On sites and sellers
On the subject of sites and sellers.
If a site functions as a place for auctions then it needs to have a code of ethical standards for its participants, and it should ensure all transactions comply with legal requirements. There is a fine line, however, between being incompetent and being fraudulent. It is not illegal to be ignorant or incompetent and end up selling something that is not actually what you said it was--a so-called "honest mistake." It is illegal to knowingly misrepresent an item for sale and thereby commit fraud.
Sites like Catawiki and eBay don't want to make this call. It's bad for business if you ban sellers for perceived fraud, especially if those people sue you and you can't prove it! So the hosting sites let a lot of things slide through. They just don't want to get into what the seller's intentions may have been.
Despite folks writing to sellers and sites, you can see why nothing much changes. That's why this forum can be useful -- as a source of reliable information regarding some of the more egregious misrepresentations that are out there.
Caveat emptor!!!
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