eBay requires us to put link in listings, but then bans the listing (window tints)

[window-tint]

Hi

We have an ongoing issue that's been going on for about a year - very frustrating and I can't seem to speak to anyone at eBay who can help.

We sell window tint and about 18 months ago we were told by eBay we had to add the below text (which includes a link to the UK government website) to all of our listings (approx 18,000) or they would be taken down. You can't create a window tint listing now if you don't have this exact wording (see screenshot).

"The United Kingdom sets minimum light level requirements for window tint. Please make sure you follow these requirements: https://www.gov.uk/tinted-vehicle-window-rules."

However, eBay has been flagging and removing these listings as policy violations because they contain an external link (Contact Information Sharing Policy - trying to sell outside of ebay).  Ha! You can't list it without the link!!

We have about 3000 listings that are currently hidden because of these policy violations.

Just wondering if anyone has any advice or any way to contact someone at eBay that can actually help.

Thanks

[jonatjonatjonat]

Thats very much a left and doesn't know what the right hand is doing.
Not sure what to advise as even the link policy has 'legally required information' as an exemption clause for allowed links.

Only ebay can really answer this. Might be worth asking the question on the Wednesday Chat at 2pm where forum moderators will answer questions. They normally start the thread on Tuesdays.

[car-tinting-uk]

Thanks, I'll give that a go 👍

[450-262541]

Have you tried stripping the html out and just having the link address as plain text , not a clickable link?

[4_bathrooms]

---

@jonatjonatjonat wrote:

Thats very much a left and doesn't know what the right hand is doing.
Not sure what to advise as even the link policy has 'legally required information' as an exemption clause for allowed links.

---

The daft thing is it isn't a legal requirement for that link to be included in the listing; it is an eBay requirement likely due to the OPSS getting involved. Then eBay's published policy - which is policed by AI - makes including the link a policy violation. eBay just need to add that link to the list of "allowed URLs" the bot is trained to ignore.

[4_bathrooms]

---

@450-262541 wrote:

Have you tried stripping the html out and just having the link address as plain text , not a clickable link?

---

That won't work. From yet another policy covering off-eBay links:

"To protect our members, listings or products can’t contain links that direct customers to a site other than eBay, even if the link is not clickable."

So it would still be picked up by the bots.

[450-262541]

Oh, it used to work ( allegedly!)

The bots are getting too clever these days...

😃

[ojewellery]

Have you tried adding the information in 'Item disclosures' at the bottom of the listing form.  I'd guess its a safety disclosure.  Email address' and web address' don't appear to get removed or flagged from this area.

[custom-giftsuk]

Or create a graphic with the link on it as text - so that it looks like a link - but isnt an actual link

[technthread]

The eBay bots decided I was trying to do an offsite deal the other day and blocked a message because I tried to tell someone I would be offline from eBay until 9pm. They are still as bloody stupid as ever. 

[custom-giftsuk]

The irony to that is that there are a great many business sellers who are happy to put in messages in their listings asking for payment outwith eBay which never ever get so much as a glance from eBay risk teams.

[4_bathrooms]

---

@ojewellery wrote:

Have you tried adding the information in 'Item disclosures' at the bottom of the listing form.  I'd guess its a safety disclosure.  Email address' and web address' don't appear to get removed or flagged from this area.

---

I was thinking along the same lines but the big, red eBay warning banner posted by the OP states the disclaimer must be put in the "description, word-for-word". I take that to mean the description box, not the item disclosures box. It could just be a poor choice of wording, though.