Two of the most common complaints regarding the Pennswoods.net Classifieds are actullay two sides of the same coin. Sellers listing ads see ads removed, and are upset by it. Others complain that they are browsing through the various categories, and see many off-topic ads. Both are typically discussing the same ads.

In general the system works well, but if you've arrived here, it is likely that it is not working as well as it could for you. If you are bothered by ads that are out of category, the solution is relatively simple. There is a 'Report Ad' button in the bottom on the lower right of each ad. Clicking that button flags the ad for possible review and possible removal. If a sufficient number of people agree that it is inappropriate, it will be removed prior to human review. The exact number of flags necessary for automatic removal is dependant on a number of factors, and we reserve the right to alter the algorithm without notice. You should be logged in when you report an ad. Anonymous reports are generally disregarded.

If you find that your ads are being removed, and you want to do something about it, here are some ideas.

The most important thing to remember is that if your ad is being removed, it is not being well received. The most positively your ad is received, the more likely you are to make a sell.

The single most common cause for removal is that the ad doesn't fit in the category in which it is posted. If it uses gunpowder, odds are it is a good fit for the 'Firearms' category. If it barks, odds are it is a good match for the 'Dogs' category. Paintball equipment often gets deleted out of 'Firearms', they're more appropriate to the 'Recreational Equipment' category. A car being sold for parts is probably going to get deleted from 'Cars', but is fine in 'Parts and Accessories'. The same car advertised not as parts, but rather as a fix-er-upper is far more likely to appeal to the person looking for a car.

A number of people will post, as an example, a four wheeler, motorcycle, or living room suite in 'Light Trucks' or 'Firearms' or 'Livestock' announcing that they are looking to trade whatever it is for a truck / rifle / horse. These ads inevitably are removed, and typically removed very quickly. A better approach is to list an a describing the sort of truck / rifle / horse you are interested in, and then mention that you have whatever in trade.

If it seems like too much work to tailor your ad to the category that you are posting in, don't despair. Don't email us about it, but don't despair.

Beyond this, a good subject line will help you get your ad noticed. Things like 'LOOK AT THIS!' often get flagged for removal, but 'Yamaha 225 DX' will really draw in only that portion of the crowd looking for a 1980's era 3-wheeler with a centrifugal clutch. Others won't bother with your ad, and won't come anywhere close to clicking on the report button. Even more importantly, our ads are routinely indexed by google, and your subject line is one of the things that will appear on google.com's search results.

We've put a lot of effort into getting google to index us properly. Another thing that appears on google search pages is the first 200 or so characters of your ad. You might want to make those first few words as descriptive as possible, the better to draw in viewers from off site.