Is eBay willingly supporting counterfeit goods

[simoncordier]

Saw a IWC Tourbillon watch for sale in HK, brand new for £198. On closer inspection the mechanism front and back are different to a real IWC, never mind that a second hand one goes for £20k and up. 
so I reported it to eBay but they have just cleared it. 
“What happened:
We looked into your report and didn’t find the listing to be in violation of our policy. This determination was made using automation or artificial intelligence.” 

Not great at protecting IP or what people have paid for real items. A shame as it just plays into certain narratives about eBay. Disappointing. 

[tressygirl]

eBay cannot go by just one message as this could come from a disgruntled buyer or even a competitor.

eBay acts on cases.  If enough cases are opened for item not as described,  resulting in above average refunds this raises red flags to eBay they can inspect the seller's activities and can apply sanctions or bans from selling.

On receiving a fake a buyer would be fully protected and receive a full refund under eBay's 30 day MBG policy written on every listing.

As an aside,   you mention the value of this watch,  to be a ' clue' to its authenticity.  Someone I know after a horrid messy divorce, sold her ex hubby's  £20k Rolex for £200,  and gave that money to the British Heart Foundation!  Many reasons why bargains can be found ! 

Before someone says she could have got more for the watch to give to charity,  true, but  she didn't tell hubby where the money went,  just what the watch sold for,  giving picture evidence!

@simoncordier 

[simoncordier]

Not sure this is a comforting response.

if the response had started “eBay has a zero tolerance policy on  selling or advertising counterfeit goods”. Instead the sale was defended by a) devaluing a single complaint b) recourse of buyer protection c) challenging the basis that is intact counterfeit, d) the complainer may wish direct harm on the specific seller through a disingenuous complaint ( I don’t). 

So eBay doesn’t take a response seriously on its individual merits?  
Buyer protection isn’t really the answer - eBay shouldn’t be supporting the marketing of counterfeit goods in the first place. I’d be tempted to buy the item, recover the amount spent and then destroy the item. Trouble is that buying a counterfeit item can be co striped as a serious offence linked to funding terrorism. 
some of us are unhappy with fake goods and I went to the effort of raising a complaint but this seems to have fallen on deaf ears?

[tressygirl]

eBay cannot act on one message no matter how helpful you are being, and I see you are wishing and taking that route, but many reports of fake items come through from competitors or angry buyers .

I am in no way condoning the sale of fake items,  which aside from the fact,  it is illegal to sell these items anywhere in the UK.  I too have fallen foul of receiving a fake item. I opened a case,  received a full refund, but kept the seller as ' saved seller', to check their future selling activity.

A few months later that seller was ' No longer registered'  meaning eBay removed them from their site.  Cases do work, a message doesn't no matter how well meaning, for the reasons above,   it takes time,  but can have a good result.

@simoncordier