Joe Billante, eBay Vice President, told the Public Accounts Committee on 13th of September 2017 that sellers can’t operate multiple accounts if they are selling the same products in same categories and that eBay have internal systems in place to ensure compliance.
Joe Billante statement to the Public Accounts Committee:
“It may look like they have 20 accounts because they put certain categories of certain goods into different accounts.”
“If the same seller wants to operate five accounts because it operates in five different categories, we are able to see that information internally as the seller signs up. We are able to link that together in our systems.”
Reference: PAC Hearing – 13 September 2017 – Tackling online VAT fraud and error inquiry – Oral Evidence Transcript – Q62 & Q67
eBay Duplicate Listing Policy
eBay states it’s against eBay policy to operate duplicate accounts and listings:
“Not allowed; Duplicate listings policy; Selling identical item listed separately by Multiple accounts belonging to same seller”
Reference: eBay Duplicate Listing Policy
eBay Takes No Action against Duplicate Accounts & Listings
eBay does allow sellers to operate multiply duplicate accounts with duplicate product listed in each account. eBay takes no action against these “Bad Actors”, even when it is reported to them. This means “Bad Actors” can dominate eBay & Google Shopping search results with lots of listings of the same product, pushing out the compliant sellers who only list one product. This is putting compliant sellers who play by eBay’s rule book out of business.
Most of the “Bad Actors” are overseas sellers, with many being listed in the Top 10 eBay Sellers in the World and making multi millions in sales. (https://www.webretailer.com/lean-commerce/worlds-top-ebay-sellers/).
eBay is more interested in protecting its revenues, putting its profits before its policies, the UK High St and not ensuring eBay is a level playing field for all sellers.
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