2 months ago i contacted eBay and asked if i could list a Swedish smoking aid product. A product that is 100% tobacco-free but containing nicotine. eBays answer back that it's allowed and there will be no problems as long as the product doesn't contain any tobacco.
I start listing these items like crazy and i sell loads of them from day one. 2 weeks later i get an email stating that i have broken the tobacco rule and all my items have been deleted from the site. They also warn me that if it ever happens again my account will be limited.
I contact eBay and ask why they have deleted all products they approved 2 weeks ago. They reply back that my items product images clearly show it's a tobacco product and that ebay's experts have decided to delete them from eBay.
I reply back asking what images show tobacco since none of the images shows any tobacco. They clearly show the label wich says Tobaccoo-free nicotine pouches though. They answer back that the items were in fact deleted from the site for having the word tobacco-free in the title and the description. They admit they did wrong and tells me to list all items again but without the word "tobacco-free". They also tell me that it's perfectly fine to use the word Nicotine in the titles and descriptions.
I spend 2 days relisting and perfecting all listings again. 0 tobacco words in the titles nor in the description. Sales instantly pick up. Another 2 weeks pass and then i get the same email again. I have now broken the tobacco rule again and my items are yet again deleted from the site. My account is also limited for breaking the rules twice.
I contact ebay again. Asking what's going on since they deleted my products again even though i was promised all items was allowed if i listed them as the previous rep told me. I also provided the MSG ID's from the previous contact so they could read them.
They reply back with another standard answer that tobacco products are banned. After a few hours of emailing back and forth, they tell me that the products were now deleted for containing the word Nicotine. (the word that the previous rep told me to use to have the items properly indexed by the search engine) It makes sense since Nicotine is the word the buyer would search for.
They now tell me to re-list the items again but without the word nicotine in it.
The rep also tells me that i can appeal their decision to limit my account. All i have to do is call them on business hours (which is in the middle of the night here in Sweden). I reply back why i have to appeal their decision to limit my account when they admit that they done wrong twice.
The answer i get back is more or less hilarious. They reply yet again with the first standard answer. That i have broken the rules and sold tobacco on eBay.
Back to square one. I gave up and listed my items on "the other side".
Few pasted answers:
1. Items that contain tobacco are not permitted on eBay, regardless of the collectability or age of the product. Collectible tobacco containers or packaging may still be listed on eBay, but only if they do not contain any actual tobacco, and the images in the listing clearly show this.
2. Mike, you are right that you can list the item as long as it does not contain tobacco. I do apologize for the confusion, yes you can include the word “nicotine” on your listing. Now, in your future listings, I would suggest that you remove the word “tobacco-free” or “tobacco” and just replace it with nicotine on your listing title or description so that your items will no longer be removed again.
3. As I have checked it here Mike and your removed listing have the ‘Nicotine’ on it. As we all know Nicotine is a substance of tobacco, cigarette and e-cigarette on which is not allowed here on eBay.”
To sum it up. On eBay we can list tobacco-free products if we don't include the word tobacco-free since that might confuse the experts on eBay. eBay recommends using the word Nicotine freely in our tobacco-free listings as long as we don't use the word Nicotine. Also, check your images careful. Images showing non-tobacco products might confuse eBay experts thinking your selling Tobacco.
