How to contact eBay UK executive management? (re : appealing removal of listings)

[unimobiles]

We had some listings pulled for alleged violation of one of eBays policies. The listings were many years old and there is over 7,000 similar listings on eBay UK currently. However,  our listings were succesful due to a big advertising spend, and pulling in good sales.  This probably attracted the jealousy of a competitor,  who filed a bogus report.  I read  the policy (we are supposed to have violated) multiple times  (looking at it from all angles), and decided there was no violation at all.

Called the eBay customer services phone number and spoke to a lady in Phillipines for around 20 minutes about the issue, who stated the department who pulls listings makes very careful decisions and would never made a mistake. She also insisted that no appeal would be  succesful (Despite the option for appeal for each listing being there on eBay).

Called back and spoke to a man in Ireland. He seemed to have a good understanding of what I was saying, but then said it is up to the Trust and Safety department to decide these things, not him. I got put through to someone in Phillipines again. Clearly eBay Ireland/eBay UK general staff have no executive power at all now. 

The first appeal received a response that the listing was in violation for reasons not even mentioned in the written published eBay UK policy.   The second appeal received a generic template response saying that there was a violation and the listing will not be restored. There are two more appeals going through, but we expected the same generic template replies. 

It is clear to us that Trust and Safety in Phillipines do not understand this issue, or what we are selling, but the person we spoke to in Ireland does. Likewise, the Phillipines staff do not want to admit any mistake has been made at all, perhaps because they could be fired from their job,  or have pay and bonuses deducted? 

We have a very good understanding of the written eBay policy and what it intends to do, but if the Filipino workers did, then the listings would never have been removed. 

Who is there at eBay (US/Ireland or UK) who can overturn the decision of Trust & Safety in Phillipines and get our listings restored? 

[pg_kicks]

I may be proved to be incorrect but I'm pretty sure the Trust and Safety team are backend so wont ever take calls, you were probably transferred to the person sitting next to the original person in the Philippines. All the outsourced call centres can do is read from a script and they have no understanding of what actually happens on the site, they are pointless, thankfully I never deal with them.

Cant help you with getting in touch with the team you need to I'd advise making a one to one on the below link

Seller Clinics | UK Seller Centre

It wont get you direct contact but it will be a person in Ireland who can then direct any information to the correct team and they might be able to help.

Also to the person who said the team in charge of pulling listings never get anything wrong deserves some sort of award for being the biggest liar this site has ever seen, I'm actually amazed eBay pulled any listings, what was the violation for? Most are checked by AI which is badly written so its hard to actually get illegal listings removed.

[sheba-knows-best]

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@pg_kicks wrote:

, I'm actually amazed eBay pulled any listings, what was the violation for? Most are checked by AI which is badly written so its hard to actually get illegal listings removed.

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Ebay pulling listings is a mystery to me. Back in the day... maybe 10 years ago now, when I was a carboot chancer, I noticed on ebay that 'cabin shoes' - old smelly shoes - were selling at stupidly high prices. Fetish shoes... some people just wanna sniff the shoes of cabin crew ladies apparently. So, a head full of dreams of easy money (true Delboy that I am), I armed myself with a sack full of old court shoes from the nearest carboot at a quid a pair and sat back to watch the money come in. The shoes were removed and I seem to recall I got a stern warning, possibly a ban. And yet there were hundreds of others listed... still are... never could figure it out. 

Even now, when some Clarks shoes are actually market as cabin shoes (mid heels with extra comfort), I still know not to use the term.

just saying 😁

[exponential_developments]

Don't ya just learn something new every day, humans and their interests........ 😁

Yes i did do a search, only for research analysis.

[bravergrace]

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@sheba-knows-best wrote:

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 Back in the day... maybe 10 years ago now, when I was a carboot chancer, I noticed on ebay that 'cabin shoes' - old smelly shoes - were selling at stupidly high prices. Fetish shoes... some people just wanna sniff the shoes of cabin crew ladies apparently. So, a head full of dreams of easy money (true Delboy that I am), I armed myself with a sack full of old court shoes from the nearest carboot at a quid a pair and sat back to watch the money come in. 

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I don't think that's the sort of thing I'd be boasting about, myself.

But seriously, OP appears to be mixing two arguments "it didn't break the rules" or "somebody else is getting away with it, so I should be allowed to, and besides, the person who reported me is just jealous because I'm rich and successful, and they're a meanie" (a line of reasoning familiar to any parent or schoolteacher, and without much merit).

[unimobiles]

Yes you are correct Trust and Safety are backend. I don't think the call we had was scripted, and both the Filipino staff we spoke to seemed to have some understanding of the issue but were adamant that whatever Trust and Safety says goes, no appeal. Whatever I said in the call seemed irrelevant as they had no powers to overturn anything. 

Seller Clinics | UK Seller Centre - I tried that last night, and there are zero appointments showing for October, November or December. Obviously they have all been taken up. 

I have been selling on eBay for 25 years and listings generally only get pulled if someone has made a report. Unlike Amazon, eBay is not proactive about removing listings, unless someone is selling something illegal like an assault weapon.  I did not know they are using AI to remove listings and that may be another explanation instead of a competitor. 

[unimobiles]

I should clarify something to you. Our listing does NOT break the policy rules but there are 7000+ potentially rule breaking listings , of these popular selling items. However - someone reading and understanding our appeal would understand why our listing does not break any rules in relation to this specific policy.  As explained before, eBay have not been able to quote what I have broken from their written policy and have instead made up additional rules which do not appear anywhere on the eBay UK site, and are not even in the spirit of the policy. 

[pg_kicks]

All I can suggest now is the 2pm weekly chat, you are more than likely going to get a copy and paste reply saying please contact customer services and this is how to do it but you might get lucky and I know people in HQ do read the boards so somebody might reach out to you too. Filipino staff are on scripts, and they lied, you can appeal what the trust and safety team says, they are not the final say, there are people above them.

Another option is to google ebay ceo and I'm sure you get an email for Jamie or a similar name and then one of Jamie's people reply, not sure how much they can help but any attempt is better than none.

[darth_baggins]

They don't make mistakes?

I had a keyring removed, it was a silver coloured kangaroo. Apparently 'Silver Kangaroo' is male 'performance' enhancer that is not allowed to be sold on eBay.

Anyone with a brain could see that it was a keyring and not some snake oil drug. I appealed it and was told not to worry it would be automatically resinstated as it was obviously a mistake and that someone would call me back.

Several years later, I'm still waiting for the listing to be resinstated and for the promised phone call.

And what about the listings they should remove but ignore reports? Is that not a mistake either?

[unimobiles]

Someone has emailed me privately with some eBay contact information,  so we will take it from there. Thankyou for everyone who has contributed to the thread. If an eBay staffer wants to get in touch to resolve this issue, please do so. 

[4_bathrooms]

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I have been selling on eBay for 25 years and listings generally only get pulled if someone has made a report. Unlike Amazon, eBay is not proactive about removing listings, unless someone is selling something illegal like an assault weapon.  I did not know they are using AI to remove listings and that may be another explanation instead of a competitor. 

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Listings can be summarily pulled by the Office for Product Safety and Standards and/or Ofcom if they're deemed to be dangerous or illegal - eBay has no involvement if this happens. 

Without knowing what the products were and which eBay policy eBay claim they violated it's going to be difficult for anyone here to offer any explanation for eBay's actions much less opine whether eBay are correct or not. Is there a reason you won't specify what the products were and which policy eBay claim they violated?

[myriad*seller]

I can see one listing which *could* potentially be pulled by eBay as you haven't excluded Ireland from the sale locations and it is illegal to sell it to people in Ireland (and potentially is illegal to sell to other countries too)

Whether eBay would remove it for this reason or not, I don't know but surely they share some responsibility to prevent illegal sales to countries that have banned it?

Was it a "supplement" that was removed, out of interest? 

[myriad*seller]

Also, the same listing breaches this policy 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/help/policies/prohibited-restricted-items/prescription-overthecounter-drugs-p...

"Vitamins and supplements must be in new, unused condition and in the original, unopened and undamaged packaging. They must not be expired, with the expiration date entered in the item specifics"

So it seems you aren't as au fait with the rules as perhaps you thought you were....

[myriad*seller]

And I would make sure that your insurer knows that you are selling that specific supplement

You may find they refuse to cover you...

I would suggest reading up on the causes of Eosinophilia-myalgia syndrome....

[unimobiles]

The case is not about supplements.  We don't sell supplements outside the UK.

Also I don't know which "specific supplement" you are referring to - if you point it out I will look into it? 

[myriad*seller]

The 5HTP only excludes a few countries and is available for sale internationally to countries where it is banned (eg Ireland)- which is a no-no