Need advise on MC018 search & browse manipulation

Hello,

 

I really need some advice here. Someone I'm guessing is using fake search & browse reports on one of my most important listings, and of course the glorious eBay customer support sides with whatever is the least effort for them.

 

One of my best sellers is a listing with multiple type of rubics style puzzles.

 

Apparently this is the message I got about it being removed due to "Search and browse manipulation"

 

You're offering other item/s for sale which is different from the variants in the _ section. Item for sale is rubics cube, however you're also offering Fidget which is different from the actual item for sale.As per our Listing Policies, we encourage sellers to provide clear and accurate information about the item for sale in all parts of the listing. This is to provide buyers convenience when searching and buying items on the site.In this case, I advise you to list the Fidget cube separately.We invite you to relist after the necessary corrections have been made.

 

Are you telling me that now they can decide what counts as a puzzle type item and what doesn't?

 

All I remember is that there's a limit on how many words you can fit in the title, and the Fidget cube not even being featured prominently on the title because its not a big seller is.. search and browse manipulation? Wouldn't it be a worse manipulation adding the word 'fidget' with that stupid spinner craze?

 

Conveniently my item has been one of the strongest 'rubics' listings in the past few months, and has netted 450+ units sold, etc. But a customer representative with power to delete/block listings figures he knows what's the right way to name a listing.

 

Can someone honestly tell me how viable it is to ask for a reinstatement of this listing? Like.. seriously? 

 

I don't even understand what the hell they're talking about to begin with with 'you're offering items for sale which is different from the variants in the _ section'

 

Apparently just moments earlier I got an 'angry' message from a 'customer' where his kid was 'really angry that they couldn't check out unless they picked a variant'.

 

Didn't mention which product or anything, but in case anyone wonders, the variants are: "Accessory - None (Free cube stand), Cube Bag)". Apparently according to this seller it's 'illegal in australian law' to offer people the option to ..buy nothing and receive something free.

 

Pleaaaase advice =/

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Re: Need advise on MC018 search & browse manipulation

Were you offering something other than what was contained in your choice listing fields? If not then i cant see how it could be a problem.

But honestly as somone who only really buys stuff  - choice listings are horrible and should not be an option other than for somthing like differing sizes in footwear of the otherwise identical item where the price does not change based on the selection.

 

I would definetly recommend you and everyone else list items individually simply for my ease of shopping 🙂

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Re: Need advise on MC018 search & browse manipulation

go-tazz
Community Member

Items that are for sale have to be included in the listing title to stop Search & Browse manipulation,(seeing as

 

the fidget cube is the item that is priced at your starting price of $9.95 it has to be included in the listing title).

 

That's why buyers are so frustrated with these type of listings as the low start price is generally for something

 

that's not even in the listing title,(it's about time eBay started cracking down on the listings).

 

The Chinese sellers generally have a dollar item that has nothing to do with the other items in the listing,( it's

 

for the same reason as to why yours is regarded as S & B manipulation and that's is so that the lising shows

 

earlier in searches).

 

The red fidget cube is nothing like a Rubic's cube and doesn't even show in the main photo.

 

 

 

 

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Re: Need advise on MC018 search & browse manipulation

Unfortunately Taz, while ebay may be cracking down, it will only be on Aus sellers.

 

Our oriental friends will continue with the usual dodginess unimpeded.

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Re: Need advise on MC018 search & browse manipulation


@beerandpizzaplz wrote:

 

 

I would definetly recommend you and everyone else list items individually simply for my ease of shopping 🙂


I know you're being facetious but I felt the need to say heck no! anyway. Smiley Embarassed

 

I use varaiations, for the same item either in different sizes, different quantities, or different designs, and there's usually variations in price as well.

 

I have a few older items where I have a small quantity for X price in one listing, and because I have a lot of sales history on them, when I decided to offer higher quantities for better value, I created new listings for them. There are so many people who buy multiples of the small quantity listings as they don't see / find the higher quantity ones. Smiley Sad I always add in some extra, and will message about it where appropriate to point out the other listing, but being able to add new variations to a non-variation listing would make me really happy.

 

It also reduces the number of identical search results for my buyers to wade through (I sell handcrafted jewellery, there's price variations for different sizes and I put guidelines for sizing in my listings - I can't used standardised sizing because my craft can't really accomodate it, so if I had to list them all separately no one would know what to look for unless I added info and links to 5 other listings in there). Just a lot of work for me and buyers, unnecessarily. 😛 

 

For the OP, if someone is targeting your listings - be it eBay or a competitor - as much as you may not like it, or think it unfair - complying is the best way to move forward (I wouldn't say this about everything, but having been there, done that with eBay, you simply can't argue semantics or interpretations of policy with them. At all, ever. If you can prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that your listings are compliant, then I'd say fight, but a fidget spinner and a puzzle / cube don't have enough in common for one to be a variation of the other).

 

Also, just to be on the safe side, I'd recommend removing all traces of "Rubik" unless they are branded (it's a trademark). 

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Re: Need advise on MC018 search & browse manipulation

i hate the ones like Samsung Galaxy S7 is the title and then they have a galaxy 5 in there as well so they can have the prices 200-700 but you can't get the titla for 200.  But this is ebay and they are dishonest and lazy. Maybe the reason Amazon shareprice is 1000USD and ebay goes nowhere.

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Re: Need advise on MC018 search & browse manipulation

Rubics Cube Puzzle Competition 3x3 Smooth Speed Rubix Rubic Bulk Fidget Rubik

 

To me that is search manipulation. Rubiks is a registered trade mark so if it is a Rubik style item and not a genuine Rubiks item you should not be using the word. If it is the genuine item then it should not say Rubix or Rubic. I would also be annoyed if I was searching for Figits and had miss typed adding the d as I suspect a lot of people will do.

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Re: Need advise on MC018 search & browse manipulation

None of them are Rubiks branded items, so the OP is lucky they haven't been shut down on these listings. They are all some cheap knock off.

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