Monday, January 05, 2009

I Will No Longer Support eBay

eBay can pucker up and kiss my hairy, old, wrinkled.....


I was told that eBay wouldn't sell guns, gun parts and ammo. I never before checked to see just what else may go crosswise with their PC operation. I had a listing removed that was a magazine for an SKS. It was on the banned items list because it was necessary for the firing of a weapon. Really? I could have sworn that I could take the mag out of just about anything and fire it one shell at a time. Upon further consideration I thought that maybe that made some sense due to the hi-cap restrictions in some states.

Then I got another item banned. It was a holster! Part of the email exchange is below. It would appear that even an image of a weapon sparks great fear into them. Naturally the email reads on the normal reverse order.

You should go back and remove one more that is running as a relist also, 220339922289. The evil image is on this one also. The only thing pending on this account will now be the clown that bid but hasn't paid or made contact - 92141rita. You can inactivate that one also. Now that nothing is pending - you can close my account. I am not going to pay any more money to any organizations that are rabidly antigun. Please get your December payment from Paypal asap. I will decide if this account stays open later.

Do you realize how ridiculous you sound when you talk about banning IMAGES of LEGAL items.
Sincerely,
Don



-------------- Original message --------------
From: eBay Customer Support

> Dear Donald,
>
> Thank you for writing eBay in regards to your ended listing
>
> I would like to apologize if there was any confusion or if this has
> brought you any frustration. I will gladly explain why the listing was
> removed.
>
> Unfortunately, your listing was removed because it contained an image of
> a firearm in the listing.
>
> Listings that contain an image of a firearm are not allowed on eBay even
> if the firearm is not the item for sale. This policy is part of our
> effort to maintain a safe trading environment and prevent the sale of
> firearms on eBay.
>
> All fees associated with this listing have been refunded to your
> account. If your item otherwise complies with our firearms policy, we
> invite you to relist the item with a revised image that doesn't show a
> firearm. You will be able to list the case without the mention or the
> image of the firearm.
>
> For more information on the eBay Firearms, Weapons and Knives policy and
> to review the list of permitted items, please visit:
>
> http://pages.ebay.com/help/policies/firearms-weapons-knives.html
>
> Click the "Show" link to see examples.
>
>
> If you need further assistance, please don't hesitate to reply to this
> email and let us know.
>
> Sincerely,
> Alyce
>
> eBay Customer Support


I am waiting to hear their response but expect nothing but a "sorry you feel that way and goodbye" email. That is OK as I just really, really don't want to support this type of group. I will post up their next response later.

9 comments:

tjbbpgob said...

I just recieved off ebay a book, "The Complete Reloading Manual for the 8mm Mauser".Inside this book on page 4 and on page 25 are pictures of snipers with the animals they have killed with long range sniper scopes on their sniper assault guns. All through the book is information on how you too can become a first rate sniper killer too by simply using their advice on loading your sniper bulletts. They have even sold me many items just to that effect as I want to shoot well at long ranges too. WTF?

Primeval Papa said...

It is probably futile to try and make sense of the policy inforcement. I lose all patience when the image of a legal item is banned. It is almost understandable that they do not wish do deal with the variety of state/federal laws surrounding the sale of firearms, ammunition, magazines, and even some knives but to have a restriction on the images is ludicrous.

Anonymous said...

They are bigots. It makes just as much sense as not allowing pictures of a mixed race couple. Perfectly legal and nothing immoral about it except in the eyes of the bigots.

Anonymous said...

"It was on the banned items list because it was necessary for the firing of a weapon"

Yup, I had them remove an ad for shotgun choke tubes for the same exact reason!

Idiots.

Broadsword said...

I suggest trying to sell reproduction posters of the Minutemen at Concord, or almost anything from the Civil War. Perhaps pictures of former slaves in their Union uniforms holding those .54 caliber rifles. I wonder if eBay would refuse original Matthew Brady photographs, thereby losing their percentage of what I assume are high priced items. How about pictures of George Clooney from the film, Three Kings, or Michael Moore holding a rifle from Bowling for Columbine. Fools!

Kevin said...

Check out Ebay's policy on tobacco then notice that you can buy wine and drug paraphernalia on their site.

just remember, they also own paypal, who demand that you certify your credit card by giving them access to your checking account.

Anonymous said...

I just came across this, this is ludicrous! They still sell fully automatic, assault rifle replicas... Airsoft guns. They are just trying to get you for some reason.

Anonymous said...

I doubt that they are out to get just me. I suspect that there is a search engine running in there somewhere. I had posted a picture of the holster with a pistol in it and had included in the caption that "gun not included". It may have been swept up by the search engine on the one word and triggered (pun intended) the ejection or my ad.
Primeval Papa

Anonymous said...

Broadsword is on to something.
E-bay is regularly selling art prints of Charles M. Russell paintings that contain images of rifles, pistols, bows, arrows, spears, and in one instance, the image of a grizzled old man holding a rifle, looking at the mountain sheep he just shot!

You can sell drug paraphenalia on E-bay? You can't sell bong pipes in Los Angeles, why should E-bay allow it? Drug-addled people are ok, but target shooters and collectors aren't? Just as Hoplophobes think that people only buy guns because they plan to go on a killing spree, E-bay must think that people only buy pictures of guns in order to scare people.