Ebay censoring listings on WW II

Question

Just tried to list a copy of Irving's book, The Destruction of Dresden, of which there are at least 15 copies currently listed. eBay refused the listing since it might include holocaust denial. In trying to get an answer from their service I was told they would not allow anything pro Nazi to be listed. A. The book is hardly pro Nazi. B. The destruction of Dresden was an Allied bombing mission. What is eBay doing now? Sounds like censorship by the ignorant. How far is this going into literature o...

onefootflipper · Accepted Answer

List it somewhere else, move on with your life. Not worth the effort of fighting. I also think the issue was your international shipping. But if you relist it now then you risk your account.

poddysuk · Answer

I'm just trying to list David Irving's book The Trail Of The Fox and have run into the same problem. It seems absolutely ridiculous of eBay to ban books by an author like this and it now means I have to try and sell the book elsewhere.

Might help to explain why the existing listings for the book are a higher price than I anticipated.
I have some other WWII books to list including one on the Warsaw Ghetto, so assume it's not even worth trying to list it here.

roccotacodad54 · Answer

WWII stuff seems to be hit or miss when it comes to being allowed. Alot of print items get scrutiny while bayonets and swords that might have actually stabbed someone are allowed.

I guess the pen IS mightier than the sword.....................

erikstuff · Answer

Their censorship of WWII material is nothing new. I had two buttons "Wanted For M--der Schickelgruber AKA Hit-er." I sold one and about a month later listed the other. Ebay pulled it and sent me a warning not to relist it. Somehow "Wanted for ...." is pro-H.. MEANWHILE.... 3 of the same button were recently sold and 4 are currently listed. The ones sold and 3 of the 4 appear to be poorly printed fakes.

slippinjimmy · Answer

@adkmtal wrote:
Just tried to list a copy of Irving's book, The Destruction of Dresden, of which there are at least 15 copies currently listed. eBay refused the listing since it might include holocaust denial. In trying to get an answer from their service I was told they would not allow anything pro Nazi to be listed. A. The book is hardly pro Nazi. B. The destruction of Dresden was an Allied bombing mission. What is eBay doing now? Sounds like censorship by the ignorant. How far is this going into literature on WW II? And to the point what can anyone do to successfully challenge such an error?

eBay forbids some materials because they do not want to offend their users. In this case it may be the author rather than this specific book that eBay has concerns.

Another possibility is that your are offering International shipping (via EIS) Including countries where the Irving books are restricted.

AI Overview (Google)

David Irving’s books and his ability to promote them have been heavily restricted, rather than universally banned, in several countries, particularly those with strict laws against Holocaust denial

.

Key restrictions include:

Austria: Irving was sentenced to three years in prison in 2006 for denying the Holocaust, a crime in Austria. He is permanently banned from entering the country.
Germany: Irving has been banned from entering Germany and has been prohibited from hosting or participating in speaking engagements in certain cities like Passau and Munich. German authorities have also taken action against the sale of his works due to their nature.
Lithuania: In 2019, Lithuania banned Irving from entering the country for five years, citing his history of Holocaust denial.
Poland: Polish authorities have blocked his attempts to sell books at the International Warsaw Book Fair and have stated they would deny him entry to the country.
Australia: Irving has been denied entry to Australia multiple times on "character grounds".
Canada: He was deported from Canada in 1992.

While his books are not outright banned in every country, their distribution is restricted in areas where Holocaust denial is illegal. He has frequently moved to publishing his work on his own websites.

Wikipedia

David John Cawdell Irving (born 24 March 1938) is an English author who has written on the military and political history of the Second World War, especially Nazi Germany. He was found to be a Holocaust denier in a British court in 2000 as a result of a failed libel case.

doc-holmes · Answer

It's not censorship, it's capitalism. Sheesh.

tobaccocardyahoo · Answer

There is a great deal of ignorance among a portion of the public who are the most sensitive. They demand that Ebay and other internet marketplaces make accommodation for the sensitivity whether they should be offended or not.

When it comes to WWII, other sites have banned Shirer's Rise and Fall of the Third Reich's paperback edition, which was a huge seller when published, because of the swastika on the cover.

Fighting censorship in e-commerce is futile, the ignorant are in control.

meme6253 · Answer

If it's against their policy there is nothing that will be done, & nothing you can do, Some others may have snuck in under the radar, But they will also be caught eventually. Forget about it & move on.

grann-4629 · Answer

eBay refused the listing since it might include holocaust denial eBay themselves are in denial about this or any part of any war. They are a leader in the current 'cancel culture' period and are doing their best to make it hard for people to learn what really happened. Their attitude about the useless non-strategic bombing of Dresden by their Countymen proves it, because that really happened too.

bonanza125 · Answer

Ebay is a company which has set its own rules. They decided to not allow the book you are trying to sell to be listed on its site. There is nothing you can do but to find another site to post this book on. There is no way to challenge anything. If an item is prohibited from be listed or a listing is removed do not fight it.