Fee-bay . . . the Rest of the Story!

You know, part of the problem could be simply a matter of numbers. I noticed last night that there were over 130,000 auctions just in the US Coins section. How many millions must there be all over, going on at any one time. Perhaps they are just like any other large organization -- the squeaky wheels get the grease, board of directors not wanting to spend too much on full time employees, a mix of overworked managers and lazy managers, and so forth. I tend to not think it's as simple as "let's ignore it because we make money from it."

 

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The good news is if ebay ever goes belly-up, they did it all to themselves. I doubt Target would still be around if they were out of touch with their customers as bad as ebay.

 

Here's the reply I received from Ebay on my report:

Dear eac.toad,

Thank you for writing eBay in regard to your report on Image and Text Theft.

I reviewed all the information you sent, but I don't have enough evidence to show that the seller violated any eBay policies.

Sometimes members allow others to use their images. It's also possible that the seller got the photo from the same source or from a source we can't verify. In either case, we can't remove the listing.

The only way we can take action in a case like this is if the person who owns the image or text writes to us directly.

If you feel strongly about this issue, I recommend that you contact the content owner and suggest that he or she contact us. Once we hear from the owner, we can respond appropriately.

It is my pleasure to assist you. Thank you for choosing eBay.

Sincerely,
Nicole"


Needless to say, that pee'd me off so I sent a reply:

I find it interesting that I know more about your policies than you do. The Coin & Stamp Policy clearly says the photo MUST be of the actual item for sale and cannot be a "stock" photo or "borrowed" photo:

Guidelines for coins and paper money sellers:

Read the Code of Conduct for Selling Coins & Paper Money on eBay.

Include all relevant information that is known about the coins or paper money; for example their origin, date of issue, and condition.

Include a clear picture of the actual coin or paper money item that is being offered for sale.

Include all information concerning any alterations that may have been made to the coins or paper money.

Specifically identify every individual coin or paper money item listed to avoid misunderstandings about the nature of the items.

If unsure of the origin or authenticity of the coins or paper money, please state this clearly in the listing.

If members would like advice or information from other coins or paper money enthusiasts, visit eBay's Coins & Paper Money Chat Board.


So even if the owner of the pictures gave them permission to use them, it is in full violation of your policy!!!!

The sellers I reported were all using the same stolen photos and I even took the time to contact the actual owners of those pics and all said they never gave permission for those sellers to use their photos. You never contacted the pic owners to ask if they gave permission to use their photos, which proves Ebay isn't pro-active on fighting fraud and now gives us a foundation to contact the Justice Department to ask for their intervention.

Ribbit

It'll be interesting if I receive a reply? :whistle:

Ribbit

 

I'll drink to that quartertapper. I have quit selling coins (regularly, at least; never say never) on eBay; I wonder how many months it will take them to realize it and ask me why. I am certainly small fry, but so are the vast majority of its customers to whom it adopts such a blasé indifference.

Best Regards,

George
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VDB Coins