Are books about Nazi Germany and Adolf Hitler allowed on Ebay?

[nannabooks]

I was told by a supervisor with Ebay's Security team that it is now illegal to ship any history book about Nazi Germany or Adolf Hitler to Germany, Austria and one other nation.   So those listings will be pulled from Ebay if you ship to those nations.  (I think the third nation was France).   A spokesman from the Jewish Holocaust Museum said this is not consistent with what they know about German Law.  I'm waiting for responses from the German and Austrian embassies, the Anti-Defamation League and the Simon Wiesenthal center.

What I'm likely to do is to stop shipping anything to those nations if this true.  I'm not selling to governments that are trying to sweep the holocaust under the rug.

[luckythewinner]

Nazi and Nazi-related

We recognize the historical significance of World War II and that there are many militaria collectors around the world. We allow some related historical items, but ban others, particularly those that amount to Nazi propaganda, or that are disrespectful to victims.

Allowed

• Stamps, letters, and envelopes displaying Nazi postmarks (must comply with the Stamps, currency, and coins policy)
• Currency issued by the Nazi German government, including military scripts
• Historically accurate WWII military model kits that have Nazi symbols
• Historical and religious items that bear a swastika if they are made before 1933 and are not related to Nazism

Items that are not permitted include, but are not limited to:

Historical Holocaust-related items, including reproductions such as:

• Uniforms and personal belongings of concentration camp prisoners
• Jewish identification (armbands, Star of David)
• Holocaust photos that depict dead bodies, executions, or other violent or degrading scenes
• Nazi-issued documents (passports, travel papers)

Historical Nazi-related items, including reproductions such as:

• Uniforms, uniform components, weapons, or other items that bear Nazi symbols, whether visible or covered
• Listings and products in which images are edited or cropped to try and hide Nazi symbols
• De-Nazified items (items that originally had Nazi symbols that have been removed)
• Items that were owned by, affiliated with, or books written by Nazi leaders such as: Joseph Goebbels, Hermann Goering, Rudolf Hess, Reinhard Heydrich, Heinrich Himmler, Adolf Hitler
• 1936 Olympic medals
• Any item made after 1933 that bears a swastika (e.g., jewelry, clothing, rugs, fabrics), unless listed in the allowed section above. We are sensitive that the swastika is commonly and legitimately used in religions, including Hinduism and Buddhism. However, given the highly offensive nature of the Nazi swastika, we have decided to not allow any non-historic items bearing a swastika.
• Media identified as Nazi propaganda or that otherwise promote hatred or racial supremacy including historic and current items

https://www.ebay.com/help/policies/prohibited-restricted-items/offensive-material-policy?id=4324

[dhbookds]

Not sure what a security employee would know about banned books....

but even with the policy shown........

note the ebay "suggestions"...  perhaps Mein Kampf means something else also... but Mein Kampf by Hilter is available in the Antiquarian & Collectible Books category.... 

[18704d]

" I'm waiting for responses from the German and Austrian embassies, the Anti-Defamation League and the Simon Wiesenthal center."

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Respectfully,

don't bother.

Only focus on what eBay has told you and states in policy.

Are you the poster, who today said they had .. well..... had problems? ...

so they used their mother's account, to .. to 'bypass' board rules?

I know eBay board policies, and I do Not wish to violate them by posting this.

But if .. you've been told .. on one account or more..

to Not post this .. nor list them...

then I'd say to follow that rule.

Alcohol and cigarettes .. etc.. are Also Legal to sell..

but eBay can and should and will enforce their own website rules.

Thanks,

Lynn

[18704d]

" I'm not selling to governments that are trying to sweep the holocaust under the rug."

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Their laws are trying to prevent the Holocaust from being celebrated now ..

and from happening .. again in the future.

Lynn

[pburn]

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@nannabooks wrote:

I'm not selling to governments that are trying to sweep the holocaust under the rug.

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Actually, it's the opposite. Germany and Austria (along with some other countries) have laws against Holocaust denial.

It would be interesting to see the covers of the books you listed. Books about the Nazi regime are not prohibited in Germany and Austria; however, the depiction of swastikas, et al, on the covers most like are illegal. 

[fashunu4eeuh]

@nannabooks wrote:

"I was told by a supervisor with Ebay's Security team that it is now illegal to ship any history book about Nazi Germany or Adolf Hitler to Germany, Austria and one other nation. .."

 I would not take as gospel things you hear from folks at the customer call centers. They are not always the best, or consistent, or most reliable source of information, certainly not of what is in eBay policy and how that policy is interpreted. I'd google it and see what these countries actual bans say and not rely on an eBay rep who may, or may not, know international law.

"... I'm not selling to governments that are trying to sweep the holocaust under the rug."

 I don't believe that these governments are attempting to sweep anything under the rug, but rather are trying to prevent commerce taking place on the backs of those who endured overwhelming human suffering.

So did you get a history book listing pulled?

[fashunu4eeuh]

Oh, forgot to mention, just thinking out loud here, it is possible to exclude individual countries from buying an item. Country exclusions can be set up differently for each listing if a seller so desires. So if what you were told is factual, the matter could be fixed by blocking Germany, Austria, et al from buying the history book, and there would be no reason for eBay to pull the listing A) if it is not going to be available to those buyers in those specific countries, and B) the listing is in compliance with eBay's policies.

[doubledz-a2z]

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What I'm likely to do is to stop shipping anything to those nations if this true.  I'm not selling to governments that are trying to sweep the holocaust under the rug.

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Might want to add California to that list since San Francisco ready to pay $600,000 to paint over a mural depicting Washington standing over an Indian.

History is just that folks.

[kataggr-44]

History is like a photo....Good or bad it's what was seen at the time it happened or the photo was taken.  You can hide it or cover it up, but it still happened.  Better to learn from it then deny its existence.

[dirk12955]

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@fashunu4eeuh wrote:

Oh, forgot to mention, just thinking out loud here, it is possible to exclude individual countries from buying an item. Country exclusions can be set up differently for each listing if a seller so desires. So if what you were told is factual, the matter could be fixed by blocking Germany, Austria, et al from buying the history book, and there would be no reason for eBay to pull the listing A) if it is not going to be available to those buyers in those specific countries, and B) the listing is in compliance with eBay's policies.

It is possible when building a listing to exclude certain countries.    You should block Germany,  Austria,  Italy and  France.    

It is also possible to block countries for other reasons.    Maybe  a country that you've had too many non-deliveries or Puerto Rico because some people believe it to be a foreign country with no mail system.  

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