Being accused of keyword spamming for using "not"

[missmelindalou]

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

[retrose1]

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@missmelindalou wrote:

Can you explain about using As at the end of a title?  I'm not catching what this means.

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Something like this....Set of White Bose Speakers As Is

[missmelindalou]

Okay, that makes sense and seems like a good suggestion

[mistressmime]

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@missmelindalou wrote:

How is it not intolerance for getting punished and blamed for the way you express yourself? 

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Please, lets not play the race/intolerance card, and lets DO try to fix the issue, which is KWS.

You've been given several ideas on how to fix it. If you refuse to take the suggestions and continue to insist youre right and ebay and everyone else is wrong, its your account at risk, not ours

[turquoisetulips]

This is a real easy fix ,, I agree with the others ,, just leave ''NOT '' out of the title  on your listings. Doing so will save you from being banned and you'll probably do better selling the items . I don't think e bays stance on this issue has a thing to do with racism  either . Nobody knows what race we are by our sellers name and since America is a genuine  melting pot  it doesn't make a whole lot of sense to assume racism is the true culprit . Good luck 

[missmelindalou]

Ok, thanks for the suggestion.  Even though "cosmetics" was not mentioned as a problem, we feel that this was part of the problem since at least one ebay rep didn't seem to realize that the word could be referring to something other than things like facial cosmetics.  I don't think it would be difficult for an American rep to grasp that this was a simple misunderstanding, so I guess calling early in the morning it is.

[missmelindalou]

I got it, just never use the word "not".  But are there other honest mistakes that can get one punished for keyword spamming?

I didn't mean to say that racism was somehow intentional, but I think if I would have talked to almost any American rep, of any ethnicity, they would at least acknowledge that we were not trying to keyword spam, but this did not happen with at least two reps.  Like if some native spanish speaking person expressed themsleves by using a different order of words and a native English speaker kept ignoring every explanation and told them they needed to stop doing something they weren't intending on doing and then took money out of their pockets for putting words in a different order, that wouldn't be innapropriate?

[southern*sweet*tea]

FYI your Transitone is NOT bakelite, it's plastic  http://www.radiomuseum.org/r/philco_48_250_transitone_code_12_2.html

[missmelindalou]

Biggest short term problem is we have a bill due today and set up Saturday-Monday to do nothing but list on ebay, but we could not do that because we weren't allowed to list, so now we have to pay $100 on late fees for something because we are a little short to pay the bill.

[missmelindalou]

Thanks, we didn't know.  That was definately our mistake. 

[missmelindalou]

Again, thanks a lot for letting us know.  That was closer to actual keyword spamming even if it also was not intentional.  That might have gotten us kicked off ebay.

[d-k_treasures]

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@klassic*kids wrote:

As it's been established "not great" is considered keyword spamming why don't you just give up that ghost and list as "good" or "fair" or some other descriptive?  You keep fighting this and there's "not a great" chance you are going to win.

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I'm betting that the bots are picking up the 'not' with 'cosmetics', and considering that KWS. I would assume that the 'not' in the title would be linked to another brand or category. 'Great' isn't a category or brand, but cosmetics is a category.

But as-is works better. 

[missmelindalou]

Again, we were told that bots weren't making the decision it was a human.  And the email didn't say anything about cosmetics, we just guessed that might be a problem since one ebay rep didn't understand cosmetics could mean something besides facial cosmetics.

So I think you are correct, it just would have helped if ebay reps explained it like you did from the start instead of doubling down on telling us to stop keyword spamming and threatening further punishment for keyword spamming and not listening to explanations of how we were not keyword spamming, or at least were not intending on keyword spamming.  Last guy we talked to seemed to sort of get it, but nothing has happened.

Anyway, you are also correct about "as is".  I will just try to remember to always use the as is since the way I worded things isn't allowed and saying a word that is open to interpretation leaves one open to problems.

[southern*sweet*tea]

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@missmelindalou wrote:

Again, thanks a lot for letting us know.  That was closer to actual keyword spamming even if it also was not intentional.  That might have gotten us kicked off ebay.

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You're welcome.

 Bakelite was quickly phased out after WW2 because the new, modern plastics were much more heat tolerant. While it is possible to find bakelite radios made after 1950, you won't find many. Plastic was cheaper, more durable and also easy to make in different colors (other than black or brown)

[missmelindalou]

It makes sense that even if great is not the first word it would show up under a search for great.  But we also did not use the word "condition," so someone searching for "great condition" would maybe? not have our item pop up.  I understand the problem, and largely we were just very upset at setting aside 3 days to list things to pay a bill, not being allowed to list things and then spending hours getting blamed and transferred around rather than reps seeing the problem and acknowledging the obvious, that we have a great track record and were not intentionally trying to violate policy.

[castlemagicmemories]

You can't fight Ebay on this and win.  Sorry but the rep is right~you can be kicked off for keyword spamming.  

Leave out the Great, not great that is causing you problems.  The bots have you on their radar now.  You will not win if you persist.

At this point, you may want to consider not listing them here at all, if you want to retain your selling privileges.  At 3 or 4 offenses, you are very lucky your suspension is only temporary at this point.  So you need to decide, do I want to keep this up and get kicked out?  Or do I want to avoid that?

I don't see this as racism.  It is Ebay's sandbox; their rules.  You are temporarily restricted; next time you might not be so lucky and you will be suspended indefinitely.  Board wisdom usually states, do not list the offending item again so you take no chances.  Leave out the word cosmetics.  

"Pair 2 Bose Double Cube Speakers Black Surface Damage.

Did you google not great?  It shows it is a reference to a Mad Men character; Mad Men is very zealous about guarding their property.  Have read threads before of listing problems that refer to Mad Men.  Not great, Bob came up; apparently a celebrity.

You can persist in protesting and re-listing, and possibly lose your account, or you can stop and keep your selling privileges.  Sorry.  But what counts is that Ebay says it is keywood spamming.  

Good Luck to you.