Policy Violation - Help please

[hummingbird-curios]

I listed a vintage Mappin & Webb cutlery set, all listed correctly and listed the postage as Royal Mail tracked 48 with age verification.

Listing was removed by eBay as a policy violation as it contained bladed items and required a postage listing with age verification !!!!!

Spoke to a lady at customer services who checked the listing and told me that it was incorrectly removed as it was listed with the correct postage with age verification and suggested that if I appealed it would be reinstated.

I appealed and it was denied as it requires age verification !!!!!!!!!

When you read the small print, it was determined by artificial incompetence.

The system is so over complicated and broken now, it's no wonder sellers are leaving and listing elsewhere.

This listing is now in my inactive file and if I click on 'Resolve' it gives me an option to end the listing and close the case. Click on that and it won't allow me to end the listing. !!!!!

I spoke to a friend who had a similar situation and he was advised to relist his item as his policy violation was incorrect and when he did so, his account was suspended for listing it again. I don't want to suffer the same so I'll just list it elsewhere.

Anyone got any ideas as to what is going on or do I just leave it and move on, bloody irritating.

[yourstampsuk]

do not relist this item because AI will delete your account or suspend it and the appeal... well... I tried and... nothing, you can only delete this item

[cobwebcottage]

I believe it was mentioned by the mods that only business sellers have access to the age related postage.

[hummingbird-curios]

That cannot be correct. When listing it said 'simple delivery is not available for this listing as age verification is required and custom postage is the alternative.

Postage is the chosen from the drop down menu for age related postage and listed accordingly. If this was confined to business sellers, it wouldn't have been available.

However, knowing eBay, it wouldn't surprise me, next thing you know is you can only sell black shoes as a private seller , you need to be a business seller to sell brown ones.

Artificial competence at its best!

[4_bathrooms]

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@hummingbird-curios wrote:

Postage is the chosen from the drop down menu for age related postage and listed accordingly. If this was confined to business sellers, it wouldn't have been available.

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Royal Mail have restricted Tracked and Special Delivery services with age verification to business accounts. If you go to send.royalmail.com you cannot purchase a Tracked or Special Delivery label with age verification unless you are logged in with an Online Business Account.

When purchasing non-Simple Delivery Royal Mail services via eBay it is usually Royal Mail's retail services and non-account Tracked Services that are available; none of which should have age verification available. Can you please take a screenshot of the options you have available via eBay?

I believe RM used to have the option for age verification on delivery for their retail and non-account Tracked services but as knives require age verification during purchase and delivery it became restricted to business accounts only. There's a chance eBay haven't updated their API integration with RM to reflect this.

[hummingbird-curios]

Can't do a screenshot as eBay have removed the listing but why would they let me list it in the first place, it was a live listing for some time before being taken down. 

Why was the option for age verified postage available with custom postage in the first place?

CS also checked the listing and found it correct with age verified postage or are CS telling porkies?

eBay isn't fit for purpose any more, seems everyone gives conflicting information. eBay just make it up as they go along.

Next time I list a non simple delivery item, a DVD or similar, I'll screenshot the postage options.

[4_bathrooms]

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@hummingbird-curios wrote:

Why was the option for age verified postage available with custom postage in the first place?

Likely because Royal Mail used to offer AV for retail and non-account Tracked services but have since restricted AV to business accounts only. Custom postage policies available via eBay are for RM's retail and non-account Tracked services; services that no longer offer AV for personal customers. I believe the change happened around two months' ago so if you originally  listed the item around that time or before then that would explain it. There also may have been a delay in eBay picking up the change so the AV option may have appeared in the custom postage options after that time even though it wasn't actually possible for such a service to be purchased through RM.

[hummingbird-curios]

I've just done a 'Sell similar' on a non simple delivery item (without listing, just as test) and postage services available show all age verified services to choose from.

If someone could tell me how to do a screenshot, I'd post it here.

Age verified

Rendered 6 out of 6 options in Age verified

Age verified

Royal Mail Tracked 48 with Age Verification

2 - 3 working days2 to 3 business days

Compensation: Up to £75.00

Tracking included: Yes

Royal Mail Tracked 24 with Age Verification

1 - 2 working days1 to 2 business days

Compensation: Up to £75.00

Tracking included: Yes

UPS Adult Signature Required

1 working day1 working day

Tracking included: Yes

Standard 2-3 Day Courier with Age Verification

3 working days3 working days

Tracking included: Yes

Express Courier with Age Verification

1 working day1 working day

Tracking included: Yes

Economy Courier with Age Verification

3 - 5 working days3 to 5 business days

Tracking included: Yes

[4_bathrooms]

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@hummingbird-curios wrote:

If someone could tell me how to do a screenshot, I'd post it here.

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Assuming you're on a PC or laptop running Windows:

1. Press PrtScr/Print Screen
2. Drag the area to select
3. Open Paint
4. Hold down Ctrl then press V to paste
5. If necessary crop the image to remove any personal details (or paint over them)
6. Save the file
7. When posting click the camera icon and browse to where you saved the picture (My Documents, My Pictures etc.) 

[4_bathrooms]

My gut feeling is eBay haven't updated their API integration with Royal Mail.

Given everything else that's falling apart right now I doubt it's currently a high priority for them.

[fribblecollectables]

It may be worth looking at the account type as a possible way forward.

If you have bought in any of your stock with the intention of selling it on eBay, hoping to make a profit, then you are allowed to change the eBay account to a business account.

That may also help with this particular problem, because Royal Mail now appear to have restricted Tracked and Special Delivery services with Age Verification. You do not necessarily need a full Royal Mail business account for that.

I just use Royal Mail Click & Drop linked to my eBay business account, and it gives access to the relevant postage options through that route.

With over 500 items listed, it is worth making sure the account type matches how the account is actually being used.

If they are all just personal possessions being cleared out, fair enough. But if any have been bought in to resell, a business account would be the safer and probably more useful option.