How to boot someone off for copying your listing?

[glacier922]

How many times do you need to report before the other person's listing gets off? I'm actually quite fumed right now. Someone is using the same exact word for word little essay that I used to describe my item to sell their goods. This is ridiculous and I know it's a competitive nature and lots of back stabbing, but even this is going too far for me. I have reported it, but the listing remains. What is going on here????

[TGMT²]

Reporting by clicking a button or sending a message can literally take weeks to even be looked at. And the temptation by the minimum wage employee to delete your claim is probably high to clear the report from their workload.

If you want immediate results, you will have to call eBay direct.

[jeffweico]

Keep in mind, that whenever you get eBay involved, you never know WHAT will happen. For example, eBay could question your competitor, and they could claim it was THEIR listing and that YOU copied it. eBay might decide to delete both.

I strongly suggest you try to find another way to deal with this that does not involve eBay.

[corleone]

Have you messaged him? Why report him to ebay when you could just message him and let him know that he needs to change his listings.

[Sandy D]

I am readingthat you psoted they used a singlw word that you used. I cannot see an issue with one word nor do I think ebay will.

One word is not a violation. If you were talking exact paragrahs, pictures etc then there is an issue but one single word won't get it.

[glacier922]

Originally Posted by Sandy D

I am readingthat you psoted they used a singlw word that you used. I cannot see an issue with one word nor do I think ebay will.

One word is not a violation. If you were talking exact paragrahs, pictures etc then there is an issue but one single word won't get it.

Sorry if I wasn't clear. Yes, this competitor copied it word for word, whole paragraph, whole description, this competitor even used my quotes, like "supposedly" even in the same spot. This is irritating. Oh well.

[GreenBean]

Look up the relevant ebay rules, then message the seller with them.

Make sure you say words to the effect you expect the listings removed by a given period.

Make sure it goes thro' the ebay system.

Monitor the listing. Then call ebay direct IF you think your account can take the scrutiny.

Where are your watermarks etc etc?

[Sandy D]

Originally Posted by glacier922

Sorry if I wasn't clear. Yes, this competitor copied it word for word, whole paragraph, whole description, this competitor even used my quotes, like "supposedly" even in the same spot. This is irritating. Oh well.

No problem. Then that would be different. Only issue is not drawing attention to your own account.

I would handle like this, send them a message through the ebay system telling them you have copied by listing word for word and have reported it to ebay. If it continues you will call ebay.

Might work, might not.

Ebay might respond in time but my guess this is way down the list of issues to respond to.

[glacier922]

Originally Posted by Greenie

Look up the relevant ebay rules, then message the seller with them.

Make sure you say words to the effect you expect the listings removed by a given period.

Make sure it goes thro' the ebay system.

Monitor the listing. Then call ebay direct IF you think your account can take the scrutiny.

Where are your watermarks etc etc?

No watermarks. This competitor didn't copy any images. Just my WHOLE mini essay word for word. I'll give a go though and see what happens.

[rsot]

@glacier922, pull up his completed listings and use them as proof too

[GreenBean]

Originally Posted by glacier922

No watermarks. This competitor didn't copy any images. Just my WHOLE mini essay word for word. I'll give a go though and see what happens.

You get all your evidence together of HIS activity.

Show everything he did to copy you.

[An0nym0u$]

@glacier...have you thought of disabling the right click button when someone looks at your listing?

You can do this easily if you know html. If you don't, just copy and paste this code at the bottom of your listing (switch to HTML within the listing)

<script language="javascript">
document.onmousedown=disableclick;
status="Right Click Disabled";
Function disableclick(event)
{
if(event.button==2)
{
alert(status);
return false;
}
}
</script>

While that won't completely stop everyone from copying your wording, it will prevent most people. Someone can still figure it out by looking at the page's source code, but by disabling the right click function, the person would move onto an easier listing to copy.

[joesshooze]

Hello OP, it's not worth it. Vent here, go have a beer or do what you do and forget it. Unless you want to even take a small chance to loose the account. Best of luck.-

[rsot]

@An0ny, good point - still can be pushed through but one way of defeating straight up copy pasting.

[GreenBean]

Originally Posted by An0nym0u$

While that won't completely stop everyone from copying your wording, it will prevent most people. Someone can still figure it out by looking at the page's source code, but by disabling the right click function, the person would move onto an easier listing to copy.

Good steps to deter idiots.

[Sandy D]

Originally Posted by An0nym0u$

@glacier...have you thought of disabling the right click button when someone looks at your listing?

You can do this easily if you know html. If you don't, just copy and paste this code at the bottom of your listing (switch to HTML within the listing)




While that won't completely stop everyone from copying your wording, it will prevent most people. Someone can still figure it out by looking at the page's source code, but by disabling the right click function, the person would move onto an easier listing to copy.

Awesome share!!!

+1 for you.

Thanks.

[mcmx]

Had my photos and listings copied before. Reporting it usually did nothing.

Perhaps message that seller directly and "threaten" to call eBay if they are not changed/taken down within 24 hours or something

[john456]

Find your oldest listing number that he copied and let ebay know using their tool. If you provide a old listing number (under 90 days) as proof, typically you have a better case. It may take a while for the listing to be removed.

In parallel, email the seller, be polite, but keep asking him to change his listings.

Don't rattle the ebay cage beyond their tool.

[rsot]

And be sure to watermark your photos as a backup option (yes competitor has not taken the photos but...still wise to do so)

[An0nym0u$]

^^^As for watermark, I would write my eBay user ID on a paper and take a picture of my item w/ my username. That is my free watermark software for you to use.

And as for wording within the listing, I would disable the right click button as mentioned in prior post. I did this with some of my fancier listings that I put alot of effort into and didn't want others to just blindly copy.

This is the most preventative measures that I can think of you can do on your end to deter someone copying your intellectual property. Hope this helps,