Why doesn’t eBay remove "identical listings" that violate its policies?
Summary: A discussion was started by ronnydertankwart, who complained that eBay does not remove identical listings that violate their policies. steffi@ebay also took part in the discussion, but the exchange did not include any further details.
Hey,
you really don’t need more than the title here - especially in the trading card universe, there are tons of providers, some of whom have up to 200 identical listings online. According to the "General policy for listing items," for example, it is not allowed to list the same fixed-price offer multiple times in slightly modified form. The same sad story everywhere in the listings: same images, same item description, same price, and the same offer title extended by "#1, #2, #3, #4 etc." and that in hundreds of listings.
It really is like a plague sweeping over my search results. Is that the point? Why doesn’t Ebay take action against this when it is supposedly prohibited by their own policies? In the past, I’ve even sent reports about this content to Ebay, but what happened was exactly... nothing?
Has anyone else had experiences like this? It’s really super annoying... And before anyone asks: Yes, I’ve already adjusted my search results and blocked various sellers or excluded them from my search. But at the end of the day, it also comes down to the fact that other private sellers or their listings פשוט aren’t being seen because the search results of potential buyers are being flooded with this kind of nonsense.
Best regards,
Timo
steffi@ebay
Hello Timo @ronnydertankwart, thank you for taking the time to describe this in such detail – I absolutely understand how frustrating this can be, especially in the trading card area. 🎴
In principle, you’re right: according to our principles for listing items, identical or nearly identical duplicate listings are not permitted – especially if they are only minimally altered (e.g. by numbering such as “#1, #2, #3”), but are otherwise the same in content, price, images, and description. Such duplicates should neither impair the visibility of other sellers nor “flood” search results.
If you notice such listings, using the report function is indeed the right way. 🔎 However, not every reported listing is removed immediately. The listings are reviewed internally, and depending on the individual case – for example if variants are set up correctly or certain stock quantities are stored – they may be compliant or initially assessed that way. I understand that from the outside this often doesn’t seem comprehensible, especially when everything looks so similar visually.
As for the “bait offers” you described: if images or titles create expectations that are then qualified or excluded in the description, that is of course especially annoying. 😕 Our guidelines on misleading representation state that listings must be clearly and transparently worded. Here too, the only thing that helps is consistent reporting so these cases can be reviewed. Reviews from other buyers are also an important clue, but they do not replace a case-by-case review of a listing.
The fact that you’ve already excluded sellers and adjusted your search shows that you’re really engaging with this actively. 💪 Still, that shouldn’t be the long-term solution of course – search results should remain fair and relevant.
I’m happy to pass your feedback along as a general note as well, especially regarding the frequency in the trading card world. 📌 Feedback like this from the community is important for recognizing patterns and, if necessary, looking into targeted measures.
In any case, thank you for your objective contribution – even if it’s clear how much this topic understandably annoys you. 🙏
ronnydertankwart
OP5 months agoHello Steffi,
thank you very much for taking the trouble to look into my concern so thoroughly. In this case, I have now reported 4 different offers each for 3 different accounts and hope that this accumulation will become visible to the internal colleagues.
In addition, I noticed the following - all 3 accounts I reported...
- operate from the same postal code area (2x even the same town, the 3rd town was probably slightly adjusted so it doesn't look 100% identical)
- their descriptions are extremely similar or in some cases exactly the same
- in many auctions, the same pictures are even used by 2 different accounts
- on all 3 accounts, pictures are visible showing the cards placed on the same table (judging by the appearance).
- all 3 accounts are registered as "private"
- 2 of the 3 accounts were created in the same month in 2017
I'd like to believe in miracles - but that's too many "coincidences" at once for me. I also don't want to come across like the typical Alman who goes around snitching on people here. But if, over the years, no consequences are taken in more than 5,000 auctions across all 3 accounts, then as a fellow user over many years, it's actually rather hard to understand.
For now, I hope that my reports will make a difference and I'll keep an eye on the accounts. Your feedback gives me hope for now that my reports will be heard.
Best regards,
ronnydertankwart
OP5 months agoThe following context still needs to be added for understanding: The listings above are usually so-called "bait offers" - that is, certain cards, rarities, and components are advertised in the item images and in the title, which are then explicitly excluded in the item description.
So these typical "You get 500 cards, but what I show you in all the pictures doesn't necessarily have to be included..." - auctions. And judging by the ratings of these sellers, you can already guess that not a single buyer received even remotely what was shown in the pictures.
Just as a side note to understand why this annoys me so much ...