If Ebay was a seller, they would have to Ban themselves.

[froogal_electronic_parts_and_overstock]

Sure ebay does some good stuff, but I come here to vent a little.

I am not sure you can do the same search as me, but a similar search will likely produce the same results. 

Search on ebay.com, with a US address for DSLR cameras for parts or repair. There are hundreds. 

Just for giggles, I decided to count the number of SNAD items. That is, items that claim they are DSLR but are not. Some are simple mistakes, like a laptop in this category, but others have the look of a DSLR and are not. Since ebay has a catalogue item of most of these, the seller actually has to circumvent this and list it as a DSLR. To me it looks intentional for some of them. 

Now before you say, well, it's the seller, not ebay, I have repeatedly reported these items to ebay and they rarely change or get deleted.  Further, it's my responsibility to list accurately, and it's ebay's responsibility to make sure that I am following their rules. They are just not doing it so I think it's fair to say they are as responsible as the lister when they choose, either through understaffing, inadequate knowledge or other reasons to not make sure their listings are correct, or to fix them when reported. 

Out of the first 200 listings 30 of them were clearly not DSLR's and by definition would be SNAD which would give ebay an accuracy of about 85%. 

Any seller with a rating of 85% would be facing instant suspension/limiting/banning of their account. 

The point is, it's easy to see why sellers and buyers get frustrated with ebay when, as the only real game in town, they choose to be a very mediocre company, but have very high expectations of both sellers and buyers. 

If you don't know what DSLR is, that's a perfect reason why some sellers call their cameras that, but it means Digital single-lens reflex camera and are usually much more expensive / valuable than regular point and shoot or super zoom cameras. 

Here's some examples.

151245354067 - point and shoot, not DSLR,

171259677762- looks kind of like a DSLR..it's not.

231177238567- none of these are DSLR. Even says in description. They are not. 

251468797791 - just the lens.

400441602818 - nope. 

Keep the good work ebay.

[cumos55]

Every listing on eBay has the following statement

Seller assumes all responsibility for this listing.

eBay is the venue...  seller is responsible...  Sometimes seller makes a mistake,  and sometimes it is deliberate.

Each of us can only control what we do....

Frustrating, most likely... but sometimes  we have to wait for things to change... and maybe  sometime in the future things will change...

I have done what you have done... and then things  do get adjusted 

Many times a seller will come to a Discussion Board with a problem... and will be told  there are things, being done and  in listings that should not be there... 

and then months later... eBay forces them to change... either they are gone or listings removed, or restricted  to a specific number of listings....

Many times it is the seller's attitude.... that is the problem....

[cumos55]

A seller should

Sell what they know, and know what they sell.

I do what I do  because I know what I sell  and have established a protocol  that works for me... and all within the rules of the venue....

Many sellers will come to eBay and do what they do in everyday life....  Travel 75 kph in a 50 kph zone....They eventually hit a brick wall....  Many end up off eBay

There are millions of sellers on eBay ... policing takes time....

[froogal_electronic_parts_and_overstock]

I think you missed the whole point. 

First the 'ebay is a venue' is a total non starter for discussion. Ebay plays an active role as a mediator and protector of the buyer and seller. 

This includes providing a catalogue, a mechanism for reporting inaccuracies and more. 

To use the oft 'street' analogy, ebay is not the street, they are the street, the police, the judge and the jury. To continue the example it would be watching a police officer watch people speed, give them a speedgun, show them the the speeder and then have the officer  ignore it, but every once in a while hand out a ticket. 

To put a simple disclaimer is not in line with the actions of ebay or their statements made or how they act as the middle person in the transaction.. 

Again, it's just a point that if ebay held themselves up to their own standards, they would have to ban themselves. 

[i*m-still-here]

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@cumos55 wrote:

A seller should

Sell what they know, and know what they sell.

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I just want to respond to that because you made it so big.

Just because you made it big does make it true for everyone.

As a seller, my job is much easier when I sell what I know.

However, I make a lot of money selling other stuff as well.

As a buyer:  I am grateful that sellers don't always sell what they know.

I make a lot of money buying stuff like that.

[femmefan1946]

As a buyer:  I am grateful that sellers don't always sell what they know.

I make a lot of money buying stuff like that.

Caveat vendor!

[cumos55]

Cassini looks at everything that a seller puts in a listing.....

Even if the listing is in the wrong category, Cassini will find it.

Correction....

Cassini will find ... almost everything... in a listing.

I see many sellers of books adding photographs showing the Table of Contents and other information from a book.

People can "read" the photograph....  Cassini cannot.

That is where a seller should add keywords in the listing.

and that is where a seller has to know what the book is about.

It helps to know the relevance of the contents of a book... if only to list it in the proper category....Too many books are listed in the wrong category.

and that is something I can use against them...... and many times  the title of a book without any keywords  in the listing is no indication of the contents of the book.

It does help to know what one sells.... and that is where I do a lot of reading, on the internet... and about what I sell..

Too many people throw it up on eBay... and say  here ...buy......A seller is the buyer's eyes.....  and without those eyes... a buyer is in many instances ..... Lost