Reporting counterfeit items
Summary: janguenni discusses issues with reporting counterfeit items on eBay, noting that eBay sometimes does not recognize listings as violations. Recently, the option to appeal eBay's decision has been removed due to missing reference numbers and links. miriam@ebay acknowledges the issue and mentions internal checks, while others debate the role of consumers and the responsibility of platforms in preventing fake sales. Despite technical fixes, concerns remain about counterfeit items slipping through. sunrise1605 points out that buyers may knowingly purchase counterfeits, leading to a discussion on ethics and consumer responsibility, while *sweet-melody* suggests mandatory authenticity certificates, although janguenni warns that even these can be faked. The discussion highlights ongoing frustration with detection tools and consumer choices.
Hello,
I know the Prada brand VERY WELL. Especially Prada bags, because I handle many authentic bags every day. Only when I KNOW 100% EXACTLY that a fake has been listed do I occasionally report it as a counterfeit.
In 50% of cases, however, eBay believes that these counterfeits do NOT violate eBay policies. Up to now I have been able to appeal this decision; the letter included a link and the reference number of the reported item.
For the past 2 weeks, an appeal against the eBay decision has no longer been possible, because both the reference number and the "appeal link" are missing from the letter.
Well then, that is a decision that helps those who list counterfeit items.
Since these cheap bags - due to the authenticity check - are usually listed for under 200 euros, dozens of buyers will once again receive counterfeit Pradas.
*sweet-melody*
·3 days agoAs I just see, my post was deleted,
for whatever reason.
I wish you a nice evening, @janguenni !
janguenni
OP3 days agothanks, you too - bye
nostalgie59
·5 days agoPlaying brand/plagiarism sheriff here is pretty pointless. If someone wants to be cheated, let them be "cheated".
janguenni
OP5 days agoHave you ever bought your favorite perfume and then found at home that the scent is a horribly smelling watery mess? No? Then be glad! Have you ever bought an insanely expensive designer shirt and then, when it arrived at your home, found that a seam had completely come undone because it was a cheap fake shirt? No? Lucky you! - Not all fakes here are clearly recognizable as fake, and to assume that buyers are stupid and want to be cheated is just nonsense! I also understand that as a rule you can't buy a fine Prada for under 100 euros, but that has also happened to me here. Super cheap and original! So I can't understand your comment at all. Originals may be sold here, fakes may not!! What's so hard to understand about that? Best regards
nostalgie59
·5 days agoMuhaha!
janguenni
OP5 days ago?
tolls-king-2018
·5 days agoHello! They do NOT want or are not able to understand your concern!
janguenni
OP5 days agoIt’s often like that here in the forum; there are a few ebayers hanging around who want to vent their sarcasm, their sense of humor, or their frustration and “go all out.” Grin. Either way, you shouldn’t let that discourage you. I just “can’t be bothered with fraud involving fakes.” Best regards
miriam@ebay
Hello @janguenni - earlier I sent you a community PM as an exception, since our tech team needs the original email to be able to trace the described behavior (partially missing item number, reference number, and appeal function) in the email "We have reviewed your report".
Thanks for your help and kind regards
Miriam
sunrise1605
·1 week agoMaybe the buyers specifically want Prada bags for under €200, so fake ones.
I mean, someone with a bit of common sense probably wouldn’t expect a real one there.
janguenni
OP6 days agoI can't understand responses like that. That's exactly the point, NOT to pave the way for such purchases. Illegal is illegal! And selling goods under brand names as genuine is fraud. That should actually be clear to you too, right? If you tolerate the sale of fakes because someone wants fake stuff, then you can also tolerate other kinds of fraud, someone always wants it that way! Right?
sunrise1605
·6 days agoBut that doesn’t change the fact that buyers knowingly buy counterfeits (Turkey!) and are therefore not being deceived.
The victims are the labels; they are the ones being deceived.
That Ebay doesn’t always pursue this, or doesn’t want to, is a different matter.
By the way, I never, anywhere, in any way, condoned the sale of counterfeits; I merely touched on the point of supply and demand.
janguenni
OP5 days agoAnyone who knowingly buys plagiarized items (and is clearly informed beforehand that they are plagiarized) should go ahead and do it, if they can take responsibility for that themselves. But that's not the case here on eBay; here, FAKES are being listed VERY DELIBERATELY in order to make a real killing. When a hype “prada” item is being sold massively in Turkey again, eBay gets flooded with it shortly afterward. Not long ago, Prada card cases were “in”; they cost about 500 euros at Prada and here those things are then offered as genuine Prada for 30 euros. They really do look almost real and not everyone knows their way around. That's just not right, that's fraud. A friend of mine bought a “Prada” secondhand for around 300 euros and was horrified when I showed her the authenticity features on my bags. Something like that should not happen, in my opinion. Best regards
miriam@ebay
Hello @janguenni and many thanks for taking the time to share your experience.
I can understand that it’s annoying when the reference number and the option to appeal are missing from the notification. Your observation has been passed on internally so it can be checked whether there is a technical issue here and whether adjustments need to be made.
Regardless of that, I would also like to mention that buyers of qualified designer bags can use the optional authenticity check. If they choose to do so, the item will be checked for authenticity by independent professionals before delivery. This provides additional security when buying high-quality branded items.
Many thanks also for your commitment to reporting potentially counterfeit items.
Kind regards
Miriam
janguenni
OP6 days agoThanks for your contribution, meanwhile the problem has been solved and the - apparently technical - error fixed.
Nevertheless, ebay (or the AI that checks the reports) allows masses of fakes. Even if the seller says exactly in the item description that it is a fake, ebay allows the reported item and does not find any violation of the policy on replicas and fakes.
Oh dear, and authenticity checks don’t help either. Thanks again to you.
*sweet-melody*
·4 days agoHello @janguenni !
So, I think it’s outrageous to let an
immature AI decide whether an
item is real or fake. I’d have liked to know how high the error rate is.
Why not require the
sellers to provide a certificate of authenticity
before they’re allowed to list the item?
janguenni
OP4 days ago1) The thing about AI is true, I agree with you on that.
2) The authenticity certificates are being forged too, that doesn't bring any advantage. FG
*sweet-melody*
·4 days agoUltimately, there’s no 100% solution to be sure you’re safe from counterfeits, especially since fakes are always
getting better.
I myself would never buy these expensive items online, but always in person at a specialist store.
Best regards
janguenni
OP3 days agoyes, of course that’s safer. But not everyone lives in cities where you can buy, for example, Prada bags. I’d have to drive about 200 km to Düsseldorf if I want to look for a Prada bag. And then you easily pay 2000 - 4000 euros. Here on eBay, original Pradas are available from about 200 euros and there are lots of great guaranteed original bags. Not everyone offers fake bags at a low price; there are also many honest eBay sellers.
*sweet-melody*
·3 days ago@janguenni , unfortunately my posts are being deleted,
I don't know why.
Wishing you a lovely evening!