26 replies to this topic

[homerwannabee]

Okay, this is one of the more surreal moments. I got a message from Ebay saying I got a listing violation for selling Donkey Kong Junior on the Atari 2600 because the product does not match their catalog or some kind of garbage like that. Could someone really be dumb enough to not figure out that yes, indeed that Donkey Kong Junior was on the Atari 2600.

Here is the message. I about fell over when I saw this. Apparently they force you to use their catalog

I think I figured it out. They are upset because I actually used the proper title. I called the game Donkey Kong Junior instead of Donkey Kong Jr. They only have the wrong name listed Donkey Kong Jr.


Dear chessguy2002 ,

We're contacting you about the following item:

140566966626 - Atari 2600 Donkey Kong Junior

Your item doesn't match a product from the eBay catalog.

For more info on how to list your item from our catalog, go to:
http://pages.ebay.co...ct-details.html

Although we haven't removed your listing, please keep in mind that sellers who repeatedly list items or fail to relist with the catalog when there is a product match may be subject to a range of actions including listing removal and limits to their selling privileges. Please use the information below to edit your listing so it follows our policy,

To help buyers find the product they want, items in the following categories must be listed using our product catalog if the item has a match:

- Camcorders (#11724)
- Cell Phones & Smartphones (Category #9355)
- Digital Cameras (#31388)
- DVDs, HD DVDs & Blu-ray (#617)
- Film Cameras (#15230)
- Flashes (#48515)
- GPS Systems (#156955)
- iPod & MP3 Players (#73839)
- Lenses (#3323)
- Textbooks, Education (#2228)
- Tripods (#30093)
- Video Game Systems (#139971)
- Video Games (#139973)

To edit your listing using our catalog adoption tool, go to:
http://cats.ebay.com

To learn more about using the catalog adoption tool, go to:
http://pages.ebay.co...ption-tool.html

Requiring sellers to use the catalog in these subcategories helps buyers quickly find and buy the items they want.


We appreciate your cooperation.

Thanks,

eBay

[trent]

So what happens if you sell 2 carts in one auction? Lot of 10? 50? Do you have to do a catalog match for all of them?

[toptenmaterial]

My guess is that a computer made that decision.

[Mxyzptlk]

Diggerbonk, on Mon Jun 20, 2011 11:34 PM, said:

So what happens if you sell 2 carts in one auction? Lot of 10? 50? Do you have to do a catalog match for all of them?

No, I listed some of my dupes a few months ago and did not use their catalog. If the game is in the title of the listing you may have to use there catalog, I am not sure on that though.

[Itchy Koala]

Mxyzptlk, on Tue Jun 21, 2011 12:04 AM, said:

Diggerbonk, on Mon Jun 20, 2011 11:34 PM, said:

So what happens if you sell 2 carts in one auction? Lot of 10? 50? Do you have to do a catalog match for all of them?

No, I listed some of my dupes a few months ago and did not use their catalog. If the game is in the title of the listing you may have to use there catalog, I am not sure on that though.

I hardly ever use their catalogue.. never had any problems.

[Algus]

toptenmaterial, on Mon Jun 20, 2011 11:35 PM, said:

My guess is that a computer made that decision.

Yeah, I doubt there was human contact in the matter at all. Still, I could see a snooty "customer service" rep giving him crap for not listing it exactly as it is in their system or some crap like that.

[holygrailvideogames.com]

I received the same message from eBay today regarding a different title.

[Red 5]

I got one too. Mine is also a Donkey Kong game. Very weird. All my other listings are also listed the same exact way, selling the same type of items (N64 games) but I didn't get anything for those. Just Donkey Kong 64. Hmmmph...

eBay Auction -- Item Number: 140566884539

[The Mother-In-Law]

I got one for Stronghold today too. I think its because I put "Commavid, cart and manual" in the title. I tried to fix it, but it wouldn't let me.

[Chris Leach]

I listed 100 auctions this month and not once did I use the catalog....I think the catalog is filler and they just want you to use it to say they are paying someone for typing up all the bullshit they type up.....

[kheffington]

I also got one of those listing violation notices. Looks like it says you have to use the canned description crap they provide if it exists. This is going to cause them lots of headache trying to enforce something that ridiculous.

If you go to the link they provide and select the item and click fix, it says it has now been correctly listed. However, it doesn't seem to change anything in category or title or anywhere else in the listing.

This is definitely a case of a computer deciding that the listing is listed incorrectly.

Edited by kheffington, Tue Jun 21, 2011 9:37 AM.

[raskar42]

it's part of a PETA protest against cruelty to video game monkeys

[amiman99]

Just received SMS with games from Ebay and paid $4 shipping, because Ebay screw that listing and auto assigned $4 shipping for a game, but auction was for system with games. I did send a msg to the seller asking if the shipping is correct, he said is not, but it will honor it. So be careful.

[the.golden.ax]

I got the same listing violation. Ebays new policies hard at work. Even though I listed my item before the requirement went into effect... they level a warning on me.

AX

[toptenmaterial]

That's what happens when Skylert calls the shots.

[akator]

I also received one of those "violation" emails today, but mine was for a GBA SP.

A few weeks ago on a Sunday morning I received an email about not shipping an item within 2 business days... for something that sold at 11PM Friday night. Apparently someone forgot that Saturday and Sunday were not business days when they wrote the email script.

[atarinut76]

yup I got the same thing for a Colecovision game?

[the.golden.ax]

Got the same violation again and a threat to close my account for the repeated continued violation. This item was a Japanese import title that is NOT in their catalog.

I quote:

http://pages.ebay.co...ct-details.html

"If the item is not available in the catalog, select the Continue listing without a product link and list your item as you normally would."

AX

[raskar42]

ebay must really hate sellers.

[wood_jl]

the.golden.ax, on Fri Jul 29, 2011 2:26 PM, said:

Got the same violation again and a threat to close my account for the repeated continued violation. This item was a Japanese import title that is NOT in their catalog.

I quote:

http://pages.ebay.co...ct-details.html

"If the item is not available in the catalog, select the Continue listing without a product link and list your item as you normally would."

What the hell is going on with those BOZOS? I was thinking about listing some stuff, and now I don't want to.

[rmaerz]

eBay's a pain in the ass...dictating the shipping charges when you put something up for sale and now insisting using a "catalog" to sell items? WTF?

[SlowCoder]

Well, I guess we can agree that eBay screwed up somewhere. I just received one for an Atari I am selling. I spent about an hour chatting with one of their "support personnel", only to be told how to properly categorize my listing, which appears was correct in the first place. Ugh.

[Uzumaki]

That could kill auctions of rare and HTF games like Myrad 6 in 1, gold NWC, Atlantis II, Air Raid, and many more. Even prototypes as they may not have been released at all, and never got any catalog. Maybe if we flooded ebay with legitimate yet insanely rare games (start at $1 million to avoid selling), and then chat with the support when you get dinged with catalog violation to see what they had to say.

Famicom for Japan got something like 2000 titles, many that no one has ever heard of. Or what about Tec Toy games from Brazil that never had USA counterpart like Sonic Blast? I bet eBay doesn't know the name of all 4 cartridges used in Coleco Tri-star system. Or all of Adventurevision, all of Nuon, all of Pippin, and other consoles that almost no one knows of. What about spelling variations? I bet someone would get penalized for selling "Pole Positn" error. Good luck making oh about 1,000,000 new catalogs to cover every single games released.

What about computers? No one has a full list of official C64 release and it would be very maddening to try and make full catalog list when there could easily be 1,000 more C64 so obscure people would wonder if it's real or if you cooked it up and tried to pass it off as 25 year old relic. Plus it'd be too easy to make your own original game for any platform, original homebrewn game won't have catalog listing.

Last one: wouldn't this "catalog required or suffer" issue be unfair to those who is dyslexia? If you can't read and spell correctly, it might get marked as incorrect or missing catalog entry, and thus eBay gets marked as discriminating against handicapped (American with Disability Act of 1990 specifically, this predates WWW era so eBay has no excuse at all) Sadly eBay will probably get out of any lawsuit and claim the person in question should have used another person to proof-read everything.

I quit selling on eBay long ago when they started kissing up to buyers by making it almost impossible for seller to leave negs, impossible for seller to defend chargeback (buyer files SNAD, sends back a brick, gets full refund, seller screwed), and DSR. If you're the kind of person who sells maybe 10 or 15 items a month, one vengeful buyer can tank your rating, make you lose the fee discount, and even get suspended from selling temporarily. Large volume seller gets so much good rating they can afford to shaft buyers once in a while and never go below 4.9 across the board. When some sellers are forced out (like me), there's less competition on rarer items and buyers end up paying more in a bidding war.

Do eBay have any feet left to shoot at?

[Jr. Pac]

@Uzumaki,
That happened to me once. I got a Gran Turismo 5 for Christmas, and of course, I didn't want it, so I sold it. I am 99.9999999 percent sure that the buyer got the item, but he got a refund automatically given by ePay. I was sick during the time, and not only did I lose $4o from selling it, my dad lost $60 from getting it for Christmas. Fail!

[the.golden.ax]

Jr. Pac, on Fri Jul 29, 2011 11:33 PM, said:

@Uzumaki,
That happened to me once. I got a Gran Turismo 5 for Christmas, and of course, I didn't want it, so I sold it. I am 99.9999999 percent sure that the buyer got the item, but he got a refund automatically given by ePay. I was sick during the time, and not only did I lose $4o from selling it, my dad lost $60 from getting it for Christmas. Fail!

eBay users are required to be 18 or older. Just sayin'

AX