Marketplace Intelligence.
How to read a marketplace listing: what each signal means, what it can't tell you, and when something that looks like a warning sign is actually normal seller behavior.
This is not advice about what to buy but how to think about what you are looking at. We would rather you disagree with us for a good reason than agree with us for no reason.
Is this eBay listing a scam?
Most sketchy listings are not obvious. They look fine. The way to check one is to read five things in order, and to know which of them is actually load bearing.
Read →Seller trust
A feedback score is a summary, not a verdict. What matters is whether a seller's history is relevant to the thing you are about to buy.
Read →Pricing
A low price is not a warning. A low price that nothing explains is a warning.
Read →Listing photos
The question is not whether the photos are stock. It is whether THIS seller should be using THESE photos for THIS item.
Read →Buyer feedback
Nobody is served by a sentiment score. What matters is whether anyone describes the specific experience you are afraid of.
Read →Counterfeits
No signal proves an item is fake. Counterfeit risk is a pattern, and the pattern is usually a contradiction.
Read →AI generated images
The real risk is not a fabricated product. It is a real photo, quietly edited, of an item the seller does not have.
Read →Or just try it on something.
Reading about skepticism is a poor substitute for practicing it. Paste a listing and see what we notice.
Analyze a listing