Getting sick of sellers advertising items for a false price.

[petesean2316]

sellers advertising items at a shown price, then as soon as you choose a colour or size the price shoots up. And theres nothing in the drop down for price advertised. This is false info, good to attract buyers but a waste of buyers time. if they are lying about price are they lying about other things described ?

[reilge4]

This practice has been pissing me off for ages! Was recently looking at beach chairs and one seller showed various options but the priced advertised was for a usb cable!

The ad description and images were for the chairs but the price as said was for a completely random item. It's past time that eBay clamped down on this practice, they ask buyers to be respectful but how can we be when some sellers are disrespectful of customers.

[everyonesfavourite]

I get it when looking at clothes, and they advertise, say, a polo shirt for £10 for example, and as soon as you click on the colour you want the price goes up. I'd assume this was a violation. That ebay allows it as extremely annoying and timewasting.

[nigel_paul_wright7557]

Its like sellers think we are stupid.

I tend to not look at multi listings and just look at BIN.

[everyonesfavourite]

That's a good idea. I'll start doing that. It really puts me off shopping on ebay.

[date80211]

Yes, Nigel, and worse, it makes it very clear that e-Bay doesn't mind them thinking we're stuoid…

[date80211]

Yes, and worse, it makes it very clear that e-Bay doesn't mind…

[reilge4]

Does eBay even read these comments? Well, I'm off to shop at Temu! (Why isn't there a middle finger emoji?)

Sent from Outlook for Android<>

[date80211]

Last week I found both a real solution, and an e-Bay agent who was more than helpful (Though the problem now is, I don't remember by what arcane route I got to peak to her!)

Nevertheless when we walked through the ad together, she agreed dit was misleading, promised to make her own, internal report supporting mine and told me that in most cases our two reports together would be anough to get a flea in the seller's ear.

For thoses wioth the time and inclination:

At top left of an e-Bay screen, locate Hello Yourname

Look rightish and click on Help & Contact.

In ’Search eBay Help…’ Enter ‘report seller’

Click on ‘Report a seller’

Under ‘Please tell us what you’re reporting’ select the bottom choice, ‘The seller has violated one of eBay’s policies’

Click Continue

Under ‘Please tell us what you’re reporting’ select the bottom choice, ‘The seller has violated one of eBay’s policies’

Under ‘Tell us what happened’ select the bottom choice, ‘Other’

Fill in the Seller’s username and Additional details

Click Submit

[date80211]

In that case you make it clear in some combination of the listing and the multi-price menu.

Why would it be difficult to include in the main title 'NB: fabric £30 a meter. Samples 99p'?

[the_bald_orc]

The vast majority of my listings are variation listings. 

I don't see them as inherently dishonest because I believe you get a price range before you even open the listing, ie £2.60 - £6.80. 

I can't price all my options the same, a transfer sheet will always be cheaper than a model - but it's still part of the same box.

If eBay decided to do away with variations my listings would go from about 280 to close to 2,500 and it would be much more difficult for my customers to find exactly what they're looking for.

[date80211]

No-one is suggesting e-Bay shoud do away with variation listings, nor do anything against honest sellers like yourself.

The only suggestion is that less scrupulous and even downright dishonest sellers be taken to task

Looking at your own listings, I don't understand how things are 'part of the same box' unless the price is for that whole box… and how could that not side-step the whole question?

Why the cheaper transfer sheet and the more expensive model have to appear in the same variation is a different question; perhaps interesting in itself but no excuse for a different class of sellers cheating.

[xvmartinxv]

It's been over 4 years since you made this complaint and  sellers are still using this scam to draw customers in and I'm sick of it!!!  Why the hell haven't you done anything about this eBay???? If you don't sort this sh*t out pronto I'll take my business to Amazon. Probably better prices their anyway!!

[reilge4]

Where there is a variety of items and a given price range that is fine, the thing that *bleep* customers off is when the photographs shown in the main ad. is for a specific item along with a description of that same item but the price advertised is for a random item not in main pics or description.

Sent from Outlook for Android<>

[papso22]

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@the_bald_orc wrote:

The vast majority of my listings are variation listings. 

I don't see them as inherently dishonest because I believe you get a price range before you even open the listing, ie £2.60 - £6.80. 

I can't price all my options the same, a transfer sheet will always be cheaper than a model - but it's still part of the same box.

If eBay decided to do away with variations my listings would go from about 280 to close to 2,500 and it would be much more difficult for my customers to find exactly what they're looking for.

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I am afraid I see your listings as misleading because your main picture is of the complete box of figures and yet that is not what is for sale.  If what is for sale is single figures from a box, then all your photos should be of single figures.  

Transfers from the box belong on a separate listing for transfers only.

[sstcq]

I agree that's wrong and part of the problem.

Most common ones I see and come across on eBay are for cheap but popular items like screen protectors and cases for mobile phones - screen protectors almost all sellers have a random protector for an obscure, old phone no one wants for 99p (or swaps the glass ones for a plastic one) and case sellers have the nice cases priced normally and a basic clear silicone case at 99p.

Very hard to find the item you want and compare true pricing. Very much not a 'good buyer experience' eBay is always talking about. 

[reilge4]

Yes, the eBay community is talking about it but is eBay listening, does someone at eBay actually read what the community is talking about?

Sent from Outlook for Android<>

[blue-buttercup]

It's a scam!!!

[4_bathrooms]

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@blue-buttercup wrote:

It's a scam!!!

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It isn't a scam as sellers engaging in the practice usually do have the item for sale at the price shown when the desired variation is selected. It is, however, materially misleading advertising as it suggests the desired item is available for a much cheaper price than it actually is; a sort of "bait and switch" practice.

I suspect unless enough people complain to the body responsible for policing such things (i.e. The Advertising Standards Authority) eBay will continue to do nothing about it. The ASA will only be interested in the seller(s) engaging in the practice but if they receive enough complaints about enough sellers maybe they'll take eBay to task for facilitating the practice. 

[date80211]

Thanks and you wholly missed the point which is that this is always, by definition, a scam. If it weren't a scam, it woiuld also not be sellers advertising items for a false price.

I started this thread to discuss a practice whose definition you seem to find illusory, at best.

There never have been, are not now and never will be any sellers engaging in the practice who ever have the item for sale at the price shown, whatever variation is selected. That's the only point and who doesn't accept it, is talking about something differrent.

You yourself  point that out with 'it is however, materially misleading as it suggests the desired item is available for a much cheaper price than it actually is; a sort of "bait and switch" practice.'

Which would you like? 'it's misleading as it suggests the item is available for a… cheaper price…; a sort of "bait and switch" practice' or 'some sellers engaging in the practice do have the item for sale at the price shown when the desired variation is selected'?

If you see a way to have both, why not explain here how they don't necessarily contradict each other?

[4_bathrooms]

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@date80211 wrote:

Thanks and you wholly missed the point which is that this is always, by definition, a scam.

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Oxford English Dictionary's definition of a scam is: "a dishonest scheme; a fraud". However, there is no fraud involved; whilst the practice is dishonest it would only be fraudulent if the seller sent the 99p item no matter what variation the buyer purchased (for example). Once you select the variation you actually want you realise it will cost you £15.00 (or whatever) to purchase instead of 99p. So you have been mislead into clicking on the listing but you haven't been "scammed".   

As I pointed out seller's engaging in this practice are breaking the ASA's CAP Code. It is in the same boat as when the supermarkets were inflating the price of a product for a few days then reducing the price back to normal and advertising "Was: £x Now: £y" which falsely suggested a bargain existed when it did not. If you feel so strongly about the issue then by all means report infringing sellers to the ASA; they are the body that regulates online advertising after all. eBay have seemingly made it clear to you they aren't going to do anything themselves.

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@date80211 wrote:

I started this thread

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After reading your earlier responses this is clearly your thread and anyone who isn't prepared to agree unconditionally with your viewpoint is wasting their time replying so I shall not any further.