Should Replicas be stopped on eBay ?

[BaldyBob]

If they do not send by special delivery you can deny receiving it until the cows come home. They need proof of delivery, and recorded doesn't cut it....and being fake they are not covered anyway.......

Proof of Delivery

To be eligible for Seller Protection, we require two types of evidence for protection eligibility. A digital or physical proof that the item was sent by the seller, and proof that the item was delivered by the delivery company.

Items Not Covered

Items that don't match your description, intangible items like services or digital goods, items that violate our policies or eBay's policies, and items you sell or deliver in person. None of these items are covered.

 

[HelpingHands]

Problems would be

negative feedback (but I think feedback can't be left once you open a case)

Giving personal info to potential lunatics

Too many listings.  There will likely be always new sellers popping up for any we get rid of.

Lots of effort (especially if you have to send this stuff back).

 

[sovereignsteve]

Also arguing you never receive items x times will look a tad suspicious.

I preferred the idea someone came up with that if a coin is fake it doesn't need to be returned.

[HelpingHands]

19 minutes ago, sovereignsteve said:

I think that's a great idea but we need someone to definitively say this approach is correct according to ebay's rules and regs, and will work.

PayPal almost always sides with the buyer and I've read many sellers complaining that refunds and been processed without the goods being returned.

Maybe the strategy is to message the seller to give them the opportunity to remove goods (maybe with a new ebay account name which sounds official) before buying them.  

Its only worth doing if eBay/PayPal see a pattern in refunds and have to take these listings seriously.  I obviously don't want to end up getting banned myself.

[HelpingHands]

Don't buy this even though the seller is a 'perfect UK seller'.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/a-1-oz-999-silver-australian-2014-year-of-the-horse-perfect-uk-seller-/161914121105?hash=item25b2d56b91:g:f7MAAOSwAKxWaZaM

 

I see that they have also been buying falsely stamped jewellery from Chinese sellers and selling it onwards in the UK.  Everything goes on EBay.  

[sovereignsteve]

screams fake.

[HelpingHands]

http://uk.businessinsider.com/ebay-admits-it-banned-a-whistleblower-2014-11?r=US&IR=T

I may contact https://thecounterfeitreport.com after trading standards get back to me.

[ifing]

Just think of all the money eBay will lose if they forbid fake/mislabel gods.

[HelpingHands]

Meanwhile that horse has sold and they've listed another.

There must be some work around to contact the buyers of this stuff.  That would be the solution.

[sovereignsteve]

9 minutes ago, HelpingHands said:

Meanwhile that horse has sold and they've listed another.

There must be some work around to contact the buyers of this stuff.  That would be the solution.

You'll get labelled as an "abusive buyer"

[BaldyBob]

1 hour ago, HelpingHands said:

Meanwhile that horse has sold and they've listed another.

There must be some work around to contact the buyers of this stuff.  That would be the solution.

The sad reality may be that some people will always be scammed one way or another through their naivety/ignorance/greed.

Let them get on with it.

[sovereignsteve]

To an extent, I agree with you. These days people need to be able to look after themselves more and not rely on the "nanny-state" to do everything for them.

There's been a certain lobby that has striven to take any risk out of everything.

If people don't realise yet that the mantra of "caveat emptor" applies in spades to ebay, then there's no hope. Although ebay does try to mitigate this in it's own way, but that's another story!

[crocky]

..........I have noticed an increasing amount of fake kooks, on ebay, there are at least 4 today, they claim they are plated but are not cheap [which may seem, besides the point] what is more disturbing is they are claiming they are non metallic, one seller is selling 2 coins in one sale a kook and a spider [Perth], the listing, to me, encourages people to buy these in the confident knowledge they will not be detected if they sell them on later, have reported a couple which remained listed although one frequent seller doesn't have any listings now!

[Pete]

I wonder how long you would last on the Bay if selling genuine fake Levi denim jeans ?
The fact that these fakes are exact replicas is criminal.

The authorities need to clamp down on the manufacturers and I find it hard to believe the mints themselves are taking no apparent action.

[MickB]

Would a local trading standards office take up a case against a fake bullion seller on eBay on your behalf?

I was wondering if they have more power than Joe Public to get a result quicker when dealing with eBay and possibly securing a fine or prosecution.

[HelpingHands]

15 minutes ago, MickB said:

Would a local trading standards office take up a case against a fake bullion seller on eBay on your behalf?

I was wondering if they have more power than Joe Public to get a result quicker when dealing with eBay and possibly securing a fine or prosecution.

Well I'm kind of on that currently but I am complaining to trading standards about ebay providing a platform for counterfeits and profiting from their trade.  If silk road could be responsible for the items sold on that site then why are ebay not.

To report each seller individually it appears that you need to give the info to the local trading standards department (of the seller) with full address and post code (which you don't have unless maybe you have bought something).  I imagine that for every one taken down two more would appear. 

I'm not sure if Watchdog would be interested as it's too niche.

[daz]

2 hours ago, Pete said:

I wonder how long you would last on the Bay if selling genuine fake Levi denim jeans ?
The fact that these fakes are exact replicas is criminal.

The authorities need to clamp down on the manufacturers and I find it hard to believe the mints themselves are taking no apparent action.

you do get fake clothes on there as well , you get fake everything on there .

 headphones are notorious for being fake on ebay , also fake vaporizers/ecigs are sold by the bucket load.

 

hh - watchdog might not be interested just in fake coins but surely they would be interested in the total amount of fake goods , like you say they are enabling this trade in counterfeits and it must be worth millions to them every year

 

the worst thing about the coins though is that a lot of the adverts actually tell you they are fake by being silver plated , so should be taken down straight away just on the strength of that alone

   

[a_a]

http://www.royalmail.com/despatch-inward-mail-services/hints-and-tips/prohibited-goods

This link only mentions counterfeit currency but I have used it successfully on a fake .925 bracelet too

 

[crocky]

did several reports about the fake kooks and it 'appears' that they have ALL been withdrawn, at least I can't find any now!

[MickB]

I've reported plenty of fakes to ebay but never get any feedback as in to what the outcome was. It's as if they don't want to admit they have a problem with them.

I'm never sure if ebay are even serious about clamping down on sellers of fakes.

Having trading standards to answer to, I'd hope ebay would be more likely to listen to them as they seem to ignore many of their own ebay members concerns.

 

[JB3]

These concerns stopped me buying anything on eBay about two years ago. As far as I can tell (size, weight, neodymium magnet test) the few I did buy through eBay are legit, but I found myself the winner of a '.999 solid silver' clad coin auction once.

When I found out / realised they were clad (and what that meant) I told the seller I wasn't paying. I thought he'd come after me, but now I know he'd rather I calmly walk away and he can re-list than me report him for arguably mis-selling.

 

Never bought anything on eBay since.

[Pete]

How about this forum drafts a letter to eBay pointing out that they are permitting their platform to be used by crooks selling fake silver coins, that it also fails to provide responses to those of us who take time to report items and sellers and that a copy will be forwarded to the Mints producing these coins. We could add our electronic signatures or similar to this letter, so if 100 or so members support this, perhaps they MIGHT take more notice. If not it can start the ball rolling any maybe can be used by those of us who would like to notify trading standards.

[BaldyBob]

I am a member of another forum for a hobby which is also plagued  by fakes.

Not to be insulting, but a much bigger Forum, a similar letter/campaign,  and a negative result unfortunately.

[Agpanda]

I think a way to go is to drown them in reports. i.e. all here send in atleast 20 reports each day for say 1 week

That will wake them up, maybe ask for help from other forums like SS

[Pipers]

'Which' a couple of years ago had a report about online auctions (ebay) scamming, counterfeit goods were found in most departments, in the end it came down to don't buy from ebay unless you know what you are doing. I have reported ebay to Trading standards nothing happens they are to big. My argument with trading standards was if a local auction house was selling counterfeit goods they would stop it, ebay is only an online version of a physical auction.