eBay have deleted a posting I made about the massive shortcomings of the 'Simple' delivery sytem foisted on sellers.
I received a warning that my posting was libellous in that it questioned the brainpower of the people who invented a system that allowed algorithms to decide how big a parcel should be and then made it impossible to correct any mistakes without having to relist the item and start again.
Most of you will agree it's not the brightest system and is infuriating when it frequently lets you down.
My case in point was a tall 62cms altar crucifix which eBay had somehow determined would fit in a jiffy bag. The height of it was actually in the listing title.
It sold to an American lady but it was only then that the package size appeared and the sale had to be scrapped.
eBay know this is a problem yet choose to ignore it and I described the designers behind it with a play on words around the word 'Simple'.
Lo and behold I received a message to say my posting had been taken down as it was potentially libellous.
As a former newspaper editor, I know something about libel and there are several defences to it. One is that the words in question are basically true and the other is that they are FAIR COMMENT.
I don't suppose the flunky who took down the listing and gave me a warning knows anything about UK libel laws but they do know it didn't cast eBay in a good light.
eBayis an American company and they have fantastically relaxed libel laws. They consider themselves the bastion of free speech but that seems to be strictly for home consumption...
