We the undersigned would like to officially request that you review the listing policy for fish related adverts on Gumtree. We are all fish keepers who have been, or would be negatively affected by the recent changes on Gumtree.
We believe that the policies should be reviewed for the following reasons:
• There seems to be major discrepancies in how the policies are being implemented.
This includes:
1. The emails we have received from Gumtree explaining why our adverts are being removed are inconsistent and confusing.
2. Many of us are hobbyists, however we are being incorrectly labelled as commercial breeders.
3. Emails from Gumtree have incorrectly stated that ‘Malawi Cichlids’ are an endangered species (research to support this is included).
4. We have had adverts for any fish related items removed, such as fish tanks, general fishkeeping equipment, and many different species of tropical fish, not just adverts for Malawi Cichlids.
• We understand that Gumtree rely on users reporting inappropriate adverts as all adverts cannot be checked by Gumtree staff, however we believe our adverts are being reported as inappropriate when they are not. We believe if adverts are being reported they should be reviewed by Gumtree staff and posted on the site again when they are confirmed as meeting Gumtree policies. If necessary additional information from the seller should be sought.
• There are many adverts on Gumtree for fish related products that are not being removed. This includes a small amount of adverts in Northern Ireland but most notably there are a huge amount of adverts for fish related items, including Malawi Cichlids, being allowed to be posted without issue in areas throughout the rest of the UK, on Gumtree.ie and in other countries.
We trust you will give this matter urgent and suitable attention and hope you will review your policies in light of the information included in this petition.
