“We've removed this listing. Find out why in your messages.”
Receiving this message as an eBay seller is definitely not the kind of news you want to wake up to.
And to make matters worse, no prior warning? Ouch!
eBay may remove your listings when you’re not active or if you’ve violated their policies. However, you can still activate your listings and proceed with smooth operations.
In this article, we will explore the main reasons why eBay deactivates listings. We’ll give you tips on how to prevent deactivation from happening again. You’ll also learn what to do when eBay deactivates your listings.
Let’s get started!
Common Reasons Why eBay Deactivates Listings
eBay shares an explanation anytime they deactivate a listing. They’ll notify you via your registered email address and your messages on eBay.
Here are the common reasons that might prompt eBay to deactivate your listing:
1. Policy Violation
eBay will deactivate your listing if it violates any of its policies.
The selling policies include:
- Selling practices policy
- Seller protection policy
- Shill bidding policy
- Avoiding eBay fees policy
- Seller standards policy
- Service metrics policy
- Tax policy
2. Law Violation
eBay does not condone sellers breaking any of their laws. Below are some of the mistakes that could attract the deactivation of your eBay listing:
- Using images or text that belong to someone else without their permission or that don’t accurately represent your item
- Provide false or misleading information about your item's location
- Listing the items that are not allowed or that can only be listed under certain conditions on eBay. These items include alcohol, drugs, weapons, animals, human parts, adult items, and counterfeit items
3. Intellectual Property Rights Violation
eBay respects the intellectual property rights of third parties. So it expects its members to do the same.
Suppose you list an item that infringes on the copyright, trademark, patent, or design rights of another person or brand. eBay may remove your listing.
This can only happen if the rights owner of the item requests its removal. They can do this through the Verified Rights Owner (VeRO) Program.
4. Inactive Listing
eBay will remove your listing if it has been active on the site for a year or more without any sales. This is part of eBay’s efforts to improve the buyer experience and reduce clutter.
How to Prevent eBay from Deactivating Your Listings
Here’s what you need to do to prevent eBay from deactivating your listings:
- Read and follow eBay’s listing policies before creating or revising a listing.
- Use eBay’s catalog or product identifiers when available
- Research the items you’re selling and check for trademark or copyright issues.
- Use clear and relevant keywords, photos, and details in your titles and descriptions.
- Review and update your listings at least once every 90 days
The Simple 5-Step Process We Used To Generate $64,000 In 12 Months Working Part Time On Etsy.
Yes, Send Me The Roadmap!How to Reactivate Your Deactivated Listing
Here’s how to reactivate your deactivated listing:
- Head on over to your Seller Hub under Listings
- Click on Ended or in My eBay under Sell
- Select Unsold.
- Find your deactivated listing
- Select Relist on the dropdown menu
- Ensure your listing details are up-to-date
- Click on List item
Alternatively, you can use the bulk tool. It helps to reactivate multiple listings all at once.
However, there’s a catch!
If eBay removed your listing for policy violation, you need to appeal the decision. eBay will review your submission and may approve your request.
On the other hand, if eBay removed your listing for inactivity, you can activate it by relisting it. However, you have a 90-day period to relist your listings. Failure to which, eBay will purge the listings.
It is important to note that relisting an item may not guarantee that it will not be removed again if it still violates any of eBay’s policies or laws.
How to Appeal a Listing Removal
“My eBay listing was removed unfairly!”
Don’t fret over it.
You can appeal a listing removal within 30 days of receiving the email notification from eBay. You’ll be required to present your appeal by filling out an online form or calling eBay customer service.
To increase the chances for relisting, provide evidence or documentation to back up your appeal.
You’ll need proof of ownership, authorization from the rights owner, or compliance with local laws. eBay will review your appeal, and you’ll get notified of the outcome within 48 hours.
How To Sell Successfully on eBay
Our wish is that you make sales successfully now that your list is back up on eBay. For that reason, we’d advise practicing the following tips to make cool cash on eBay long-term as a seller:
- Using eBay’s templates for your listings to save time and ensure consistency
- Researching similar items on eBay and pricing yours accordingly based on demand and competition
- Offering free shipping or returns as an incentive for buyers
- Using the promotions manager tool to create and advertise sales or discounts for your items
- Providing excellent customer service and encouraging buyers to leave positive feedback
How to Manage Your eBay Seller Account
Once you start selling on eBay, you need to use your eBay seller account to manage your listings, orders, payments, and feedback. Your eBay seller account is where you can access your selling activity and tools. You can also view and update your account information and preferences.
Merchants on eBay have access to the following features for eBay seller account management:
1. The Seller Hub or My eBay
These are the main dashboards where you can access your selling activity and tools. You can use the Seller Hub or My eBay to do the following:
- Create and edit your listings
- View and manage your orders
- Track your sales and fees
- Print shipping labels and invoices
- Communicate with your buyers and leave feedback
- Monitor your seller level and service metrics
- Access reports and insights on your performance
You can also customize your Seller Hub or My eBay to suit your needs and preferences. For instance, you could add or remove the widgets on the Seller Hub overview page.
This allows you to organize listings, orders, and feedback.
Furthermore, you could also customize the platform pages. This allows you to use theme colors to match your brand.
To customize your Seller Hub or My eBay pages, here’s what you need to do:
- Select the Customize link in the top right corner of each page
- Make your changes
- You can also reset the pages to their default settings
2. The Payments Tab in Seller Hub
This is where you can view and manage your payouts and fees. The Payments tab in Seller Hub lets you see your available balance and pending funds. You can also:
- Request a payout
- Change your payout schedule
- View your transaction history and invoices
- Update your bank account information and tax details
- Issue refunds or partial refunds to your buyers
- Dispute chargebacks or payment holds from eBay or PayPal
3. The Orders Tab in Seller Hub
This tab allows you to view and fulfill your orders. You can use it to see all your active orders in one place. You can filter them by:
- Status or date range
- Print shipping labels and invoices
- Mark your items as shipped or delivered
- Cancel or update your orders
- Send offers to buyers
You can also use the Orders tab in Seller Hub to manage your returns, missing items, and refunds.
4. The Feedback Tab in Seller Hub
Here you can view and respond to feedback. You can use the Feedback tab in Seller Hub to:
- See your feedback score and rating
- View the feedback you’ve received and left for others
- Reply to feedback comments
- Report inappropriate feedback
- Request feedback revisions or removals
You can also use the Feedback tab in Seller Hub to improve your feedback. You can do this by providing excellent customer service.
You will build your rapport with your buyers by asking them to provide feedback on your items and service.
5. The Performance Tab in Seller Hub
This is where you can view and improve your seller level and service metrics.
The Performance tab in Seller Hub lets you see your current seller level.
You can also analyze how you compare to other sellers in your category.
The performance tab allows you to notice the defects that impact your metrics.
You’ll also learn how to avoid them!
You can access tips and resources to improve your performance. Furthermore, you can also use the Performance tab to appeal any defects or lower seller levels if you have a valid reason.
Conclusion
There you have it! eBay wants to create a conducive environment for merchants and customers.
As a result, eBay deactivates listings that violate its policies.
A complaint from a fellow merchant under the VeRO program can also cause deactivation.
However, eBay has put in place measures that will see your operations up and running. Remember to be mindful of other users.
Ensure your listing doesn’t infringe on one’s rights or eBay’s rules and policies. Happy Selling!
Scott Voelker
The Simple 5-Step Process We Used To Generate $64,000 In 12 Months Working Part Time On Etsy.
Yes, Send Me The Roadmap!