Ebay's Legal Department

[daughtersrus]

Does anyone have an email address to contact the legal dept at Ebay? I have the street address but I thought that someone had once posted their email.

It's a long story but I have been reporting some listings and sellers through the links on the site and have gotten nowhere. I spoke to someone today at Ebay and they could only give me a street address.

If I don't get anywhere with them, does anyone know if the State's Attorney's office would be interesting in looking into Ebay allowing items to be sold that specifically say that they are not to be sold or purchased within North America?

Thanks!

 

[Nennie]

No Fair!!!

You know you gotta tell us exactly what it is they are selling!! LOL!!

Spill it!

 

[daughtersrus]

No Fair!!!

You know you gotta tell us exactly what it is they are selling!! LOL!!

Spill it!

Nothing exciting

I'm just sick and tired of searching for college textbooks for my DDs only to find that the majority are "international edition" books that specifically say on the cover "not to be sold or purchased in North America". The majority of the sellers are out of the country but are listing the books using the US ISBN# and then putting a disclaimer in the listing to say that it's the international edition. Some do show a picture of the actual book cover and in a big box on the front of the book it says... "This INTERNATIONAL STUDENT EDITION is not to be sold or purchased in North America".

Clearly the sellers are tying to avoid some type of laws (copyright, tax, import...) because they are marketing to the US customers under the US ISBN# instead of the correct ISBN# for the International edition.

I've reported the sellers and the listings but they haven't been removed. I spoke to someone today and she said that since they've been reported and not removed, Ebay must have determined that they are not violating the law or Ebay's rules. She did agree with me that they are "keyword spamming" the US ISBN# but that there was nothing that she could do about it.

I just want some clarification from someone with legal knowledge about this.

It's just one of those things that bugs me and I'm probably wasting more time on the subject than I should.

See, I told you that it's not very juicy or exciting.

 

[Handbag Lady]

Go to the community boards on Ebay under the listing type and let the board people know.

The handbag board people report Foach and other fake bags so fast in huge quantities, they get taken down immediately.

If you mean that you've found someone selling kidneys or other such stuff, I don't know what to tell you.

 

[Handbag Lady]

Oh, I see.


I would then find the message boards for books or textbooks and let them know the listing numbers.

They'd also give you good advice on how to find what you need without the books being international, I'm sure.

 

[sbell111]

I'm thinking that if I legally purchased a book then I get to decide whether I want to sell it and it doesn't matter what the sticker says. I would think that that would only matter for the initial sale of the new book, not reselling a used book.

 

[overlyspoiled4sure]

Well gee whiz!! Why does ebay have rules for keyword spamming if they do nothing???? Doesn't make sense.

 

[daughtersrus]

I'm thinking that if I legally purchased a book then I get to decide whether I want to sell it and it doesn't matter what the sticker says. I would think that that would only matter for the initial sale of the new book, not reselling a used book.

They're selling these books as new and not used so it would not be a legally purchased book.

It's pretty clear that they're trying to market them to the US customer since they're listing them under the US ISBN# and not the number printed on the book. If nothing else, they should be removed based on "keyword spamming" but Ebay is also probably making a lot of money off of these sellers. The volume that they list and sell is quite large.

 

[The Orchid]

I do know that eBay closes reported auctions if they find that the auction is a violation. They do this within about 12 hours. If you are reporting this stuff and eBay is not responding, then they do not consider it a violation.

I doubt that the sellers are trying to avoid getting caught. I'm guessing that eBay doesn't recognize the ISBN for the International book for some reason. They enter the ISBN for the American edition because when they enter an ISBN that eBay recognizes, eBay automatically provides all the info on the book in the write up, that way the sellers don't have to do it themselves. My guess is that they use the American ISBN for that purpose, then they do exactly what they should do; they explain in the listing that it is the International version.

Why are you so worried about it? I'm not trying to challenge you at all, I'm just curious if it affects you in some way or if you are just policing eBay. Searching out the info to make another report just seems like a lot of effort to expend on something that really doesn't matter to anybody but you.

 

[The Orchid]

I may have sounded a little abrasive, but I'm going to explain why. I have experience with this. I am an eBay seller. I had at one point a case of a particular health and beauty item that I sold one at a time. There was woman who SWORE up, down, sideways and inside out that my item was illegal. Every time I posted it, she would report it and send me an email in caps about how I was violating the rules. Every time I posted one, there went her hysteria. The last time she said to me in caps, "OMG YOU NEVER LEARN DO YOU YOU WANT TO BE KICKED OFF EBAY? I'M REPORTING YOU TO EBAY AND PAYPAL." What an idiot. I have been contacted by many other sellers of this same product who asked me if I got screaming emails from this crazy lady and I said that I did. We have had a lot of laughs at her expense. She really is a fruitloop who must expend a staggering amount of time worrying about other peoples' business, and to be honest, I have come to feel a great deal of pity for her...she seems very sad, pathetic and lonely.

Take it from somebody who has a serious illness that has disabled me at an early age and will cut my life short; Go out, live, laugh, enjoy your family and if you must report somebody do it, then forget about it and go back to your life. It just doesn't matter. In the end, every minute you spent in your life sweating this little stuff will be a waste. Life is just too short to worry about this stuff. If eBay is fine with it, let it go!

 

[merryweather20]

I agree with sbell its likely that what they're doing simply isn't illegal. I'd assume that the wording banning North American sales has more to do with contracts and relationships between the publisher and seller.

The University couldn't buy the book to sell in its store because it would breach an agreement with a publisher, but there is likely nothing illegal with a private individual importing a book for their personal use.

I'd try reporting the bookks using e-bays forms for keyspamming (It didn't sound like you had tried this yet, even though the girl on the telephone said she couldn't do anything).

Rather than e-bays legal department I'd write the publisher.

I've reported a couple of things and they've been very good about thaking the auctions down quickly, so I think they really do take a look at the forms when you fill it out. Once I reported a stolen item and they took it down within the half hour.

 

[LilyWDW]

I'm thinking that if I legally purchased a book then I get to decide whether I want to sell it and it doesn't matter what the sticker says. I would think that that would only matter for the initial sale of the new book, not reselling a used book.

These books are NOT to be sold in the US... period. I worked in the textbook industry. It is against the rules to sell these books within the US. They can not be bought back by a college bookstore and the stores can not sell them. This INCLUDES any resale of a USED book.

Also, by listing these by the US ISBN the seller is hoping no one will notice. These international editions can be VERY different then the editions sold in the US. It is possible that the books will not be usable in the classes if the professor requires the US copy. A student may will be buying something they can't even get use out of.

 

[phorsenuf]

I do know that eBay closes reported auctions if they find that the auction is a violation. They do this within about 12 hours. If you are reporting this stuff and eBay is not responding, then they do not consider it a violation.

I doubt that the sellers are trying to avoid getting caught. I'm guessing that eBay doesn't recognize the ISBN for the International book for some reason. They enter the ISBN for the American edition because when they enter an ISBN that eBay recognizes, eBay automatically provides all the info on the book in the write up, that way the sellers don't have to do it themselves. My guess is that they use the American ISBN for that purpose, then they do exactly what they should do; they explain in the listing that it is the International version.

Why are you so worried about it? I'm not trying to challenge you at all, I'm just curious if it affects you in some way or if you are just policing eBay. Searching out the info to make another report just seems like a lot of effort to expend on something that really doesn't matter to anybody but you.

I'm sure Ebay has checked in to it and has deemed it be ok.

There are people on these boards that go around and police Ebay auctions, specifically Disney related ones. It's quite ridiculous if you ask me. Kinda sad actually. I don't get it.

 

[Handbag Lady]

Well, except the OP has experience in the industry and knows it is illegal.

I'd, too, suggest they go to the publisher.

I'm also certain the OP isn't one of those negative nerds who go around policing eBay, as it seems that the sellers ARE trying to perhaps dupe unsuspecting college students. Why not just use the correct international ISBN?

(And I've had experience with some negative nerds and the OP doesn't sound even remotely like off-kilter people.)

 

[3boymthr]

If you really feel this is a problem contact the publisher of the book. While ebay may not care publishers take these violations very seriously as they are the ones who can get in trouble when the books start turning up in the wrong places.

 

[sunnydoozer]

Well, except the OP has experience in the industry and knows it is illegal.

I'd, too, suggest they go to the publisher.

I'm also certain the OP isn't one of those negative nerds who go around policing eBay, as it seems that the sellers ARE trying to perhaps dupe unsuspecting college students. Why not just use the correct international ISBN?

(And I've had experience with some negative nerds and the OP doesn't sound even remotely like off-kilter people.)

The OP didn't say she had experience in the field and Lily merely said it was against the rules.

It may not be what the text book manufacturer wants, but its very likely not illegal. Even if their were laws in that area they could be something that prevented someone from impoting the book for resale.

Not everything on a tag is backd up by laws.

 

[daughtersrus]

Just to clarify, I'm not policing Ebay. I was searching for textbooks for my DDs and got quite frustrated trying to find the proper books. The majority of the listings ended up to be either an International edition or an Instructor edition. Most of these I only found out only after sending an email to the seller. If the sellers were being honest, they would list the book under the correct ISBN#. Ebay did confirm that they would not allow me to resell this book once we were finished with it.

To me, it's wrong for a foreign company to use Ebay as a tool to sell something that specifically is marked not to be sold here. By doing this, they are probably hurting the companies here that are trying to sell the same product.

I know that others don't agree with me but that's OK.