We noticed that your listing title conflicts with other details in your listing.

[coelhop]

Let me first say that, no machine is currently advanced enough to understand when a piece of text contradicts another with 100% confidence. Given that eBay is not even in this field I find it extremely surprising that I'm getting stuck with this error:

We noticed that your listing title conflicts with other details in your listing. For example, your title may indicate that your item is new, but your description may say that it's used or refurbished. If your item is cracked or damaged, select the For parts or not working item condition. If it has been used for any purpose, select the Used item condition.

I literally replaced the text with a smiley face and it went through. Is the messaging that eBay wants to send that you'd rather have literal trash on the description that trust the human posting the actual description for the item?

I'm trying to sell a phone, selected open box. On the description I'm writing "This phone is in mint condition.". HUMAN FOOL, YOU CAN'T FOOL ME WITH THAT CLEARLY HONEST TEXT! BEGONE!

Really, W T F.

[southern*sweet*tea]

Unless I'm mistaken, mint condition would mean never removed from the box, so open box would be contradictory...but I sell old paper, what the heck do I know?  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[luckythewinner]

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@coelhop wrote:

Is the messaging that eBay wants to send that you'd rather have literal trash on the description that trust the human posting the actual description for the item?

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You are presenting a false dilemma. 

Just because eBay's "contradiction detector" did not also detect a trash title does not mean that eBay prefers trash over a contradiction. It simply means that eBay's contradiction detector does not also detect trash. 

Contradictions in listings lead to buyer confusion, and buyer confusion results in unsatisfactory transactions. So eBay has an interest in trying to reduce confusion, even if their detection process  is imperfect and results in messages like the one you received. 

On the other hand, a trash title like a smiley face does not cause buyer confusion because no buyer is ever going to find or buy a listing with such a useless title. So there is little risk of an unsatisfactory transaction, only the risk of a seller shooting himself in the foot by wasting a listing.  

All that aside ... 

I have been reading this board daily for a decade, and yours is the only message I can recall where this issue was raised. So an alternative conclusion might be that eBay's contradiction detection system is actually pretty good 😄

[chapeau-noir]

It's not that good - I get that message all the time when a BRAND includes "New" (Jones New York, for instance, but there are many more) in the title.   Or if in the description I necessarily have to describe condition accurately and a component may be new.  🙄 

[barbu37]

I wonder if a listing for a NEW bottle of OLD Spice would send the bot into a nervous breakdown?

[gwzcomps]

Honestly in this case the bot was right.  You are using deceptive wording whether you agree or not.  This can't be open box and new at the same time for your phone.  You opened the box and used the phone.  Open box and mint condition would be accurate. Lightly used and mint condition would be a safer statement.

[fashunu4eeuh]

I think the bot could get hung up on the "mint condition" with "open box". I see also you added to the description "essentially new" which would have also been seen as contradictory. The bots would see "new" and used (open box) as problematic. Just a safeguard that got tripped up. I see you already have a bid, so all's well that ends well. Good luck with your auction.

[chapeau-noir]

I see it as bot action, as well.  I'm not changing an accurate description because of a mindless bot, but if it stopped me from actually listing, or if I went back and decided there might be room for confusion, I would do so.  It's just an alert.

[gracieallen01]

Maybe something like, 'Open box, but only used once' would be a better way of phrasing it? Of course that doesn't mean that it wasn't used that one time as a skipping stone on a quiet, calm lake.

Also 'Open Box' can be construed a number of ways, including to mean that it is a return - a term that is frequently used in B&M stores.

[vintage-car-magazines]

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@gracieallen01 wrote:

Maybe something like, 'Open box, but only used once' would be a better way of phrasing it? Of course that doesn't mean that it wasn't used that one time as a skipping stone on a quiet, calm lake.

Also 'Open Box' can be construed a number of ways, including to mean that it is a return - a term that is frequently used in B&M stores.

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That's the reason I tend to shy away from Open Box listings. I immediately wonder what defect caused the original buyer to return it. 

[fern*wood]

Personally,  the only time I might use the word mint is if I was selling breath mints. 

[coelhop]

Something can be in mint condition while outside the box.

[coelhop]

So you're saying that just because I'm the only person complaining I'm wrong about it? Great logic.

[coelhop]

Likely. I'm actually going to try just posting trash in the description to see how bad I can get the machine to believe it's an actual description

[coelhop]

I did not use the phone. I opened the box and put it back. Removing an item from the box does not damage it.