Another kind of eBay travesty

[pragmatica]

So in this listing, the seller is selling a pattern that's available online here for free or as a tear-sheet in alsmo any craft store for free. At least she's only asking $2.50 for it as a Buy It Now, and hey, if someone is willing to pay for it without researching it, I guess I can't grudge her the cost of a gallon of gas, but it still seems like it's taking advantage of people who aren't smart enough to know any better, which can't be a satisfying way to earn a measly $2.50.

 

This isn't as bizarre as the $177.50 baby booties booklet but it's in the "strange things on eBay" heading.

 

Elissa

[crochet mama]

I sent the seller a message asking if they were aware the pattern was available free on the web with a link to the pattern.

[thecrochetdude]

And why would it cost fifty cents to ship it? Shipping is only thirty nine cents for one sheet of paper. How do people like that sleep at night?

 

[crochet mama]

The seller sent me a message back letting me know that they were not aware it was available free on the web. Maybe if more of these sellers were aware that not every bidder is ignorant about free patterns or patterns under copyright, they may be more careful about what they sell.

 

 

 

Yeah, right. Who am I kidding.

[chichiturtle]

I bet they know and are trying to pull a fast one on people. Sellers like that give ebay a bad reputation.

[nucki]

My guess is, she's probably SELLING THE FREE TEAR OFF SHEETS.

 

My hubby buys stuff to sell from Poundland (think Dollar Store, but UK version) and puts it on eBay. He takes pictures of it - it CLEARLY says POUNDLAND, but people buy it anyway. Ethical? Maybe not... but he's not deliberatly decieving anyone. If anyone were to ask where he got it, he'd tell 'em.

 

This seller is basically just profiting on other people's stupidity and/or ignorance. It's not "right," but it's not illegal, either.

 

As for the shipping... well, that makes perfect sense to me. She's tacking on an extra $0.11 for profit. My hubby does the same kind of thing. He'll look up how much it costs to send an item and then round it up a bit. From what I understand (from other people we know that sell things on eBay), it's common practice.

[Mermaiden]

I have often found that people will "claim" they didn't know, just to sound good. I'm sure they're trying to just make a buck off folks who don't know, too. Man, I really don't get some people.

[minwifeof4boys]

Good ole Free enterprise... supply and demand... the product is worth what someone is willing to pay for it!......

[chrishazzoo]

Listed under Seller's other items. Looks like a lot are the tear off sheets.

 

At first I was disgusted...then I try to remember that there are people in other countries that don't have access to all the cool stuff we have available to us.

 

Also, there are many older pattern books being sold on E-bay that are being bought up like crazy...

 

I believe strongly this person KNOWS they are copyrighted and is profiting from both people who don't have the access to the patterns and people who don't put the effort in to finds the free patterns on the web.

 

I know I wouldn't pay for her items. Cause I know where to get them!

 

 

EDIT: Noticed that she made sure she removed any "branding" of the items in pics so people would have a hard time searching for the item on line. On the summer lace top, there is even a date stamp making it look as though she took the pic? Or...maybe she doesn't have a scanner.

[funkyreporter]

I've seen this type of thing before - people selling the 'tear-off' sheets that are hanging in the yarn department at Michael's - that is pretty annoying - or like this one, selling something that's available for free - wonder if she'll send it as an e-pattern? .

 

But I think two incidents that personally upset me most were the really bad photocopy of a pattern from a magazine - what was shown in the eBay listing was a color picture of the pattern and NOTHING was mentioned that the seller would kindly xerox it for me! I was not happy and did mention when I received it that she was likely violating copyright and certainly misrepresenting. Another one that didn't thrill me was torn out pages from a pattern book... she could have at least CUT them out with a razor and not left the ragged edges... and mentioning that I was buying pages of an old Workbasket Magazine would have been more ethical. It just felt like a really bad deal! As long as I know what I'm getting I'm fine with it, but I don't like being 'duped' and both of those incidents I mention (I felt) were clear misrepresentations!

[Jimmie Lu]

If she is selling so many free tear off why dosent someone report her. Its people like this that give us honest ebaers a bad rap! and 50 cents shipping Dude is right!

[Paralee]

Well, some of you must have gotten through to her. I just looked at the item and it is no longer available for sale. Wonder why that could be?

[zeropixie]

My Mom sells alot of stuff on Ebay and some of it has been crochet patterns. I will give her what I don't use anymore and if some are free patterns from the store she will just toss one in the envelope as a freebie. Her customers love the thought If she isn't sure if it's a copyright conflict she either ask me or just not sell it. Her Ebay id is pookykanga.

[nightowl]

I believe strongly this person KNOWS they are copyrighted and is profiting from both people who don't have the access to the patterns and people who don't put the effort in to finds the free patterns on the web.

Hi Christine

 

Just want to say. . . you may not think it's ethical, but as long as the person is selling the original tear-off sheets and not copies she's made of them, it's not a copyright violation.

 

Now this is! There's a seller on Ebay UK selling "typed copies" of old Wendy Wools patterns for toys such as SuperTed, Dangermouse, Bugs Bunny etc. She blatantly uses the pic of the original Wendy leaflet in the listing and says upfront you will receive a "typed copy"!

 

I emailed Wendy to ask about it and got a nice reply from the Director today. He said that not only are the patterns copyright to Wendy, but Wendy themselves cannot sell the leaflets -- let alone copies! -- any more because the licence fee they paid to use the cartoon characters has expired! He thanked me for writing but I don't know if they will bother doing anything. . . as of now the listings are still there.

[littlespiritfeathers]

I have a ton of patterns I want to get rid of and some patterns that I already have gottten rid of. I sell the original booklet. I would never think of doing something like xeroxing cause it is a blaintent copyright infringement

T

[pragmatica]

 

Now this is! There's a seller on Ebay UK selling "typed copies" of old Wendy Wools patterns for toys such as SuperTed, Dangermouse, Bugs Bunny etc. She blatantly uses the pic of the original Wendy leaflet in the listing and says upfront you will receive a "typed copy"!

 

I emailed Wendy to ask about it and got a nice reply from the Director today. He said that not only are the patterns copyright to Wendy, but Wendy themselves cannot sell the leaflets -- let alone copies! -- any more because the licence fee they paid to use the cartoon characters has expired! He thanked me for writing but I don't know if they will bother doing anything. . . as of now the listings are still there.

Oh, the pain!!!! You're telling me that there are patterns for Dangermouse and Penfold and Baron Greenback, and I CAN'T LEGALLY GET THEM? I'd rather not even know! I guess I'll finally have to figure out amigurami so I can suss out the patterns myself. I haven't thought about DM in years and now I can't get the theme song out of my head. Thanks a LOT, Nightowl. (He's the greatest. He's amazing! He's the greatest secret agent in the world! AAARRRGGH!)

 

Re. what Nucki said about reselling items such as those from Poundland? I think that's perfectly reasonable, and sometimes I do it with stuff from Dollar Tree. In some parts of the US, there simply aren't any dollar stores, so you can view it as offering a service to those in remote locations: they pay more than if they were near Poundland or Dollar Tree but not as much as if they paid full retail.

 

Re. the $.11 for postage. Well, ya know, first of all, it's nice to just have a round number in Paypal. But for bigger packages where you have to go stand in line at the post office, I think it's fair to have some "handling" charge for the time you spend boxing it up and standing in line. But what bugs me is when someone charges something outrageous for shipping -- we bought a very old laptop for $5 on eBay because we wanted the parts, and the seller charged $30 for shipping! So his profit was entirely on the shipping/handling charge, which really was outrageous.

 

And in general, since I started this thread? I guess I don't object to selling tear sheets because, well, that's legal, but I just feel bad for the poor mullets who buy the pattern because it *is* free online, not even as a PDF -- just straight HTML text that anyone can view.

[nightowl]

Oh, the pain!!!! You're telling me that there are patterns for Dangermouse and Penfold and Baron Greenback, and I CAN'T LEGALLY GET THEM? I'd rather not even know! I guess I'll finally have to figure out amigurami so I can suss out the patterns myself. I haven't thought about DM in years and now I can't get the theme song out of my head. Thanks a LOT, Nightowl. (He's the greatest. He's amazing! He's the greatest secret agent in the world! AAARRRGGH!)

 

Aww, I'm sorry, pragmatica! Did I mention though that they are all knitting patterns? Is that any consolation?

[AuntyM]

It's always a good idea to Ask the Seller A Question.

I assume the pattern is original. That isn't always the case. Read the ad carefully. Sometimes it says it's a copy and sometimes it says it's an original. If it doesn't say, ask.

 

I agree that the seller should make an effort in presentation. I sell on eBay from time to time. I package individual patterns and magazines in a protective clear plastic cover.

 

I charge a handling fee which covers my costs for packaging materials (tape, protective covers, envelopes, etc.) and it's usually about an extra 25 cents or so. One buyer emailed me to thank me for the protective cover, because her mail carrier left the envelope in her mailbox which was full of water! It saved the magazine.

 

I buy on eBay too, and there is quite a difference in sellers. Some will just put the pattern in an envelope with no protection; some will include free patterns. There's a world of difference!

[craftybutterfly]

I personally do NOT agree with selling torn out sheet! It's like.....so wrong on so many levels to desecrate a pattern book like that, but eh that's just me. Anyways, anytime you feel you've been "duped" by an Ebay seller, just leave negative comments. that's what they're there for. I've done it, and believe me, the seller will get back to you pronto if you leave negative comments.

 

As for those who are selling patterns that are free on the web (and they KNOW it, where do you think they got them from?) should be taken out and horse whipped. That's clearly taking advantage of people who don't know. Luckily for folks like us (who've probably seen EVERY free pattern on the web), they're easy to spot.

[Jimmie Lu]

Hey if anyone here needs those pull off sheets I am sure (self included) that those of us who can get to craft stores are more than happy to grab and give. I have done it for RAOKs and such before. 50 cent shipping is nuts to start with let alone she is makingin a profit from something free. What if the companies get wind and decide to stop free pull offs. I for one would be effected by that. That is why when I see a wrong being done I send an email first and then if they do nothing I report it to ebay. I have my own issues with selling on there. but that is besides the point. I have a bunch of beefs with them at the moment. None to do with what I have done wrong but it truely is getting hard for honest people to sell on there.

[wildthing1058]

omg I can't belive the nerve of some people. I am makeing that pattern right now too. I got mine for free

[reecie]

y'all do know, that generally, the free pattern pull off's at stores are also featured on the yarn manufacture's website? Anyone who's bidding on ebay obviously has access to a computer, and CAN go get the free patterns off the sites. I also agree with Jimmie Lou, I'd be more than happy to tear and send FOR FREEEEEEE any of the tear off patterns anyone would like. Ain't nothin but a stamp! Being a photographer as well as a crochetier, this sort of stuff chaps my hide!

[angelfire]

they say you can find anything on E-Bay...guess that is more true than any of us what to admit. Someone obviously didn't know that copyright infringement like that can be prosecuted.

[Rapvnzle]

I just had to add my 2 cents to this thread as I dealt with a lady that was making a FORTUNE off of a set of thread bootie patterns out of a 1972 Woman's Day magazine on Ebay. I really wanted the pattern, but noticed she kept reposting the pattern after one auction had closed. OK.. know some people may have access to numerous original copies..but come on. I contacted her and told her that selling copies was illegal. Soo what does she do.. manipulates the image to take away any resemblance of a magazine pattern... and takes out the part in the description that it was from a magazine. She then posts it as a nice set of bootie patterns by the original pattern writer?! She sold those patterns for at least $15 a pop for a nice color COPY!?!

 

OOOOh the nerve of some people~!~

[Nan-Nan]

I don't buy off of e-bay although I do know some folks that sell there. Some are legit & some brag about the profits they make off folks who are dumb enough to buy their stuff. All you guys are going to be sick when I tell you that I gave the garbage man all my old copies of McCall's Needlework magazines about 6 yrs. ago. Some dated back to the 50s but most were from 60s & 70s. I had put them in my yard sale but had no takers. I was moving and just did not have room to take them. Boy, Have I wished I had them since.