Found a very high-end OOAK item listed by two sellers, can you guys shed some light?

[kali_is_my_copilot]

So I was window-shopping old pawn silver pieces and found a bracelet listed by two different sellers, with two totally different sets of pics; both BIN, one $1,300 less than the other. Is this some kind of weird BIN shill? A scam of some sort on the part of one of the sellers? A consigner listing something that's already been consigned? Just wondering if I'm missing something and what the point of this would be.

http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.view&id=380265665579&alt=web

http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.view&id=370427731603&alt=web

Edit: I see that these two sellers have other items cross-posted so I'm assuming there's nothing scammy going on per se but I'm still wondering what the benefit would be business-wise.

 

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[meanpc]

One benefit I could see.

Let's say I have an item that is worth $1000. It is pretty unique, so there are no other comparables for people to look at to try to obtain a 'true' value.

So I put one up at $4,000. I use another account and different title, description, pictures, etc and list it at $3,000.

So now, there is a value out there for what the thing is worth. Someone buys the one at 3,000, then the seller takes the 4,000 priced item down. They made an extra 2K over the 'true' worth. They are creating an artificial market value. I'd call it a scam.

 

[mojjax]

That is strange

 

[kali_is_my_copilot]

Right? I felt like I was taking crazy pills. And yeah pc that's the only real advantage I could see, or possibly (the higher priced) one is tied to a real-world inventory and inflates the books artificially while these things sit around waiting to sell? Just strange, also seems like there would be conflicts with seller policies re: eBay.

 

[meanpc]

Just for fun, I asked the seller why the exact same bracelet was being sold on another account. In the unlikely event that I get an answer, I'll post it here.

 

[kali_is_my_copilot]

You're my hero.

 

[gunsil]

I believe it is one guy with two ebay accounts. I also believe he is just fishing as far as price goes. Bracelet may be "bow guard" inspired, but it isn't a real bow string guard. Real ones do not have raised stones that would be hit by the bow string.

 

[Joe777Cool]

So unique and rare that there are 2 for sale!

Someone should buy both and say they want a matching pair.

 

[kali_is_my_copilot]

That's right, perfectly matched, lol. I just think it's silly because obviously identical items + wildly varying pricing = arbitrary value assignment at its best. I'm guessing there are people with more money than sense who fall for it, but when I see that it makes me doubt their ability to rationally price their merchandise.

 

[pat-tekker-cat]

Ok, one acct has over 3000 items, and the other acct has over 1600 items.

Here's a pic of the guy from the 1600+ listings acct

Native American Navajo Turquoise Inlaid Buffalo Skull Wall Mount Sale | eBay

The other acct(3000+) has a few listing, but with other ppl pic'd in them. Looks to be a younger native man/boy, another native man, a white looking man and a white looking lady(I could be wrong). It also looks like, on his wood cigarman indian, he also has the wall and glass from Cheers, lol. Movie prop maybe?
Seems they may be a store or collective, and are selling the dog dookie outta stuffs!

More power to them!

 

[jerseyben]

All of you seem to be forgetting that an item is worth what someone is willing to pay for it.

 

[meanpc]

All of you seem to be forgetting that an item is worth what someone is willing to pay for it.

Not me, I never forget that. The only part that makes it a scam is that one of the accounts is selling something that doesn't exist. (if that's what is going on)

 

[riverdive]

The stones are exactly the same in flaws and attributes...SCAM....

 

[mugsisme]

The stones are exactly the same in flaws and attributes...SCAM....

I opened the auctions side by side in different tabs. If you take the two pictures with the cuffs standing on their side, look at the middle stone. It is the exact same. If these are natural stones, how in the world are they exactly the same?
Do you think Ebay will catch on if you report both listings?

 

[kali_is_my_copilot]

I believe it's the same bracelet listed under two different seller accounts, which I'm pretty sure is a policy violation in its own right.

 

[diggummup]

I believe it's the same bracelet listed under two different seller accounts, which I'm pretty sure is a policy violation in its own right.

Yes it is and that is exactly what they are doing.

Not allowed

• More than one listing of an identical item listed separately by the same seller:
  
  • Under another eBay user ID
  • Identical items listed in different categories, though you might be able to list an item in a second category.
• A fixed price listing and an auction-style listing with the Buy It Now option for identical items.
  
• Multiple auction-style listings for identical items can't offer any of the following:
  
  • Buy It Now option
  • Different start prices
  • Different reserve prices
  • Different titles or descriptions
    
    Duplicate listings policy

 

[Tallone]

I see that these two sellers have other items cross-posted so I'm assuming there's nothing scammy going on per se but I'm still wondering what the benefit would be business-wise.

I disagree with the assumption that there is nothing scamming going on. I can't think of a single reason why someone would go to the trouble of posting the same item on different accounts unless they were trying, as meanpc says, to create a false sense of value. I didn't do extensive checking but I did sort these two accounts high-to-low for one category and found several very high dollar items where they appear to have done this. Check the pics below:



The pics of these items look to me like the same image with slightly different digital manipulation of brightness and contrast.

If this isn't actually against eBay's stated policies, it should be. VERY slimy if you ask me.

 

[cyberdan]

ebay won't do anything between the two they have over 5000 & 100% in feedback. They make feeBay a lot of money.

 

[diggummup]

If this isn't actually against eBay's stated policies, it should be. VERY slimy if you ask me.

They are the same items, just different pics, and it is against policy-

Not allowed

More than one listing of an identical item listed separately by the same seller:

• Under another eBay user ID

 

[kali_is_my_copilot]

Tallone that's exactly what I did after I found the first listing, it's very extensive/brazen. Also taking pics is by far the most time-consuming and tedious part of listing things (for me anyway) but I guess past a certain price point it's not so bad to do it twice? I suppose there must be some division of labor when you have thousands of listings active, I would definitely need a helper lol.