Incandescent light bulbs - some are still legal to sell, and eBay should do the right thing - fix it

[gwjusticestore-est.1888]

The new laws concerning incandescent light bulbs contain exemptions - for example, appliance bulbs (there are no fluorescent or LED replacements for oven bulbs, because anything other than an incandescent can not stand the heat) also colored light bulbs, sizes such as G12.5 and R14 are still legal, so are the prefocus base bulbs, used on top of TV and Radio antenna towers. I sell all of these, and need to be able to relist them and/or change the quantity available. This is impossible right now, we get that red warning and can't do anything. It is not right for eBay to ban legal incandescent light bulbs. I am an honest man trying to make an honest living. I took down all the illegal bulbs voluntarily. I am a lighting expert, and volunteered to help eBay sort out what is legal and what is not. They did not take advantage of my expertise - which is worth $120.00 / hr. - and which I offered to help for free. Time to make things work for honest sellers. I have been on eBay for over 18 years, 100% positive, and have over 40 years experience in the lighting industry. I am usually in the top 100K in customer satisfaction. I should be heard, and I should be helped, I have earned it and I deserve it. I am 69 and this is how I make my living, selling light bulbs, I am too old to change, and have too much invested, too legit to quit. 

[johnson_junk_company]

The problem is eBay’s inability to enforce the laws on their site. They want to take the easy road and just blanket ban items instead of adjusting their filters to allow items still legal to sell. It’s a lazy approach to business that ultimately costs both eBay and sellers money. 

[tobaccocardyahoo]

The goal of most Ebay enforcement of laws and regulations is to protect Ebay from seller initiated violations and negative PR.

The software bots succeed much of the time.

The economic impact of taking down some perfectly legal items is low, and minimizes the success of sellers who are deliberately acting improperly.

All successful Internet marketplaces are too big to handle most exceptions to enforcement. Expecting that is to ask to be disappointed.

When any of us has sold long enough on any marketplace, we have encountered at least  one or another of these injustices.

[bashort]

So would it be legal to sell 100 Watt glass encased space heaters that screw into a E26 base?

[simba6]

Who would have thought one day weed would be allowed and light bulbs would be banned?   The bulb sniffing dogs will be busy.

[bashort]

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@simba6 wrote:

Who would have thought one day weed would be allowed and light bulbs would be banned?   The bulb sniffing dogs will be busy.

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Yea, they will just drive the incandescent bulb market underground where the cartels will make billions supplying the US with its light bulbs

[frankenhobbit]

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@johnson_junk_company wrote:

Hardly! Twenty second programming change…that’s it. They just can’t be bothered it seems. 

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You're forgetting the 12-18 months of weekly meetings to discuss scope, set up various focus groups, call in consultants etc. 

[lampwise]

Hello, I thought I'd join with advice. Amazon has also banned certain light bulbs; this includes all frosted bulbs regardless of wattage and clear bulbs with the following wattage ratings, 15w, 25w, 40, 60w, 75w, 100w, halogen lamps and incandescent except for the following socket types, R7, G9, GU5.3, G4 and GY6,35

We have over 5 million incandescents and halogens in stock in top brands, and we will continue to sell them on our website. Yes, I believe that with eBay and Amazon alike, banning these articles will push traffic directly towards our site. It has its bonuses, i.e., no to fewer fees for a sale and more profit in the end. 

If Google Shopping eventually bans them, then well, I'd say we're pretty well done for, so as of now, I won't be buying any more stock of incandescent or halogen and building up our LED stockpile. Nonetheless, I wish you all the best from Lampwise x

[gwjusticestore-est.1888]

I was forced to retire; I was 6 months away from a 1/2 salary pension and a corporate raider who owned another light bulb company sold the patents to himself, blew all the money, and blew out the company moved the factory to Mexico and fired everyone in the US division.

I went home and got on eBay. I was tired of the road. I wanted to be my own boss and work from home. I'm tired of the road, it was killing me, with my arthritis. 

[gwjusticestore-est.1888]

It says:

"Light bulbs in the home that do not meet energy efficiency standards defined by the Department of Energy," and if you go to page 20 of the DOE edict effective August 1st 2023 you see all the incandescent bulbs that are exempt. If eBay people can't read of understand it I will be glad to teach a class to them. It's not that hard. 

I refuse to allow eBay to be anything other than the best it can be, and been that way for 20 years, and not going to give up. 

[gwjusticestore-est.1888]

He (Edison) would be horrified. 

There are people with "Old eye syndrome" who need incandescent light. Some need outlawed fluorescents to fight Seasonal Effective Disorder (I work with several doctors to help treat their patients.) 

The government is making a mess of the lighting industry and many will suffer as a result.

[simba6]

Their reps are clueless as to what the items are or the rules. It's simpler to just say no to all.

Soon you too will be using mules to run bulbs up from Durango.

[marnotom!]

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@gwjusticestore-est.1888 wrote:

"Light bulbs in the home that do not meet energy efficiency standards defined by the Department of Energy," and if you go to page 20 of the DOE edict effective August 1st 2023 you see all the incandescent bulbs that are exempt. If eBay people can't read of understand it I will be glad to teach a class to them. It's not that hard. 

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You're making the classic error of assuming that "eBay people" are actually looking at listings for bulbs or whatever and determining whether or not the listings are compliant.

As was suggested earlier in this thread, the problem is the programming of the site.  Bots or spiders or AI or whatever you want to call it can comb through a listing and glean clues from the item's category and some keywords and item specifics, but it never really knows what the item being listed actually is the way a human being would.

[mirror-in-the-attic]

May I ask you a question about some light bulbs I have for sale?

[bashort]

This is a classic case of the government trying to solve a problem that does not exist.

Incandescent bulbs have been statistically eliminated  by better technology just like VHS tapes, there was absolutely no need to ban them, serves absolutely no purpose.

[gwjusticestore-est.1888]

Dear lampwise; the DOE is going to fine you $541.00 PER BULB for every one you sold after August 1st 2023. 

Of course, it will probably take a Democrat white house, congress and senate to create the jobs for those who will collect the fines; but that is a possibility.