The Electra Forums

Morning all...yesterday I got booted off eBay for 7 days, apparently for the below offending listing. I posted it on my eBay store and ran it as a buy it now...not auction.

I don't know why this pizzes me off, but it does.

How about reading it and tell me what the problem was. I've declined a bunch of offers that I considered "low ball", maybe one of those folks just reported the listing as retribution. I don't know.

First, here's the eBay email to me:

Dear jdwhealton,

You recently listed the following listing:

320654262112 - vintage ELECTRA goldtop model 2254 lawsuit copy

Your listing has been removed.

As it's against the law to sell unauthorized replicas of brand name products, we don't permit them to be sold on the site. Please do not relsit this item.

Trademark infringement is unlawful and violates eBay's policies. A trademark is a unique sign (such as a name, word, phrase, logo, or symbol) that a company uses to identify its products and/or services.

Using another company's trademark in a way that may confuse buyers about the source of goods or services, or confuses buyers into believing that the seller is affiliated with, sponsored by or endorsed by the trademark owner is both illegal and against eBay's policies. Examples include counterfeits, unauthorized replica items and items that bear the brand or logo of a company without that company's permission.

Guideline: If the product you are listing bears the brand or logo of a company, but it wasn't made or authorized by that company, don't sell it on eBay.

It's against the law to sell unauthorized replicas of brand name products. Accordingly, listings for unauthorized replicas are not permitted on eBay.

For more information, please visit the following Help pages:

http://pages.ebay.com/help/policies/rep ... rfeit.html

http://pages.ebay.com/help/sell/trademark.html

You may need to take a tutorial. If it's required, you may be asked to take it the next time you sell. Once you've completed the tutorial successfully, please review your account status for any other possible concerns. If there are no other issues, you should be able to sell again.

To take the intellectual property tutorial, please visit:
http://pages.ebay.com/help/tutorial/ver ... intro.html

Please be aware that any additional violations of this policy may result in the suspension of your account. We understand that you may be concerned about this situation.

For more information on why eBay may remove a listing, please visit:
http://pages.ebay.com/help/sell/questio ... ended.html

Please be assured that your listings have not been targeted in any way. We review all listings that are reported to us by eBay members or Verified Rights Owner (VeRO) program participants.

Thank you for your understanding.

Sincerely,

eBay Trust & Safety team
________________________________________________________________

Your selling privileges have been temporarily restricted because of a recent policy violation. You won't be able to list new items for seven (7) days. You're also not allowed to register a new account during this time.

Please be assured that your account has *not* been suspended. At this time, you still have full account access. You can continue to:

- Send email
- Obtain shipping addresses
- Leave Feedback
- Perform other administrative tasks

Your account will no longer be restricted after seven days.

However, please be aware that any additional violations of this policy could result in the suspension of your account. Once eBay suspends an account, the member no longer has any account access. In addition, all active listings are canceled, and members who placed bids on those listings are notified.

If you have any further questions, please review the notice that was previously sent to you about this restriction.

________________________________________________________________



TITLE: vintage ELECTRA goldtop model 2254 lawsuit copy
BODY OF LISTING:

ELECTRA model 2254

"Gold Boy"

Made in JAPAN

From my collection. I have two and this one needs to go to make room for some more good stuff. This one is NON-ORIGINAL....Seymour Duncan pups added (I do not have the originals), and Schaller machines (again, I do not have the originals).

ST bridge. The past owner sanded the corrosion off the bridge, tailpiece, and neckplate. The selector switch cover is cracked, and the selector switch knob is a replacement. The back of the headstock has a chipped off area in the clearcoat (pics). The top has 6 stress cracks in the finish, and there are a few small dings on the sides and back.

Great action and sounds fantastic. The fretboard and frets are in great condition...frets showing minimal wear.

Comes with a hardshell case.

I'll ship FedEx ground when your payment clears into my PayPal account. I ship to PayPal verified CONUS addresses only. Alaska and Hawaii will cost a bit more. International buyers contact me for purchase information and shipping charges if interested.

HOW ABOUT THEM APPLES

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JD's Electras

As they did not let you see the evidence or complaint I think it is unjust and overkill by the EBAY police. You did not violate any listing issues aany more than all the other so called lawsuit models listed on the bay(do a search for lawsuit model guitars and see how many you find). You clearly stated the manufacturer and location of manufacture. Maybe they just did not like the goldtop reference. I think it is more like a low ballers complaint(maybe he or she was a lawyer). That stinks that they would suspend you for this. Guess we are all in the not politically correct bunch as we enjoy our rights to freedom of speach. This burns me up as I have fought and served this country and I am disabled from my injuries so that we all can enjoy our freedom and rights, one day I hope this country comes back to it's senses and gets rid of all the worthless lawyers. I think I have said enough. If I have offended anyone by expressing my views then by all means use your right to free speach to reply. Semper Fidelis Arthur

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Always give thanks for everyday, It may be your last so Rock On Semper Fi!!

they do have certain trigger words. "Copy" may be one of them... possible "Goldtop" as Arthur mentioned... definitely not "lawsuit" though

I think the words "LP style" are okay....

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My Electra Pages
I have too many projects!

Suspension is ridiculous. Who knows what sets off ebay filters. Your listing seemed fine to me - It's not as if you were using the Gibson or LP names as selling points.

That is just sad, isn't it? I guess Ebay is too big to properly police, so they blanket police it instead which causes this sort of nonsense.

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"GREAT Googiley moogilie Jack...jumpin jehosephat, hot dang and all".
- jdwhealton

Can you appeal? Or at least get them to tell you what the specific issue is?

JD...Someone dropped a dime on you..there is no violation in that listing unless you used the words Les Paul, LP or the like-you have to refer to the guitar by the model number only...NEVER use the word "copy" its like calling a Rickenbacker bass a "Rick"..its a flag for the censors....

Maybe they took your auction title to mean that this guitar is a copy OF an Electra.

Which would make the whole thing pretty hilarious. Oh, except the 7 day boot.

My guess is that it was caught by an algorythm and I bet no human at ebay HQ has seen or reviewed the case, so I wouldn't try to push the issue- simply let it blow over. Reword the auction carefully, resubmit.

That's what I figger, Dave. But who knows.

eBay is not a large part of my life, so I'm not gonna waste any of my time with those nice folks trying to pin the reason for this down....or pointlessly argueing with whatever pawn draws the short straw. I don't care to appeal it either.....just not worth my effort.

I do see sellers losing ground on eBay. The worm has turned.

I'd hate to be one of the folks who use eBay listings and auctions to make a living these days. You used to just have to worry about the electricity staying on...now there is a host of unnecessary, rediculous small harassements to be bothered with if you allow them. I guess I blew my "Top Rated Seller" award again. And I just got back my "Power Seller".

Oh well....hey, by the way....I've never seen a black squirrel either. Nice pic that was.

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JD's Electras

I agree with mcbrat that "LP Style" at this point seems to be the limit of eboink acceptance;

Let the pictures be what they are for the color, etc.

Sometimes describing basic information in words can be too much, or according to the eb police be in violation of something;

so maybe a shorter description is better;

I definitely would not use "copy" to describe the instrument in the ad;

Sorry you got the boot.

RCSBlues

I've had 2 listings pulled - I will NEVER use the word COPY again !! I had a long conversation with an ebay customer service rep after the second - they just DO NOT understand many guitars are copies of pre-existing designs - as any guitar player knows !! I now use "LP stsyle", "F style", "J bass style", etc. and haven't run afoul of their computer - yet !!

Oh, and check out the post on here "Three guitars we should all be tired of looking at..." 2 of the 3 postings violate ebay policy - it's not a computer, someone has to report the listing as violating policy for ebay to know.....

LP COPY CATCH THIS EBAY POLICE

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Always give thanks for everyday, It may be your last so Rock On Semper Fi!!

What do you know ? Now that they've allowed me back on eBay....I'M A TOP RATED SELLER. Go figger.

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JD's Electras