Accused of selling ⊗⊗⊗⊗ - I never sold a ⊗⊗⊗⊗!

[anotherebayvictim]

Hi all, I got booted off ebay becasye I was accused five times of selling ⊗⊗⊗⊗ Tiffany items.
As a huge collector it was not true. I assume it was the competition reporting me as they are selling the exact same items while mine were cancelled... even with legal European hallmarks shown in the pics!

Now they want "certificates of authenticity" (which do not exist) and a Tiffany valuation report costs £100 a piece! Not counting shipping costs!

And I'm not even sure if that would work to be reinstated.

Why don't they go after the real counterfeitors?

When I report a (true) ⊗⊗⊗⊗, they don't cancel the listing!

[GreenBean]

ebay had a very large law suit with TIFFANY.

Very difficult item to sell even with a strong account.

What action did you take after the first suspension?

[rsot]

Tiffany items are a tough sale. Lot of research and experimentation to be done to deal with those sales.

All the best as you read around - lots of info to learn on setting up stealth.

[john456]

Sorry to hear that.

If eBay is suspicious about what you sell, you will likely be suspended. Ebay has the attitude 'better safe than sorry'.

If you care about the account a lot, it may be worth fighting for it and proving that what you are selling is legit. It may not work but it may be worth a try if you care about the account.

The worst thing you can do for your account is report with your seller account that competition is selling ⊗⊗⊗⊗. Ebay is not stupid and knows sellers shoot at each other in the back. If one seller complains about another, they end up scrutinizing both accounts and will removing both seller listings. Again 'better safe than sorry'

Ebay.fr is also quite special. I used to sell on ebay.fr but I found the environment not great and stopped selling there:
* Other sellers get super jealous if you sell more than them. They will mob you and will try to take you down by constantly reporting your listing as ⊗⊗⊗⊗, illegal, etc. Some will even send you threatening email pretending to be french authority and telling you to stop immediately (I got an email like frenchpolice@aol.com in my inbox, telling me to stop selling or I will go in jail. I laughed.)
* Buyers think all sellers are trying to scam them and are always on edge.

Good luck! Think stealth, think worldwide!

[rsot]

Not a good move to try tit for tat on other sellers indeed

[jeffweico]

I remember hearing about the Tiffany lawsuit. Tiffany had undercover buyers making purchases on eBay and found that more than 25% of the items sold were counterfeits. The Tiffany name commands a price that goes way above and beyond the actual cost of the gems and precious metals involved, so I understand why they want to protect that.

This is an example of why it is so difficult to sell any "hot" or expensive brand names on eBay. Counterfeiters have flooded the market and eBay views these sales (even of legitimate items) as high risk. Keep in mind, eBay has no way of knowing whether or not the items are real. If they can ⊗⊗⊗⊗ a piece of Tiffany jewelry, don't you think it would be easy as pie for them to create a ⊗⊗⊗⊗ certificate of authenticity???

I never understood why buyers would think a Rolex was real just because it came with the box and papers. As if the counterfeiters could easily create a ⊗⊗⊗⊗ Rolex that would fool people but be somehow unable to create a ⊗⊗⊗⊗ box and papers to go along with it?

The bottom line is, unless you jump through the hoops that Tiffany and/or eBay want you to jump through, you will find it impossible to sell Tiffany on eBay. It is probably the most difficult brand name to sell online.

[anotherebayvictim]

Hi All, They deleted 70 Tiffany & Co. and Gucci items I had for sale (all real). I have sold hundreds over the years. I have many competitiors who have a stock of over 500 Tiffany & Co. items selling the same things. Problem is I got accused on an account (my husband's) with only 15 items which was "linked" to my larger well estalish account.

I was accused three times of sellingnon Tiffany (or maybe because I forgot to type" & Co." after the word Tiffany?). Once for one item, once for one item and once for three!!!! I have since sold two (on ebay on my estalished account) and have three left. But I am waiting on an appeal and as usual no reply yet. The first and second time it happend I called and they said thay can't do anything without a certificte of authenticity. The third time they said it was a thirty day suspension. And when it went over 30 days and I called it was a permanent "Tiffany & Co." brand suspension.

When I complained it was an everything selling suspension on both accounts! I'm just afriad that if I provide only three bits of proof it will not be enough or if as soon as I'm re-establihched I'll get accused again and will have gone thru all that for nothing and then will have to pay £100 every time the competiton reports me.

I did "report" the same items saying "if mine is supposedly not real then why is this one for sale" but those items are still listed; I also called ebay and gave them the item numbers of all the items for sale that are the same as mine saying that they are real just like mine sop why can't I sell mine. Still nothing. Problem is I live in France and if I have to start over its in France. That is where I send my items from. I looked into the 123 seller of accounts and he does not do France. I do not know about the stealth thing but I wil have to ask Aspkin if his advice works for France.

Anyways now I have to go to the unemployement office as I needed ebay to sell in the US and UK. Those were my biggest markets! I have 200 Tiffany & Co. items to sell.

I put some up on Bonanza this week and etsy (I listed a few items months ago) has been useless. Not even a bite. Thanks for your support. I will call ebay again ad ask if they need these certiciates in Englihs or French.. that is another problem as I get reported in the US, have my account established in France and get message in both English and French!! And the certificates cost more in the UK (in English) than in France (French)! And they are not certicated they are valuations.. and I have to spend £100 plus postage for a valuations that cost me more then the jewels!
They may have been sued by Tiffany & Co. but they just need to hire someone who knows Tiffany not their flunkeys who can't tell the difference between a real Tiffany item and a monkey. One thing I have learned is to always show the item next to a Tiffany pouch or box (but I never have a pouch or box for every piece and never liked the itea of using them as "props". I think maybe that is one of thier triggers as the ⊗⊗⊗⊗ come with awful looking pouches and boxes and they are easy to tell if ⊗⊗⊗⊗ or not.....

BUT there are still TONS of ⊗⊗⊗⊗ on UK and France ebays and when I have reported these items.... nothing! They never pull the listings!!!! I hate them, they let the crooks sell but not the good people who get bullied! I'm American BTW. xoxox

[anotherebayvictim]

I did that before I knew ebay would premanently ruin my successful account. I did it from the accused account. I just said if you accuse mine of being non-Tiffany how come these are listed? I had know idea thay would cancel a successul account of four years wil 4.9% DSRs and 100% FB!

[GreenBean]

ebay control the game.

They can, and they do what they like.

Keep on reporting others, and ebay may even turn around and think you are a trouble maker.

Be careful of your approach there.

eBay Stealth works for all countries.

[rsot]

Don't do tit for tat on sellers OP.

Takes a lot of research and experimentation sell Tiffany.

Lot of advice given on this thread on how eB can do what they deem is fit.

/stick

[GreenBean]

Originally Posted by rsot

Tiffany items are a tough sale. Lot of research and experimentation to be done to deal with those sales.

All the best as you read around - lots of info to learn on setting up stealth.

Originally Posted by rsot

Not a good move to try tit for tat on other sellers indeed

Originally Posted by rsot

Don't do tit for tat on sellers OP.

Takes a lot of research and experimentation sell Tiffany.

Lot of advice given on this thread on how eB can do what they deem is fit.

/stick

rsot on the mark

[john456]

Good luck. You need to re-evalute your selling practice and how you handle ebay. You are selling a red flagged brand on ebay, you need to thread lightly:

* Dealing with ebay: There are many red flags in your comments "Reported other sellers", "called to complain", but you did not provide any evidence of your claims. Someone you complained to decided you were not worth the trouble and in one click shut you down.

* Your husband account was your downfall. By using a less established account linked to yours, it was the perfect target for whoever was competing with you. eBay has less patience for less establish account and if a competitor accused your husband account of selling ⊗⊗⊗⊗, then eBay does not think twice and suspend. Once suspended, the linking machine does it job and suspend your other account.

Take a week off to think about your next move. Don't spend time hating ebay, focus on what you control.

[anotherebayvictim]

Had I known.. never having been accused for five years...while selling Tiffany & Co... that people who earn ebay $300 a month were insignificant, I would never have tread on thin ice... nor called to complain and just accepted that the insignifcant account was banned from selling Tiffany & co. only.

Then I could have still sold Gucci on my husband's (insignificant) account and used my good account to continue as I have always done...selling unaccused and successfully. But of course there are no warnings. They said there was a 30 day suspension and then a permanent suspension.

When I say something I stick to my word when they say something they don't! They should have allowed me to sell again after 30 days as they had said. Not cut me off. And then shut me down because I complained that they didn't stick to their word. So I'll call again and see where appeal is at. I have a feeling they will say we are waiting on your authenticty proof...If you know of anyone who has done stealth in France. I'm interested. Laws here are different. Ebay too.

I do have proof of having bought the items I purchased from ebay... buy it is another account I set up in another country...they could shut that one down too if they found out about it. They may do as I did mention that I bought all the items they accused me of on ebay... ack!

If they do a Paypal activity search I'm dead (I have two other accounts). One is blocked from selling until I open a real business and the other is my buying account where I don't want people to see how much I paid for my items....I've been doing things in my own sort of stealth way for a while...

[GreenBean]

Since ebay are boss, they make the word.

They never have to stick to what they say.

Prepare now because all of what you have done will be known to them.

Prepare to make new stealths.

for the future when stealth, learn to stay under the radar and out of reach of ebay harm.