Watch our for this sort of eBay trickery:

Obviously hoping that someone will see the words "Patient Zero" in the title, see the asking price [about $130.00 greater than you would have paid for the exact same figure at Sideshow five days ago] and not look at the zombie picture all that closely. After all, that IS about what a Patient Zero has been known to go for....

Ah, yes... buyer's regret. No rules against this, but still pretty slick.

https://cgi.ebay.com/SIDESHOW-Secur...goryZ348QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

OOoooooooooooo

You been burned my man?

Never mind, just keep it for 6 months and re-sell it for double that price!

abstractharmony said:

OOoooooooooooo

You been burned my man?

Never mind, just keep it for 6 months and re-sell it for double that price!

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or wait until this time next year and sell it. im sure if you wait until the next SDCC many people will be searching for this guy as well. that sux, but the security guard is pretty cool looking too.

Jeff A Simon said:

Obviously hoping that someone will see the words "Patient Zero" in the title, see the asking price [about $130.00 greater than you would have paid for the exact same figure at Sideshow five days ago] and not look at the zombie picture all that closely. After all, that IS about what a Patient Zero has been known to go for....

Ah, yes... buyer's regret. No rules against this, but still pretty slick.

https://cgi.ebay.com/SIDESHOW-Security-Guard-Patient-Zero-Comic-Con-2006_W0QQitemZ6064481616QQihZ009QQcategoryZ348QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

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I'm sure the seller made the title such as it is to get more hits from searches. It pretty obvious that is is the Subject 5 Security Guard, it says so right in the description. Jesus, there's pictures and everything in the description!

---SNIP---

Description SIDESHOW Subject 5 - Security Guard Comic Con Exclusive 2006


This auction is for the very limited edition Subject 5 - Security Guard Comic Con Exclusive 2006 only available at the San Diego Comic Con International July 20-23. A perfect compliment to last year's THE DEAD: Patient Zero. We have a confirmed order and will be getting this figure. Get your set now! Bid with confidence and good luck!

Check out our other Sideshow exclusive auctions.

Subject 05: Security Guard
Location: Westlake Village
Details Classified:

• All new zombie portrait and hands
• Fully articulated body with 30+ points of articulation
• Detailed clothing, including security guard uniform
• Accessories include:
  • Guns N Bullets Magazine
  • Radio
  • Security Guard belt
  • Flashlight
  • Key ring
  • 12" figure display stand with a print of The Dead logo

Disclaimer: Zombies are not real. There is no such thing as the re-animated dead. Any sixth-scale representations of such are purely for entertainment purposes and are not meant to represent specific persons, situations, or intentions.

---SNIP---

Did you really think it was a Patient Zero? That sucks. I just don't think you should fault the seller for using "Patient Zero" in the item title. Sellers do that all the time, like I mentioned, to get more search hits. It's up to you to read the description.

NSFolsom said:

Sellers do that all the time, like I mentioned, to get more search hits. It's up to you to read the description.

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this is very true. this is a good tactic to get more hits and views. i've made this kind of mistake before, and thats why i recommend reading everything several times before bidding and even putting it under your watched list to come back and check later. ebay is a very crazy place... protect your wallet and make sure you read everything through before bidding. these people will suck you dry without thinking twice.

Yeah, just do a search for an Alfrex or BBI figure and almost everyone of them has Hot Toys, Dragon, and Medicom in the title. Its just a way to get someone to notice their auction... especially if they are aware of patient zero, but maybe not five yet. Just goes to show that you really need to read the auction closely.

One time I won a DC Direct Swamp Thing only to realized the next day that he was listed as including flower hands, (which meant no regular hands). Needless to say I felt dumb, but I did contact the seller and he let me get out of the deal. I was still willing to pay, but I thought that was realy cool of him.

galactiboy said:

Yeah, just do a search for an Alfrex or BBI figure and almost everyone of them has Hot Toys, Dragon, and Medicom in the title. Its just a way to get someone to notice their auction... especially if they are aware of patient zero, but maybe not five yet. Just goes to show that you really need to read the auction closely.

One time I won a DC Direct Swamp Thing only to realized the next day that he was listed as including flower hands, (which meant no regular hands). Needless to say I felt dumb, but I did contact the seller and he let me get out of the deal. I was still willing to pay, but I thought that was realy cool of him.

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yeah sometimes people can be cool about it. but right now im dealing with one of those bad apples. things are being resolved, but you have to stay on them sometimes.

> Jesus, there's pictures and everything in the description!

Nah, I'm not buying your logic. He could have put that wording in a much less conspicuous place or manner if he just wanted to get the hits. That Patient Zero yada yada is right there in the middle of the title. If you want to quibble over semantics, oh defender of EBay merchants, it's not "Security-Guard-Patient-Zero-", if anything, it's "Security Guard SUBJECT FIVE "

I agree that all the evidence as to what it really is can be found upon closer inspection. My belief is that this was deliberately construed to be misleading in hopes of nabbing a knee-jerk BiN buyer.

Seeing as they modified the BiN and sold it for half the $180.00 price not 24 hours after I saw that and posted it, I have to believe something was going on. Whether an honest mistake as to what they had by the seller or something else, I don't know.

> Jesus, there's pictures and everything

Well, it only takes on careless buyer for you to strike gold with that tactic. I imagine on twelve inch zombie doll looks much like another without close inpection.

Your milage may vary, and obviously does. It will be interesting if this tactic pops up again.

JAS

You should have read better.

First of all, despite the conclusions of several, *I* did not purchase this item on this eBay auction. I purchased mine directly from Sideshow when the had the non-attendee link up and going.

>You should have read better.

Thank you for that gem of scintillating obviousness. I am certain that anyone who got snookered into parting with their hard-earned cash by misleading advertising would be overwhelmed by your empathy. Upon seeing an auction like that, some people's reaction is to warn people on this board about a dangerous eBay tactic. Then we have guys who average almost eight posts a day for ten months who are rather Monday morning quarterback about the whole thing with the "Too bad, so sad, anybody who fell for that got what they deserved."

It kind of reminds me of a French friend who had a saying something along the lines of "Vous, monsieur, êtes un abruti unsympathetic et de jugement."
Or something like that, I don't speak french.

JAS
[email protected]

I'm not too sure what the point of this thread is. Is it just to put a shout out that some eBay sellers have misleading item titles? Is there anyone who doesn't know that? and anyway i'm sure whoever really did buy it knew exactly what they were getting. The seller has respectable feedback....

Whats the problem?

1)Well, they did change the nature and price of the auction before its conclusion. So some of what is up there now is not what was up there before.

2)Yes, there are people out there that are new to eBay and easily snookered.

3)Obviously the warning was not geared towards the majority of members here, those savvy veterans of a thousand eBay wars who know better and I DEEPLY apologize to anyone who felt offended or slighted by my post.

4)Yes, I agree, the auctioneer's feedback is pretty good.


JAS

Hey Jeff, I saw this auction myself and thought it was very misleading originally. I think it was a great idea to warn people. The seller is at it again, and has another one listed (or the same one) for a starting bid of $170 with a BIN of $175...

https://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=6065608825&ssPageName=MERC_VIC_ReBay_Pr4_PcY_BIN_IT


Buyers beware...

Although I personally don't have a problem with it since it's normal marketing and goes on in the general marketplace all the time, technically it is illegal and against eBay rules.

Keyword Spam Policy

Keyword spamming occurs when members place brand names or other inappropriate keywords in a title or description for the purpose of gaining attention or diverting members to a listing. Keyword spamming in listings is not permitted on eBay. The searchable text sellers place in listings must be directly relevant to the item being sold.

Violations of this policy may result in a range of actions, including:

Listing cancellation
Limits on account privileges
Account suspension
Forfeit of eBay fees on cancelled listings
Loss of PowerSeller status

I can agree with that for the most part... but sometimes it can be helpful. There are a lot of action figure makers who don't have a big name, but make quality work. So when I do a search for Sideshow ________, sometimes you find a really cool and unique piece because the seller added other companies names to the listing. I think as long as the seller is very clear about what they are selling its no big deal. But I can also see peoples frustration with the practice.

galactiboy said:

I can agree with that for the most part... but sometimes it can be helpful. There are a lot of action figure makers who don't have a big name, but make quality work. So when I do a search for Sideshow ________, sometimes you find a really cool and unique piece because the seller added other companies names to the listing. I think as long as the seller is very clear about what they are selling its no big deal. But I can also see peoples frustration with the practice.

Click to expand...

Now see, I am just the opposite! I do a search for Sideshow, and get McFarlane, Mezco, Simpsons DVD's and everything else in between to have to wade through! I just want to see Sideshow products! There is even one seller who lists die cast cars that always turns up in the searches, because his standard product page lists all the companies he sells, which includes Sideshow! Very frustrating!!!

I've seen sellers add (at the bottom of the listing) a full paragraph or more that is just a bunch of words in no real order. This way, if a person searchs by description, they will get a hit on the auction. Sometimes I even do it because you run out of room in the title for a complete heading.

Someone should report this sale to eBay, as it is in violation of their policy against keyword spamming.

I've seen sellers add (at the bottom of the listing) a full paragraph or more that is just a bunch of words in no real order. This way, if a person searchs by description, they will get a hit on the auction.

ZR: That's exactly what I am used to seeing and why the tactics used in that auction offended me as being unfair and unethical.

Someone should report this sale to eBay, as it is in violation of their policy against keyword spamming.

Well, many of the responders to this thread seem to have a sort of "caveat emptor", Darwinistic sort of philosophy towards the jungles of eBay. After reviewing their profile information I believe I have a clue as to why.

Honestly, I regret even bringing the topic up.

JAS

Jeff A Simon said:

Someone should report this sale to eBay, as it is in violation of their policy against keyword spamming.

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Why not you? This thread has been around for awhile now. If it bothers you so much why don't you do something more proactive instead of being such a whiner.

Jeff A Simon said:

Well, many of the responders to this thread seem to have a sort of "caveat emptor", Darwinistic sort of philosophy towards the jungles of eBay. After reviewing their profile information I believe I have a clue as to why.

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I'm not even going to respond to anything so blatantly arrogant, high-minded and full of elitist-BS as that statement.

Jeff A Simon said:

Honestly, I regret even bringing the topic up.

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That should have been your second post in this thread.

pixletwin said:

That should have been your second post in this thread.

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