My legit ads repeatedly removed from Craigslist, anything I can do?
July 23, 2011 5:42 AM Subscribe
I'm a real estate agent who advertises on craigslist. Someone is flagging my ads and over half of them keep getting removed. What can I do?
My ads follow the rules on craigslist - I post a services ad under real estate services. I post properties for sale under properties for sale by broker. Other similar ads to mine seem to stay up indefinitely.
I think it's someone who is competing with me for similar business.
I know it's not that hard to get ads flagged and removed - I've had to do that when I had con artists taking the photo and text of my ads and re-posting them pretending they were missionaries in Africa renting out their homes and wanting people to wire money to them for deposits. I just forwarded it in an email to a lot of friends and it was gone in a few minutes.
Does craigslist analyze how postings are removed? Like if it's the same group of people doing it each time will their flags eventually be ignored?
If I just keep re-posting my ad after it's removed will they take away my account? I have to register with my phone number with them because I advertise in real estate services.
My ads follow the rules on craigslist - I post a services ad under real estate services. I post properties for sale under properties for sale by broker. Other similar ads to mine seem to stay up indefinitely.
I think it's someone who is competing with me for similar business.
I know it's not that hard to get ads flagged and removed - I've had to do that when I had con artists taking the photo and text of my ads and re-posting them pretending they were missionaries in Africa renting out their homes and wanting people to wire money to them for deposits. I just forwarded it in an email to a lot of friends and it was gone in a few minutes.
Does craigslist analyze how postings are removed? Like if it's the same group of people doing it each time will their flags eventually be ignored?
If I just keep re-posting my ad after it's removed will they take away my account? I have to register with my phone number with them because I advertise in real estate services.
Response by poster: Thanks - don't know how I missed that previous one when I looked at the craigslist tag page.
posted by Melsky at 6:11 AM on July 23, 2011
posted by Melsky at 6:11 AM on July 23, 2011
How do you know these people are using your images, are you using offsite links in your Craigslist ads? If so, that'll get you flagged.
posted by rhizome at 11:21 AM on July 23, 2011
posted by rhizome at 11:21 AM on July 23, 2011
Response by poster: I don't have offsite links, the ads are totally in the craigslist rules.
The people using my images is a separate issue - people were running fake rental ads using my photos and text from my houses for sale.
posted by Melsky at 1:17 PM on July 23, 2011
The people using my images is a separate issue - people were running fake rental ads using my photos and text from my houses for sale.
posted by Melsky at 1:17 PM on July 23, 2011
Apologies if this is simplistic, but are you certain you're not expressing a prohibited preference ("great for families") or maybe listing a $1 price? Those are the sorts of things I glad in otherwise legit postings.
posted by wnissen at 7:57 PM on July 23, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by wnissen at 7:57 PM on July 23, 2011 [1 favorite]
Everything I know about flagging on Craigslist I learned from reading the flagging help forum http://denver.craigslist.org/forums/?forumID=3. (Replace "denver" in the URL with your local Craigslist site and you get a choice between all postings and just the local ones.) If you like watching dopes get dope-slapped, it's highly entertaining.
What can I do?
From the Terms of Use, Section 1, "Should you object to any term or condition of the TOU, any guidelines, or any subsequent modifications thereto or become dissatisfied with craigslist in any way, your only recourse is to immediately discontinue use of craigslist."
If I just keep re-posting my ad after it's removed will they take away my account?
Eventually, yes. And the number of flags required to remove an ad is reduced every time one is removed.
posted by Bruce H. at 4:28 AM on July 24, 2011
What can I do?
From the Terms of Use, Section 1, "Should you object to any term or condition of the TOU, any guidelines, or any subsequent modifications thereto or become dissatisfied with craigslist in any way, your only recourse is to immediately discontinue use of craigslist."
If I just keep re-posting my ad after it's removed will they take away my account?
Eventually, yes. And the number of flags required to remove an ad is reduced every time one is removed.
posted by Bruce H. at 4:28 AM on July 24, 2011
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by inturnaround at 5:51 AM on July 23, 2011