Mid-way through listing her treasures today Madame realised that more than half of her Ebay items were missing! A subsequent email received from Ebay stated that the listings have been removed because she had violated regulations, and breached a person's copyright - by using the word "Shabby Chic" in her descriptions.
A quick search on Ebay under " shabby chic" shows in excess of 80,000 other items quite happily sitting there - and using the words "shabby chic".
An immediate telephone call to Ebay and it transpired that the Rachel Ashwell Vero regulations team are currently on the warpath via Ebay for sellers using the words "shabby chic"; and it seems simply-chateau is their "chosen culprit" this week. Well, whoop di doo!!!
Madame asked if she could access the removed listings simply to alter them as it has taken her a whole week to do the photographs and wordings. But " No....sorry," they have gone" was the response. It even would have been nice to receive a warning from Ebay that listings were to be removed - but nothing so courteous as that!
Madame was advised that if managed to obtained a letter from the Rachel Ashwell team giving her permission to use "shabby chic" then they would instantly reinstate the listings.
Having been a loyal Ebay seller week in week out for over 12 years Madame and asked whether could they not allow her a little grace to access the listings just to alter them? ...even for 5 minutes?.....but no! They could not relist them - but, ironically, would be able to do so if they received an 'approval' letter from the Rachel Ashwell Team.
Madame walked away from the laptop and both her bustle and head exploded in anger.
A little later she had adjusted her wig, tightened her corsets, re-attached her bustle and returned to her laptop to start to re-do all her listings but omitting any reference to "shabby chic".
So if you find her subsequent listings populated with the words 'shabbi chic'; shabee chic'; 'shabby chique'; shabee chique; shabby sheek; shabby & chic etc....you'll know why - and what she actually is trying to say!
So if you find her subsequent listings populated with the words 'shabbi chic'; shabee chic'; 'shabby chique'; shabee chique; shabby sheek; shabby & chic etc....you'll know why - and what she actually is trying to say!
It has been suggested that the Vero team should stick the words of "shabby chic" up their derriere as swiftly as possible. I would not complain if they did!
I GIVE UP, I REALLY DO!!!!
But I do say good luck to this person who is clearly not going to take it lying down....(press link below)
http://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/online-traders-battle-with-us-giant-over-use-of-shabby-chic-8069209.html?origin=internalSearch
But I do say good luck to this person who is clearly not going to take it lying down....(press link below)
http://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/online-traders-battle-with-us-giant-over-use-of-shabby-chic-8069209.html?origin=internalSearch
Bon weekend mes belles
xxx
WHAT? I had no idea this was going on. Ebay should have let you change your words. That is wrong of them. I mean, 12 years with them and to be treated like this? Shame on them!
RépondreSupprimerRachel ashwell is a nob! I left the "k" out in case it's copyright :-)
RépondreSupprimerIs it ok to call her a nob? I am entitled to my opinion right, and this is my personal opinion. Will I end up in Aswell Court? Get over yourself and get a life I say! Etsy allows country chic. I notice she has trademarked shabby chic couture so you could use shabby couture. Or shabby French chic. There are many more ways to skin a rat!
Much love, head down and get it done! This is not the hill you'll die on :-)
Di
xxxxx
Thanks Rhonda
RépondreSupprimerIts okay I`ve eaten the kinder eggs I was saving for the grandchildren...well it was a Crisis!!
xx
Oh Di!!
RépondreSupprimerYou make me laugh!! yes we`ll go with knob...shabby knob chic perhaps? I think I`ll go with simply-chateau chic!!
Listing as we speak...if only I could remember what I said about things last time!!
It may however be the hill I am sick on as I have eaten the grand kids kinder eggs.
xxx
I had read about this ages ago but I thought it had gone away. It is unbelievable, the term shabby chic was around long before she used it.
RépondreSupprimerI thought the Olympic ban on associated words was awful, I didn't realise that Ebay was just as bad.
My sympathies for the lost listings!
I had this problem too Shirley, it's disgraceful that someone can buy a generic term for something and then stop everyone else using it. The way eBay behaves towards regular and good sellers is also a disgrace. Shame on them!
RépondreSupprimerI too feel your anger! I read that back in the 1980’s the term ‘shabby chic’ was first used in an issue of The World of Interiors and voila, a style was created! Ebay ought to be made aware of this!!! You are not using Rachel Ashwell's 'Shabby Chic' name but you are using a generic term, which originated years earlier! ;-)
RépondreSupprimerOMG! Really Rachel Ashwell and her peeps are allover the place causing a real bad rep for herself and her company.Is her business really that bad off she has to go to these extreme measures.How sad!
RépondreSupprimerI agree with Yonks She is an absolute Knobbby nob nob nob.....I shall never utter the words Shabby chic again...she can put her shabby chic where the sun shalt never shin-eth....
RépondreSupprimerand.....how can you claim a word its like me claiming the word " the" try getting by in life with-out useing that one....
she is a word thief...she did not invent it....she is just nothing more than a coppy cat...even all her photos look like my mama...she wants to be my mama...and she cant because she was born with the nob gene
kindest reards
froufrou
p.s
she is a nob
Hi Shirley, is this woman gone crazy? How silly is that? We will never again buy a book written by this nob!! I remember years ago when Michel Friedmann had a talk with Ebay, for days we were not allowed to write a capitol "S" in a German Ebay's dolls-cafe because it remembered him on the SS during the war! At these days a lot of sellers leave Ebay, I think I will do the same! Don't mind, dear Shirley, have a nice weekend, Margit
RépondreSupprimerHi again!!
RépondreSupprimerI emailed ebay and received this reply:
Hello Sally,
My name is Kate and I'll be pleased to explain our stance on using the term 'shabby chic' in listings.
I appreciate you took the time to discuss this with us. We agree that though Shabby Chic is a brand, it is a style term as well. As such, stating 'shabby chic' to describe the look of the furniture is permissible in listings. However, stating that the item is in the style of the brand Shabby Chic, will not be permitted.
I trust this information has been helpful.
Kind regards,
Kate Robson
eBay Trust & Safety
the rachel ashwell police ought to go down our high street...there is one shop that uses those words everywhere....BTW your bird song background music is lovely but makes my scotties ears pirouette!!!...he can't work out where the little devils are hiding....xx....a chic-ly shabby bye-bye!! kay
RépondreSupprimerI think this came from a then current court case regarding an entirely different case...the terms "shabby chic" and if one company owns the rights to it.
RépondreSupprimerThis is a very old message, and as I am researching this topic I have found that in several rulings the words "shabby chic" have become generic enough that the owner of a company who thinks they have rights to the terms have lost in arbitration over forcing someone to remove their site. Since then I have found no further messages of lawsuits or rulings.