Ebay Firearms & Weapons Policy
Is there a list somewhere of the make/model of firearm parts that go against ebay policy? Specifically what make/model firearms ebay is considering an "assault weapon"? I have some vintage SKS scope mounts I want to list & I am getting a assault weapons warning when I submit my listing. I have searched high and low to figure out what is/isn't allowed and cannot find any definitive info. Is this just left up to some bot's interpretation? There are TONS of SKS active & completed listings currently on the site. I'm aware that doesn't necessarily mean they are allowed. So how do we find out SPECIFICALLY what's allowed & what's not?
27 comments
bbcardzman
·11 months agoUnfortunately you will NEVER get it listed on eBay. They take off listings of toy guns. Try another site.
tmtt_26
OP11 months agoNever get what listed? I've sold gun parts on ebay for over a decade and have done very well. You are simply stating your opinion when I was asking if anyone had actual FACTS as to a specific list and where to find it if there was one.
big_guys_place
·11 months agoChinese SKS is is also called the Type 56. List it as that. Ebay doesn't know what a Type 56 is.
tmtt_26
OP11 months agoThanks for the reply...I know there are loop holes and cut arounds to get your item through...At the same time that's still no guarantee it doesn't get reported and yanked. It's just mind boggling to me where eBay can have these rules they expect sellers to follow and you can't even see the rules. Seriously, how hard is it for them to come up with an outright list that says the following firearms go against ebays "assault weapons" policy & no parts or accessories can be sold for these applications: AR platforms rifles, AK47, M16, M14, M1A1...and so on. Not really that difficult. Then at least sellers can actually have something to go by than the vague generalized **bleep** they are running right now
short_circuit.lineman61
·11 months agoI think that the bots inconsistencies are just the ebay conflict between the dislike of the 2a vs the revenue that would be lost with a outright ban of all gun parts and accessories showing up
jonathanbrightlight
·11 months agoeBay may have a list, and I would go so far as to say there has to be some type of list programmed into something, but it may not be comprehensive or the only basis they use to determine if a particular weapon is allowed. They do not, however, make whatever list likely exists public. I would assume that is partly to keep those who want to circumvent the rules from knowing exactly how to do that, but also possibly not wanting to be criticized (rightly or wrongly) by the general public for what they do or don’t include in that list. I’m not saying it wouldn’t be good for you and other sellers to have that list, but I also don’t expect you will be able to find one.
tmtt_26
OP11 months agoSo heres what i am dealing with...i am trying to list a gun part ghat in itself is 100% allowed to be listed on ebay for certain make/model firearms...Yet the make/models that arent allowed are nowhere to be found to let you know whats allowed and not allowed. Meanwhile ebay can pull your listings, suspend or terminate your account, or whatever other punishment they deem appropriate. Yet there is no list to follow to avoid this situation. Then to top it all off, theres hundreds of listings current and completed for the same exact item on their site that you can potentially be punished for. Absolutely ridiculous. Someone needs to answer/address this.
mam98031
·11 months ago@tmtt_26
" Then to top it all off, theres hundreds of listings current and completed for the same exact item on their site that you can potentially be punished for." I'm not sure I understand this statement. How or why would you be punished for someone else's listings? Or was that just a typo.
You can contact Ebay directly and see if they can offer you any guidance on this. I do understand that the policy page is not giving you the info you desire / need.
On each Ebay page there is a link to contact Customer Service at the top of the page and again at the bottom of the page.
I would suggest that you contact Ebay for Business on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter for the better trained CSRs.
Here are your options for contacting Ebay Customer Service. Please be aware that for social media CS, you send them a Private Message and briefly explain what your problem or issue is. Feel free to leave your Name, address, phone number and/or your email address in this message. It is private and secure and it may help to speed up the response for you.
https://twitter.com/askebay
https://www.facebook.com/ebay
https://www.instagram.com/ebayforsellers/
Your options will be on the left. If you use the link below you can only get to the Automated Assistant or Chat box type AGENT in the box and hit enter. You will then get more options. Not all options are available 24/7. It will depend on staffing available. So sometimes you can request a call back and sometimes you can't. Sometimes you have the Chat option available and other times it won't me. If it is important to you to use one of those options, just try back later.
If you use a cell phone or other mobile device, you may need to turn off your Spam filter so that Ebay can call you.
If you are a seller outside of the US or Canada, you will need to use the Chat Option.
https://www.ebay.com/help/eua?id=5275&mkevt=1&mkpid
https://www.ebay.com/help/home
tmtt_26
OP11 months ago" Then to top it all off, theres hundreds of listings current and completed for the same exact item on their site that you can potentially be punished for." I'm not sure I understand this statement. How or why would you be punished for someone else's listings? Or was that just a typo.
I'm not sure what you are not understanding in my statement...Let me see if I can spell it out:
1. Ebay can suspend or terminate my account for a part/accessory I list they deem is for an "assault weapon". Yet they provide NO LIST of what make/model firearms they consider "assault weapons"...So there is NO WAY to know with any certainty what is allowed & what's not allowed.
2. To make matters worse...the same exact part you listed and potentially had removed, or your account suspended for...There are hundreds of active & completed listings for the SAME EXACT part as the listing you had removed or were penalized for.
Not sure how I can spell it out any clearer...
mam98031
·11 months ago@tmtt_26
Well I managed to do it. Sorry about that. That is my bad !!!!!
What I can tell you is that there is over 2.5 billion active listings on Ebay at any one time and Ebay can't review all of them for errors or violations from the shear volume of listings. So you should never set your expectations about listing things that are against policy because you see other breaking the rules you got in trouble for and they didn't. While not fair to be sure. There is no guarantee that Ebay will catch all of the issues.
And you don't want to take those chances for obvious reasons. So don't be concerned with what anyone else is doing and getting away with. Your concern should always be about you and the health of your selling account. I suggest you contact Ebay as said in my previous post. That would be in your best interest IMHO.
tmtt_26
OP11 months agoI am not "concerned with what others are getting away with" ... That said, when eBay fails to provide a list or set of SPECIFIC guidelines to follow & in turn can levy punishment or termination for not following said guidelines that are non existent...Sellers are inevitably going to look for any answers they can find elsewhere...RIGHT OR WRONG. If ebay had a black & white set of guidelines to follow there would be no need for sellers to look for answers or explanations elsewhere. Kinda like I have to do here
mam98031
·11 months agoOK, well that may just be what you need to do. I wish you the best of luck.
mam98031
·11 months agoThe first place to look is the Ebay Policy page. Did you look that up? The policy is what you have to abide by.
https://www.ebay.com/help/policies/prohibited-restricted-items/firearms-accessories-policy?id=4277
The following are not allowed:
Listings for firearms parts and accessories that we allow must follow these guidelines:
Examples of allowed firearm parts and accessories:
tmtt_26
OP11 months agoYes i most certainly have read that a million times...And again, thats not what im asking. Im simply asking where is a list of make/model firearms that ebay is deeming "assault weapons"? If listings can be removed, accounts suspended, etc for lislisting parts for specific make/model firearms shouldnt there be a list for sellers to follow? Thats what Im asking...WHERE IS THIS LIST SO I KNOW WHAT I CAN CANT SELL? I am well aware of the specific parts in general restricted across the board no matter what make/model it goes to. But when a certain part is allowed for one applixation and not another shouldnt there be a list to follow for the ones not allowed...Where is that list to follow????
roccotacodad54
·11 months agoThere probably isn't a formal list would be my guess since the definition of assault weapon differs from person to person and bot to bot. There are websites geared to selling firearms where you would probably get more money for such items.
I see sks, ar and ak firearms as well as parts for them listed all the time. Just google gun selling websites. Take your pick.....................
tmtt_26
OP11 months agoI've sold gun parts as a business on ebay for close to 10 years now. There has to be a list somewhere of what EBAY is deeming an assault weapon. It is a irrelavent what others definition is. Its their site and they are the ones removing listings and policing the site. If i can list a scope mount for 500 various make/model hunting rifles but cant list a scope mount for other applications ebay is deeming an "assault weapon" dont you think sellers should be able to see a list of those applications? How do i follow the rules when theres not a specific list for what model firearms parts cant be sold for on here. If you were allowed to sell 100 brands of shoes and their were 20 brands that werent allowed, wouldnt you wanna know the EXACT 20 brands not allowed by name so you could avoid listing them? And furthermore, i am very familiar with the other sites to sell gun parts...You are wrong that thoze sites command higher prices...which is exactly why ive had two ebay stores selling gun parts on ebay for a long time now
broto_64
·11 months agoIt would appear to me, from that statement, that you're the expert on this subject.
And the folks in this community have plenty of experience as well, but when it comes to assault weapons most of us (as already stated) tend to stay far away from listing anything of that sort because we don't want to get caught up with the bots.
There isn't much a seller can do in ways of fighting the bots. You already seem to know about as much as anyone here about selling weapons, you state you've been selling them here for at least a decade. So I dare say you'd be our go-to for this sort of information, yet you've come to us to ask... Is it fair to say we probably don't have the answer to your question exact?
Your guess is as good as ours, in fact your knowledge likely exceeds ours.
Again, I dare say, you likely know more than we do on this particular subject.
Unfortunately no, most of us steer clear of anything that involves skirting the rules, also unfortunately the way that is phrased certainly seems to imply that you're trying to skip around the rules by listing it with particular "words" the bots won't catch... I could be wrong of course, but if such were to be the case it is this particular activity most sellers here steer clear of.
You might try contacting ebay through social media, I wouldn't hold out much hope but they may be able to shed more light on the subject... Maybe...
pennpicker
·11 months ago@tmtt_26
You're in the same boat as sellers of Playboys and other adult magazines where the magazines are still able to be listed--just not each and every issue--so it is left to the dealers and collectors themselves to assemble lists of the offensive issues on their own, discovered through trial and error.
You have every right to be annoyed as "trial and error" on your part could very well jeopardize your livelihood. All you can do is play it safe and try not to be too noticeable. When it comes to listing potentially dicey items, words are your enemy and pictures are your friend.
tmtt_26
OP11 months agoUnfortunately no, most of us steer clear of anything that involves skirting the rules, also unfortunately the way that is phrased certainly seems to imply that you're trying to skip around the rules by listing it with particular "words" the bots won't catch... I could be wrong of course, but if such were to be the case it is this particular activity most sellers here steer clear of.
Not once did I say I am phrasing stuff to get around the rules. You either didn't read correctly or took something out of context. Another member was the one who suggested using different terminology to skirt the rules...I DID NOT. I simplay stated I was a ware of those loopholes & cut arounds. At no time did I say I was doing that. And if I was doing that, why would I be on here asking for a list to go off of in order to follow ebay guidelines??? Think about it.
mam98031
·11 months agoWhy is it important? The first thing they say under what is not allowed is "Firearms of any type". I don't see them calling out specifically assault weapons, they say ANY type of firearms. I would assume that it includes assault weapons.
Oh you are talking about parts, not the actual weapon. Sorry I did not realize that. That is my bad, as you did say it in your OP. I clearly jumped over that word.
I don't think any list exists like the one you are looking for. Sorry I could not be of any help.
ebulletsllc
·10 months agoThere is no list, they keep it vague so they have the final discretion. In your listing, avoid any of the known issues, and accurately describe the part, that's all you can do. They're not going to kick your account off for one issue, or even three. They're just covering their own butts for legality purposes.
simba6
·11 months agoIt's best to avoid anything related to pew pews. Many sellers have had items that are allowed removed. Just one wrong word will trigger the bots.
tmtreas30
·11 months agoThanks for your input but thats not what i asked? Im not asking for anyones opinions or viewpoints on what or what not to sell. Im specifically asking for a list of approved / not approved firearms that parts can be sold on ebay.
richard1rst
·11 months agoWell, first you would have to get an agreement on what actually constitutes an assault weapon.
The term, I contend, is a made up scare tactic term made up by opponents of the 2nd amendment.
Do a Google search : define assault weapon and the answers are varied and inconsistent. Including one I have never seen before:
An "assault rifle" is a military-grade firearm defined by its capability for select-fire, meaning it can switch between semi-automatic (one shot per trigger pull) and fully automatic (continuous firing with a single trigger pull) or burst-fire modes.
Except fully automatic weapons are illegal in the US.
tmtt_26
OP11 months agoIm well aware about the discrepancies in the term assault rifle. Im not looking to get into a debate or 2nd ammendment argument. Im simply asking if snyond knows if ebay has a list sellers can view that shows what make/model firearms ebay is prohibiting so sellers can sctually know fot certain whats allowed and not allowed
slippinjimmy
·11 months ago@tmtt_26
I'm not sure of the accuracy but when I Google search "SKS" it tells me this is a semi-automatic rifle first made in Russia. They are banned/restricted in California and according to eBay Firearms Policy any accessories must be in compliance with California regulations.
https://oag.ca.gov/search-results/?query=sks
tmtt_26
OP11 months agoThanks for reaching out...It's funyy because if you google "Can I sell SKS parts on ebay" here's what you get...
Make sure to check eBay's specific policies before listing any parts for sale.