WTF? Ebay seller stole my picture

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lily25

lily25

Hermèsistible
O.G.
Sep 5, 2007
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#1
This morning I got a personal message about my Lindy (see here Ode to the Lindy) being on a ebay listing.

Of course I was shocked because 1) I 'm never ever selling any of my bags, and 2) I don't have an ebay account.

This "seller" or is shamelessly using my picture for the "store front" and then proceeds with his/her own pictures. I see they have a 100% positive feedback, which means nothing if they have to steal my pictures to sell their questionable items.
I don't live in the US and I don't have an ebay account so this is not me.

If you have an ebay acc please report this seller. I've already had my DH to report it.
 
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#5
Not only using my picture to establish some kind of "good publicity" , they also use TPF like a security factor. One sees the listing on ebay, does a search in the TPF for lindys and finds my picture, using the bag, therefore creates an illusion that the bag is good , authentic and from a long time TPF member. What a scum.
I dare the "TPF member" to take another picture of this same bag on the leather armchair right now with today's newspaper next to it. Of course he/she can't because this is MY leather arm chair in MY living room with MY bag on it. Gosh I'm angry.
 
#6
Lily, I think you should also report this in the Discuss: Hermes re-seller / ebay seller thread, as many people go there to find out re-seller reputation...
 
#8
How awful. If that person is a tpfer at all, even more shameful. I see that you've now watermarked your photos so it's better to be careful when sharing pics in future. Hope ebay takes off this listing soon.
 
#9
I really feel like a fool for not watermarking all my pics. I usually avoid "portraits" of big scale pics of any bag or pair of shoes because of these situations, something like 90% of my pics are action pics, also I stopped doing reveals (I have 2 of CL shoes and one of my Chloe bag, which I now regret). I thought I was safe with my small pics, but apparently I'm not. That would be my lesson. I will slowly watermark everything.
 
#11
I should add that there is a range of reasons why a seller does this.

Sometimes it is because the seller does not have a legitimate item to sell and they grab good pictures wherever possible. They know they are selling something counterfeit and they know they need good images--and they steal them.

Or the seller might not have the item at all. Of course they look for pictures.

Other times the seller actually does have a legitimate item, and for some reason or another cannot or will not take their own images. Or they just feel someone else has a better picture. They feel they are taking a sort of shortcut.

In terms of consequences to the buyer, there are more and less serious offenses. But the key thing is that this is never permitted on eBay and it is never ethically all right to take an image from another. In fact, it is a violation of copyright rules. Both images and written copy belong to the person who wrote the words and took the pictures and cannot be used by another without permission.

It is a bit tricky reporting this to eBay. eBay tends to listen only to the owner of the original image, because they need to know that the image did belong to someone else and that it was used without permission. It helps when you can refer eBay to the original source of the image, such as an earlier auction by a different person.

You should try to communicate with eBay yourself, or through your husband. eBay always recommends that you do not deal directly with the seller but instead work through eBay.

Good luck.
 
#12
Perigord said:
It is a bit tricky reporting this to eBay. eBay tends to listen only to the owner of the original image, because they need to know that the image did belong to someone else and that it was used without permission. It helps when you can refer eBay to the original source of the image, such as an earlier auction by a different person.

You should try to communicate with eBay yourself, or through your husband. eBay always recommends that you do not deal directly with the seller but instead work through eBay.

Good luck.
Click to expand...


I don't have an ebay acc but my DH has (you can see his acc name on my print screen, we have nothing to hide), and he is the one to first report it, after all the pic was taken in our home, with a camera we both use. The original pic was deleted from my computer months ago I don't keep those. I don't know if ebay needs any further proof but I can take again and again a pic of my bag on my arm chair. I already send proof to a TPF mod today.

I will not contact the seller and I will not ask anything "nicely". What he does is fraud and he should face the consequences. I will only contact ebay.

Thanks for your advice.
 
#13
This is a shocker 'cos this ebay seller has more than 200+ positive feedbacks and has sold many Hermes, Chanel & other high-end labels, all with + feedbacks! Wonder how many poor souls unknowingly gave + feedbacks and possibly stuck with fakes??!!
 
#15
kewave said:
This is a shocker 'cos this ebay seller has more than 200+ positive feedbacks and has sold many Hermes, Chanel & other high-end labels, all with + feedbacks! Wonder how many poor souls unknowingly gave + feedbacks and possibly stuck with fakes??!!
Click to expand...

I probably did not do the best job in my past post, but I was trying to suggest that there is also the possibility that the seller is selling legitimate items, but took an unethical shortcut and stole an image.

I have looked at the other images in that listing and compared them with other offerings from the same seller--sold and unsold--and the rest of the backgrounds are the same, suggesting that the seller takes most of the pictures and has the items.

I have looked back through other authentication requests and I see that, based on the items I think (just think!) are in the seller's possession, that the authenticators have given the green light to bags and jewelry.

I have no way of knowing, but based on what I am seeing at this point my guess is that the items are most likely ok but the seller has been breaking some serious rules if they are taking images.

There is a current listing for a Toho Bohu shawl. I wonder whether the first image was taken by the seller.... I believe the second image was in fact taken by the person.

If anyone did buy something from her, they are of course welcome to take their own images and post a request in the proper authentication thread.
 
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