Hey thanks. It is actually kind of funny, the guys claiming NOT HACKED in their auctions didn't start adding that until I started running my auctions. Which actually backfires on them - people will see that and go "hacked? What does this seller mean, HACKED? I ain't buying this s**t if they are hacked!" :wink:

Re: Appeal to other Ebay sellers
 

THIS is why I am doing this:
"Thanks much for saving me from being ripped off. You are providing a vaulable service to eBayers with this info. I suspect that these MP3 players are only the tip of the iceberg with scam consumer electronic products."

Surely the most efficient solution is "direct marketing"?! Each auction gives the identity of the current highest bidder - who can be contacted by any EBay registered third party using that ID. Why not send the info you were broadcasting to a selection of the highest bidders on a regular basis? Sure, it'll take a little time... but not nearly as much time as it'll cost the crooked vendor when would-be purchasers start asking difficult questions (Like "why is your name on a blacklist?" "Why are you listed XYZ times ona petition against selling players with faked memory capacity?" "What guarantee do I have that the player you'll ship ME isn't a fake?") It also makes it more likely that pre-warned purchasers leave BAD feedback if/when they do get scammed.

@ BigRonW
Life is really not that simple - First, there is an auction ending almost every minute by the scammers.
Second - Send too many emails & ebay WILL suspend you.

I bid on & won a couple of 'scam-buster' listings from AlbertaSatellite with the intent of contributing some money towards relisting it. My account was promptly suspended on grounds of 'abusing ebay', without any specific reason.
I'm guessing it could be because -
- ebay saw that transaction as maybe a move to gather easy feedback.
- I made the big mistake of replying to alberta through the ebay system where I mentioned that I know him from mympxplayer forum.

But this isn't a NEW suggestion - you'll find it repeated several times on this forum as it has occurred (independently) to a number of posters. And as one of them points out... there are a LOT of members of this forum. If just a couple of dozen of us contacted say five buyers each, once a week... then another couple of dozen took over... Problem is, it's always so damned EASY to find reasons for inactivity - and to forget that if something similar had happened earlier, maybe you, and I and hundreds of others might have avoided being scammed.

When the isue was being discussed before, one mischevious poster pointed out that all you need to register with Ebay (as a purchaser) is an email address. SO... they ban you. But... which you? The persona you use to buy and sell... or the "spare" identity you created merely to protest through?! You really need to be more imaginative!

There are other avenues to be explored also, although picking the right time is important. In summer, when the politicians aren't legislating, everyone's on holiday, the print media are starved for things to cover - here in the UK we call it the "Silly Season". It's a good tije to start a media campaign. The summer's a way off though: Local radio stations seem an easier bet: many of them (again, here in the UK) run "consumer protection" programing - it's a cheap way to fill airtime and such shows are popular. There would be a fairly good chance to get coverage and publicity.

a 'couple of dozen'.. and then a couple of dozen again? You will be lucky if you can find 1 dozed to do it here!

as I see it, I think it is up to the sellers like me, alberta & others (whose legit businesses are affected due to the scammers) to come together and tackle this problem.

Yes there are a number of solutions like the scam buster listing, or sending emails or making bogus high bids on their auctions etc. In order to make a serious dent on the scammers will require effort, time and money, which only a seller with financial interest will be able to invest.

Unfortunately, I can't even get a dozen sellers together!

WTF??? That makes no sense. Are you sure something else didn't cause the suspension?

Here's the email they sent me:
"
FPA NOTICE: eBay Registration Suspension - User Agreement - Abusing eBay - hubblemart@gmail.com

Dear hubblemart (hubblemart@gmail.com),

We regret to inform you that your eBay account has been suspended due to concerns we have for the safety and integrity of the eBay community.

"Abusing eBay" of the eBay User Agreement states, in part:

"...we may limit, suspend, or terminate our service and user accounts, prohibit access to our website, remove hosted content, and take technical and legal steps to keep users off the Site if we think that they are creating problems, possible legal liabilities, or acting inconsistently with the letter or spirit of our policies."

Due to the suspension of this account, please be advised you are prohibited from using eBay in any way. This includes the registering of a new account.

Please note that any seller fees due to eBay will immediately become due and payable. eBay will charge any amounts you have not previously disputed to the billing method currently on file.


Regards,

Safeharbor Department
eBay, Inc.

Learn how you can protect yourself from spoof (fake) emails at:
http://pages.ebay.com/education/spooftutorial

This administrative email was sent to hubblemart@gmail.com from eBay. Your account is registered on www.ebay.com. As outlined in our User Agreement, eBay will periodically send you information about site changes and enhancements. If you would like to receive this email in text format, change your notification preferences.

See our Privacy Policy and User Agreement if you have questions about eBay's communication policies.
Privacy Policy: http://pages.ebay.com/help/policies/privacy-policy.html
User Agreement: http://pages.ebay.com/help/policies/user-agreement.html
"

I went through the user-agreement - can't figure out what policy I violated. Some searching on the net took me to a discussion where some people have been suspended for gathering feedback by buying multiple eBooks & softwares. Usually, ebay allows the sellers to continue selling!

They responded to my email after 4 days, asked me to fax some documents - ID / utility bill / bank statement etc. which I did on the 25th. I got "received submitted documents" email from them on the 26th - saying it will take a minimum of 72 hours to review, and "Emailing us before that time may result in further delays."

It's over a week since then.. I haven't heard from them! Sent another email today.

That is insane. It's pretty much standard-operating-procedure - buy a few cheap items on eBay so you don't have zero feedback. Many people do it. A suspension for that makes no sense. There must be more to it than that - and why do you have to fax them "ID/utility bill/bank statement"?

There has to be more to this story. I have gotten warnings in the past from eBay for doing things, nothing major, but I have never had an account suspended.

Has it occurred to anyone that what we write HERE may well be examined by an Ebay "mole"... and that EBay might then decide to take "retaliatory action"? But note my new thread (of a few moments ago!) suggesting that "cultural differences" may lie at the heart of our problems. Maybe they just don't understand that we "Westerners" really object to being tricked, and DON'T regard it as acceptable behaviour: we find it offensive. Different cultures, different rules. I'm continuously amazed by the amount of blatant political corruption tolerated by US Voters for example - a simple change in the way legislation is framed would substantially reduce the opportunity for corruption. However... what one culture regards as "normal" and "acceptable" may be regarded by another as "shocking" and/or "outrageous".

Re: Appeal to other Ebay sellers
 

Thank you for your bid on the following auction-style listing:

Item number: 270097001021
Title: BEWARE 4GB/8GB MP3/MP4 PLAYER SCAM - SOFTWARE & GUIDE

Unfortunately, eBay has removed this auction-style listing. All bids or offers on this listing have been canceled. Because the listing was ended, you no longer have any obligation to purchase this item. If the seller chooses to relist the item, you're welcome to bid on it again.

Listings are removed for different reasons. For example:
- The way the item was listed may violate eBay policy.
- The removal may be part of a separate action taken by eBay that is unrelated to the listing itself.

We hope you understand that, due to privacy concerns, we're unable to discuss the details of why this listing was ended. However, please note that the removal of this listing should not suggest that this seller's standing in the eBay Community has been called into question.

For more information on why eBay may remove a listing, please go to:

http://pages.ebay.com/help/tp/listing-ended.html

For information on how you can protect yourself and help ensure a positive buying experience in the future, visit:

http://pages.ebay.com/help/buy/buyer_checklist.html

We're sorry for the inconvenience and thank you for your understanding.


Sincerely,

eBay Trust & Safety

Too bad. Mine was the winning bid as well! But I thought you might like to see what EBay sends to the bidders....

Re: Appeal to other Ebay sellers
 

Every once in a while, eBay pulls a few of the auctions. They never remove them all, just a few. They send me a warning message, I promptly relist them and a few more. This is part of the message they send me:
The listing was removed because it violated the eBay Compilation and Informational Media policy. The violation occurred when you included the following information in your listing:
Listed in category: Consumer Electronics > Apple iPod, MP3 Players > Other MP3 Players
In Title: BEWARE 4GB/8GB MP3/MP4 PLAYER SCAM - SOFTWARE & GUIDE

This has probably happened about six times now. I think normally they would have cancelled my account by now, but I think they are removing a few token auctions and allowing me to continue as a service to the buyers out there.

Re: Appeal to other Ebay sellers
 

Hi, im also an honest seller. I've bought 20 legit 1GB mp4 players. I can't sell because people think they can get 4GB cheaper!

What about a 'badge of appoval' which can be added to auction description for honest sellers which links to this forum? Obviously this would need the approval of forum staff.

Surely that's not against ebay policy?

Re: Appeal to other Ebay sellers
 

Bump (to remind people of my efforts.)

Re: Appeal to other Ebay sellers
 

I cannot afford to lose money on these auctions anymore - for every one that sells for $1, I lose $0.33. So far I have paid about $50 out-of-pocket.

So I have bumped minimum to $2.00

Hi Alberta Satellite. I am in the same situation as you, although I have always listed at 99P which is about $2. I list mine in quantities of 5 which helps me to get the odd extra sale which keeps it just in profit so I can relist. As I am sure you realise it takes a lot of time to keep it alive and fresh, but I think it is worth the effort. Good Luck with it!!!

Well, no one is willing to pay $2 for my auctions, and I can't afford to keep paying the insertion fees. So I have removed all my auctions and won't be relisting them. Someone else can take up the gauntlet, or the sheep can continue to get fleeced.