A seller lists a vintage knife, a bottle of homemade liqueur and a box of skincare samples. Two are removed, one triggers a warning on the account, and he has no idea which rule he broke or whether he is in trouble.
He did not set out to break anything. He read a policy page written by lawyers and came away with nothing.
The checklist
Publish these and both the breaches and the appeals fall.
1. A plain-language prohibited list
Not a legal document. A readable list with examples, grouped by the kind of thing a seller might actually try to list.
2. The restricted list, separately
Items that can be sold with conditions, such as age verification, documentation or category approval. Sellers conflate restricted with banned and simply give up.
3. Category-specific rules
Electrical goods, cosmetics, food, supplements, jewellery, second-hand items and anything with safety requirements. A general policy page cannot substitute for a rule that applies to the category someone is listing in.
4. Regional differences
What is permitted in one country and not another, and what happens when a listing is visible internationally. Sellers rarely consider this until a listing is restricted in a market.
5. Condition and authenticity rules
What counts as new, refurbished or used, what evidence is needed for branded goods and how counterfeits are handled. This is where accounts get suspended rather than listings removed.
6. What happens when a listing breaches a rule
Removal, warning, restriction or suspension, and what each means. Sellers panic because they cannot tell whether they have made a mistake or lost their business.
7. The appeal route
How to challenge a removal, what evidence helps and how long it takes. An appeal process that exists and is unexplained is worse than none.
8. How to check before listing
A pre-listing route for an unusual item, so a seller can ask rather than guess. It costs a little review time and saves a removal, an appeal and a resentful seller.
9. Documentation requirements
Safety certification, compliance documents and authenticity evidence for particular categories. Publishing what is needed lets a legitimate seller prepare.
10. How buyers report a listing
The route, what is considered and whether the reporter hears anything. Buyers reporting problems are protecting the marketplace and deserve an answer.
11. Never adjudicate in a chat window
Whether a specific item is permitted needs a review by someone who can see it. An assistant explains the rules and routes the question, which is the discipline in how to handle sensitive questions in your chatbot.
12. Age-restricted goods need their own handling
Verification at listing and at purchase, which is the pattern in deposit, age and consent questions for tattoo studios for any age-gated transaction.
13. Rules affect both sides of the market
Buyers raise disputes over items that should never have been listed, as in dispute and refund questions from marketplace buyers, and money is held when a listing is investigated, as in marketplace payment and payout questions answered.
Getting started
Publish readable prohibited and restricted lists, category rules and the appeal route, then answer rule questions at any hour while decisions stay with your review team. SpideyChat for marketplaces answers from your published pages. Try SpideyChat on your own site, or read about answers on the features page.