eBay

sin-n-dex · ‎05-22-2021

So I had police related items (pins, patches, buttons), and the RCMP had the two listings containing their pins removed. I removed everything else to be safe, but I knew some items are exempted.

I decided to call to try and get more clarification on the policy because when I look it up in the help, it says you can't list part of a uniform (which a pin would belong, according to eBay when they took the listing down). And there were some exceptions. But those exceptions no longer appear in the posted policy.

The agent I spoke to took information about what I was asking about "collar pins from the United Kingdom issued between 1948 and 1974. They are part of an officer's uniform, but are no longer being used."

The answer I get back after she calls the "listing department" is, "I'm sorry, you can't list Nazi items."

So I said "Nazi is Germany from 1933 to 1945, there was no Nazi party in England nor were they in existence when these pins were made."

She was confused, so she put me through to the listing department where someone could speak to me and research policy. I was told Buttons are OK in all cases, and badges are OK if they are no longer being used (or don't look similar to ones currently being used). She asked me about the badges, I said "The ones I have, have Queen Elizabeth's Monogram in the middle with a circle going around the outside. Seeing has how Queen Elizabeth has been the Queen for almost 70 years, eBay might think these are current."

Apparently there's a dedicated team of experts that spend their time analyzing listings to see if they violate policy (although from what I read on here, bots do it too). The people who would be checking my listings would be verifying whether or not the pins are current and against policy. eBay can't tell me if it's allowed or not, it's up to me to do my own research, but if eBay disagrees with my research, then I don't know what I'm supposed to do.

I did check eBay to see if others were listed and there were a few, but only a very few. It seems these things are being sold on other sites because I saw lots of pictures when I searched Google. (The sites belong to private dealers, they are not marketplace sites). I'm wondering if the fact there were very few listed is an indication that eBay takes them down, even though they are almost at least 50 years old.

It's kind of tough to have acquired a collection that has some significant value and not be sure about how to sell it. The private dealers I've been in contact with have been buying a lot, but don't have a venue to sell the items (like flea markets and trade shows).

The fact that someone in the listing department thinks the Nazi party existed in England between 1948 and 1974 gives me some reservations about listing military stuff too...

C.

jonathankirkland · ‎05-22-2021

Interesting.

Have you thought of or tried taking them to a local police station to get their opinion on maybe where or how you could sell them?

sin-n-dex · ‎05-22-2021

@jonathankirkland wrote:
Interesting.

Have you thought of or tried taking them to a local police station to get their opinion on maybe where or how you could sell them?

These are British, I'm not sure the police in Canada would have much input... besides I only had two police pins that were Canadian and they got removed at the request of the RCMP. I know in the US the police departments don't like their items being sold online either (I didn't even try to sell anything from the US for this very reason). It looks like they don't like it in Canada either, even though the date on the pin was 1960 (60 years old), it was still not allowed according to the RCMP. (And may or may not look like one being used now, I don't know what one looks like for now... all my stuff is obsolete and vintage).

What's bugging me most about this, is the police policy used to be really long with lots of details you could refer to, and by shortening it, they are making it open to their interpretation of what they think a component, accessory or uniform is. Buttons are part of a uniform, but apparently they're allowed. Then there's the definition of what a "badge" is. My military expert said it's a shield with an ID number used to identify yourself as an officer. These things I have called "cap badges" just affix to an officer's hat, and have no identifying markers except the name of the borough that they belong to.

My items are ID'd as 1948 to 1974, but Queen Elizabeth became the Queen in 1952, which leads me to believe this collector is a few years off on his identification. If she weren't the Queen, I could safely assume these are no longer in use. (I know they aren't, but I can't really prove that if an over zealous agent decides to take my listings down).

C.

postingid7659 · ‎05-23-2021

Not sure why the police would know anything about selling anything. Not their purview.

femmefan1946 · ‎05-23-2021

The RCMP is pretty twitchy about bits of their uniforms being sold since Portapique. A lot of the disguise apparently was purchased online.

Elizabeth became Queen in 1952 on her father's death, but was not crowned until 1953 (DH remembers attending the Coronation Parade. His father was seconded to the Royal Navy at the time.)

And of course it took time,especially post-war with rationing still in full force, for even uniforms to change over.

KGVI's death was unexpected. Princess Elizabeth was famously sleeping in a tree in Kenya when she became Queen.

thhoan-40 · ‎05-23-2021

It sounds weird when it's related to police.

skeletonstore · ‎05-23-2021

Well Churchill did know where the rockets were headed but kept that info to himself 👻

mobley120 · ‎05-23-2021

Yeah, it is frustrating, isn't it. I guess, with eBay's policies, it's really doesn't matter how you interpret any particular policy, it's however they decide to interpret it at any given moment, in which their interpretation might not seem to really adhere to any particular policy, but it really doesn't matter, it's their policy and they'll do as they want to.

Once they decide to remove a listings, it's pretty much over. Trying to make sense of it and trying to get a true grasp on any particular policy, is pretty much fruitless, since their interpretations are based upon their own/zealous/individual discretion.

Although, one loses the auction format, CL is and option, but the listing can also be removed, there, too, but not likely.

Good luck

ed8108 · ‎05-23-2021

The listing dept has effectively informed you not to list those items on eBay in future & I suspect anything & everything else that may be perceived by eBay as possibly nazi items.

Happy ebay selling in 2021

jonathankirkland · ‎05-23-2021

@postingid7659 wrote:
Not sure why the police would know anything about selling anything. Not their purview.

It was just an idea. Relax buddy.

jonathankirkland · ‎05-23-2021

@sin-n-dex wrote:
@jonathankirkland wrote:
Interesting.

Have you thought of or tried taking them to a local police station to get their opinion on maybe where or how you could sell them?
These are British, I'm not sure the police in Canada would have much input... besides I only had two police pins that were Canadian and they got removed at the request of the RCMP. I know in the US the police departments don't like their items being sold online either (I didn't even try to sell anything from the US for this very reason). It looks like they don't like it in Canada either, even though the date on the pin was 1960 (60 years old), it was still not allowed according to the RCMP. (And may or may not look like one being used now, I don't know what one looks like for now... all my stuff is obsolete and vintage).

What's bugging me most about this, is the police policy used to be really long with lots of details you could refer to, and by shortening it, they are making it open to their interpretation of what they think a component, accessory or uniform is. Buttons are part of a uniform, but apparently they're allowed. Then there's the definition of what a "badge" is. My military expert said it's a shield with an ID number used to identify yourself as an officer. These things I have called "cap badges" just affix to an officer's hat, and have no identifying markers except the name of the borough that they belong to.

My items are ID'd as 1948 to 1974, but Queen Elizabeth became the Queen in 1952, which leads me to believe this collector is a few years off on his identification. If she weren't the Queen, I could safely assume these are no longer in use. (I know they aren't, but I can't really prove that if an over zealous agent decides to take my listings down).

C.

You forget that Canada has strong ties to Britain historically? Didn't Canada still have Queen Elizabeth II still on some of their currency as recently as 50 years ago? 😄

Anyhow, if these items are valuable that is a shame you cannot find a way to sell them ...

If you're not able to sell them though perhaps there's a museum out there somewhere in the UK that might like them donated. Could be a tax write off? 🙂

sin-n-dex · ‎05-23-2021

@femmefan1946 wrote:
The RCMP is pretty twitchy about bits of their uniforms being sold since Portapique. A lot of the disguise apparently was purchased online.

Elizabeth became Queen in 1952 on her father's death, but was not crowned until 1953 (DH remembers attending the Coronation Parade. His father was seconded to the Royal Navy at the time.)
And of course it took time,especially post-war with rationing still in full force, for even uniforms to change over.
KGVI's death was unexpected. Princess Elizabeth was famously sleeping in a tree in Kenya when she became Queen.

I knew the dates from collecting coins but didn't know the history of her becoming Queen.

As for Portapique, probably 5 people in Canada told me that was the reason when I shared the story (a few weeks ago when it happened). I got rid of those pins, but I still have all the British stuff.

C.

mobley120 · ‎05-23-2021

"If you're not able to sell them though perhaps there's a museum out there somewhere in the UK that might like them donated. Could be a tax write off?"

Yes, yes, yes, and museums are very very generous in the appraising value department.

Depending on the items, and bit of a wait for tax time to roll by. But yeah, it sure can being about a very nice kickback.

Good advice

sin-n-dex · ‎05-23-2021

@ed8108 wrote:
The listing dept has effectively informed you not to list those items on eBay in future & I suspect anything & everything else that may be perceived by eBay as possibly nazi items.

That was the first agent I spoke to, once I was put through to the listing department she actually understood what I was selling.

My big issue is that they've stripped down that policy on their website to bare minimum detail to leave it open to as much interpretation as they'd like. It gives them more free reign to take listings down and restrict accounts because the policy is so vague.

The way it's written, I would not be able to sell what I have, but according to the person online what I have is acceptable to list. So I asked who decides whether it's acceptable or not, which is when I was told of the dedicated team. I asked how they decide that a listing is inappropriate and I got no real answer, just that someone reviews at and decides.

A person in this department removed a Canada 50 Cent Cupro-Nickel coin that was issued by the Royal Canadian Mint citing that I can't list replica bullion. When I called to complain, I said the coin isn't even silver, it says right in the listing it's cupro-nickel, it doesn't even look like bullion, it's a Royal Canadian Mint issue item. The item was returned to my unsolds and I got an email from eBay that they made a mistake in removing my item. (Yes, always get the message in writing that it's OK to relist, too many people go by a phone call and then a different person reviews and and takes it down again.)

C.

sin-n-dex · ‎05-23-2021

@jonathankirkland wrote:
@sin-n-dex wrote:
@jonathankirkland wrote:
Interesting.

Have you thought of or tried taking them to a local police station to get their opinion on maybe where or how you could sell them?
These are British, I'm not sure the police in Canada would have much input... besides I only had two police pins that were Canadian and they got removed at the request of the RCMP. I know in the US the police departments don't like their items being sold online either (I didn't even try to sell anything from the US for this very reason). It looks like they don't like it in Canada either, even though the date on the pin was 1960 (60 years old), it was still not allowed according to the RCMP. (And may or may not look like one being used now, I don't know what one looks like for now... all my stuff is obsolete and vintage).

What's bugging me most about this, is the police policy used to be really long with lots of details you could refer to, and by shortening it, they are making it open to their interpretation of what they think a component, accessory or uniform is. Buttons are part of a uniform, but apparently they're allowed. Then there's the definition of what a "badge" is. My military expert said it's a shield with an ID number used to identify yourself as an officer. These things I have called "cap badges" just affix to an officer's hat, and have no identifying markers except the name of the borough that they belong to.

My items are ID'd as 1948 to 1974, but Queen Elizabeth became the Queen in 1952, which leads me to believe this collector is a few years off on his identification. If she weren't the Queen, I could safely assume these are no longer in use. (I know they aren't, but I can't really prove that if an over zealous agent decides to take my listings down).

C.
You forget that Canada has strong ties to Britain historically? Didn't Canada still have Queen Elizabeth II still on some of their currency as recently as 50 years ago? 😄

Anyhow, if these items are valuable that is a shame you cannot find a way to sell them ...

If you're not able to sell them though perhaps there's a museum out there somewhere in the UK that might like them donated. Could be a tax write off? 🙂

I could try to seek out dealers. I can make very attractive pricing to make them go, I just need whoever buys them to cover the shipping cost. Unfortunately I don't have so many contacts in the UK. Perhaps if I ever get to go back there again...

C.