Talk about getiing screwed by not knowing. I had no idea that this was a policy but I got a bunch of items yanked off eBay because of this. I only did this because of other peoples actions and what I learned from their listings ( like morgansurname).

Here is the email that I received from Ebay:

Dear Xxxx Xxxxxxx ([email protected]),

We appreciate that you chose eBay to list the following item:


8122346161 FLY by TERMINAL REALITY
5913019200 JUDGES GUILD LOT
5913019198 Huge Lot of AD&D, D&D Modules and Large Catalog
5913019192 D&D X12 Skarda's Mirror
5913019189 D&D Original Basic Box set with MINT Intro  B2 Module
5913019186 D&D M1 INTO THE MAELSTROM - IN SHRINK!!!
5913019182 D&D Expert Box Set #2 with Extra Modules
5913019178 D&D B9 CASTLE CALDWELL AND BEYOND
5913019175 BattleTech Lot
5913019174 AD&D Magazine Lot plus RARE Hexagonal Mapping Booklet
5913019171 AD&D 2nd Ed Monstrous Compendium Spelljammer MC7
5913019165 AD&D 1st Edition H2 The Mines of Bloodstone
5913019158 AC3 Kidnapping of Princess Arelina - UNPUNCHED/UNCUT



However, your listing(s) were in violation of eBay's listing policies. We would like to take this opportunity to let you know what part of your listing(s) are not allowed.

Your listing contained the following information:

OTHER SEARCH MODIFIERS:


Dungeons and & Dragons Dungeon Dragon D&D AD&D 2E 2ED 2nd Edition 3.0 3.5 TSR WOTC Wizards of the Coast Forgotten Realms Dragonlance Ravenloft Al-Qadim Hollow World Kara-Tur Dark Sun Planescape Spelljammer Lankhmar World of Greyhawk The Horde Maztica Spellbound Menzoberranzan Role Playing Game RPG Board Game Set Blackmoor DM Dungeon Master Guide GM Game Master Fiend Folio Polyhydron RPGA Encyclopedia Magica Monster Monstrous Manual Compendium Deities Demigods Complete Temple Elemental Iuz Pastel Monochrome Old Lot Massive Large Huge Big Collection Undermountain Judges Guild Shrinkwrap Mint Excellent Original Gygax Gary Kuntz Cook Ward Hickman Box Set Atlas Trail Map Dragon Dungeon Basic Expert Companion Master Immortal System PC CD-ROM Game


We realize you may not be aware of this policy, but using such terms in this way is considered "Search Manipulation," which is not permitted by eBay.

Search Manipulation is any practice that results in searches on eBay returning irrelevant listings or that otherwise inhibits a user's ability to accurately locate specific items. Your listings(s) violated the Keyword Spamming section of our Search Manipulation policy.

Specifically, your listing inappropriately included a list of keywords.  Sellers are not permitted to include words that are simply listed to attract viewers via our search engines and are not part of a context based item description.  For example, it is not permissible to state the following in an item description for a an art print: "oil reproductions, art recreations, gallery, art gallery, impressionist, impressionism, oil paintings, reproduction, painting, recreation, copy, quality, reproductions, recreations, realistic, copies, paintings, old masters, replica, posters, prints, video..."

Search manipulation is unfair to members who may be searching for a specific item and receive inaccurate search results. 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.

Because it is in violation of eBay's Search Manipulation policy, your listing(s) has been ended early. All associated fees have been credited to your account.

This notice is based solely upon review of the aforementioned listing. We encourage you to review all of your listings to ensure they are in full compliance with our guidelines. If found to be in violation of one or more of our guidelines, your current listings will be subject to further disciplinary action, including the cancellation of your listings.

To review our Search Manipulation guidelines in full, please see the following link:

eBay: Redirect

For a better understanding of our listing guidelines and how they affect the way you list your items, please visit the following page:

Rules for listings

Future listings that demonstrate a pattern of violations may result in the termination of all of your listings, and repeated occurrences may jeopardize your eBay account status. We sincerely value you as a member of our trading community and look forward to a continued successful relationship. To ensure this relationship, we must respectfully ask that you abide by our guidelines and User Agreement in the future.

We thank you in advance for your cooperation.

Regards,

Customer Support (Trust and Safety Department)
eBay Inc


Now if that is in violation of eBay listing policy why is it that TGE can use the same tactic and get away with it. Granted that he uses it in a paragraph format but every time I do a search for a year date (like 1977,78,74 etc) I always get all of his current listings. HMM...

Since someone screwed me in this venture can someone here that is in the know at least email me or respond to this so that I can figure out how to report TGE?

If you are REAL evil, do what I've seen some sellers do:  black letters on black background.  It'll still come up in search terms, but guess what?  Most people won't see it (I'd hope that eBay has stumbled onto this one).

deimos3428 wrote:

However, your listing(s) were in violation of eBay's listing policies. We would like to take this opportunity to let you know what part of your listing(s) are not allowed.



Your listing contained the following information:



OTHER SEARCH MODIFIERS:





Dungeons and & Dragons Dungeon Dragon D&D AD&D

Wow, I'm surprised Ebay's take on this.  



"Search Manipulation" is used by thousands of legit sellers in describing their items, some do it in paragraph form, others in a keyword list.  While I think Kosh went a little overboard for a general list, this is hardly "Keyword Spamming".  His keywords all fit the genre, at least.  



It's far less obnoxious than the hordes of miniatures that I have to type:

" -harbinger -dragoneye -25mm -"giants of legend" -gol -mini -minis -miniature -miniatures " just to avoid.  And considering there is a miniatures category, it's even more annoying.



Keyword spamming would be something much more obnoxious like "Sex Pamela Anderson %yoursearchterm1% %yoursearchterm2% etc, etc..." so that no matter what you type in the search engine, up comes their site/Ebay item/whatever.



Just my 2 cp.

I was guilty of this when I first started, then I myself was nailed.  As time has gone on I've realized how obnoxious this sort of list can be to someone trying to find a specific product.  If you aren't selling Ruins of Undermountain, please don't list it in your item's description, because if I pull your description up and it's not there, I'm going to be annoyed.  I don't give a flip if it's in the same genre or not, it's not the specific item, I don't want to run across it during my searches. Just recently someone had in their description "B3 orange" and was offering mundane D&D items (it was in the context "Someday I will auction a B3 Orange here on Ebay, but until then here's what I have...."  This is the absolute most annoying, gross sort of keyword spamming, not to mention they had about dozen items for sale with the same note, so it was a huge waste of my time.  I made sure to report every single listing....



Mike B.

deimos3428 wrote:I agree that this sucks.  However, it doesn't suck significantly more than:



* sellers that list common items as rare.  

* sellers that sell stuff in awful condition.

* sellers that provide incorrect and/or inadequate information

etc, etc.



If I turned in every seller that annoyed me listing-wise, I'd never get to work on time.  That worked out to be more than a rant than I was going for, but seriously, if you're looking for an Orange B3 you'd be wise to look at every single thing that mentions B3.  



Personally, if I ever start to sell, I figure I'll throw in some mention about my pet cats "Tsojconth", "Inverness", and "Tamoachan".  

And don't forget "Special thanks to my wife, Jade Hare"...



Mike B.

Who has a "brown box".

darkseraphim wrote:Hey, that's a good idea.



Your Personal Invitation to Adventure:  From the depths of Tsojconth, Inverness and Tamoachan …



Hi, everyone!  Welcome to the Dark and Hidden Ways of the Adventurer's Guild.  My name is Character Archaic, and I run this site along with my beautiful wife, Jade Hare.  We're a couple of Wild Things who live in the beautiful Palace of the Vampire Queen in Rahasia, Virginia (Daystar county, zip code L3 R1 R2 R3 R4).



We go against the Woodgrain here.  As the True 1st collectors on eBay, we're currently busy celebrating the Dwarven Glory of our small, 10th Anniversary Collector's Edition sale.  So please feel free to walk Up the Garden Path and take a Strategic Review of our other auctions …



Tactical Studies Rules.  Go Gygax, Mentzer and Arneson!  The Dragon is #1.  Long live the RPGA.

Copy...Paste...Consider it part of my future auction listings.  Alls fair in love, war and collecting.  

Wow. Pretty good......

That's right, the Silver Princess, who originally hailed from the Misty Isles.

darkseraphim wrote:Hey, that's a good idea.

Your Personal Invitation to Adventure:  From the depths of Tsojconth, Inverness and Tamoachan …

Hi, everyone!  Welcome to the Dark and Hidden Ways of the Adventurer's Guild.  My name is Character Archaic, and I run this site along with my beautiful wife, Jade Hare.  We're a couple of Wild Things who live in the beautiful Palace of the Vampire Queen in Rahasia, Virginia (Daystar county, zip code L3 R1 R2 R3 R4).

We go against the Woodgrain here.  As the True 1st collectors on eBay, we're currently busy celebrating the Dwarven Glory of our small, 10th Anniversary Collector's Edition sale.  So please feel free to walk Up the Garden Path and take a Strategic Review of our other auctions …

Tactical Studies Rules.  Go Gygax, Mentzer and Arneson!  The Dragon is #1.  Long live the RPGA.

ROFL