Two words, government oversight.

eBay has a vested interest in ensuring that its platform is not used as a marketplace for counterfeit merchandise, or worse.

eBay is constantly amending its user disclosure agreement and user rules to comply with everything from tax regulations, to consumer protection laws, to copyright infringements. Whether it works in practice or just theory is up for debate, but eBay has a robust "CYA" policy because it needs it.

Ebay still polices itself in a quiet way - items noted as having been taken down. Like you said, a legitimate marketplace doesn't want even low-level crime dirtying the salesfloor.

I've seen people run with stuff out of supermarkets (a cartful of laundry detergent, booze) or look suspicious and suddenly leave when they sense someone watching them. People say what's the big deal? Who are they hurting? Wal-Mart and Von's make millions of dollars. Maybe those people are poor so they should be pitied instead of arrested. I've been poor before and I might even be technically poor right now but I don't steal stuff from stores. If someone is stealing food or medicine, I'm more sympathetic.

I once thought nobody really cared about people selling counterfeit clothing (t-shirts, hats, etc.) at a flea market. Surely, that's small time stuff beneath the notice of Warner Bros. or Lucasfilm or HBO but then I witnessed a crackdown at a local one with arrests made. It didn't make the local news. We might not hear about the arrests of those who make and sell custom cards - those that pushed their luck.

quote:

Originally posted by Raven:
Two words, government oversight.

eBay has a vested interest in ensuring that its platform is not used as a marketplace for counterfeit merchandise, or worse.

eBay is constantly amending its user disclosure agreement and user rules to comply with everything from tax regulations, to consumer protection laws, to copyright infringements. Whether it works in practice or just theory is up for debate, but eBay has a robust "CYA" policy because it needs it.