Shame on unethical ebay sellers selling FREE GT5 DLC!!

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Galvatron1

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GALVATRON1_NYC
I noticed 2 listings on ebay that recently popped up, items number 230722352969 & 270880325496 selling the GT5 Nissan GT-R GT500 Stealth Model Vehicle DLC Car Code. Only one problem: It's being given away for free by Polyphony Digital & SCEA!! So I decided to be Santa Claus & list it for for FREE & give 100% of the Proceeds OF A $.99 BUY IT NOW W/ FREE SHIPPING auction to CHARITY & pay the ebay listing, final value & paypal fees OUT OF MY OWN POCKET, but guess what? My listing gets removed, & their's is still currently up, even though it's for profit! Where's the justice? :banghead: 👎

Ebay link 1

&

Ebay link 2
 
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Report their listings rather than listing your own items in breach of the same policies. Fighting fire with fire sounds cool, but it's a really bad idea if you happen to be a firefighter...

"Report Item" is on the right-hand side below "Other Item Info". Report "Listing Practices", "No Items Listings" and "Invisible or Intangible".
 
Famine
Report their listings rather than listing your own items in breach of the same policies. Fighting fire with fire sounds cool, but it's a really bad idea if you happen to be a firefighter...

"Report Item" is on the right-hand side below "Other Item Info". Report "Listing Practices", "No Items Listings" and "Invisible or Intangible".
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Here's the thing. I did report it to ebay & they did nothing after 2 or 3 days as of this writing. I called Sony, they had no records showing they were giving away that DLC and of no help after being on the phone (and most of the time frequently being placed on hold) for an hour. So I figured if ebay does nothing, nor sony, it must not be a violation of their terms & b/c you have the ability to do something, doesn't make it right & I was going to do the right thing & give away that code on ebay & give that auction money to a worthy charity for chirstmas. 100% to charity clearly listed by ebays own gift to charities app(the ebay charity app takes 20% of proceeds, so the charity never gets 100%). The listing fee was 50 cents & the paypal fee was 2.9% + $.30 cents & only God knows what the Final Value Fee would be. I wanted to give the ebayer an option, that if they wanted the free item, they have that option to donate to a worthy cause & get it instead of just paying for a free item & lining someone's profiting pockets. It seems like a losing proposition, when you try to do the right thing.
 
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That's very noble. I'm a bit disturbed by how ebay handled it. It's not like sony would be affected by it, but ebay and sony both should be protecting the people that use their services.

Oh and we need more people like you in the world, Galvatron.
 
Galvatron1
Here's the thing. I did report it to ebay & they did nothing after 2 or 3 days as of this writing.
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Then move on. Nothing else is relevant.

eBay know their own policies better than you do. If they don't remove a listing you either reported it wrong or they don't feel it should be removed. The second item you showed was actually a DLC code card for sale - which is a tangible item. In that instance all you're doing is complaining that someone is charging too much for an item... and eBay are supposed to care why?

Here's something else that was given away free by Sony, listed on eBay for $100. If someone's willing to pay for it, what's the problem?
 
another_jakhole
That's very noble. I'm a bit disturbed by how ebay handled it. It's not like sony would be affected by it, but ebay and sony both should be protecting the people that use their services.

Oh and we need more people like you in the world, Galvatron.
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This brightened my day, thank you so much for the kind words & for seeing the important message I was trying to convey by doing this!! It's reassuring to see other kind people in this world who do care & that gives me hope! & btw, before my listing was closed, 3 people paid but were refunded. I sent the code to them & the 6 charities I highly recommended in the auction if they want to donate at their option. Since I already gave them the code, it's not like their obligated to do anything, but I'd like to see if they acknowledge my email with a thank you or if they actually donate to the charities. The only reason I suggested the charities this time of year, is because people tend to be the most generous & private donors match donation for Non-profits until the end of the year, so they get doubly rewarded during the holidays & that makes me happy for all their hard work & good that they do! :)
 
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Peace and love. Peace and love.

-Ringo Starrrr :)

Famine, you're right but we would like to see the right thing be done, instead of being ignored, silenced, then covered up through deletion.
 
another_jakhole
Famine, you're right but we would like to see the right thing be done, instead of being ignored, silenced, then covered up through deletion.
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If the item isn't in breach of eBay's listings policy (a DLC car code card - like the second example above - is not), complaints will be ignored. If the item is in breach of eBay's listings policy (a DLC car code, or an in-game asset - like the first example above - is) then complaints will lead to deletion of the listing.

Protesting that items that are valid have not been removed by making a listing for an item that is not valid will result in nothing but deletion of your own listing (as we have seen). eBay won't remove items that are valid and no amount of complaining will change this. Simply report the items that are in breach and move on.


Allow me to draw a comparison. GTPlanet has a set of rules we all agreed to before we joined the site. Sometimes posts break those rules and we have, just like eBay, a Report function for it.

Calling someone stupid is against our rules. Showing that someone is stupid is not. People can struggle to tell the difference and they will often report both. That's fine, but we won't necessarily take action against a valid post. Protesting against that perceived lack of action by making your own post calling someone stupid will only result in action being taken against your post.
 
Almost forgot, there was another one, making it 2 of 3 selling intangibles with no action taken by Ebay:

Ebay link 3

Shame on ebay for being biased & not enforcing their rules equally, considering they were posted there before mine. Makes me think ebay had something against the charity the money was going for in my auction.
 
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But then how would Galvatron's be removed? I just don't understand how his item would be considered invalid. He's paying to give it away and it's only a code.
 
another_jakhole
But then how would Galvatron's be removed? I just don't understand how his item would be considered invalid. He's paying to give it away and it's only a code.
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Now you're on to something!! My point exactly! 👍

@TCSdisable, they are not expired, they are still valid for over a month.
 
another_jakhole
But then how would Galvatron's be removed? I just don't understand how his item would be considered invalid. He's paying to give it away and it's only a code.
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It's intangible. eBay listing policy prohibits intangible items.

Codes and in-game assets are intangible - there is no physical item for sale and this is prohibited. Cards with codes printed on them are physical items and are not prohibited.

Galvatron1
Shame on ebay for being biased & not enforcing their rules equally, considering they were posted there before mine. Makes me think ebay had something against the charity the money was going for in my auction.
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What an utterly absurd thing to say. Given that you've already cited one item that is perfectly fine in every respect, it's considerably more likely that you simply haven't picked your battles and have reported items wrongly or incorrectly (while whomever reported yours - or their keyword checker - did it correctly).

If you find an item in breach of eBay listing policies, report it and move on. If you find something that was given away free that someone is selling for money there is nothing you can or should do about it if the listing is fine.
 
He is right, the rules are quite clear:


A digital item is a computer file or special information that you can access online or have delivered electronically. Digitally delivered goods and items which are transferred electronically are not permitted on eBay.
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Even if you have a physical card you can't mail the code digitally:

You can only list a digitally delivered goods on eBay as long as you follow these guidelines:

The item provided to the buyer is supplied on a physical format for instance a CD or hardcopy. The option of delivering the item by email or digitally must never be included.
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So like someone else said you can't have reported them properly. The second one with a card for sale is fine though.
 
So if these are free? how come I didn't get it for free? If you know something I don't please let me know. Just remember the free GT500 GT-R was given to the US marked for free because the delay of the first DLC. Not for me!

Maybe the ebay link you provided is valid then?
 
i received a new ps3 for xmas and did a data transfer. I lost my pics, custom tracks and GT500 GT-R stealth. I tried entering the code and the store would not accept.

Do you have the code? Maybe yours is different. Really would like to get this car back.
 
But I can't get it in the UK!

If anyone feel generous this Christmas they could send me one. PSN - phil_75

We have none of the stealths in the UK:grumpy:
 
So what is the seller doing wrong then?

They aren't free to purchases of the normal game and there is no way I can get them for FREE!
 
phil_75
So what is the seller doing wrong then?
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In theory, he's selling something intangible. In actuality, he's selling a code for something intangible while the code itself is tangible.
 
Blitz24
In theory, he's selling something intangible. In actuality, he's selling a code for something intangible while the code itself is tangible.
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Plain English please!

He is selling something I cannot get for FREE so what is the OP on about?
 
phil_75
Plain English please!

He is selling something I cannot get for FREE so what is the OP on about?
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That was plain English :rolleyes:.

eBay rules prohibit the sale of something that isn't tangible, which is something that is clear and definite (ie, I can touch it or actually hold it). DLC for a video game is not tangible, as you can't hold it (you can hold the disc but that's not what's being sold). Since the seller is selling the code in a tangible form (since it is on a piece of paper and is something you can hold) it can be sold (although it may break other eBay rules).

Oh and you can't get this for free because it was made for USA only. Also, this car was available in Europe at one point already.
 
phil_75
Plain English please!

He is selling something I cannot get for FREE so what is the OP on about?
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Being free is nothing to do with it. Sure it's unethical but it's not against any ebay rules to sell items given away for free, if there is demand there will always be supply. Although there are a few specific restrictions like some free gig tickets.
 
SimonK
Being free is nothing to do with it. Sure it's unethical but it's not against any ebay rules to sell items given away for free, if there is demand there will always be supply. Although there are a few specific restrictions like some free gig tickets.
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The eBay restrictions (if any) are the selling of the intangible product and/or selling of intellectual property that isn't yours.
 
What's this big deal to waste about an hour of your day on the phone with eBay and Sony....this is nonsense who cares who's trying to sell what...you dont have to buy it...then you go and post one yourself for .99 lol come on...you could have been playing GT5 instead of wasting time..
 

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