eBay keeps pulling my auction

[llee2]

Had eBay pull my listing 3 times now because they thought the insulin delivery device I listed contained insulin. Never mind the fact that the auction description clearly states "no insulin comes with it".

Each time I've complained, they responded saying the rep in question pulled it in error as they thought it contained insulin. Hello? Read the description. So, last week it was pulled again, and today I get the "we're so sorry, you can relist it". So, I relist and within 6 hours (and another lost bidder), it gets yanked again because "insulin is not permitted on eBay". This is total BS. So, I've relisted it yet again... 5574410387 - at least this time when it gets pulled, it will be for a legitmate reason. Sorry for ranting but this is really pissing me off.

Lincoln

[systemagic]

In fairness to eBay I know that the customer service reps, here in Burnaby, must have completed their Business Management certification from a school such as BCIT (British Columbia Institute of Technology). I aslo expect Pink Carly may be trepedatious of venturing here because each time she has she's been met with venom.

Also in fairness to eBay: I think that I might be willing to part with the expense, at least once, of a second headline if I wrote something like "IDIOT eBay reps unable to read "NO INSULIN HERE" or something like that. If I did I might also be inclined to elaborate, in the body of the text, how many times this listing has been pulled, appologized for, and the many actual ongoing insulin sales that aren't getting pulled.

[audioshack]

I agree - eBay reps should be somewhat trepedatious of visiting the Cdn. Powerseller board - it happens so rarely it is very unlikely that they will happen to "pop" in on a day when sellers have all positives and nothing negative to say to them. I would venture that some of the animosity towards the reps is of a direct result of their unpreparedness to meet with the sellers on this board even occasionally.

If they were to show up once in a while, IMHO, they would begin to develop relationships with the sellers as they have and do on the US Powersellers board. It is a very common complaint here that Cdn. Powersellers get far less bang for their buck. A little more attention might begin to reverse that flow.

I don't want coffee mugs or t-shirts - I only ask eBay and their reps to provide a modest level of service that will allow both parties to profit. That level of service does not exist on this board.

It is also evident that the reps don't care to hear what Cdn. Powersellers have to say. I note that Carly immediately locked the post that she made today. Yes, we wouldn't want those noisy Canucks offering opinions...

I would very strongly oppose your suggestion that the OP invest money in sub-titles to ward off trigger happy eBay staffers.

Every dime I spend with eBay is considered advertising to attract potential buyers and generate sales. I am not prepared to initiated another expense category for a defense-against-eBay fund.

eBay needs to allow sellers to sell within the guidelines established and push their employess to perform their duties within the guidelines established. Asking anyone to pay additional fees to prevent eBay employees from WRONGFULLY ending a legitimate auction sounds too much like a protection racket IMHO.

[systemagic]

Audioshack,

Your stance regarding paying eBay being akin to the thin edge of the wedge of a protection racket is well-reasoned and principled - I respect that.

If paying less than a buck, one time, could result in both alleviating the OP's problem and perhaps even getting all the genuine insulin listings pulled, then I'd regard this as a greater good. After all, insulin sales could be regarded as the thin edge of the wedge of selling body parts - a greater bad.

Resolution of the real problems, in my view, is of greater, more pragmatic, value.

Carly, if you're reading this - please progress these concerns to the proper authorities.

[audioshack]

systemagic, if for even one moment it could be considered that the OP was selling an improper item, this entire thread would have followed another course.

From the outset it was establised the the OP was selling a legitimate delivery system for insulin and not insulin itself. It is not an illegal or immoral product and is within eBay's selling guidelines as has been established by the OP with eBay staffers.

This whole issue seems to be about the performance of certain trigger happy staffers who yank auctions without any true investigation.

I sum it up in this manner. Bottomline - eBay is at fault, regardless of the scenario. It matters little whether eBay employees are not performing their duties properly because they are overworked, in which case eBay is at fault for poor staffing, or whether the employees are lazy, in which case eBay is at fault for not properly supervising or implementing necessary checks and balances. This is not an isolated incident. The boards have many complaints of this type of laissez-faire attitude that seems to rear its head regularily.

Animosity amongst sellers towards eBay will continue to grow until eBay begins to implement serious change in the way they deal with their primary source of income.

[llee2]

Systemagic,

Have a look at my current relisting 5574410387, which essentially adds your noted points in an auction preamble. Is it working? Well, the listing has been up for 3 days (the longest length of time yet) without getting yanked.

With regard to spending the extra buck to get actual insulin sales removed... Each time my listing has been pulled, I've appealed it to eBay. I've mentioned how there is no insulin (much like the description clearly reads) but also have noted how they allow actual insulin sales to persist. I've even pointed out several specific examples to them. Guess what? Nothing got pulled. When specifics are given directly to eBay and nothing gets done, do you think they will go searching for insulin sales just because an auction title reads "no insulin"? If they're so lazy not to check the listing before pulling, I honestly don't think they're going to add 2+2 and go do something above and beyond that requires a half a thought.

As a matter of principle, I will not pay for a subtitle to steer away lazy eBay reps who won't/can't read an auction description before pulling a valid listing. I have my doubts whether it would help anyways, but that's completely irrelevant here.

There are 2 matters here that require the resolution you speak of. First, eBay reps need to ensure that a listing violates the rules BEFORE pulling (or repeatedly pulling) it. Secondly, eBay reps do need to pull ACTUAL listing that violate rules, especially when they are specfically pointed out to them. Both matters depend on the level of competence, laziness and know-how of the eBay reps.

Lincoln

[llee2]

Malcolm,

You're right, that is a definite possibility. However, I think the more likely reason is less sinister.

My belief is that this is a competency/laziness issue three times over. As you said, it's unlikely that the same rep pulled all 3 listings. And I hear that when you buy monkeys from a circus, you have to buy them in 3's.

Let's just hope that they didn't have a buy-3-get-1-free deal that day. Knock on wood, but listing #4 is still up and running on day 3.

Lincoln

[wrightcomputes]

eBay reps are an exercise in frustration. I have never seen a bunch of people who, as a group, seem to have the same brain-deficiency.

Having said this, while I fully understand your frustration, and my tone with eBay's reps has not been any nicer, the preamble in your listing gives them now a valid reason to pull it. I took that approach once, and mine was pulled. Their reason was that the item description is supposed to contain just that. I was quoted the following from the User Agreement:

Listing and Selling.
5.1 Listing Description. You must be legally able to sell the item(s) you list for sale on the Site. You must describe your item and all terms of sale on the listing page of the Site

[wrightcomputes]

Oops! Incomplete copy-and-paste...

Here it is again:

5 Listing and Selling.
5.1 Listing Description. You must be legally able to sell the item(s) you list for sale on the Site. You must describe your item and all terms of sale on the listing page of the Site. Your listings may only include text descriptions, graphics, pictures and other content relevant to the sale of that item.

[llee2]

Well, if they want to argue the point, the preamble is relevant because they obviously can't/won't read the original listing I posted. The listing with the preamble has lasted longer than the other 3 listings combined. Without the preamble, they can't seem to leave a legimate listing alone. So, IMAO the preamble is very relevant to the successful sale of the item.

Lincoln

[systemagic]

It looks like the preamble is working - Good for you!

I might have included something about the illegal 'Humulin' listed elsewhere however. It looks like there are currently 6 active listings flogging the stuff.

I wonder if it would be too late to add now since it seems likely that the incompetant rep may already have read your listing?

[llee2]

Here's the latest email from eBay telling me that the listing they pulled was done so again in error. I wonder what the note she is adding to my file is going to read? My suggestion -

"Please actually read the listings before pulling it. Look! It says NO insulin

Somehow, I think the preamble is the only thing keeping my listing free from eBay police. Might tone it down a bit for future auctions but it's definitely staying.

----------------------------------------

Hello Lincoln,

Thank you for taking the time to contact us. My name is ******, and I
appreciate the chance to address your concerns.

I have looked into your account and have found that you are indeed
correct. Your auction, Item #5574307811, was removed incorrectly. I do
hope you will accept our apologies. I have put a note on your account
informing our reps about the issue, and have removed the violation from
your account.

I have restarted your auction and it is now back on our site. We will
need you, however, to finalize the reinstatement process if you wish to
relist the pen.

To reactivate the auction just enter the auction number into the search
box on any eBay page. Once at the pages just scroll down to the line
called "Relist item" which is 4 lines under your user name and click on
"relist this item" which shows in blue lettering. This link will walk
you through the reinstatement process for these auctions.

Lincoln, once again, I am sorry for all the confusion regarding your
auctions. I do hope that you will accept our apologies. Please, please
do let us know if we can be of further assistance.

We thank you for your understanding.

Regards,

*******
Community Watch Team
eBay Trust & Safety

[radiologiedog]

The problem is that ebay works with automatic surch engine for words that are not allow to sell. That all as soon as the machine find the word insuline your out! That's wy

[karensvariety]

This happened to me as well. Fortunately someone phoned me. What they suggest is right at the top of your ad, put in big bold red letters your warning about no insulin comes with it or even in your title. I expect with hundreds of reports coming in every day they just blindly pull them without reading them.