This is a follow up post on my recent VeRO violations. I want to let you know that got it removed – YEAH! It took persistence, but it paid off in the end.
The reason why I’m bragging is I want you to fight too if you feel you’ve had an unfair VeRO. You must remember that these violations, in many cases are a subjective call, not hard evidence. In my opinion the VeRO department is full of untrained employees who seem more like the KeyStone Cops than mediators looking for the truth. And, if you don’t fight and receive too many violations eBay removes your PowerSeller Status or worse they kick you off the site.
I know most people are ashamed of these violations, even if they didn’t do anything wrong – and I suspect we just sweep them under the carpet without much of an outcry. Well, that thing about the ‘meek shall inherit the earth’ is wrong here. I had to be obnoxious and not let it drop. I kept writing to Skyler, Gilmar, Jayceon, Archibald, Garrett and the rest of the eBay Trust & Safety team. I also wrote the company that complained that I was ‘stealing their copy’ (which I was not – I was using manufacture approved wording).
I waited the specified five working days that the company had to respond and when no email response came – I wrote back to eBay. The Trust & Safety team then contacted the company, which forced them to contact me. When they responded here’s the exact wording as to why the filed a VeRO complaint: “Most likely we felt that your item:
220205692646 – eBay Photo Studio Kit Includes Cube Lights EZ Seminar infringed on (text and copy) one of our XXXXXXX (I’m protecting their name here) lighting kits or tents.”
Notice the words: most likely we felt – I’m sorry, but if they couldn’t prove that I was in violation I consider it harassment. Which is exactly what I wrote back to the company. Who, assured me that they were not in the business of harassment and would contact eBay about removing the strike. They did! eBay sent me an email that the listing was returned to my unsold items and a few days later my seller dashboard cleared.
The lesson here – is that you must be persistent and be a bit of a jerk about not accepting these sorts of claims.
Previously I had a VeRO violation because I used the word ‘Style’ in my title to describe an Attache’ Case. It took about ten emails, but someone in the VeRO department finally sided with me and had the violation removed.
On a third occasion (yes, even eBay Certified Business Consultants have lots of these VeRO’s) I unwittingly added some Mrs Grossman stickers to a lot of Creative Memories stickers and in the title referred to it as a “lot of Creative Memories Scrapbook Stickers.” Well, Creative Memories had the listing shut down faster than a speeding bullet! And, because I agreed it was slightly misleading, and something I never intended to do was to mislead a buyer, I let the VeRO go. That is, until I started getting threatening emails and an official letter from the Creative Memories lawyer who threatened a lawsuit if I refused to sign the letter saying I’d never sell Creative Memories again. All this over one little lot of scrapbook stickers on eBay.
Well, the continued bombardment from the lawyer sent me over the bend and I finally sent her an email. In the email I told her that she was ‘harrassing’ me and that I wanted it stopped. Guess what… she wrote back and said she’d never ‘harrass anyone’ and that was the last I heard from her.
So, again I know this is a long post – but I’m trying to get across to you that you do have rights, and you should fight in these cases. Don’t allow some minimum wage employee (probably from India) to push you around. Yes, it’s humiliating a to receive a VeRO violation (we’re all honest and don’t intend to break any rules) – but don’t sweep it under the rug or your competitors will start treating you like a carpet.
How about you? Have you fought VeRO and won? I’d love to hear, please post a comment.
0 Responses
Stay in touch with the conversation, subscribe to the RSS feed for comments on this post.