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slander! A customer bought 15 patterns of boot /wellie socks patterns, and 17chunky slipper socks
A customer bought 15 patterns of welly warmer socks and 17 patterns of Chunky slippers socks knitting patterns from me. I focused on copying these two patterns, along with my other sales. However, in the evening, while writing to thank my customers for their orders and nursing my aching lower back, I saw a message from this lady asking if these were Originals or photocopies. She said if they weren't, she didn't want them and to cancel the order. I had already printed them off, bought the postage, but then I cancelled the postage. Later, she messaged asking why it takes so long to post the orders. I'd only just received her order that day, so I found it strange but explained that my listing was self-explanatory because I have dementia and sometimes get confused. I told her they were photocopies and she said she didn't want them and to cancel the order. I explained I had already printed them, so I didn’t know what to do with 27 copies. Things escalated from there. We argued, and I said I didn't like her attitude; she replied I was no better. I said I have issues with people like her, not customers in general. She became very rude and threatened to report me to eBay over a message I sent asking, 'What’s your problem?' which was a proper response when she inquired about the posting time. She accused me of not mentioning photocopies in my listing, to which I apologised and said I would update it, as I often change my descriptions because I sometimes forget what I've written, as they tend to go on. I put at the top of my listings that these are knitting patterns, not the actual garments. That night, I went to bed to rest my back. The next day, I received a message from eBay alleging they were taking down my sock listings because I can’t resell used underwear! What??? These are knitting patterns, not underwear! She’s blatantly lied, claiming they are used underwear, even though she hasn't received any parcel. She knew they were patterns, but eBay believed her and removed my good listings. It's the weekend now, and I'm likely to lose sales. She’s slandered me to eBay, pretending I sold underwear when I clearly sold knitting patterns, and even reported my listings for being in the wrong section. I want eBay to tell her off for her lies, knowing my listings were patterns, and they were in the knitting section, not underwear. I'm furious eBay didn’t verify this. Surely, if a listing is in the knitting section, it’s obvious I'm selling knitting patterns, not underwear. I may mark all my listings as photocopies because I change descriptions so often that I might overlook mentioning this explicitly. But surely anyone searching the knitting section can see my listings are patterns, not used clothing. Do I have to give her a refund? How long can I make her wait? How can I get her to face consequences for lying to eBay about my listings? It’s that time of year again when the unpleasant people come out of hiding. I think I'll close shop until Christmas. over!
red_magpie
Mentor10 months agoHave you considered that you're not allowed to sell photocopies of knitting patterns etc?
When you buy a knitting pattern, you own the actual copy you receive. You can even resell it if you want, like a book or a painting. But you don't have the right to make and sell copies of it.
That right belongs to the creator of the pattern, or their publisher. It's called copyright. It means that their work can't be copied and sold without their permission.
kikukatshandmade
OP10 months agoSorry, but I am doing what most knitting pattern sellers on here do.
Unless the owner of the pattern writes to me, whom I've no idea, as they don't have any designers' names on the patterns, as I bought them 4-5 years ago as photocopies. Then how do I know who they are? I am just doing the same as all the other sellers on here do.
This was NOT MY QUESTION.
Please don't bother to write unless you are answering my actual questions. Thank you.
kikukatshandmade
OP10 months agoSorry, but I am doing what most knitting pattern sellers on here do.
Unless the owner of the pattern writes to me, whom I've no idea, as they don't have any designers' names on the patterns, as I bought them 4-5 years ago as photocopies. Then how do I know who they are? I am just doing the same as all the other sellers on here do.
This was NOT MY QUESTION.
Please refrain from writing unless you are responding to my actual questions. Thank you.
*vyolla*
Mentor10 months agoI'd cancel and refund, there's nowhere to really go with this.
And you cannot sell patterns that are copyright to somebody else (even if other sellers are doing it). There are a couple of threads in Seller Central wherein we've been trying to help sellers who've been served with legal notices for doing just that. Responders here are just trying to give you a heads up and be helpful.
If you own the copyrights you still need to be selling them on a business account, as you've sold over 30 items eBay will be passing on details of your sales to HMRC. If there's any tax to pay you can claim expenses as a business, but not as a private seller on a private account.
red_magpie
Mentor10 months agoPlease refrain from writing unless you are responding to my actual questions.
This is a public board, not one-to-one advice.
Answers given here are for the information of the eBay community. They are often viewed hundreds, sometimes thousands of times. They may include points which the original questioner may not even have thought about.
Like you, many sellers on eBay may not realise that buying something like a knitting pattern doesn't entitle them to make and sell copies of it. Selling pirated copies of other people's copyright work denies them the income due when their work is reproduced. It's called intellectual property theft, and is illegal.
Just because other sellers may be doing it doesn't make it alright to do it yourself.
plpmr
Mentor10 months agowanted to help but a solid block of over 500 words made it impossible.
kikukatshandmade
OP10 months agoI don't understand what you mean, as I have dementia. Solid block of writing? Because there are no paragraphs? I'm lucky to have written what I have. Its how I write. Sorry.
tobiasd4
Mentor10 months agoYou can cancel now and it will refund buyer automatically.
If you don't refund or post items, buyer can open item not received cases.
FYI. You are not allowed to sell copies of patterns without copyright owners permission, which I doubt you have.
kikukatshandmade
OP10 months agoWhy does ebay allow it then, when most of us do it?
tobiasd4
Mentor10 months agoJust because you and others do it, does not mean it is legal.
You haven't been caught yet.
I did reply to your original question.
Either cancel and refund or buyer can open item not received cases.
kikukatshandmade
OP10 months agoThank you for your reply. I did see it. Like I say, i'm doing it so are most of the other pattern sellers on here with or without being a business. So I am sure that ebay allows it to continue, because they would lose a lot of revenue if they stopped it. Its better than who facebook allows on their sites. Like this salt trick for losing weight! Which being a gullible git, because I didn't know about AI voice overs etc, I got done out of £600! And its NOT THE FIRST TIME IVE BEEN HAD OVER ON THERE. They see me coming every time.
Back to the patterns I am within my rights to sell a pattern if its gone out of print.
*vyolla*
Mentor10 months agoNo, you're not - it needs to go out of copyright, not out of print.
The copyright will be good for the designers lifetime plus 70 years.