eBay

movieman630 · ‎10-17-2024

So yesterday I had a vintage USPS patch removed because someone reported it as a policy violation and someone at ebay concurred.

The Policy was the Government Items Policy. Specifically "delivery services". Despite their own policy indicating that if it was over 10 years old and no longer used on their uniforms it would be ok. Of course I protested and asked for a review and of course their decision was upheld despite the evidence that it truly was obsolete. Doesn't really matter to me, I've got thousands of items, I just didn't want a "ding" on my record and truly know it wasn't breaking their policy based on what it says.

Have any of you been "made aware" of a policy violation you never knew or thought existed with an item? Does this kind of restriction truly help anyone or anything? Thoughts?

I've long thought if it's legal, there should be no problem. Let's have a true free marketplace. Perhaps one day?

movieman630 · ‎10-17-2024

@chapeau-noir wrote:
I think a lot of the rule making is administrative - with the vast amount of items of identification (pins, patches, uniforms, etc.) and the mess of rules regarding public use, there would be a massive amount of rules and exceptions, so it's just easier to put a ban on large groups of items. It appears also that eBay has opted for the 'report first, ask questions later' approach, leaving it up to the individual seller to appeal - though I would think that what exceptions they do have, they'd actually honour.

Yeah, I just think giving us a "heads up" email would be helpful first. If they have "concierge service" for large sellers they should have an "honor" system for them too. Benefit of the doubt goes a long way with sellers like myself who have bent over backwards to stay compliant for decades. A simple email pointing out that they "don't like the use of a stock photo that shows a badge or the use of the word "police" would have been sufficient. I would have edited the listings and that would be that. But slapping us with the dreadful "violation red mark" and scary emails doesn't help anyone. It just makes me NOT want to list things instead of fixing them. It's not worth the migraine it gives me.

Where are all the Hollywood costumers going to get their patches and stuff when they can no longer find them on ebay? I had a lot of costumers buy stuff off me. It's just sad we decided that it's better to curb the many for the few criminals that MIGHT do wrong with something. Criminals will always find a way. They don't need to buy their "gear" on ebay.

movieman630 · ‎10-17-2024

@simba6 wrote:
Don't ever relist it. They keep a copy of the listing and all photos until the end of time. You can be banned for life if you keep relisting it.

That's why once an item was flagged, even if they say it's alright and all I have to do is edit the listing, I'll never go near that item ever again. If there's more, they all come down. Eventually the market will be so thin (and it already is in a lot of categories) that the site will have no other choice than to loosen up and roll back some of these regulations.

Some categories are really scraping bottom now. People with experience just won't list there anymore. It's newbies and people who just don't know.

I try so hard NOT to make waves. I'm always checking things and staying compliant. I'm always trying to work with their new system and try to make them happy. Lately though it seems like no matter what we do we're always "walking on eggshells". It's truly like living in fear. I have so much stress from ebay it's not even funny. I truly think that one day ebay will be the cause of my stroke.

sin-n-dex · ‎10-17-2024

@movieman630 wrote:
@simba6 wrote:
Don't ever relist it. They keep a copy of the listing and all photos until the end of time. You can be banned for life if you keep relisting it.
That's why once an item was flagged, even if they say it's alright and all I have to do is edit the listing, I'll never go near that item ever again. If there's more, they all come down. Eventually the market will be so thin (and it already is in a lot of categories) that the site will have no other choice than to loosen up and roll back some of these regulations.

Some categories are really scraping bottom now. People with experience just won't list there anymore. It's newbies and people who just don't know.

I try so hard NOT to make waves. I'm always checking things and staying compliant. I'm always trying to work with their new system and try to make them happy. Lately though it seems like no matter what we do we're always "walking on eggshells". It's truly like living in fear. I have so much stress from ebay it's not even funny.

I don't list banknotes from Oman anymore because the BOT got them and flagged them as Iran. Even though eBay on FB removed the violation and allowed me to relist, if the BOT is stupid once, it will be stupid again. I've been given three violations for prohibited items and only the police pin was possibly prohibited. Oman banknotes are not from Iran, and Cupro-Nickel coins issued by the Royal Canadian Mint are not "fake silver bullion". I did get those policy violations removed, but listing the same item again is just too risky.

The fake bullion was almost hilarious. I called eBay when this happened (like 8 years ago) and told them it was a Royal Canadian Mint Cupro-Nickel coin issued with a box, case and certificate. It's not even pretending to be bullion or saying that it's silver. Since bullion is gold or silver, and this coin was listed as cupro-nickel, only an idiot would believe they were buying silver bullion.

C.