August 27, 2000

The Paperless One Gets Slapped Silly From a Crack Dealer...

August 27, 2000

The PAPERLESS ONE got in trouble for this eBay auction.

It is possible that it caught the eye of eBay's spam scanning filters, or maybe it was a result of a non-paying bidder on one of my auctions (my first bad eBay experience) trying to rat me out for something. Anyway it automatically cancelled the auction on me, sending me the following form letter:

eBay appreciates the fact that you chose to list your auction(s):

412282203 black Baby Boots Doc Martens style Size 4 new

with us. However, you may not be aware of this but your auction contained "Key Word Spamming" which is prohibited on eBay. Therefore, we have ended the auction early and credited all fees to your account.

Key word spamming is the practice of adding words, including brand names, which are not directly related to the item you are selling or which are included for the primary purpose of attracting or diverting bidders to a listing which is not permitted.

Key word spamming is not only a manipulation of our search engines, but is also unfair to members who may be searching for a specific item and receive search engine results of listings which are not selling the item. Users often are

confused and frustrated by such tactics. Certain uses of brand names may also constitute trademark infringement and could expose sellers to legal liability.

Methods of Key Word Spamming include, but are not limited to:

1. Extra Brand Names in Title or Item Description

2. Not Brand X, Not Brand Y

3. Improper Trademark Usage

4. Lists of "Key" Words

5. Hidden Text (White on white text, or hidden text in HTML Code)

6. Drop Down Boxes

The following appears to be inconsistent with our listing guidelines:

"Doc Martens style"

Please view our Listing Policies page for further details on this and other guidelines on listing your items:

http://pages.ebay.com/help/community/png-list.html

For more information on why eBay has ended an auction, please visit:

http://pages.ebay.com/help/community/png-endauction.html

IMPORTANT NOTICE: Please be aware future incidents of this nature can lead to the suspension of your account. We value you as a member of our community and wish to continue this relationship, so we must ask you to refrain from any violations of the Listing Policies or User Agreement in the future.

Please feel free to contact us with any questions or concerns you may have on our existing listing policies.

Thank you in advance for your cooperation.

D'oh! Pissing off eBay would be like a crack addict slapping his dealer! While I disagree with their reasons for canceling my auction,

	the item was never represented as "Dr. Martens" brand boots
	the brand "Baby Boots" was included in the title
	"Doc Martens" is about the only way to describe the style of the item in under 48 characters
	there was no "not Dr. Martens" misrepresentation in the auction title

...I am happy that they did away with it, as the item was just about ready to go at a substantial loss to me and the Junior Paperless One (whose feet are way too chubby for such awesome footwear). Thanks, I guess.

This column has once again served as a personal protest forum. The Paperless One harbours no ill will toward eBay and will agree to being cautious in title descriptions in the future.

This just proves that life is not ALL rosy on eBay. Last week, as I mentioned at the beginning of the article, I believe that I played a role in getting an eBay user turfed for being a weasel and bidding beyond what they were willing to pay on several auctions, including one of mine. After waiting for a month for this individual to contact me once again regarding the item, I had to file a "non-paying bidder" alert in order to get my fees back for the auction this user welched on. After this was processed, I went to leave NEGATIVE feedback regarding the transaction that never happened, but was surprised to find that the user "was no longer a registered member". Not everyone is a perfect user, but at least the population of weasels is down by one! I later re-sold the item in another auction, and although the winning bid was $15 less than last time, at least it happened!

Item

1 pair of BABY BOOTS, toddler size 4, black

In the classic style of Dr. Martens boots, but the ideal size for your toddler!

Details

These black "BABY BOOTS" brand are made in the style of Classic Doc Marten boots, but much smaller. They feature three lace holes and one lace loop above it (see picture...this is what happens when you put boots in your scanner!). The backs of the boots have a pull up tab for easy pulling on!

Being a fan of Doc Martens, these boots caught my eye in a store, but when I bought them, my son wasn't yet a size 4...then when he was, his feet turned out to be extra chunky, making these boots too snug for him!

If your toddler needs WIDE shoes, these boots are not recommended. Otherwise, these boots are right for the bidding. They have no wear, as they have only been worn once (for several seconds!!!).

Happy bidding!

Payment Details

Shipping to be paid at cost by the winning bidder. Rate will be confirmed via e-mail with the winning bidder.

Items may be shipped via surface mail at the request of the winner to reduce shipping rates, and multiple auction winners may be bundled together to reduce shipping charges, so, hint hint, check out my other auctions!

Payment is requested within two weeks following the auction with a postal money order in U.S. funds (sorry, no "checks") or well-concealed U.S. cash rounded up to the nearest dollar.