General Cycling Discussion - People misleading auctions on Ebay

I have noticed that a lot of people are using names such as Rivendell and Waterford and others to sell there items on eBay. I have no problem with using a word or name like Rivendell to sell your product if you bought it from them but should they be allowed to use the name in the in the Title field to get people to notice. I often like to search for stuff on eBay and get tired of sifting through loads of junk. Like search Rivendell and click bicycles and you will see one Rivendell and more bikes not Rivendell then are Rivendell. Now if your selling something ok fine but I think eBay is infested with junk auctions. If your selling Rivendell fine but don't say Tomac Rivendell or Trek Rivendell or another name in the title field. Cross reference is fine but do you think that eBay is over run with misleading auctions. I think if you have a Japeneese frame its ok in the description but not to say Nishiki Rivendell and you look and its for a set of wheels that are no namers. The above is things I have seen and maybe not on eBay now.

I noticed a guy advertising a several year old used Waterford bike that had sent back to Waterford for repaint as new instead of used. Claimed that made it "new". I called him on it and he gave me grief about his thousands of transactions versus my 30 transctions experience made him more qualified to judge. But he said he would change it just for me and he did change it.

What do you think, new or used? IMHO you do not have to have any E-bay transactions to call that one!

Yeah, I know what you are talking about.
I collect pre-republic Peterson of Dublin pipes and used to search ebay for those "diamonds in the rough". Every time I'd search for "Peterson" I'd get 100 returns for "smoking pipe not peterson dunhill etc etc". Became too much of a hassle to search through the garbage looking for something.

IMHO, it's search engine spamming. A questionable business practice. As a former eBay Power Seller with over 12,000 positive feedbacks, I disdain such practices and avoid dealing with those sellers.

I think ebay calls it keyword spamming. It's supposed to be against the rules. Whether ebay enforces it is anothery matter.

Tim

I think ebay calls it keyword spamming. It's supposed to be against the rules. Whether ebay enforces it is anothery matter.

Tim
I tested eBay by reporting some more blatant sellers. The bottom line was the auctions remained. It seems eBay writes rules against the practice, but doesn't care about enforcing them.

I am a eBay user since June 2000 and this post is not to knock eBay but the people who like one poster said calls something new just cause of repaint. What the seller should have said was used but new paint and that to me would be honest. Also this whole refurbished flood of cell phones and stuff on eBay should be listed as refurbished and not new. Some people say new and down the page 600 words later is the refurbished part and yes they said refurbished but they mislead you on the opening section of the listing. I know eBay cant enforce this but that is something that members should work on. Anyway my main point is to sellers, in the description say its built from the same specs like something famous or popular if it is but don't waste our time in the description that eBay searches for. I saw a listing by a guy who called it Paramount Waterford. I might be wrong but there is not a Paramount Waterford... it is Schwinn Paramount "1970's" to "1990's" by the way or just Waterford although built by the same people. I know he was trying to sell a nice vintage but saying it is a Waterford when it is a Paramount is wrong and Waterford was not around when his bike was built.

Yeah, it's not allowed, but I've never bothered reporting it.
It happens ALL the time. Remote control cars is a hobby of mine, and it's done constantly with them. Sometimes no explanation as "Not etc"... it'll just list several popular trucks... even though the parts are incompatible with them all.

I noticed a problem with my Poll Question. I asked " Is eBay and misleading people in the Title field becoming to much a problem.". What I meant " Is Sellers on eBay misleading buyers getting to be a problem". Granted eBay should enforce the rules but they I am sure don't have enough people working to enforce the rules compared to the number of items listed everyday.