Does listing as Collectible = a death sentence?
A dramatic topic heading, but possibly appropriate.
Many moons ago I listed a CD under ‘collectible’ because it was a limited release that came in a non-standard jewel case with a bonus poster.
Ok, marginally ‘collectable’ I suppose but it was just a cheap CD and I’m not even sure if I deliberately listed under ‘collectible’ or chose it by mistake - it’s very easy to choose the ‘collectible’ category by mistake but impossible to change after the listing is live.
I now have a policy violation and my account is at risk because the listing was flagged up as:
Not as Described - Different Condition
I don’t know how or why - I only have one copy and it has never sold.
I have hundreds of genuinely collectable items for sale on Amazon - signed first edition books, limited signed CDs &c - all used and mostly long-out-of-print so no way of getting ‘manufacturer’s authorisation’ for any of them so this is really worrying.
I’m not sure if it’s a glitch or what.
I also don’t know how to appeal - I did a live chat with SS and they passed the buck by suggesting I email ‘product-compliance’.
Like so many sellers, I am now thoroughly sick of selling on Amazon and having to do constant battle with dumb bots.
57 replies
Seller_BS5lg2keRs2QO
They said a while back that they were going to be enforcing “collectible” a bit more heavily. Whether that was a direct result of sellers listing things as “collectible” to bypass pricing “errors” i don’t know. It was discussed a little here:
Whether adding a “detailed description” is enough to please Amazon i can’t say, but their own condition guidelines allow for a range of reasons a product can be collectible, most of which would have little to do with the manufacturer.
Seller_LKjg1QRrO36Yq
I’ve a feeling items are more likely to be flagged if the product description states this:
- Is Discontinued By Manufacturer: No
Annoyingly, many out-of-print CDs have this wrongly stated there.
Seller_LPQTXAx3oIrLt
Just a thought - does deleting (not just simply closing) the listing remove the violation?
Seller_cyS7gxtWzbrwe
Amazon seems to be getting more uptight as it gets less useful to sellers. My main reason for not listing things as collectible is that they seem to be less effectively visible to customers and just don’t sell in practice.
Seller_LPQTXAx3oIrLt
Wow. In that case this is extremely worrying for anyone with anything listed as Collectable.
Seller_LPQTXAx3oIrLt
Not wanting to worry anyone, but after reading this thread on Thursday I closed some ‘Collectable’ listings - just to be safe - I thought. Woke up this morning to receive a Notice: Policy Warning email regarding a ASIN I closed 3 days ago.
Seller_cesC3f6EXUHDB
I know this strand is mainly concerned with books however there is also a problem with CDs. Listed a couple of items this morning. Condition used - very good was not an option. Certainly not going to list as Like New and don’t see why I should reduce my chances of selling by listing as Good. So it’s a choice between Collectable or not listing!
