Page 1 of 6
Posted: Wed May 18, 2005 8:10 pm
by isoaker
Members have noted problems with various eBay listings from inaccurate product descriptions, plagarized information and image content, and outright false advertising. Some sellers may make honest mistakes that just need pointing out while others are undoubtedly trying to rip others off.
Use this thread to post up links to warn and/or notift other members about problematic eBay listings. As a community, we need to look out for each other. Questionable auctions should either be corrected or be reported depending on the nature of the problem.
For some references, here is a quote from an email received from an eBay representative:
We have found that many people are unaware that using images or text
that they have found on eBay or other sites on the Internet is against
eBay policy. Many of them will change their listings when contacted by
the owner of the material. Should this happen again in the future, in
addition to alerting eBay, please feel free to refer the other seller to
eBay's policy page at:
http://pages.ebay.co.uk/help/community/ ... mages.html
While there is no foolproof method to keep other members from
downloading your images and saving them, one way to discourage others
from using your images would be to use a graphic editing software to
create watermarks in your images.
For more information on our listing guidelines, please visit our policy
page at the following link:
http://pages.ebay.co.uk/help/sell/policies.html
For information on what can be listed on eBay, please be sure to check
our Prohibited, Questionable & Infringing Items pages:
http://pages.ebay.co.uk/help/sell/item_allowed.html
Posted: Wed May 18, 2005 8:55 pm
by hunter
Posted: Thu May 19, 2005 3:51 am
by ANNIHILATOR 2
Posted: Thu May 19, 2005 8:52 am
by hunter
wow:( lots of stupid/lazy people plagiaurizing...
Posted: Thu May 19, 2005 1:21 pm
by Wild Boys
Man, more people on eBay seem to be getting more lazy. Last year more people were giving their own description. Some people haven't even bothered to put up their own picture.
Posted: Thu May 19, 2005 2:31 pm
by Commander_Gaunt
The people taking Annihilators description is plagerism, but the avalon auctions aren't because they say the information was from i_soaker
Posted: Thu May 19, 2005 3:22 pm
by isoaker
Commander_Gaunt wrote:The people taking Annihilators description is plagerism, but the avalon auctions aren't because they say the information was from i_soaker
Yeah, those ones I'm currently letting slide, but I plan on contacting the seller, anyhow, since I don't like my info being used for commercial purposes (though it wasn't explicitly stated until now on my site). I'll forgive the current auctions, but don't want info used in future ones.
Posted: Thu May 19, 2005 4:26 pm
by ANNIHILATOR 2
Commander_Gaunt wrote:The people taking Annihilators description is plagerism, but the avalon auctions aren't because they say the information was from i_soaker
Sorcing websites it quite tricky. One actually has to name the owner of the link aswell. The site itself isn't enough. Otherwhise it gives legaly the impression that isoaker is selling.
Posted: Fri May 20, 2005 4:44 am
by Spinner
isoaker_com wrote:Commander_Gaunt wrote:The people taking Annihilators description is plagerism, but the avalon auctions aren't because they say the information was from i_soaker
Yeah, those ones I'm currently letting slide, but I plan on contacting the seller, anyhow, since I don't like my info being used for commercial purposes (though it wasn't explicitly stated until now on my site). I'll forgive the current auctions, but don't want info used in future ones.
I can see that with stats, but are you happy to simply have your comments quoted, such as "iSoaker.com calls this gun the "heavy-hitter of the CPS line"?
Personally, I do often get miffed, drawing the line with people pulling complete reviews/descriptions without saying where they got them, but provided that they link to the full review/site (in my case, SSC) I'm amenable, taking it as a compliment. I suppose it varies from individual to individual.
Posted: Fri May 20, 2005 6:45 am
by isoaker
Info linking (i..e pushing up links to direct auction goers places to read more info) and little bit o' quoting are acceptable, but full stats and review ripping are too much.
How much is too much varies from person to person. I definitely don't like image ripping, particularly for auctions, since it makes me question what the ACTUAL soaker I'd be bidding for looks like.
Posted: Fri May 20, 2005 7:16 am
by Spinner
isoaker_com wrote:I definitely don't like image ripping, particularly for auctions, since it makes me question what the ACTUAL soaker I'd be bidding for looks like.
Absolutely. I remember one auction had the picture of a CPS 1500 fake; the seller said he'd got it off the Internet, so whether it was real or not is still unknown...
Also, sellers fail to realise that there may be different versions of a blaster, which may influence the bidding in one way or another.
I suppose a rule-of-thumb is - if the picture is on a white background, ask the seller if he took it himself. :;):
Posted: Sat May 21, 2005 10:05 am
by Barca
Posted: Wed May 25, 2005 3:21 pm
by Soakologist
Does anyone know how to spell plagiarism?
Posted: Tue May 31, 2005 6:54 am
by Aquarius
Casually perusing eBay last night, I located an ad for a CPS 4100 containing description text copied word for word from one of my 4100 ads. 
I reported this to eBay, and within 12 hours, they removed the offending ad. Nice!
Isoaker, I've been linking directly to your site in my ads for 2 seasons now. Nothing's been mentioned here and you haven't contacted me, therefore I will assume everything is hunky-dory unless the issue is pressed. :p
Posted: Tue May 31, 2005 8:25 am
by isoaker
Straight linking is fine and even desireable. Lifting content and reposting it into a product description isn't cool. I've no problems with links, but I don't like (and contact) those who lift vast amounts of info and/or images.
Posted: Tue May 31, 2005 6:03 pm
by hunter
is it ok to say:
according to isoaker, the CPS2700 has the largest reservoir of any single piece water blaster ever made by larami or something like that
Posted: Tue May 31, 2005 6:25 pm
by isoaker
hunter wrote:is it ok to say:
according to isoaker, the CPS2700 has the largest reservoir of any single piece water blaster ever made by larami or something like that
Now that's not a direct quote nor would I consider it using too much info. I don't mind the odd stat being used (i.e dimensions and perhaps reservoir capactiy), especially if iSoaker.com is acknowledged as the source of the info. That's cool. However, if an item's description has chunks lifted out from my review and/or has just copied the stats/description from my review pages, it's annoying and something I'd bring up.
The one thing I'd never accept is use of images from iSoaker.com for an auction item since, well, it's not a real pic of the item being sold (unless, of course, it was MY auction 
)
Posted: Wed Jun 01, 2005 4:44 am
by Spinner
Okay, just to get things clear, would this be acceptable to you (quotation marks and link)?
"The CPS1000 is a great all-purpose blaster, perfect for use as a primary blaster." - iSoaker.com
Posted: Wed Jun 01, 2005 6:55 am
by isoaker
^ well, one sentence (quoted or unquoted) or a few stats with an acknowledgement and link would be fine. It would fall under fair use as the citation/source of the information is credited, but not just copying larger lengths of work without direct permission. Copying full paragraphs, entire tables, and/or images, even if an acknowledgement is given, ain't cool unless that person had my specific authorization to use that much info. Hope that clears it up. I mean, heck, if people are directly profiting from using large amounts of my info to sell their goods, I'd want a percentage!
Posted: Fri Jun 10, 2005 12:20 pm
by Aquarius
I didn't think this warranted a new thread and it certainly isn't shameful, but has anyone ever seen or heard of a CPS 4100 selling for $128.50 on eBay?
avalon*auctions 
nasus550 
ohiobucksfan 