eBay FLAGGING and Restricting my account due to erroneous MIS CATEGORIZATION Calls.

[bmxsux]

I sell vintage bicycle parts on eBay ....  20 year seller.

Lately nothing but WRONG CALLS by this company accusing me of brand name misuse....miscategorization etc

when no such issue is in fact the reality..

Here's the latest...254300079388

ANTIQUE SCHWINN BICYCLE DECALS.....   I placed these in the category I have sold them in for the last 20 odd years with eBay.

NOW?  They insist AUTOMOBILIA category... 

Because the idiots in the "INTERNAL TEAM"  Can't get it through their dense heads that "MOTORBIKE" is the MODEL NAME of the ANTIQUE Schwinn bicycle from 1935 -1939 ....had NO motor....NOTHING Motorized...

simply a MODEL NAME to attract the interest of youth in the 1930s.

The above mess is pure insanity from a seller standpoint..... UTTER failure on the part of Ebay to admit fault and correct whatever BUG in the system kicks out the word "Motorbike"  which is required to sell the item accurately to BICYCLE Collectors looking for the BICYCLE -- MODEL Schwinn built in the 1930s called "Motorbike"....

Insisting that the decals apply to AUTOMOBILIA .....where NO SUCH SCHWINN BICYCLE DECALS WHAT SO EVER RESIDE?  Is pure insanity....  Well there was ONE item a Schwinn decal in that category that indeed was 
Spam and had nothing to do with "schwinn" what so ever.

HOW DO WE REACH PEOPLE AT EBAY WHO CAN UNDERSTAND ISSUES LIKE THIS AND MAKE

SOUND JUDGEMENT CALLS BASED ON REALITY AND FACT?????  

I AM AT A LOSS AND ABOUT TO CLOSE ALL MY ACCOUNTS WITH THIS COMPANY...

[ittybitnot]

The company motto must be "Choose Cluelessness"... I mean, the government has nothing on eBay for this sort of nuttiness sometimes.

Just a guess, but I sometimes think that the "category" (new or removed) as well as their item specifics mandate is calculated by some sort of algorithms which are interpreted by IT people in India that have no clue as to "Americana" be it new or used.   The result is often silly.....you know like "waist size" for a sports jacket???  

But wait....ebay has a new program to help the clueless (or not) seller with this sort of thing. They are now pulling words from your title when posting a new listing to AUTO UPDATE your item specifics to ones you did not choose EVEN IF THEY ARE WRONG....so, yes, wetsuits will likely be in men's apparel sooner than you think.  LOL   Blue transferware platters will be changed to pink since there are "roses" in the design.   I kid you not......selling an accessory to a machine?  They will ad the "machine" for you while you are not looking, making the buyer angry they only got the "decal" instead of the whole bicycle.  
 

[scga912]

Bicycle bits belong in the Cycling category

Automobilia is clearly defined as "collectible items relating to automobiles"

Automobiles are self-propelled - internal combustion engine, battery, etc.

There are currently 23K listings in Cycling when one searches Bicycle Decals.

@Anonymous 

Wouldn't Cycling > Vintage Cycling > Vintage Cycling Accessories be more appropriate?

[gramophone-georg]

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@scga912 wrote:

Bicycle bits belong in the Cycling category

Automobilia is clearly defined as "collectible items relating to automobiles"

Automobiles are self-propelled - internal combustion engine, battery, etc.

There are currently 23K listings in Cycling when one searches Bicycle Decals.

@Anonymous 

Wouldn't Cycling > Vintage Cycling > Vintage Cycling Accessories be more appropriate?

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Apparently not.

It's just amazing that on eBay putting bicycle parts in the bicycle parts category seems to be a policy violation.

[scga912]

I just took a look at the category the OP had it in -

Collectibles > Transportation > Bicycle > Bicycle Parts

...but there is also a Bicycle Accessories sub-category (in Collectibles) which might be more appropriate than Parts.

[this*old*attic]

I don't understand your logic?

It's a bike accessory/decoration/whatever, not for a car. It isn't "Automobilia."

[ittybitnot]

 It isn't "Automobilia."

LOL... it is now.  ebay Kafka miniseries season 15. 

[oldwestgold]

List in more than one category. My understanding from prior experience with eBay is that they require you sell in their perceived correct category and they don't care what other categories you use as they will make an extra 25c.

[Anonymous]

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@scga912 wrote:

I just took a look at the category the OP had it in -

Collectibles > Transportation > Bicycle > Bicycle Parts

...but there is also a Bicycle Accessories sub-category (in Collectibles) which might be more appropriate than Parts.

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Hi @scga912, possibly - this is the feedback I am passing along. In the meantime, the OP needs to follow the instruction that was provided via email by eBay. We may be able to create a different category in the future for these types of items, or get adjustments/clarification on a different category that is more appropriate. 

[Anonymous]

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@bmxsux wrote:

I sell vintage bicycle parts on eBay ....  20 year seller.

Lately nothing but WRONG CALLS by this company accusing me of brand name misuse....miscategorization etc

when no such issue is in fact the reality..

Here's the latest...254300079388

ANTIQUE SCHWINN BICYCLE DECALS.....   I placed these in the category I have sold them in for the last 20 odd years with eBay.

NOW?  They insist AUTOMOBILIA category... 

Because the idiots in the "INTERNAL TEAM"  Can't get it through their dense heads that "MOTORBIKE" is the MODEL NAME of the ANTIQUE Schwinn bicycle from 1935 -1939 ....had NO motor....NOTHING Motorized...

simply a MODEL NAME to attract the interest of youth in the 1930s.

The above mess is pure insanity from a seller standpoint..... UTTER failure on the part of Ebay to admit fault and correct whatever BUG in the system kicks out the word "Motorbike"  which is required to sell the item accurately to BICYCLE Collectors looking for the BICYCLE -- MODEL Schwinn built in the 1930s called "Motorbike"....

Insisting that the decals apply to AUTOMOBILIA .....where NO SUCH SCHWINN BICYCLE DECALS WHAT SO EVER RESIDE?  Is pure insanity....  Well there was ONE item a Schwinn decal in that category that indeed was 
Spam and had nothing to do with "schwinn" what so ever.

HOW DO WE REACH PEOPLE AT EBAY WHO CAN UNDERSTAND ISSUES LIKE THIS AND MAKE

SOUND JUDGEMENT CALLS BASED ON REALITY AND FACT?????  

I AM AT A LOSS AND ABOUT TO CLOSE ALL MY ACCOUNTS WITH THIS COMPANY...

---

Hi @bmxsux, I just wanted to update you that I've got a little more information on the issue of miscategorization related to the Schwinn decals; the correct category for these items would be Sporting Goods>Cycling>Bicycle Accessories>Decals, Stickers. You've got an email from Customer Service that confirms this as well. We've gotten the confusion related to Automobilia cleared up on our end and appreciate your help to avoid these kinds of issues in the future.

I do want to stress for everyone that if we have instructed an item to be listed in a specific category, then a seller needs to list those items in that category unless told otherwise. Continuing to list in a category that we have indicated is not appropriate for the item can lead to consequences for your selling account. If there is a more appropriate alternative or the option we've recommended poses problems, Customer Service will be happy to investigate further.

[wesk_36]

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@thecollegefund wrote:

What is the official definition of "automobilia" according to collectors? Would automobilia collectors want a decal designed for an antique bicycle?

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It means to collectors, everything automobiles, especially vintage.

: collectible items relating to automobiles classic hood ornaments and other automobilia for example

Not the place anyone would be looking for bicycle memorabilia.

[monster-deals]

No buyer cares what category it is in.

Your buyers are searching via keywords...just focus on that and leave the stuff that doesn't matter alone.

[gramophone-georg]

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@monster-deals wrote:

No buyer cares what category it is in.

Your buyers are searching via keywords...just focus on that and leave the stuff that doesn't matter alone.

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Not when eBay selects the default category you are going to search in using your search terms for you... sorry. It matters what category it gets put in... A LOT.

[monster-deals]

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@gramophone-georg wrote:

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@monster-deals wrote:

No buyer cares what category it is in.

Your buyers are searching via keywords...just focus on that and leave the stuff that doesn't matter alone.

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Not when eBay selects the default category you are going to search in using your search terms for you... sorry. It matters what category it gets put in... A LOT.

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It hasn't mattered for over 10 years.

Why there are categories still and why ebay wants you to put apples in the bananas category and then have an employee double down on it...is well bananas 

[ittybitnot]

It hasn't ,mattered for over 10 years. Why there are categories still and why ebay wants you to put apples in the bananas category...is well bananas 

What happens now when you search, and choose "all categories" eBay actually changes the buyer's "all categories" selection to the category of eBay's  choosing.   

[gramophone-georg]

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@ittybitnot wrote:

It hasn't ,mattered for over 10 years. Why there are categories still and why ebay wants you to put apples in the bananas category...is well bananas 

What happens now when you search, and choose "all categories" eBay actually changes the buyer's "all categories" selection to the category of eBay's  choosing.   

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Exactly my point. I don't think that poster has tried to buy much on eBay lately.