My wife recently replaced her trusty mountain bike with a newer shinier model (hope she doesn’t do that to me!) and it seemed obvious to list the old one on eBay. What could be simpler ? Well actually, even as a seasoned eBay user I nearly failed. Twice ! I spent over one and a half hours doing battle with eBay until I eventually triumphed. What was the problem ? I bet you’ll never guess . . . read on to find out what tripped me up
Now I usually create my listings in eBays Turbolister application as it allows me to work on a listing, save it, tweak, save it, come back to it later etc. But sometimes it’s error messages leave a lot to be desired. Mind you, the error messages that eBay itself produces when listing an item aren’t much better.
Here’s what I tried to list. See if you can figure out the word that eBay didn’t like:
For sale is my wifes 2001 15.5″ Marin Rift Zone.
The bike is virtually standard as described here with the following exceptions:
* the brakes which are Hope Mini’s rather than Avids
* the saddle is a Terry’s Liberator womens model rather than the standard WTBKnown problems ?
Well apart from being 9 years old the rear shock bushes are on their way out (there’s a clonking noise when you lift the saddle) but these are cheap to buy (about £12) and cheap to replace (about £15 in most bike shops).
The paint work has a few chips and scratches (as you would expect given it’s age) and the cranks have some scuff marks but these don’t affect how the bike rides.
It’s mostly been ridden in Wales on a mixture of man-made and natural trails and has been used abroad in the US and Spain whilst on holiday. On both occasions it was well protected in a bike box so the frame is dead straight and without dents.
It’s not been ridden a great deal, in fact it even has the original tyres on it with plenty of tread remaining. For the last five years the bike has been hardly ridden and when it has it’s only been in the dry. The bike has been stored in a dry garage and is rust free.
We’re located near Abergavenny in South-east Wales so collection is possible if you live nearby. Alternatively I would be prepared to deliver the bike within a 50 mile radius at the rate of 50p/mile. Other than that, we can pack it up in a bike box and post it you.
We’ve got all the original manuals for the bike and the forks etc.
Should you require any other pictures please get in touch.
Ok, so there’s one word in there that eBay didn’t like. Can you see it ? I couldn’t either. I recreated the listing in TurboLister but still couldn’t get it submitted. Then I looked again at the error message. Here it is:
Error: Your listing cannot contain javascript (“.cookie”, “cookie(“, “replace(“, IFRAME, META or includes), cookies or base href
Now I’m pretty web savvy but that confused the hell out of me – my listing didn’t contain Javascript so the mention of it prompted me to run a virus scan just in case I had an infection but that found nothing.
By now I was confused and frustrated. Thinking it was a problem with TurboLister I check for updates and then decided to create the listing directly in eBay . . . and got the same error.
Only by cutting and pasting in each line of the description at a time did I eventually work out which word it was that eBay won’t permit in listings. If you fancy a challenge, here’s the listing live on eBay – see if you can spot the change I had to make.
If you can’t I’ll tell you scroll down a little further and I’ll tell you . . .
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keep going . . .
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eBay didn’t like the word ‘replace’ !
To be fair, it is in the error message that I got but that’s got to be quite possibly the most cryptic error message I’ve ever seen. Presumably eBay would also refuse listings containing the words cookie, meta, iframe and includes. Well if you though that you’d be wrong – I could find listings on my local eBay site here in the UK containing all words except ‘includes’, just click the links to see these words within the item descriptions.
Now does that make any sense at all ? Anyone else found words that eBay won’t permit in listings ?
UPDATE: with the assistance of readers of this blog (see comments below) we’ve worked out that the problem wasn’t with the word ‘replace’ specifically but that it was ‘replace (‘ which looks like JavaScript. JavaScript is a web language that can be used for good or bad. If used for bad purposes it can be used to steal password, drop cookies etc. That’s why eBay doesn’t allow it in their listings.
Filed under: Selling
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That’s strange – I’ve seen that word used before, after all a seller has to be honest and say if something has been replaced.
I know – I’m pretty sure that I’d seen it too in other listings. So I tried with and without the sentance and then gradually worked backwards through it taking out one word at a time. As soon as I took replace out, it worked. If I put it back in, it didn’t !
It can’t be down to user reputation or any other factors as the account I used has good feedback and history.
Wierd but above all extremely frustrating . . . .
I love it !! now I know its not just me !!! They love sending me cryptic messages.. got me beat a few times…
I recently posted a closed blade skydiving knife (for cutting Parachute lines in an emergency) and it didn’t like the word “knife” (understandably). so I had to re-list it as a “Skydiving line cutter”.
Hi,
I tried to list some books at the weekend and they don’t allow the words ‘as new’ in the title.
John, the problem may have been when and where you used the open parenthesis ( and the close parenthesis ). For some reason eBay thinks this is inserting HTML code. I solved this problem by using brackets [ ]. I don’t think the problem was the word replace as I have used this in listings.
actually… ebay didn’t like the ‘replace (‘ not simply the word replace.
replace ( )
is a javascript code
The cool thing about this is that I bet it’s pretty easy to inject JS into an eBay page if you’re persistent enough.
eBay – fail!
Thanks for all the comments folks and sorry for the delay in replying – I’ve been out all day.
@Peter: I know someone who runs a business selling fancy dress costumes and party related items on eBay. They went through a period where eBay wouldn’t let them list a plastic pirate sword !
@Peter Dunn: I had the same problem a while ago when I tried to sell something that was in ‘as new’ condition. Never did work out a way around . . .
@Henry and Heather: you’ve hit it ! I’m obviously showing my lack of knowledge of JavaScript
PHP I’m good at but I’ve always steered clear of JavaScript.
@Steve: You may be right, I know it used to be possible to include all sorts of scrolling galleries etc into your listings using JavaScript but I think eBay stopped that some time ago drop to abuse by affiliates.
@Steve, no way can you inject Java script, no matter how persistent you are. And if you want eBay to fail may I suggest yuou leave the site.
@Peter, you cannot use words like new or as new in your title. eBay will reject the listing every time. This is not related to just books.
@Steve, you can use scrolling galleries if you use an listing service like Auctiva, InkFrog, or similar service.
Ebay is sometimes vague about what is or isn’t allowed in a listing as well. I spent a good hour going over a listing because it was being rejected on the basis that I had “specified a payment method that ebay does not allow.” Of course, it doesn’t tell me WHERE I made the statement. Only that it’s in the listing somewhere. (I’ve never been fond of “Where’s Waldo” either.
The kicker was that this was an EXISTING listing that I was editing and adding some text to, due to a fight I’d had with PayPal. I went all through the payment section many times. NOTHING seemed wrong.
Eventually I discovered that brain-fuzz had crept into my editing and I had typed “PayPay” instead of “PayPal” in the text I was adding. And I just wasn’t seeing it when I read it over and over. (I’ve since looked up PayPay on Google and found that McAfee Site Adviser has it red-flagged and locked out as a dangerous site. But I never intended to use it in a listing.
Hey Rick, sounds like you were having one of my days
I also list a lot of auctions with a bulk lister, and have have serious trouble using the words “cookie” as in cookie jar, and ivory, when describing a color. I’ve finally given up completely on ivory, but found a work-around for cookie. If I use “cooky” instead in the listing, it’ll go through fine. Then I can revise the listing and spell it as “cookie” with no problems. Cookie automatically is flagged as being a Javascript problem. I have no idea what the poor sellers of old Ivory Snow boxes do!
Min,
This one confuses me. We sell cookie jars all the time. We do use Auctiva for our listing management and not turbo lister. You may want to look at what is before and after your word cookie.
Hmm, perhaps Auctiva and the bulk lister that Min uses access eBay in different ways. I know that the eBay API (which I use exclusively for searching eBay) is wonderfully inconsistent.
Perhaps the ways of listing items on eBay via the API differ from one programming language to the next ?
Thanks for the post did not think to check my listing against java key words. Perhaps should check it for visual basic, C and pearl key words. Boy I feel safer knowing ebay is looking out for us. The error message could have been more cryptic and helpful.
I get it. The ‘replace()’ string function in Java Scrpit.
Of course, you can spot that by a mile, could’nt you? – Not!
Yes i understand that i made an error in listing completly genuine mistake and got a breach of policy report so be careful dont understand how miss spells get through cos mine didn’t!! and had a report too really not good hey ho
you have to be kidding me, i have a ten thousand word plus listing, this will take way, way to long. is there a program to find issues like this?
I NEED THIS DONE TODAY
argh.
im getting the same super cryptic error message, thanks eBay…
This was easy. I found it before I scrolled down. I used to get this error almost every time I used a word followed by an open parenthesis ( or a closed parenthesis ). eBay is especially sensitive to the parenthesis when you use the words you indicated…replace, insert, etc.
It is what happens with you use robots to scan listings and not people. I get a warning message when I list skates and refer to them as rollerblades. eBay thinks I am listing a knife.
@Corey, copy your listing into a word document and the search the text for a string of words or even just the ( or ).
Corey,
If Henry’s trick does not work. Cut the file in 1/2 load and load check for errors. If None load 1/2 of the remaing 1/2 check again. Repeat this process till you narrow it down to a few lines. Then think like a computer and look for works like:
“cookie”, “meta”, “iframe”, ‘includes’,‘replace’ and thing with ‘(‘ and ‘)’.
Have Fun perhaps ebay will publish a list or better give a meaningfull error message. With perhaps a line number and a more crypic error message.
PS: This is the fastest way to find things like this, used by analog to digital coverters and equation solvers to get numerical appromations.
Meaningful error messages is an understatement.
Two days ago I get an email from ebay:
———————————–
WE NEED YOUR RESPONSE TO AN UNPAID ITEM CASE
Hi tuvwxyz,
According to our records, you haven’t responded to efghijkl’s notification regarding payment for item 50 Silver Plated xxxxxxx xxxx xxxxxx Craft Tool. This unpaid item case was opened on 2011-01-19 19:01:16.0…..
…..To avoid receiving an unpaid item strike, please resolve this situation within seven days…..
———————————–
Well, I KNOW I paid for this because my wife bought about 10 items from the seller. So, I go check “My Ebay”. Turns out it was a request to cancel the transaction that the seller sent out the day after I paid for everything. I had already emailed the seller about it and told them I’d already paid for the item and asked if they were going to ship it or not. They replied that the request was an error and to ignore it. Said they’d already shipped everything. So, I ignored it. That was what the email from ebay was about.
So, if “Request to cancel transaction” = “Unpaid Item Case” (Complete with threats of strikes against my account) in their eyes, don’t expect intelligent error messages for disallowed words in our listings any time soon.