The harms of algorithms!

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Summary: The thread on the topic "The harms of algorithms!" contains no substantive discussion content from the participants identified as mlazari05, cizeta1964, and sika700. They all contributed empty comments marked as "None".

I was temporarily "blocked" from selling because "eBay's algorithm" judged me to be below the average eBay seller: I have 3.5 points instead of about 2, over 12 months of observation. Looking into what caused this gap, I discovered it was 3 canceled orders that were received and promptly refunded to the buyers. And this despite a 100% feedback rating in 20 years on the platform with about 2000 transactions completed!. The cancellations were caused by the fact that, since I sell vintage items, which are fragile by nature, often bought many months after being listed, issues like oxidation or other problems can make them no longer match the description when I retrieve them from the garage where they are piled up and test them before shipping. Even as a buyer, in 20 years I have had orders canceled on me, but apart from the initial disappointment, I felt respect for the seller's seriousness, so if anything that was an extra positive point for them. For "eBay's algorithm," though, no, this event, the cancellation of an order" is a disgrace to be punished!! And the poor guys I asked for explanations, the famous Customer Service, could do nothing but repeat that this is how the algorithm works, as if it were a "divine" law, maybe incomprehensible, but that's just how it is! In my opinion, this encourages scammy behavior, aimed at finding ways to disguise damaged products just to avoid the shame of canceling the order! Or it increases conflict between users unhappy about having received items that don't match the listing. I am a private seller, not an online store, so the items I sell are stored in cardboard boxes piled up in the garage. I can't spend my time checking every day how my items are doing. I will therefore continue to behave ethically as I have done so far and, since the "punishment" in addition to being blocked from adding items for sale is causing my listings to progressively expire, and I can't relist them right away, I have decided to move my items to other platforms as they expire. The fault of the algorithm ......but not only.