My listing has been hidden as the AI thinks I've tried to sell outside of eBay when I haven't.

[comicbooks-for-sale]

My listing has been hidden as the AI thinks I've tried to sell outside when I haven't. What do I need to do the get it listed? There are no external links to other websites or personal details of any kind. Is this just eBay's AI getting it very wrong? Has anyone else experienced this?

[dem389]

I've seen a similar thread - which appears to have replies disabled.

I'm newly having the same problem

I've been listing independent reviews for years.

NOT Amazon reviews or the like - nor other platforms

But individual Bloggers that are providing a service to the community and deserve a shout out.

They are not Selling what we are Selling (we do check) - just offering a review

Much of what we sell is Classic and Vintage and there is Nowhere to purchase such items except on the secondary market - so the idea that these items might be sold through the reviewer channels is pie in the sky.

I suspect an AI "upgrade" which will now aggressively filter any URLs

And yes I have appealed the decisions and had them batted back with no further context

[dem389]

UPDATE : Just talked with an Agent :

In our case URLs are our downfall.

Effectively without by or let any external URL will get the Listing Sin Binned.

Doesn't matter if there are Safety or even Legal implications

So check that out in your case

The agent says the policy has been in place a very long time

But this is the first time in over 3 years we've been here that it has created a problem for us when referencing Wikipedia

So I suspect a new update.

The scanning is also being performed in batches (which makes sense)

But that does mean that the performance of these Sin Binning sweeps will by patchy in their application.

I now have literally thousands of listings I will need to alter.

Thanks for Nothing

[*vyolla*]

There's nothing new there, links to third party websites have been banned for years, it's just that AI can now easily spot and flag them up.

 It's a potential security issue. Somebody could place a dodgy link in their listing spoofed to look like a genuine one.  That's why eBay don't permit links to third party websites, to protect their users.

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.

While there are some exceptions, listings or item descriptions can't contain links that direct customers to any other site.

Taken from this eBay guidance page:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/help/policies/listing-policies/links-policy?id=4248&st=3&pos=7&query=Links%20...

@dem389

[comicbooks-for-sale]

Thanks for your message, but there were no links to external websites, no
mobile numbers and nothing else that violates any policies in my text.

The AI got it wrong and blocked my content when it shouldn’t have. That’s a
problem.

John

[*vyolla*]

---

@comicbooks-for-sale wrote:
Thanks for your message, but there were no links to external websites, no
mobile numbers and nothing else that violates any policies in my text.

The AI got it wrong and blocked my content when it shouldn’t have. That’s a
problem.

John

---

My reply was to the other seller who was adding urls.

I don't know what the issue could be with your listings John. Without seeing the actual full description it's impossible to tell. If it's not too lengthy you could copy and past it here. At a guess there may have been a string of numbers somewhere in it that AI has decided may be a phone number.

[comicbooks-for-sale]

Thanks again for your reply.

Below is the actual heading and body text used in my description of the
item that was hidden/blocked:
___

*One World Under Doom #1. Bjorn Barends cover. Panini Comics. Limited to
600.*


*One World Under Doom #1. Bjorn Barends variant cover H (Cologne variant)
2025. Panini Comics/Marvel. Limited to 666 worldwide. Virgin cover. Utterly
stunning cover! Near Mint. Bagged and boarded.*


Only available in Germany, as a German language edition from Panini/Marvel
in Italy.


*Bjorn Barends cover.*


One of the very best depictions of Doctor Doom ever seen on a comic book
cover. Bjorn Barends nails it! He captures Doom perfectly.


Perfect costume, perfect pose, perfect armour. Glowing, crackling energy in
each hand and a spectacular cinematic background. Bjorn Barends knows and
loves this character. Possibly his best piece of work for Marvel.
Absolutely stunning! And as a virgin variant cover it's even better. It
really doesn't get any better than this.


This book is NOT available in America or the UK and I know collectors are
absolutely desperate to get their hands on this book before it's gone.
Bjorn Barends has featured it on his own Instagram site and says it's only
available in Germany, which has created a real scramble to get hold of it.


So here's your chance to own it. It's limited to only 666 copies worldwide.
And believe me, it's going to go fast. You will not be disappointed! So
don't wait, buy it now before it's gone!

––––

Please tell me what was wrong with the content above.

There's no link to any external website, no personal details, no phone
numbers and nothing else that I can see that violates any policies.

The only numbers used were 1, 2025, 600 and 666. These were all separated
by other text. So no long strings of numbers (the 600 was actually a
mistake, as it should have read 666, and I need to update that information
in my live ad, but it shouldn't have triggered the AI).

So if you have any ideas, then please let me know.

Best regards
John

[*vyolla*]

That's a fabulous description, I can't see anything resembling a potential contact number in it. 

I wonder if AI has jumped on the word 'Instagram'?

[comicbooks-for-sale]

Thanks again for that suggestion.

I will remove the word 'Instagram' and see if that allows it to be unhidden.

Best regards
John

[comicbooks-for-sale]

Hi,

I have updated my text by removing the word 'Instagram' and my ad has been
unhidden.

This change was a suggestion from eBay.

The only other change I made was changing numbers to words, so 666 became
six hundred and sixty-six. But I don't think this makes a difference. The
removal of the word Instagram is the change that seemed to make the
difference.

Best regards
John