Buying and Selling on eBay: Tips, Tricks, Problems & Questions

[Fueco]

Most companies are only after counterfeiters.

My only hope is that company is reasonable. I have a direct line to about 40% of their customer base. If I have to blog about this, their business would be severely impacted.

 

[k4lnamja]

Hold on a sec....

we CANNOT sell items of brands on that list?

Ex: Diane Von Furstenberg, Chanel, Burberry and etc????

 

[ridethecliche]

Is it because you were selling it as new? If it's used then it shouldn't be a problem, right?

I really ******* hate that ****. Once you buy it, it's yours. As long as you're not selling it as new. I can see why they have issues with stuff that is marked new (warranty etc) but once that happens and it's marked as pre-owned then they should have no claims on it.

I know that's not how the law works, but it really pisses me off. Especially with things like music/games. If I buy a video game, I can't let a friend borrow it? WTF.

Sorry for the rant.

 

[Fueco]



Is it because you were selling it as new? If it's used then it shouldn't be a problem, right?

I really ******* hate that ****. Once you buy it, it's yours. As long as you're not selling it as new. I can see why they have issues with stuff that is marked new (warranty etc) but once that happens and it's marked as pre-owned then they should have no claims on it.


I know that's not how the law works, but it really pisses me off. Especially with things like music/games. If I buy a video game, I can't let a friend borrow it? WTF.


Sorry for the rant.

It still shouldn't matter if I sell it as new or unused. Taking something home does not make it used. Opening the package and using it makes it used.

 

[HansderHund]

VeRO is an ebay program. It's a network of companies that joined to fight counterfeit items and in general protect the integrity of a brand. This includes an ebay policy to forbid grey market items from being sold. It sounds like that's the category in which your item fell.

Your product was made for another market, i.e. Europe. The brand saw your listing and reported it in violation of VeRO and ebay removed it. The policy prevents people from buying products destined for a cheaper market, items that use different systems, etc.

Everyone is allowed to sell the brands listed, as long as they follow the policies. If you're reported by the brand (many hire third party companies to monitor the internet), your listing is removed. I wasn't aware that you're then hit with a freeze as Spoo said, but it's certainly possible.

 

[Brianpore]

Most companies are only after counterfeiters.

My only hope is that company is reasonable. I have a direct line to about 40% of their customer base. If I have to blog about this, their business would be severely impacted.

If its a small company why dont you just give them a ring?

 

[Fueco]

If my item was gray market, how was it sold by an authorised dealer in New York City? This whole thing (Ebay program included) stinks to me. The idea that a company can remove listings for a made up reason?

The company isn't even listed in the Vero program page, so how is one to even know what the rules are for selling their products or even who else is in the program?

Like I said, I sent an email, so hopefully the can be reasonable.

 

[DanM]

^because it was sold by an authorized dealer. You aren't. Though I agree, if they aren't on the VeRo list, it's unfair of them to shut you down.

 

[ridethecliche]

It still shouldn't matter if I sell it as new or unused. Taking something home does not make it used. Opening the package and using it makes it used.

I can understand it for certain reasons, like the different market thing.

There are a few sites I used to frequent when I bike raced that sold things that were OEM directly to customers for less than shops would pay. It was gray market and I can understand why companies wouldn't want to piss off their dealers.

Just because I understand doesn't mean I like it. Companies also want to protect their buyers (okay... make money) so if you're selling something as new, there's no way for them to get the warranty on it. Certain companies still stand behind their products, others throw hissy fits.

 

[HansderHund]



If my item was gray market, how was it sold by an authorised dealer in New York City? This whole thing (Ebay program included) stinks to me. The idea that a company can remove listings for a made up reason?

The company isn't even listed in the Vero program page, so how is one to even know what the rules are for selling their products or even who else is in the program?

Like I said, I sent an email, so hopefully the can be reasonable.

I don't know enough about it to tell you, to be honest. However, sometimes product codes give this information to people in the know. It's also possible that the original dealer sent you something that was to be sold somewhere else. The ebay message just implies that the company filed a complaint for that reason. If it were removed for a bogus reason or if the company (or its parent company, if it has one) is not a member of VeRO, it's wrong.

These types of programs can be strong, unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on which side you fall). In general, and it changes depending on the country/area, but you may sell or re-sell items without permission from the manufacturer. It's the right of second sale. Certain restrictions exist. For example, you are not allowed to use the company's logo or advertise their name without permission. You are, however, allowed to use the brand name to advertise the specific item as its inherent to the description.

 

[SpooPoker]



VeRO is an ebay program. It's a network of companies that joined to fight counterfeit items and in general protect the integrity of a brand. This includes an ebay policy to forbid grey market items from being sold. It sounds like that's the category in which your item fell.

Your product was made for another market, i.e. Europe. The brand saw your listing and reported it in violation of VeRO and ebay removed it. The policy prevents people from buying products destined for a cheaper market, items that use different systems, etc.

Everyone is allowed to sell the brands listed, as long as they follow the policies. If you're reported by the brand (many hire third party companies to monitor the internet), your listing is removed. I wasn't aware that you're then hit with a freeze as Spoo said, but it's certainly possible.

Exactly.

It may have changed, but when you get hit with a Vero strike, you cant list any brands on a Vero list for quite some time, even if you have no "priors" on your account. If you check your my ebay page where it says policy compliance, you will see if you have any restrictions.

 

[ridethecliche]

Sorry you have to go through this fueco.

 

[SpooPoker]

One more thing - if the vero strike happened AFTER the listing had expired, it cannot count against you.

 

[k4lnamja]



VeRO is an ebay program. It's a network of companies that joined to fight counterfeit items and in general protect the integrity of a brand. This includes an ebay policy to forbid grey market items from being sold. It sounds like that's the category in which your item fell.

Your product was made for another market, i.e. Europe. The brand saw your listing and reported it in violation of VeRO and ebay removed it. The policy prevents people from buying products destined for a cheaper market, items that use different systems, etc.

Everyone is allowed to sell the brands listed, as long as they follow the policies. If you're reported by the brand (many hire third party companies to monitor the internet), your listing is removed. I wasn't aware that you're then hit with a freeze as Spoo said, but it's certainly possible.

VeRO, although i understand their objective, is clearly trying to strong arm sellers such as Fueco. Could he be listing a counterfeit item? Yeah. Could he not? Yeah.


Anyways, just to confirm, if I've 10 dresses from Diane Von Furstenberg then I am unable to sell these? I'm still not quite understanding how VERO can flag my listing and ultimately take it down.

If this is the case ... a lot of my women's clothes that I need to list ... won't be able to get listed....

 

[TheNeedMachine]

Sorry to say Fueco, but if youve been VERO'd, youre screwed. This has nothing to do of where you got it, whatever it was - that company did not want your listing up for some reason and they killed it. You can try to appeal, but 99% of the time, its useless.

You now cant list any brand in the Vero list for something like 60 or 90 days.
http://pages.ebay.com/help/community/vero-aboutme.html

The one time I was hit with a VeRO (by Barbour), I fought it and won - got an apology from Barbour, who also contacted eBay and said it was their bad, not mine. Turned out their intellectual rights claim was on the photos used, not the item itself...they assumed I had swiped a few stock photos from their website, when in fact I swiped the photos from a different store's website.
In any case, Fueco I hope it turns out positively for you but sounds like your VeRO is quite different and they don't want you selling whatever it is to whomever you're offering it to; stepping on the exclusive distribution rights of someone else is what I'm guessing, and maybe not filed by the company themselves but a 3rd party acting on their behalf, appropriately or not.