[2011] Problems with flagging on Orlando Craigslist [merged]

[my2001twins]

Wow, that is something. I am a glutten for punishment, I am going to strip the ad down to a very basic one (no HTML, etc.) with just a few pictures, lets see if it stays up. I will let you know how it goes.

 

[my2001twins]

My stripped down ad seems to have lasted a lot longer then the rest, usually it is gone within 15 minutes.

I didn't mention the name of the resort or even say the word timeshare in the ad, I wonder if that is the trick or if it was the stripped down ad that got it to stay.

 

[DeniseM]

I am going to wait a few weeks and try again - good luck!

 

[bnoble]

But you don't know who is doing it, so how can you decide whom to target?

Ah, but apparently we do...

On Sat. every Ad was flagged except 4 - 3 of them were from the same commercial rental agency...

I still think that Mutually Assured Destruction is the way to go here.

 

[DavidnRobin]

DeniseM - the 'Help' forum are not CL employees - just mainly scum who (like the flaggers) love the ego/power trip. You will not get resolve from CL - so do not expect it - I think they have like 12 employees. (iirc)

I no longer use CL for TS renting (although I know you have success) because most responses are just scammers - and wasting my time. However, I have bought and sold many things on CL (SF BayArea) - including 3 cars - without issue. It is pretty easy to tell right off the bat if someone is on the up&up by their initial response.

 

[DeniseM]

HI Dave - Yeah, I know they aren't employees or even official volunteers, but you would think since CL set up the forum they would have some interest in requiring some kind of minimum standards of decency in the forum. It's really disgusting. You are so right about the ego/power trip. Even if you approach them very respectfully, they are rude and insulting.

 

[my2001twins]

:annoyed:

Uuugh, my ad on the Orlando board just got flagged and removed. So much for it lasting this time.

 

[DavidnRobin]

Has anyone tried contacting CL staff?
http://sfbay.craigslist.org/cgi-bin/emailForm.cgi

Perhaps if enough people respond to what is occurring on the Orlando site (constructively) - action may be taken.

 

[DeniseM]

Thanks Dave - I don't have much hope, but I used your link to report it.

 

[my2001twins]

Thanks Dave - I don't have much hope, but I used your link to report it.

Ditto!

 

[DeniseM]

I put on my Hazmat suit and waded back into the CL "unhelpful" forum.

According to the "unhelpful" folks there, there was so much "spam" on the Orlando forum that CL "flushed" (deleted) all the Ads Sat. Not sure if the guy with 3 Ads posted after the flush, or if they just like him better.

Also, according to the "unhelpful" volunteers, they have had a lot of problems with the Orlando forum so they lowered the flag requirements and it's really, really easy to get your post pulled.

Lastly - they said that CL is actively monitoring that forum with a genuine human being.

However, no meaningful advice on how to post there, except give it a rest for a few weeks and come back later.

 

[flexible]

I should have said, Have you ever asked for help in the Help Forum on Craigslist? It's beyond ridiculous - they are insulting, foul mouthed, and arrogant.

They basically told me that timeshare rental Ads are not welcome on CL and that they will be flagged (removed) by members for no other reason than that.

If it happened to me, I would email the founder (Craig Newmark) or owners at CL or post a question on http://www.facebook.com/craignewmark or http://www.cnewmark.com - I would open with a brief sentence thanking them on how helpful their site has been and hope they could help resolve your current problem with the Orlando posting.

 

[california-bighorn]

Bullseye

I have an Ad for Tahoe and an Ad for Hawaii and they never get flagged - there is definitely something going on with the Orlando Fourum. On Sat. every Ad was flagged except 4 - 3 of them were from the same commercial rental agency...

With your research it seems way too obvious "the same commercial rental agency" is eliminating the competition. If you want to fire back, feel free to PM me with the name of this company for assistance in "leveling the playing field". Stuff like that just ------ me off.

 

[heathpack]

Has anyone tried contacting CL staff?
http://sfbay.craigslist.org/cgi-bin/emailForm.cgi

Perhaps if enough people respond to what is occurring on the Orlando site (constructively) - action may be taken.

Back when we lived in NC, we posted an ad for a sailboat for sale on the Raleigh CL. We had an issue with someone who came to look at the boat- either he inappropriately flagged our ad or posted an ad critical of the boat or something similar (I don't remember which). Anyway, we contacted CL staff (not forum) and they did fix the problem. Took a day or two, but it was addressed. It seems worthwhile to get in touch.

H

 

[Robert D]

Has anyone tried contacting CL staff?
http://sfbay.craigslist.org/cgi-bin/emailForm.cgi

Perhaps if enough people respond to what is occurring on the Orlando site (constructively) - action may be taken.

Thanks for posting this link. I just sent a message to Craigslist about this problem and hope everyone else will do the same. Got to think if they get enough complaints they'll stop this nonsense.

 

[joanjake]

Craigs list

I've had the same thing happen to me also. I was trying to give my timeshare away...so I put it on the Free column. I added: "there is a catch" (meaning closing,maintenance,etc.), "please email for details". Got knocked off real quick but before it got knocked off I managed to get some good responses. I find I have to put them under real estate...then they tend to stay up but are quickly buried under volumes of real estate/rental companies or agents who can advertise freely. Real fair isn't it?

 

[my2001twins]

Follow-up to this. I kept trying to get my Craigslist post to stick. One of the things that I read was that they (the Craiglist God's (or who think they are Gods)) like simplicity and for all the information to be in the ad.

So I tweaked it down to this:
----------------------------------------------------------------
Rent our amazing 2 Bedroom vacation condo for a fraction of the cost anywhere else. $595 total cost for 7 nights, 8 days. This is the total cost, no other taxes or fees.
We are pratically giving this week away but due to financial constraints, we cannot make it down there this year. So our loss is your gain!

Check-in day: Saturday, Dec. 18th at 4pm
check-out: Saturday, Dec. 25th at 10am

•2-bedroom/2-bath condo
•Approximately 1,000 square feet
•Sleeps 6
* 15 minutes away from Disneyworld
•Fully equipped kitchen
•Flat-screen televisions with cable/satellite programming, DVD player in living area
•Master suite with king-size bed, oversize soaking tub, separate shower
•Spacious, fully furnished private balcony
•In-unit washer and dryer
•On-site free waterpark

Email me for better pictures or the layout of the unit. Glad to answer any questions!
---------------------------------------------------------------------
I don't know if it was making the ad simple or if it was the emails to the Craigslist's complaining about the ads being taking down, but it finally stayed without getting flagged.

Within 2 days I got an email from someone that saw the craigslist ad and she rented the unit. :whoopie:

So lesson learned from this is don't let them beat you back, keep trying to get your ad to stick.

 

[JudyS]

I strongly suggest that no one try asking for help on the CL Flag Help Forum. My Orlando ad was flagged and removed three times, and when I tried to ask for help, I was called an "unteachable tard" and a "frickin idiot." What did I do that was so horrible? Well, the email I got from Craigslist said "If your posting was wrongly flagged down (2% of flagged ads are) please accept our apologies and feel free to repost." So, I made the changes suggested on the Flag Help Forum, and reposted. Apparently, I was supposed to wait 48 hours to repost my ad, even though it doesn't say that in the email. (I have now posted my ad three times, and have gotten less than a total of one hour's exposure on CL, and no replies.)

By the way, the things that were supposedly wrong in my ad were that I mentioned that I accept Paypal and that I said I had eBay feedback. (There is nothing in CL's TOS forbidding these, though.) And, when I said that people on the help forum "suggested" changes, what I really meant was that they said things like "Your eBay rating doesn't mean [expletive deleted] on Craigslist."

So, I second what everyone else has said here:
1) Orlando CL ads are flagged for no reason
and
2) The people on the CL "help" forum are amazingly rude and abusive

 

[DeniseM]

That was exactly my experience - I have given up. Now I'm posting my Orlando rental by rotating through major east coast cities and it hasn't been flagged once.

 

[falmouth3]

Follow-up to this. I kept trying to get my Craigslist post to stick. One of the things that I read was that they (the Craiglist God's (or who think they are Gods)) like simplicity and for all the information to be in the ad.

I had my post flagged and removed too. So I followed your advice. We'll see if this works.

I see a lot of other posts there right now with resort names, etc. We'll see if they stay up there too.

 

[falmouth3]

That was exactly my experience - I have given up. Now I'm posting my Orlando rental by rotating through major east coast cities and it hasn't been flagged once.

Have you gotten any response, Denise? Just curious. I'm new to renting so I'm curious about this approach.

 

[DeniseM]

Have you gotten any response, Denise? Just curious. I'm new to renting so I'm curious about this approach.

I gave up on Orlando and I'm just posting on other major East Coast Cities. No Orlando rentals yet, but things get quiet around the holidays. I can tell that people are looking at the Ads.

 

[falmouth3]

How do you know people are looking at the ads? Is this on Craigslist or some other site?

Thanks,
Sue

 

[falmouth3]

OK, so the generic ad was just flagged and removed. I don't get it. Others are much more specific and they are still there. Sigh.

Edited - I got a "flagged and removed" email, but the ad is still there. We'll see what happens.

Edit 2 - now it's gone. It seems that the many of the remaining ads are from companies. Guess they must be the ones flagging the ads.

 

[DeniseM]

How do you know people are looking at the ads? Is this on Craigslist or some other site?

Thanks,
Sue

My CL Ad has a link to my website, I can track what people look at on my website.

I think it's clearly a group effort by the local companies, since they break all kinds of rules with their Ads.