Non-Technical Support Forum

The purge operation warns that the operation is not reversible. When an item has been deleted and purged, the next step is that a utility runs periodically which removes it from the database. Due to the narrow AND variable window of opportunity, the "service" of retrieving purged items is not offered. Once the member has decided to get rid of an item by purging it, that's it as far as the site is concerned for providing access.

However --

The terms of service allow anyone who views an item to make one copy for their own personal use, either printed or on their own computer.

Nothing prevents a reviewer from making and keeping a copy of their own reviews and review IDs besides the access provided by the site. Some reviewers do line-by-line reviews.

Some site newsletter editors include a snippet from the beginning of an item along with a link for their editors picks.

If the access restrictions were ever set to No Restrictions, which allows bots to archive the page, the source of the bots could still have a copy until the bots revisit the page, although archive sites like the waybackmachine keep copies of internet pages and don't delete them. Apparently if a search engine has a record of a purged item, you could write that site and request they remove it from their database, but they might not be required to do so.


As far as reviews go, the review listings provided by the site do not include reviews for purged items, for either the item owner or the reviewer.

However --

The review notification email sent to the item owner includes the text of the review, the review ID number, the item number, and a link to the item. Purging the item does not purge the review notification emails.

If the review recipient replied to a review in the reply box, the system includes the text of their review in the review reply email. Purging the item does not purge the review reply emails.


Therefore --

Purging the item means it is no longer available as an item on the site.

If you're counting on purging the item to remove "all traces of the item's existence", there are no guarantees that you can depend on that.

And if you are trying to retrieve a copy of a purged item, there are also no guarantees that such a copy exists, or that the item owner could access it.


Since 2008, the reviewer's review count does not drop when a reviewed item is purged.

If someone's paid membership expires or drops in level, their "over-limit" items are locked can be retrieved by buying another paid membership, for the duration of the grace period. The port export still includes applicable locked items for the duration of the grace period. That's all the leeway the site commits to provide. Locked items sometimes but not always still exist after the grace period ends, and if so, the normal options apply.

If the member doesn't log in to a free membership for more than 3 months, their account may be terminated. That's all the leeway the site commits to provide. Sometimes an inactive account still exists after 3 months, but not always, and if so, the normal options apply.





Hope that helps.

Northernwrites___

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