posted on January 25, 2007 06:29:13 AM new
Need some help here. Had an auction pulled for keyword spam. It had over 400 hits, 5 bids up to 200.00+, had run for 5 of the 7 days and had 23 watchers. I'm going to protest the heck out of this for whatever its worth, because the words used were descriptive, not trade marks, and are used frequently in similar listings of this type of vintage piece. I have auction numbers for 6 recent auctions selling the same kind of vintage home decor item using the exact same words I was pulled for and they were completed and sold without being pulled. I hope to get an answer to Where the consistency is here?
Sorry for the run-on. My question to you is when rewriting the new auction for this piece, would it be allowable or wise for that matter to give any mention of why or how this auction disappeared the first time around? I mean in the body of the description..something in the form of I'm sorry for the interruption, but...??? Thanks for any opinions you might send my way.
posted on January 25, 2007 07:38:38 AM new
As a prospective bidder I may not know the listing was pulled, and if told I would not care.
If a prospective bidder should ask and you feel the need to reply say it was pulled due to listing errors. If you wish to take this opportunity to bash eBay, it may do more harm than good to your rep as a seller. Ebay reviews & pulls auctions when someone complaints if no one complains nothing gets done.
posted on January 25, 2007 07:43:57 AM new
"I hope to get an answer to Where the consistency is here?"
There is none. You will be happier if you accept this fact. I know I am!
Has eBay approved a relist?
What were you planning to say? "My previous listing was pulled due to keyword spamming but it wasn't really keyword spamming because other people are doing it too and I got away with it before?"
posted on January 25, 2007 07:49:28 AM new
I had some yarn auctions pulled for word spamming. I knew it was not because it was made by the same factory selling under 2 labels. I even called the factory and sent the reply to eBay, but they wouldn't budge. Others are doing the exact same thing, but there is no way I would risk relisting, and mentioning that fact, not worth the chance of getting suspended.
posted on January 25, 2007 08:30:40 AM new
"because the words used were descriptive, not trade marks, and are used frequently in similar listings of this type of vintage piece"
Descriptive words can indeed be considered KWS.
It all depends on what the words are and the common sense level of the T&S rep who reviews your listing.
posted on January 25, 2007 08:39:24 AM new
Thanks all. No mention it is! You're right. I was totally in the heat of the moment, feeling kicked in the gut and unfairly targeted. Cooler heads prevail and I appreciate your input. Never been in this position before so I felt singled out...turns out to be kind of an initiation into the reality of it all.
alldings - Thank you for giving me a prospective bidders view.
zipp2dah - I am not going to relist in the true sense of the word. I'm going to rewrite it to create an entire new auction being careful not to include the words I've been slapped for. So, I don't think eBay will have to approve that will they? Please correct me if I'm mistaken. Oh..for the record, If I had said anything it would have been more along the idea that I mentioned above with an apology for the disappearance of the auction ..due to a listing error as suggested here. Since I've never "done this before" nor "gotten away with it" there wouldn't have been any need to say that. I agree that nothing said at all is best. Thanks for your input.
posted on January 25, 2007 09:10:01 AM new
Roman, that sounds okay to me but I don't work for eBay (I have too much common sense, ha ha) so if you are truly concerned, you may want to run your new listing past a rep before posting. Save the approval email and IF they pull the listing again (hopefully not) you will have proof of the approval and that sometimes helps.
Since this was only your first offense, you're probably not going to be NARU if they pull it again but you really never know with eBay.
I apologize if "My previous listing was pulled due to keyword spamming but it wasn't really keyword spamming because other people are doing it too and I got away with it before?" sounded snitty or if I implied that you were guilty because that was not my intention at all.
I've had two things pulled. The first was entirely my fault. The second was completely NOT my fault and, as in Tom's case, others are still merrily listing and selling the same items that were pulled. My first instinct was to get in my car and drive to SJ and kick some eBay butt. Then I decided to use my time on something more useful and doable such as teaching my cats how to speak French.
If I have to relist due to a NPB, I do sometimes say "I am relisting due to a non-paying bidder. His loss is your gain" or something along those lines but if there were any chance that I would come off looking like an eBay criminal because of the nature of the offense (stated or implied), I would say nothing.
Edited to add: P.S. Good luck to you!
[ edited by zippy2dah on Jan 25, 2007 09:11 AM ]
posted on January 25, 2007 06:18:37 PM new
Update: Thought you might find it interesting that sometimes things have a way of working out after all. My auction has been reinstated as a new auction completely as it was originally listed including the number of hits that it had but minus the bids. They acknowledge that it was their error in judgment and that it was pulled inappropriately. They say they have sent letters to the bidders stating that and giving them a link to the new auction. Of course it remains to be seen if the bidders come back.
Again, thanks all for the time you gave with me today.
posted on January 26, 2007 03:24:50 AM new
romantiques: can we see the new auction number, to watch this nice item go up up up? ... LOVE to watch nice auctions.
posted on January 26, 2007 11:40:56 AM new
"I have auction numbers for 6 recent auctions selling the same kind of vintage home decor item using the exact same words"
Don't use the exact same words. One of the other sellers problably reported you. Rephasing the sentences, or using similar terms, will problably help avoid getting the auction pulled.
