Bone and Ivory Policy

[sisyphean_stone_syndicate]

I just got hit with a 3 day account restriction for listing bone beads without stating the specific species the bones originated from. The item in question is a Native American artifact that likely dates pre-1600, a string of bone disc beads. My issues are:

1. How am I supposed to identify a specific species from..... 500 year old beads?

2. Why an immediate 3 day restriction for a first offense that prevents me from selling anything? Why not just take down that listing?

3. This is being inconsistently enforced. Why are there so many bone product listings allowed without a specific species given? Case in point, do a search for "bird bone beads." There's plenty currently listed as well as sold. The word "bird" is far from a species. There are 1457 species of birds listed under CITES and 125 bird species listed under the federal Endangered Species Act, laws that Ebay flaunts in their ivory and bone policy explanation. How does Ebay know that none of these species are being sold if the word "bird" is the only qualifier? Would my listing have stayed up had I labelled them "mammal" bone beads? Doubtful.

[dhbookds]

No reasoning against Ebay rules....they are what they are.  Cops give YOU a speeding ticket even as others pass both of you going much faster than you did....you still get the ticket.

Best advice is to not list the item or anything like it on ebay......it's a category that is VERY prone to this.....we see posts almost every wk about it......and once a seller is on the radar for violating these rules, it seems they may be watched more carefully than others.....

[myboardid]

There are severe restrictions on selling native American relics.  Have you read this policy info in detail, and did your item comply with it? 

http://pages.ebay.com/help/policies/artifacts.html

[sisyphean_stone_syndicate]

"Have you read this policy info in detail, and did your item comply with it?"

Yes, I have, and yes, it did. It fully met everything in the artifact policy. All of my roughly 50+ artifact listings do. The issue is that I was too honest about my inability to identify 500 year old 2mm thick pieces of bone to species level. Sad and frustrating.

[luckythewinner]

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@thehabitatdr wrote:

The issue is that I was too honest about my inability to identify 500 year old 2mm thick pieces of bone to species level.

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OP, 

I think the issue was your decision to list it, not that you listed it too honestly.  

Unlucky

[impalajohnny]

Animal bones is a problem category. And american indian stuff is a problem category. I avoid things like that on this site. Lots of people reporting things with both good and malicious intention, or because of their political ideas. Lots of compliant listings get pulled, non compliant ones run their cource. Ebay slaps you with a violation and fair or not you are a known offender and they will just keep hanging violations on you till you are toast.

[sharingtheland · Accepted solution]

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@unluckytheloser wrote:

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@thehabitatdr wrote:

The issue is that I was too honest about my inability to identify 500 year old 2mm thick pieces of bone to species level.

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OP, 

I think the issue was your decision to list it, not that you listed it too honestly.  

Unlucky

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Totally disagree.  OP said he read all of the rules and policies.  What he should have done, and most likely will from now on (I would) is just plug in whatever species does not violate ebay's policies.   

This venue managed marketplace has so twisted itself in knots with contradictory, unenforced and/or enforced incorrectly rules and regs.

I agree with OP that a 3-day suspension of all selling activity is far too harsh; why not just pull the listing with a "first and only" warning?

[steamtrain420]

my tought is you have been unlucky and probably someone has made a complain.

Ebay don't care at all about their own rule, they will just cherry pick some item for removal.

[sockmonkeydave]

@sisyphean_stone_syndicate

Hi.... don't take this wrong, as I mean no disrespect to you... we are all trying to make a buck here.

But I find the selling of artifacts to be wrong... And there is the bad Mojo factor....lol

My wife has a necklace, that has a baby tooth on it.... I guess you could call it Ivory...

Bones, antlers, cow horns, teeth...ebay seems to lump them all together... it makes no sense.....

[sockmonkeydave]

@sh5williams

You might want to check your phone..... all  your post come up blank.....

[etvideo1ataol]

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@sharingtheland wrote:

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@unluckytheloser wrote:

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@thehabitatdr wrote:

The issue is that I was too honest about my inability to identify 500 year old 2mm thick pieces of bone to species level.

---

OP, 

I think the issue was your decision to list it, not that you listed it too honestly.  

Unlucky

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Totally disagree.  OP said he read all of the rules and policies.  What he should have done, and most likely will from now on (I would) is just plug in whatever species does not violate ebay's policies.   

This venue managed marketplace has so twisted itself in knots with contradictory, unenforced and/or enforced incorrectly rules and regs.

I agree with OP that a 3-day suspension of all selling activity is far too harsh; why not just pull the listing with a "first and only" warning?

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Because eBay PUNISHES sellers that are not perfect, a lot like a company punishes employees.

Just like the recent post from a seller that was given a seven day suspension because eBay didn't think his picture was good enough.

I asked the Customer Service guy if that was true, that eBay would do that?  He didn't say yes, and he didn't say no.  He said he would look into it.

[sisyphean_stone_syndicate]

Thanks for the responses, folks. Glad I'm not alone.

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@sockmonkeydave wrote:

@sisyphean_stone_syndicate

Hi.... don't take this wrong, as I mean no disrespect to you... we are all trying to make a buck here.

But I find the selling of artifacts to be wrong... And there is the bad Mojo factor....lol

My wife has a necklace, that has a baby tooth on it.... I guess you could call it Ivory...

Bones, antlers, cow horns, teeth...ebay seems to lump them all together... it makes no sense.....

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Oh, I understand that. That's why there are so many restrictions against anything sacred or related to burials, as there should be. But look at, say, projectile points, for example. Would you feel the same way about someone selling your modern equivalents of kitchen knives or used bullet casings 2000+ years from now? Probably not.

[sisyphean_stone_syndicate]

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@unluckytheloser wrote:

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@thehabitatdr wrote:

The issue is that I was too honest about my inability to identify 500 year old 2mm thick pieces of bone to species level.

---

OP, 

I think the issue was your decision to list it, not that you listed it too honestly.  

Unlucky

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"Alexander The Great found the philosopher looking attentively at a pile of human bones. Diogenes explained, 'I am searching for the bones of your father but cannot distinguish them from those of a slave.'"

[psfhobbies]

just say Zebu Bone its allowed (cow bone) Case knives have handles of this.happened to me also a while back