We need to know what the problem is

[theretrotrader]

It does seem a little feebay-ish the way they have pulled an auction without any warning. And especially odd that they have not specified which auction was at fault.

[madelaine]

I've just spent a frustrating hour re-creating listings which vanished. Now, I may have done something wrong, but I don't think so. I just don't think this site is robust enough. This bossy closing of listings, the random disappearance of others, the tolerance of really BAD listings unless each and every one is reported. It all makes me like this place less and less.

[gazza]

The auction details should be on the email, I will see why they were missed on this instance.

Gazza

[astral276]

I'm amused that people think there is some complicated automated system that monitors the validity of listings. More likely a geriatric chimp from London Zoo employed to push a big red button (to be fed a piece of banana) that fires off a deletion process.

Regardless...

To delete a listing you must know the details of which listing you are deleting - so those should be included in an email.

To delete a listing you must know why you are deleting it - so that should be in the email.

If you delete a listing as being 'in an inappropriate category' then you must know that a more appropriate category exists and what it is - so that should be in the email.

I don't see that any of the above employs any more resources (human or system) than is currently employed in deleting a listing. The information is there it just need to be picked up and inserted into the email. Not doing so is either sloppiness or laziness.

[bykimbo]

I'm amused that people think there is some complicated automated system that monitors the validity of listings. More likely a geriatric chimp from London Zoo employed to push a big red button (to be fed a piece of banana) that fires off a deletion process.

Regardless...

To delete a listing you must know the details of which listing you are deleting - so those should be included in an email.

To delete a listing you must know why you are deleting it - so that should be in the email.

If you delete a listing as being 'in an inappropriate category' then you must know that a more appropriate category exists and what it is - so that should be in the email.

I don't see that any of the above employs any more resources (human or system) than is currently employed in deleting a listing. The information is there it just need to be picked up and inserted into the email. Not doing so is either sloppiness or laziness.

You must know there are degrees of automation, it's not a black and white choice between NASA and chimp. I picture something like a human gets the complaint, follows the link, agrees it looks dodgy, clicks an admin link that sends a pre-formatted email that includes some information about the listing being reported (or at least, is supposed to), then moves onto the next thing.