My wifes listing keeps geting removed from facebook market...

[bobba]

All was well when my wife started selling some honey on face book.

Then she had some guy threatening to dob us in to trading standards for selling honey in the wrong sized jars!

Now it seems someone keeps reporting our advert for violating the rules on the trade in animal parts.

When we click the button asking for a review it says because of covid we they don't have time to review your listing.

So our listing gets taken down, we replace it, and so the cycle goes on.

None of the other honey listings get removed so I don't think its a "rival keeper". The jar size guy did not seem to sell honey either. And as far as I know we haven't upset anyone. So I am a complete loss as to why our advert is getting targeted.

We had no such problems in the spring. We had some reserve that did not collect, but no self appointed jar size police or listings reported for violations.

Were we lucky in he spring, or unlucky now?

Do any of you lot sell on FB and what are your experiences?

 

[bobba]

An update already!

FB have reviewed our advert and concluded it was indeed in breach of their "commerce policies on animal" !

When we click the link it shows the full rules and we are not in breach of any of them.

Has anyone else encountered this on FB?

 

[bobthecob]

Stop listing your wife on Facebook Marketplace!

 

[enrico]

I can sell all I produce with a sign on the gate so my answer is 'no'.

 

[Pembroke]

I don't personally sell on Facebook, but if there are other keepers in your area selling honey successfully then compare your advert with theirs.

Is there anything mentioned in your advert that doesn't appear in theirs? For instance maybe you have the word 'bee' in yours but they don't. Does your advert comply absolutely with Facebooks rules, remember they might not be the same as the law or those of trading standards.

Have you tried re-writing the advert?

 

[Nige.Coll]

It will be some other beekeeper complaining I've had the same. Just create a new advert. Seems plenty of foreign honey for sale on there with claims of organic and unicorn tears ta boot.
There is no wrong size jar nowadays the 8,12,16 oz was removed years ago.
You could sell it in any size or weight you like.

 

[madasafish]

I have sold on FB for three years.

No complaints/issues ever.

I did PM an advertiser selling honey in jars with no label and warned them they were breaching Honey Selling Regs...but that is as far as I have gone..

 

[BugsInABox]

Stop listing your wife on Facebook Marketplace!

you beat me to that!
working on something invloving lifestock regulations now.

 

[bobba]

Our advert does say "honey from the bees in our garden" - so maybe you are onto something there.

We have found a way to appeal the decision, just have to wait 48h now and see what happens.

I should have said mr jar size man also had a pop at my label - right jobs worth (cough, cough, madasfish). Following that he moved on to jar size. So reporting my adds could be his next progression.

There are loads of unlabeled, foreign, organic, "unicorn tear" sellers in my area, some of them very cheap too. I am well informed that some of them sell a lot to the large polish continuity.

I always try to ask people why they chose to buy from me, knowing I am far from the cheapest. It was the fact It says, "from the bees in our garden", that most attracted people. A lot fb customers wanted honey as local as possible.

My wife has friends scattered across the country, so most our honey was sold to them by post. I have less than a dozen jars to sell so don't care about about lost sales.

In the spring I sold 15 jars on FB and met some real nice people. People were keen to see my bees and stop for a chat. We met a couple that live nearby with a little boy the same age as ours and are still in touch. 2 more people that know one of my co-workers. As well as a guy across the road I now stop to chat with when I see.

So I just thought It may be nice to meet some more people

The demand for good local honey seems massive around here, that means someone has been doing - very nice thank you. So the rival keeper theory definitely adds up. The "unicorn tear" honey caters to a different market, so it would have to be another local producer, likely selling on fb. Jar size man could be acting on their behalf. They also chose to report me just at the start of the weekend...hummm.

I don't want to blieve another keeper would do such a thing, but....

PS, I am quite insulted you refer to my wife as livestock, I will have you know that listing was removed ,as you are not allowed to sell slaves.

 

[Curly green finger's]

I've sold jars of honey via Facebook this season what a faff... I'll keep to my deles, bakers, healthfood shops and estates that have hotels and do b+B.

 

[madasafish]

Our advert does say "honey from the bees in our garden" - so maybe you are onto something there.

We have found a way to appeal the decision, just have to wait 48h now and see what happens.

I should have said mr jar size man also had a pop at my label - right jobs worth (cough, cough, madasfish). Following that he moved on to jar size. So reporting my adds could be his next progression.

There are loads of unlabeled, foreign, organic, "unicorn tear" sellers in my area, some of them very cheap too. I am well informed that some of them sell a lot to the large polish continuity.

I always try to ask people why they chose to buy from me, knowing I am far from the cheapest. It was the fact It says, "from the bees in our garden", that most attracted people. A lot fb customers wanted honey as local as possible.

My wife has friends scattered across the country, so most our honey was sold to them by post. I have less than a dozen jars to sell so don't care about about lost sales.

In the spring I sold 15 jars on FB and met some real nice people. People were keen to see my bees and stop for a chat. We met a couple that live nearby with a little boy the same age as ours and are still in touch. 2 more people that know one of my co-workers. As well as a guy across the road I now stop to chat with when I see.

So I just thought It may be nice to meet some more people

The demand for good local honey seems massive around here, that means someone has been doing - very nice thank you. So the rival keeper theory definitely adds up. The "unicorn tear" honey caters to a different market, so it would have to be another local producer, likely selling on fb. Jar size man could be acting on their behalf. They also chose to report me just at the start of the weekend...hummm.

I don't want to blieve another keeper would do such a thing, but....

PS, I am quite insulted you refer to my wife as livestock, I will have you know that listing was removed ,as you are not allowed to sell slaves.

My experience of FB closely resembles yours.

Friendly buyers, want local honey, some bring kids along - I show them hives ( a showcase one at entrance to garden with clear CB so all see with no risk of stings)..

Many are repeat customers, return used jars and chat..

Some buy our honey as a gift: Labelled "Biddulph Honey" so often bought in bulk for friends...
As we are a small ex mining town (50 years ago, now suburbs ), not many products made locally available to give as gifts...High quality carefully applied labels helps thanks to my wife .

 

[Gilberdyke John]

Our advert does say "honey from the bees in our garden" - so maybe you are onto something there.

We have found a way to appeal the decision, just have to wait 48h now and see what happens.

I should have said mr jar size man also had a pop at my label - right jobs worth (cough, cough, madasfish). Following that he moved on to jar size. So reporting my adds could be his next progression.

There are loads of unlabeled, foreign, organic, "unicorn tear" sellers in my area, some of them very cheap too. I am well informed that some of them sell a lot to the large polish continuity.

I always try to ask people why they chose to buy from me, knowing I am far from the cheapest. It was the fact It says, "from the bees in our garden", that most attracted people. A lot fb customers wanted honey as local as possible.

My wife has friends scattered across the country, so most our honey was sold to them by post. I have less than a dozen jars to sell so don't care about about lost sales.

In the spring I sold 15 jars on FB and met some real nice people. People were keen to see my bees and stop for a chat. We met a couple that live nearby with a little boy the same age as ours and are still in touch. 2 more people that know one of my co-workers. As well as a guy across the road I now stop to chat with when I see.

So I just thought It may be nice to meet some more people

The demand for good local honey seems massive around here, that means someone has been doing - very nice thank you. So the rival keeper theory definitely adds up. The "unicorn tear" honey caters to a different market, so it would have to be another local producer, likely selling on fb. Jar size man could be acting on their behalf. They also chose to report me just at the start of the weekend...hummm.

I don't want to blieve another keeper would do such a thing, but....

PS, I am quite insulted you refer to my wife as livestock, I will have you know that listing was removed ,as you are not allowed to sell slaves.

Try changing the "bees in our garden" to "hives in our garden" it's probably one of their algorithms causing the problems

 

[RichardBeeW]

My experience of FB closely resembles yours.

Friendly buyers, want local honey, some bring kids along - I show them hives ( a showcase one at entrance to garden with clear CB so all see with no risk of stings)..

Many are repeat customers, return used jars and chat..

Some buy our honey as a gift: Labelled "Biddulph Honey" so often bought in bulk for friends...
As we are a small ex mining town (50 years ago, now suburbs ), not many products made locally available to give as gifts...High quality carefully applied labels helps thanks to my wife .

Is that the Biddulph near Biddulph Moor? We have friends there - near Stoke on Trent

 

[mbc]

I've posted adverts for queens on fb before, sometimes they don't make it and others they do.
I couldn't figure out why which was frustrating as I'd only really try and get an advert when a sale fell through or I had a glut of queens ready and I needed to shift the surplus, only to have some arbitrary logarithm pick up that it's livestock and get it rejected, other adverts blatantly selling livestock sail through.
I checked my words and phrases and tried to change it up but couldn't see the pattern, seemed no rhyme or reason to it to me, perhaps someone cleverer could enlighten me.

 

[Kittih]

I have had this issue on Facebook for items that are in no way contravening the regulations (decorative beer glasses) but the Facebook algorithm deemed them in contravention. I don't think humans ever check whether the rejection is valid even if you appeal the decision.

What I have found is that the algorithms will "remember" the photos you have used and the wording in the "illegal" post and therefore reject subsequent ads even if you have removed any potential trigger words. It can help to post the ad as an image with text within the image rather than as an image with supporting text.

Completely delete the ads that aren't working and re post with different images (change the back ground colour and positioning of items in the image as I have found similar images can be rejected) and include text with no reference to any livestock e.g. Beekeeper, bees, bee hive. It can sometimes help to wait a few days.

I suspect your issues are more to do with rejection from the algorithms than anything else although if your advert has been flagged previously it may be that your ads have been marked for scrutiny by Facebook.

It can be very frustrating when it happens. The algorithm rejection seems to be more common these days too. You just have to be creative about how you post your ads.

If there is a malicious person that is reporting your posts then it is more difficult. In that case perhaps posting from a different account might (or might not) help.

 

[Anthony Appleyard]

Some automatic process has shut me out of Facebook because I have the same name as a linguist man who has travelled much in the Middle East and is in academia.edu . Facebook's algorithms don't seem to realize that I am not trying to hack his account but I merely have the same name as him.

 

[bobba]

Thanks everyone.

Its good to know I am not the only one having fb issues.

They have reviewed our add again and ban it for good - very frustrating.

I hope it is the algorithm rather than another keeper.

I am done with fb this year, for the number of jars I have left its not worth the bother.

I am going to try selling on Nextdoor instead and see how that goes.

 

[madasafish]

Is that the Biddulph near Biddulph Moor? We have friends there - near Stoke on Trent

Yes.

 

[MuswellMetro]

The EU which I know we are no longer part but our laws still follow define Honey as a product of an animal and therefore subject to same legislation as Milk, Eggs and Crab Meat

i suspect FB have used the same definition

 

[BeeJam]

I have had this issue on Facebook for items that are in no way contravening the regulations (decorative beer glasses) but the Facebook algorithm deemed them in contravention. I don't think humans ever check whether the rejection is valid even if you appeal the decision.

What I have found is that the algorithms will "remember" the photos you have used and the wording in the "illegal" post and therefore reject subsequent ads even if you have removed any potential trigger words. It can help to post the ad as an image with text within the image rather than as an image with supporting text.

Completely delete the ads that aren't working and re post with different images (change the back ground colour and positioning of items in the image as I have found similar images can be rejected) and include text with no reference to any livestock e.g. Beekeeper, bees, bee hive. It can sometimes help to wait a few days.

I suspect your issues are more to do with rejection from the algorithms than anything else although if your advert has been flagged previously it may be that your ads have been marked for scrutiny by Facebook.

It can be very frustrating when it happens. The algorithm rejection seems to be more common these days too. You just have to be creative about how you post your ads.

If there is a malicious person that is reporting your posts then it is more difficult. In that case perhaps posting from a different account might (or might not) help.

Plus one for this - I was trying to sell a pair of my daughter's old trainers that she'd barely worn earlier this summer and Facebook kept telling me they thought they were fake (maybe my pricing was too cheap) and like you when I tried relisting it remembered the photos. Did eventually manage to get them sold by using a different photo but was a hassle