Saturday, June 9, 2007

How To Identify Good vs. Bad eBay Sellers.

Look at the seller's feedback: Know your seller (or get to know your seller). You should look at what items he/she has sold in the past. You should also look at the actual remarks left, not just the positive or negative feedback score. There a some sellers out there that are notorious for selling fakes who have 100% positive feedback ratings. This is for several reasons. Firstly, some buyers have no idea what they are buying and have never seen the actual thing in a store. Secondly, some buyers don't mind the fakes and would rather save a couple of bucks (although I am sure they look like crap when they get dressed in the morning because they are more concerned with the logos, albeit fake, than the quality). But, many times buyers are afraid to leave a seller a negative feedback because they fear the seller will retaliate and do the same to them. As a result a buyer may leave positive or neutral feedback for a fake item but say something like "I was not satisfied but seller issued a refund" or, "Not quite what I expected but the price was good." If you see a lot of this type of comment it's a warning sign and means you should investigate further. Perhaps send a message to the buyer asking him/her why they were unsatisfied with the item the seller sold.

Location
: One warning sign is a seller listed in China/Hong Kong. Now, please note, there are some good sellers from there who do sell authentic stuff, but I have only seen a couple. The rest are all fakes. If you see China or Hong Kong in the location be very cautious, but remember, this is just a warning sign. There are also many sellers listed in other countries (such as Germany, UK, USA, Canada, etc) that also sell fakes. The reason so many China /Hong Kong sellers are dealing fakes is because many of the fakes are often made there and/or sold from there. The government has been pretty lax in such matters. That, in combination with the cheap labor makes it ideal for counterfeiters.

Communication
: If you are not positive an item is authentic feel free to ask the seller any questions you may have. If the seller is responsive and provides you with the information you request it is a good sign. A legit seller should be willing to work with you to answer your questions and not yell at you for asking them.

The Seller's Other Listings
: Check what else the seller has listed. Many sellers of fake designer clothing list many of the same item at once, including many in different sizes. If you see a seller selling 30 John Galliano tee shirts, it is cause for MAJOR suspicion. Also, even if you can't tell if the item you are interested in is fake you may be able to tell if the other things the seller has listed are (which would suggest all of them are fake). Also, be aware that in some cases an eBay member may buy a fake online, not knowing it is fake, then, re-list it either because they changed their mind about it, or they realized it was fake when the package arrived. If a seller is selling something they purchased on eBay check their feedback to see who they bought it from.

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

do you have any sellers that you know off hand to stay away from?

Peter (eBay ID: couture-auctions) said...

Hi, There are far too many to name and to name a few would do no good anyway. There are also a lot of good sellers out their too. It is really best to judge each seller on an individual basis, based on their items for sale, the items they've sold, and their feedback (see the 'hunting basics' portion of the blog for details). Cheers, -Peter

Anonymous said...

is oki-ni.com's rick owens legit? Thanks

Peter (eBay ID: couture-auctions) said...

Yes, oki-ni is legit, it's a good site.

Anonymous said...

Hi Peter,
thanks for all your tips on distinguishing authentic peices from the fakes. I was wondering if modernonline on ebay is legit. His prices are really low but his pictures seem to imply (to me, at least) that his stuff's authentic.
http://myworld.ebay.com.au/modernonline/

Peter (eBay ID: couture-auctions) said...

No, those are all fakes. Look closely at the labels, and also be wary of a seller with that many things listed that far below value as buy it now auctions.

Anonymous said...

Hi, I really appreciate your tips, unlike me you seem to have a good eye distinguishing real from fake just by looking at it from a screen. Well I came across your website a little late, I recently purchased and a Rick Owens pair of black hi top shoes from an eBay user "handmadeinitaly". I paid $620 for the pair, and the seller has 100% feedback. I haven't received them yet (they shipped today), but after reading about so many fake eBay horror stories I'm starting to question my purchase.
Here is his eBay store. I'm crossing my fingers, thanks!
http://stores.ebay.com/Handmade-In-Italy

Peter (eBay ID: couture-auctions) said...

Hi Anom.,
The seller you bought the Rick Owens shoes from seems legit and his items look authentic. You got a nice deal on a great pair of shoes. Most of the sellers on eBay are good people it is just a few bad ones that list tons of fakes. eBay is an awesome place to score great deals on designer pieces, you just need to be smart about the sellers you buy from.
Cheers,
Peter

Anonymous said...

are these all fake??

Peter (eBay ID: couture-auctions) said...

Are all what fake? -what are you referring to?

Anonymous said...

is this stuff fake?? http://stores.ebay.com/popporch thanka