I just received this message from eBay about my Golden Cube auction-

MC054 Listing policy violation alert: Miscategorization (615420330)

Dear tonyfisher,

We appreciate that you chose eBay to list the following item:

290696327374 - GOLDEN CUBE (1/2 gold, 1/2 silver) by Tony Fisher Uwe Meffert

Unfortunately, your listing breached our policy. This item has not been removed from eBay, but we wanted to bring this to your attention because future breaches could result in listing removal as well as limits on selling privileges.

The following information breaches our policy:

You listed the item in "Toys & Games > Jigsaws & Puzzles > Rubik's Puzzles" which is not the appropriate category. Listing items in an inappropriate category results in a poor shopping and finding experience for buyers. You may relist it in appropriate category.

To avoid confusion, be sure to select a category that matches exactly what you're selling in your listing.

It's against our policies to list an item outside the appropriate category. And keep in mind that breaking the rules may affect your buying and selling privileges.

WTF???
I know it's not an official Rubik's product but isn't every twisty puzzle sold in this category?

Don't you even know what a "Toys & Games > Jigsaws & Puzzles > Rubik's Puzzles" is?

Do you have to put rubiks in the title of the category?

This also happened to me very recently. I thought it was really ridiculous. I was told it should be listed in puzzles > other

I would think that not filing it there could make it harder to find, unless they have another section for puzzles of the sort.

Idk much about eBay but can someone flag a listing and say they don't have it in the right category? Cus someone could be trolling you?

Earlier today Luke has his auction for the Hexoid taken down because he had "Like Rubik's" in the auction title.

It seems Rubik's is using super heavy-handed DMCA-like takedown requests on eBay.

Frankly I have no loyalty to Rubik's brand and this pisses me off. I'm not likely to buy any more of their products with such broad and unjust tactics.

Rubik's brand should be pleased when people refer to twisty puzzle as "Rubik's cube like puzzles". The stupidity of these takedown notices are worthy of the MPAA.

EDIT: somebody needs to inform eBay that "Rubik's" is a generic term like coke or q-tip. Using "Rubik's" in the title could not possibly infringe on a trademark or copyright. These are wrongful take-downs.

Why don't we go the other way and petition Ebay to make a category "Twistypuzzle", I'm sure there are enough of us to make that happen in the light of all this. If there was `a category`, sellers might use it and it'd sure make for an easier search IMO. Rubik's sellers would have to start putting `twistypuzzle` in their titles then .

Cheers,
Burgo.

I always sell puzzles in category: Toys & Games > Puzzles > 3D-Puzzle.
Does this category exist in British ebay?

They might have mixed it up with an actual cube made of gold
(considering the price)

Ok, I have just been chatting on ebay's live chat help thingy. Here's the transcript.

Paxten N.
Welcome to Community Watch Live chat. My name is Paxten. How may I help you?
tonyfisher
Hi,
tonyfisher
You have told me this item is in the wrong category. It is however a Rubik's Cube type puzzle. You have to twist it to scramble it and the solve it just the same.
Paxten N.
Thank you for the information.
Paxten N.
I am looking at the listing, please wait.
Paxten N.
Aside from the above mentioned concern, will there be anything else you'd want to add so that I can check on it as well?
tonyfisher
If you wish you could Google search Tony Fisher Golden Cube to find further pictures and videos on the internet including youtube to see further how this is basically the same type of puzzle as a Rubik's Cube. Thanks
Paxten N.
First of all, please be informed that your item has not been removed from eBay, but we wanted to bring this to your attention about the breach, however, looking into the listing, I can see that your item was listed in correct category.
Paxten N.
Thus, I request you to ignore the alert email that you have received and I will also reset your "Seller Dashboard" status.
tonyfisher
Hi,
tonyfisher
One more thing
Paxten N.
Sure
Paxten N.
Please go ahead./
tonyfisher
The puzzle is like a Rubik's Cube but it is not made by Rubik. It is not a copy or anything, just a variation of a twisty puzzle. Is it ok to list twisty puzzles like mine in the Rubik's Category. Or should all the puzzles actually be made by Rubik and his factories?
Paxten N.
I appreciate you asking a few question on this. Tony, I would like to inform you that the category, Rubik's cube, is for selling a genuine Rubik's item.
Paxten N.
Since your item was not manufactured by Rubik, I suggest you not to list it in this particular category. Instead, you may list your item under "Toys & Games > Jigsaws & Puzzles > Other Puzzles" category.
tonyfisher
Ok thanks I understand. That's a shame since in the puzzle world which I have been involved in for 25 years. These twisty puzzles are commonly known as Rubik's types puzzles and collectors look to this category to find all variations of this theme including genuine Rubik's products and spin offs etc.
Paxten N.
Tony, its just to make sure that we divide the group of items properly amongst the bunch of different item listed.
Paxten N.
I have now removed the policy breach from your account since this was not an unintentional mistake from your side.
Paxten N.
I understand what you did could have been done by any individual at your place.
tonyfisher
Ok, In future I will list in the suggested category. Thanks for your help. Goodbye.
Paxten N.
It is my pleasure to assist you.
Paxten N.
Is there anything else I can assist you with?
tonyfisher
No thanks. Just be aware that you will see this breach by many other people who thought they were doing the right thing. Please don't be too hard on them.
Paxten N.
No problem.

Hi Tony and others,

I hope I'm not speaking out of line for `the community` but I just sent this email off. If you think it's a good idea and a worthy cause, you might like to send a similar email?

suggestions@eBay.com vv

Hi Friend,

I am a regular purchaser of Twisty Puzzles of the Rubik’s Cube type, when searching for puzzles I, and others in my community, are continually frustrated by the fact that there is no accurate category for these puzzles when we search. The closest is `Toys & Hobbies, Puzzles, Rubik's Cube`. But Rubik’s is a brand name and there are literally thousands of other types and brands commonly known as `Twisty Puzzles` within the community of collectors and puzzlers that I am a part of.

Our community is regularly faced with this problem. I suggest that `Toy’s & Hobbies, Puzzles, Twisty Puzzles` would make a better category, it would also be inclusive of the Rubik’s brand. If you look within the listings you will see that it is a common practice to call most Twisty Puzzles `Rubik’s Type Puzzles`, I suggest that this is purely because of the `category itself` being incorrect. People wishing to look for the Rubik’s brand should have the option of searching `within a Twisty Puzzles category`.

If you would like to see the type of community I am talking about please have a look at Twistypuzzles.com, particularly have a look in the online museum there to see the plethora of Twisty Puzzles that go well beyond the Rubik’s brand.


Cheers,
Burgo.

Aargh, I just got a failure notice, so I tried suggestions@ebay.com, and got another failure, anyone like to post the correct email address?

This was given to me `by Ebay`

EDIT: I just put it through their `contact us` on my ebay login.

Cheers,
Burgo.

Hi Friends,

It seems that the conversation has continued in this thread (which is the reason for my double post here):
viewtopic.php?f=4&t=23552
For those who are interested in the communication I recieved.. I got a standard fob off letter:

But I haven't received any responses about this here either, so it was probably not a popular enough idea anyway.

Cheers,
Burgo.