Problem with user and need to take drastic steps

[jtaverner76]

ok there is this one person who keeps ripping off my auctions. I mean doing a complete cut and paste of my description as well as stealing my images and my bandwidth as I'm hosting images on my paid server. And yes they are my images created and edited with Photoshop. He even uses the exact same auction title and subtitle as I do. I tried reasoning with this person to stop or change it for past few weeks and all I receive are smart azz replies. So now I gave up with reasoning.

It's time to fight fire with fire. In the stealth guide there is a section on how to get anyone banned. Has anyone tried this with success? It seems pretty straight forward. Also, this guide is a year old, anything else I should do differently? If I get this dik banned, won't it say he got banned for being linked to a suspended user (which is the false acct I will create), thus arousing suspicion to him? Any pointers to help me get this user banned would be helpful!

One thing I want to make clear though. I am using this as a last resort. I'm not usually a devious person but you should read some of the replies this guy typed. And the new auctions I create I put my ebay username as a watermark on the images and he still uses it. He is a total jerk who doesn't deserve to be selling on ebay. I hate people like this and it's worth my effort/time to stop him!

[proudpapa4]

Have you tried informing ebay via there online form?

[bluemoon999]

First thing you can do is to report to eBay

Reason: Copying of your listing

Detail reason: 2 options.

Enter your item number from which picture or text was copied: ......

Brief Description: 100 characters. (it's short length, if you want to say more, report multiple times until you finish up telling ebay the whole story)

[Jonas]

You need to report copying soon or else eBay won't know who was the original person.

[bluemoon999]

Yes, after 90 days, listings are removed from display. If this thing started within 90 days, you still have a chance to win by giving eBay your very first original posting and that seller's first copy listing numbers. Otherwise, when it's over 90 days, your winning chance is low. Though eBay still keeps records in the database, it's all up to the person who handles it, if your report hits a lazy one, they'll just ignore rather than go through both sides items.

An idea, do you like "fishing"? you can create a new listing with something New, when you notice that guy starts copying your things, report it to eBay immediately, give them the your item#, start date and time, and that guy's item#, data and time. And remember, fishing also needs patience. See if you can get this big stinky fish caught!

[TigerLord]

eBAY will take his listings down quickly... it's quite easy and obvious if you say he copies you, look at this listing and compare... they'll see the resemblance.

If he continues in spite of the reports, then you can look at dirtier methods

[nsh003]

agree with bluemoon, i've tried the "fish" and it worked successfully. the guy copied my new stuff and ebay was right by my side to remove him

[bluemoon999]

Here you go!

[jtaverner76]

Thanks all for the input. So ebay will actually take their time to see this person copying my listings, and remove them? I would think they would be lazy with these things. I would still rather get them banned though for pissing me off royaly! But I will try this and see how it goes. They started copying my stuff about 1 month ago so all of his listings are still online and newer than mine.

[nobody999]

inform ebay and they will take it off

Originally Posted by jtaverner76

ok there is this one person who keeps ripping off my auctions. I mean doing a complete cut and paste of my description as well as stealing my images and my bandwidth as I'm hosting images on my paid server. And yes they are my images created and edited with Photoshop. He even uses the exact same auction title and subtitle as I do. I tried reasoning with this person to stop or change it for past few weeks and all I receive are smart azz replies. So now I gave up with reasoning.

It's time to fight fire with fire. In the stealth guide there is a section on how to get anyone banned. Has anyone tried this with success? It seems pretty straight forward. Also, this guide is a year old, anything else I should do differently? If I get this dik banned, won't it say he got banned for being linked to a suspended user (which is the false acct I will create), thus arousing suspicion to him? Any pointers to help me get this user banned would be helpful!

One thing I want to make clear though. I am using this as a last resort. I'm not usually a devious person but you should read some of the replies this guy typed. And the new auctions I create I put my ebay username as a watermark on the images and he still uses it. He is a total jerk who doesn't deserve to be selling on ebay. I hate people like this and it's worth my effort/time to stop him!

[nobody999]

you shouldn't get the seller banned, what if they are unemployed and simply trying to make some extra money? maybe they are not techincal or not creative to make their own listing....lighten up

Originally Posted by jtaverner76

Thanks all for the input. So ebay will actually take their time to see this person copying my listings, and remove them? I would think they would be lazy with these things. I would still rather get them banned though for pissing me off royaly! But I will try this and see how it goes. They started copying my stuff about 1 month ago so all of his listings are still online and newer than mine.

[TigerLord]

Originally Posted by nobody999

you shouldn't get the seller banned, what if they are unemployed and simply trying to make some extra money? maybe they are not techincal or not creative to make their own listing....lighten up

doesnt mean they should rip off the description of someone else who might just be unemployed too and rip of sales because of it.

If you`re not smart enough to make some decent description or use Auctiva than you shouldn't sell on eBAY, because the person lacks brains.

Reporting him or her wont get the account banned, if he or she does it repeatedly it will.

[jtaverner76]

Originally Posted by nobody999

you shouldn't get the seller banned, what if they are unemployed and simply trying to make some extra money? maybe they are not techincal or not creative to make their own listing....lighten up

Lighten up?? I don't think so... if this guy is unemployed too bad he certainly deserves to be since his replies to me are completely rude and disrespectful. It's obvious this guy has no skills so he knows nothing except for ripping off other people's creative work. And since he has no skills, getting him banned will most likely get rid of him permanently saving me the headache of constantly reporting this jerk since he won't have the brain power to make a stealth account! Like I mentioned earlier, I'm not a devious person but this guy is a total dik. I've already reported all his auctions. Let's see how ebay deals with this now..

[TermedPS]

Originally Posted by nobody999

you shouldn't get the seller banned, what if they are unemployed and simply trying to make some extra money? maybe they are not techincal or not creative to make their own listing....lighten up

WTF? You gotta be kidding, right?

Stealing other people's work = in my book.
How could anyone endorse blatant theft?

To the OP, here's another idea. If this SOB is stupid enough to copy your exact links, do this...

1- Pick a few listings they have copied and ones you don't mind taking down for a bit.
2- Go into your picture hosting site and overnight, edit the images with some offensive text..."FU** eBay" - "eBay SUX" etc...
3- Their listings should now show the new edited picture.
4- Wait for eBay to get complaints from other users.

Someone I know did that and the stealing stopped.


Termed

[DogFacedBoy]

I lost my first account for doing some copying and pasting (not 100%) and was ignorant about it. All of the bannings since then were "linked" to that first account.

Report the listing and get it taken down. If he keeps doing it, he deserves to get banned

[proudpapa4]

Normally ebay will contact you with the outcome of their investigation to your claim.

I work hard to put together my descriptions and equally if not more time into taking professional photographs I certainly do not want someone else stealing those from me. It's morally wrong in my book. In addition, my images are hosted on my own server and if someone is stealing my pics they could be taking up my resources.

I wouldn't lighten up!

[jtaverner76]

Originally Posted by TermedPS

WFT? You gotta be kidding, right?

Stealing other people's work = in my book.
How could anyone endorse blatant theft?

To the OP, here's another idea. If this SOB is stupid enough to copy your exact links, do this...

1- Pick a few listings they have copied and ones you don't mind taking down for a bit.
2- Go into your picture hosting site and overnight, edit the images with some offensive text..."FU** eBay" - "eBay SUX" etc...
3- Their listings should now show the new edited picture.
4- Wait for eBay to get complaints from other users.

Someone I know did that and the stealing stopped.


Termed

Haha yes I did this before to another user who was hotlinking my images. I put some non-G rated image and some rude text in place. Needless to say he never copied me again. But this situation is different since I am actually using all my images and I cannot alter my auction description to change the image URL as many of my auctions already have bids. And if I did this I'm sure he would just see my new auctions and copy that image or just save it next time and host it somewhere else.... he is just that nasty.

I'll keep reporting all his listings and if he persists in relisting which I don't doubt it's time to take it to the next level..

[TermedPS]

btw...if you've been talking to the thief through eBay's mail system, you can also send those mails to eBay.

You'll have a stronger case.

Termed

[Lyda]

You can also watermark your images with your Ebay ID..Very strong point when complaining to Ebay. This way your auctions will stay intact and his will be terminated by Ebay.

Watermark, as Lyda suggests. Put new images on host with same file names. Your ID shows up in his listings. Heh.

Also, add a copyright notice (very small) to the image. Then you can claim copyright infringement. NOTE: you do not need to register a copyright with the Library Of Congress, as so many people mistakenly believe.

Embed a copyright notice in the text of your item description as well. Same applies, claim copyright infringement.



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