavid

on the one hand, why would you dislike this potential increase in your turnover? He sells it, makes a profit, but he buys from you, you make a profit too - what's not to like?

On the other hand, you buy the ebay item, but you've withdrawn it from your stall so he can't buy it to supply his ebay buyer (who he doesn't know is you), and you get to leave a neg for item not received.

Take your pick, are you a glass-half-full or a glass-half-empty type?

forgotmyname

I would watch the auction, Dont bid.

When it sells and they come to buy it then up the price. Easy money.

sharpy2010

forgotmyname wrote: »

I would watch the auction, Dont bid.

When it sells and they come to buy it then up the price. Easy money.

Thats exactly what I was thinking

thriftwizard

Doubt he'd have done it! He has now ended the auction - oddly by dropping the price to £1 and presumably getting a friend to "buy" it - and sent me a pretty rude message telling me to get a grip, he's only trying to sell it for me! Missing the point completely...

RainbowDrops

Don't forget to add him to your blocked bidder list.

skivenov

forgotmyname wrote: »

I would watch the auction, Dont bid.

When it sells and they come to buy it then up the price. Easy money.

There's an even eviller way. Buy it yourself, then change your price to twice what his is.

You still have the item and make money for nothing.

thriftwizard

mgdavid wrote: »

on the one hand, why would you dislike this potential increase in your turnover? He sells it, makes a profit, but he buys from you, you make a profit too - what's not to like?

On the other hand, you buy the ebay item, but you've withdrawn it from your stall so he can't buy it to supply his ebay buyer (who he doesn't know is you), and you get to leave a neg for item not received.

Take your pick, are you a glass-half-full or a glass-half-empty type?

Oh, glass half full's my preference - mine's a pint of cider, thank you very much! ;-)

My real problem with this is that it's a specialist item & I'm a specialist seller, well known personally to all the people who might buy it locally & to many nationally as well. And two of my friends contacted me last night to ask what the hell I thought I was playing at, listing it at that price? It's nice enough, but not worth that much... They had no idea it wasn't me. I have a good reputation for good stock at sensible prices, and I want to keep it.

So I'll keep them off my stall in future & sell by word of mouth or by Ebaying them myself in future, as I always have.

earthstorm

thriftwizard wrote: »

Doubt he'd have done it! He has now ended the auction - oddly by dropping the price to £1 and presumably getting a friend to "buy" it - and sent me a pretty rude message telling me to get a grip, he's only trying to sell it for me! Missing the point completely...

i would watch his feedback and if the so called buy leaves good feedback about getting the item, report him to eBay as you know he has never had the item to sell, so how could he have a buyer to leave positive feedback on something hes not sold