Just Spoke with E-Bay

[cindyclark]

I just got off the phone with E-Bay for my free "New Seller On Ramp Consultation" as I posted five pearl necklaces on E-Bay for the first time this week. They were helpful, but not too encouraging about selling upscale jewelry products on E-Bay. We discussed a lot of different topics. This is what I learned:

-You can only report fraud once you buy something, pay for it, receive it and see for yourself that the product you purchased was not what was advertised. So in order complain about the sellers hawking Tahitians with photos of the Fresh Waters, you have to buy the product!

-Many sellers do not own or even have the product they are selling. They download photos from a website, post it and buy it if it sells.

-Many upscale jewelry people no longer try to sell on E-Bay due to the large number of sellers offering "pearls" for under $2.

-Sales at E-bay are down right now, as it is January (a slow retail month). So the fact that I only got 40 hits so far per strand is actually quite good.

Bottom line is E-Bay is paid by the number of listings. So it really doesn't matter who is selling what, so long as there are lots of listings. I guess it is not fraud to falsely advertise--only when a fraudulent sale is made is it really fraud. Before that it is only obnoxious...and most people know $1.88 Tahitian is not a Tahitian!

I do appreciate the fact that E-Bay was not super encouraging in order to generate lots more listings from me right away, but told me some other things to try slowly and closer to a holiday (Valentines Day), like get my ID verified and sell with a fixed price or "make an offer" They also were concerned with anyone buying ratings and wanted any reports of that immediately.

My items are under the seller: cindypearls1


Cindy

 

[KAC]

So in order complain about the sellers hawking Tahitians with photos of the Fresh Waters, you have to buy the product

That's weird, since false advertising or more appropriately false labelling is a misdemeanor in most states. I guess Ebay feels this is fine on the internet - I do not

False Labels
False labeling with the intent to defraud is a misdemeanor.[5] This includes false statements concerning quantity, quality, identity, origin, or manufacture: this covers essentially anything appearing on a label. Concealing or obliterating the label mark of the place where the product originated is also a misdemeanor

 

[Armand]

-Many upscale jewelry people no longer try to sell on E-Bay due to all of the cheap "competition".
Cindy

Just like I what I have said in my other post

http://pearl-guide.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1264

 

[pearl guide]

I think you need to distinguish between cheap and inexpensive. The stuff on eBay is cheap, but quality there is not inexpensive.

 

[the Oracle]

eBay

That's weird, since false advertising or more appropriately false labelling is a misdemeanor in most states. I guess Ebay feels this is fine on the internet - I do not

I guess I'm coming late to this parade, since I just complained to eBay about the same thing. I got the impression they do not become involved in fraud until after the fact, and even then do not investigate, because they don't want to be seen as involved in or liable for a criminal act.

Maybe a complaint to the BBB--which is online, thus much more effective--will allow eBay to rethink how to handle this.

Years ago, I was just as disgusted with HSN and QVC at their handling of gemstone/pearl sales. They were just as bad, maybe worse, since they have gemologists on staff. After a year of calls to both companies, I discovered the BBB. Bingo! Their act is about the same, but at least QVC is much better at labeling, and HSN made a spot they show regularly about "enhancements," even if they don't listen to it themselves. I did that, and you can too. Maybe even a call to Customs, since I can guess they didn't declare the value as if they were Akoyas or Tahitians. That could be interesting, since U.S. Customs has no sense of humor and hasn't read the Constitution. Well, if they read it, they didn't understand it.

So my suggestion is file a complaint every time you're bored to the BBB about eBay. Copy a template into your word processor to save time.

O.

 

[the Oracle]

Good Advice.

Good Advice.

I think you need to distinguish between cheap and inexpensive. The stuff on eBay is cheap, but quality there is not inexpensive.

My Mother told me in high school that I was an inexpensive date, not a cheap one. She said, "Remember the difference."

O.

p.s., Sorry about that.