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Being accused of keyword spamming for using "not"

We listed an item "Pair 2 Bose Double Cube Speakers Black Work Great Cosmetics Not Great" and our selling privledges are temporary restricted for keyword spamming because "not great" violates ebay policy of keyword spamming because "not great" is somehow a "brand name, celebrity name, specific product or much searched word".  Additionally this is apparently our 3rd or 4th offense, but all of the offenses are relisting this one item.  So we are getting close to getting kicked off ebay because we are keyword spamming when we have never keyword spammed.

 

We have spent hours and have got no where.  Both myself and my girlfriend have tried to explain that although using "not" plus some other word might be a typical way of keyword spamming, "great" is not a celebrity namebrand name, product name or typical keyword search.  Even though "cosmetics" was not part of the complaint in our email from ebay, we tried to explain that the word cosmetics has multiple meanings in english which seemed to be confusing to one operator.  The worst was one ebay rep who seemed to get more and more annoyed about our refusal to stop keyword spamming and all explanations were met with some sort of "if you don't stop keyword spamming you will be kicked off ebay" with the operator never acknowledging that there might be some mistake after we had explained the error many times.

 

I sort of feel like this comes into the general category of racism, where non-native speakers blame and accuse and punish and blame and accuse more because they cannot accept that their understanding of English misses certain nuances.  Sort of as though someone from the US were to accuse and blame and punish a minority or a foreigner because the majority US person did not understand them and could not accept that there might be a different point of view.

 

We are really concerned that we might be kicked off ebay for good

 

Message 1 of 191
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Re: Being punished because ebay Phillipines doesn't understand English or are incompetent or .....


@missmelindalou wrote:

Alternatively, it may just be that reps are burnt out and because they hear complaint after complaint from members who have brought problems on themselves, they just assume that this is another example of someone who won't stop being difficult because they like to complain.

 

Or maybe it's just easier to blame and accuse than to put forth effort to address a concern.

 

Etc.

 

But we have a Top Rated status are forcast to have a future Top Rated status, we have no problems except we got suspended and are close to being thrown off ebay because we listed one item with a title ebay doesn't like and then kept relisting it because we did not see urgency in the wording of a form message and therefore did not read it.

 

I feel like there must be some way to have an obvious mix up be resolved, but it seems like this is entirely impossible.  At the very least it would be nice to be able to give negative feedback to reps who were accusatory and not helpful or gave incorrect information or just transferred call when they said they were going to look at account and give positive feedback to last rep who actually listened and put forth effort, but this also seems impossible.


That rep was humoring you.

 

As for the reps making accusations...you did the ebay crime, they had the proof right in front of them. They had no idea you didnt bother to read your emails that told you what not to do.

 

CS hear all the excuses from "im ignorant of the rules" to blatant lies every day. They aint got time for that stuff. Ive seen many TSRs and Powersellers brought down and their accounts completely banned for various violations they claim not to have been aware of.

 

You got lucky, you only got a 3 day suspension, eBay could just have easily made it 30 days or permanent with the number of violations you had.

Message 151 of 191
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Re: Being punished because ebay Phillipines doesn't understand English or are incompetent or .....

I'm curious if you thoroughly and carefully read the recent email titled "Cash in on your phone" because maybe it contained extremely urgent information about how you were violating policy by making a non phone item sound like a phone item.

Message 152 of 191
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Re: Being punished because ebay Phillipines doesn't understand English or are incompetent or .....

I wonder how what percentage of people actually believe, or might guess that "not great" violates ebay policy (again "cosmetics" was not mentioned in the suspension letter, just that we apparently kept listing an item with the words "not great").  Also, I wonder what percentage of people have carefully and thoroughly read the "Cash in on your phone" mail from ebay, because apparently all ebay messages are beyond urgent, no matter how innocuous they may sound.

Message 153 of 191
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Re: Being punished because ebay Phillipines doesn't understand English or are incompetent or .....

If I carefully search through all ebay policy material will I find it mentioned that under no circumstances is it acceptable to use the word "not" in a listing title?

Message 154 of 191
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Re: Being punished because ebay Phillipines doesn't understand English or are incompetent or .....

I'm intelligent enough to know the difference between a sell your phone message and something that mentions policy or compliance.

Message 155 of 191
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Re: Being punished because ebay Phillipines doesn't understand English or are incompetent or .....

"cosmetics not great"

 

This is a very unusual term, in fact I cannot find it anywhere on Google

 

And for sure not on eBay. . .

Message 156 of 191
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Re: Being punished because ebay Phillipines doesn't understand English or are incompetent or .....


@z50com wrote:

"cosmetics not great"

 

This is a very unusual term, in fact I cannot find it anywhere on Google

 

And for sure not on eBay. . .


It seems like short hand for cosmetic condition is not great.

Message 157 of 191
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Re: Being punished because ebay Phillipines doesn't understand English or are incompetent or .....

I just keep wondering why the OP doesn't use:

 

Excellent

 

Very Good

 

Good

 

Fair

 

Poor

 

These are the USUAL terms people use to describe condition. . .

Message 158 of 191
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Re: Being punished because ebay Phillipines doesn't understand English or are incompetent or .....

Trying to get caught up on the thread, not sure if it's been posted already or not.  If it has been, well...here it is again

http://pages.ebay.com/help/policies/search-manipulation.html#keyword

b208fab826785c5b2c4abae48a52d070

http://pages.ebay.com/help/policies/search-manipulation.html#titles

5676a1f80c32907c5e81f3903a5a82c0

The easier you are to offend the easier you are to control.


We seem to be getting closer and closer to a situation where nobody is responsible for what they did but we are all responsible for what somebody else did. - Thomas Sowell
Message 159 of 191
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Re: Being punished because ebay Phillipines doesn't understand English or are incompetent or .....

I've been corrected.

Message 160 of 191
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Re: Being punished because ebay Phillipines doesn't understand English or are incompetent or .....


@z50com wrote:

I just keep wondering why the OP doesn't use:

 

Excellent

 

Very Good

 

Good

 

Fair

 

Poor

 

These are the USUAL terms people use to describe condition. . .


Because English are cosmetically not good!

Message 161 of 191
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Re: Being punished because ebay Phillipines doesn't understand English or are incompetent or .....

OMG!

 

I've been breaking some of these rules for years

 

100° Countersinks

 

1/2 inch drill bit  ~ How else would you list it? I know it's a .500 drill bit but no one would search for it that way.   3/8 drill bit    1/4 drill bit

 

eBay's lost their mind on that one!

 

Thank You Southern Sweet Tea

Message 162 of 191
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Re: Being punished because ebay Phillipines doesn't understand English or are incompetent or .....


@missmelindalou wrote:

If I carefully search through all ebay policy material will I find it mentioned that under no circumstances is it acceptable to use the word "not" in a listing title?


It was the not cosmetics that got you

http://pages.ebay.com/help/policies/search-manipulation.html#

 

Not allowed

Not allowed

Comparisons between products aren't allowed. For example, you can't say things like "shirt not pants" or "video not Nano."

Message 163 of 191
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Re: Being punished because ebay Phillipines doesn't understand English or are incompetent or .....


@d-k_treasures wrote:

@castlemagicmemories wrote:

With all due respect, and not to beat a dead horse, but actually I don't think it was just that one word, not.

 

Posters have pointed out, as has Ebay, that NOT GREAT is one of the most famous quotes referring to BOB, in Mad Men.  Most likely this is what Ebay meant by celebrity.

 

Posters have also pointed out that great is not a good condition term, and that cosmetics was KWS as well.

 

So while I doubt it makes you feel any better, it wasn't JUST the word great that was wrong here.  There were multiple words in error.


I'm sorry, but that's just out of control. What happens when others start saying that we can't use any phrase that someone else says on TV or in a movie?

 


I understand, but as I have read, the owners of the Mad Men property are very zealous about protecting their property.  Sellers selling items that they stated were Mad Men Era got their listings pulled (these were mostly vintage lamps and furniture).  Not great, Bob is a famous statement about the character Bob of Mad Men; OP said Ebay said it was pulled for NOT GREAT and celebrity.  

 

Hey, not my fault!!!!

Message 164 of 191
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Re: Being punished because ebay Phillipines doesn't understand English or are incompetent or .....

eBay?

 

Should I list a 3/8 drill bit as:  Three eights drill bit

 

would a 1/4 drill bit be:   Quarter drill bit?

 

and a 1/2 drill bit:   Half inch drill bit

 

Come one, let's use some common sense here. . .

 

I can conceed on the degree symbol but the fractions?

Message 165 of 191
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