EBAY changing gun parts policy

Go to http://www2.ebay.com/aw/core/200707301000452.html  I found this on Accurate Reloading & verified it on ebay,I alerted friends,my dealer,Nosler,etc.The bay area calif socialists are politically incorrect as usual and they'll lose customers along with members.

Edited by 24mod12

I would call Mark an A**h**e but it would inslut A**h**e. To quote kingpin
piss on them

want to let ebay know how you feel?

email >>>> mhalprin@ebay.com

They got my e-mail as well.  Regardless if they change their policy back to the way it was, they won't get a penny from me ever again after 7 years of otherwise being a safe, secure and economical market.  Pull them out of the oven cause they're done! 

>>>However, there are some items that while legal, may not be safe for our marketplace.<<<

You are apparently living in a dream bubble.

I notice that you allow the sale of condoms on your site. Short of checking each one for holes, how can you be sure that the use of this product will not accidentally cause people? Would you feel responsible for that?

You allow the sale of paraphinalia related to the storage and smoking of cigars. Cigar smoking causes cancer, no doubt about that. Smoking is very unsafe behavior. So do you feel responsible for the cases of cancer you help generate?

Most people don't realize the explosive power of lithium batteries. Overheated, a little lithium flashlight battery will explode with enough force to rip apart a normal oven. And you can adequately overheat them by careless charging, or by short circuiting them. They can easily destroy a human hand. Yet you allow them to be advertised on your site. Do you feel responsible for the injuries they cause?

You allow the sale of illegal items. Your site contains many illegal CB power amplifiers. I did take the time to call your exposure to liability to your attention. The reply: We don't think it is a problem, and we don't have the time and energy to do anything about it.

>>>our applicable policies go beyond the law to ensure that our marketplace is safe<<<

So is that a guarantee that you've reviewed every class of item available for sale, and have found it safe? Based on the items listed above, I would find that hard to believe. Or are you just into social engineering on the items that you find personally worrisome?



>>>In these instances, our applicable policies go beyond the law to ensure that our marketplace is safe.<<<


Here is a statement from eBay that says that they ensure that their marketplace is safe.

Now that they have made that statement, I think we're legally entitled to rely on it as a guarantee.

I hear all your complaints and feel the same irritation that has been expressed here.  The problem is, no matter how many petitions, letters, emails, etc... you send, it will make no never mind to Ebay.  Ebay is a privately owned company and is therefore not held to any regulations of what it "has to" put on their site.  They are held to laws regulating what they "can" put on their site, (i.e. no guns, firearms receivers, bombs, etc...).

I have been dealing with Ebay for about 5 years, buying and selling.  I make custom leather holsters and have sold them for years on Ebay.  I would take a picture of the holster with a gun in it so that the buyer could see how it fit.   I inadvertently pissed off another member because he felt I charged too much for shipping (even though it was the cheapest way I could ship the item and he never even bidded on the item).  So he took it upon himself to inform Ebay that I showed pistols in my holsters.  This was apparently a "blatent" disregard for Ebay's policies and they pulled all my auctions.  After finally getting a reason for the listings being pulled I was informed that I could no longer show the guns in the holsters.  Now I have to show a pic of the holster and add a link to my website so that the bidders can see it with the gun inserted.  Bit of a pain in the arse in the beginning, but now I have website so I can share all my holster designs by only placing one auction. 

The new Ebay rules suck, but I suppose we will just have to take our firearms business to GunBroker.com instead.  They are cheaper to advertise on and a more inviting place anyway.  I have had positive experience on that site too.

This is what I sent. . .

I have been a registered E-Bay user for about 7 years and have always enjoyed using your service - finding it to be a safe, secure and economical source for the goods I purchase.

Recently, I became aware that you have changed your policy towards the sale of gun parts and related materials in that you will no longer be hosting auctions on these items in response to the Virginia shooting. 

I must say that I find this new policy a horrible and misdirected move by E-Bay.  Over 90% of the items I've purchased have been firearm related over the past 7 years.  The items offered on E-Bay auctions had absolutely no connection whatsoever with the events surrounding the Virginia shooting and this new policy impacts only the legal selling and buying of firearm related items.  I am totally disgusted with this policy change and find it acidulous to the firearms community.

I, along with many others, contribute a significant portion towards E-Bay's total revenue in firearm related item auctions.  This fanatical, patellar and illogical policy change has prompted me and many others to cease all relations with E-Bay regardless if it is changed.  I feel strongly about constitutional rights and though E-Bay operates in a free market this move was unnecessary and unwarranted. 

Thank you for the 7 years of good service but I will never again be an E-Bay customer.

This was what "Terri office of the President of eBay" had to say. . .

Thank you for your recent email to Matt Halprin in regard to changes to our Firearms, Weapons and Knives policy. He has asked that I review your email and respond on his behalf.

Let me start by saying that I understand that this is a very frustrating situation. Before choosing to discontinue use of your eBay account I hope that you would allow me the opportunity to explain why we have chosen to amend our policy.

Like the rest of the nation, eBay was deeply saddened and shocked by the events at Virginia Tech and we felt that it was not only appropriate, but necessary, to revisit our related policies. While nothing purchased on our site was illegal in any way, we felt compelled to ask ourselves some tough questions and ensure we do everything possible to provide a safe and trusted marketplace.

We have always valued an open and transparent marketplace; if items are legal to buy and sell in an unrestricted manner we allow them on our site. However, there are some items that while legal, may not be safe for our marketplace. In these instances, our applicable policies go beyond the law to ensure that our marketplace is safe.

Currently we do not allow actual firearms on the site. After careful
consideration our executives and our Trust and Safety team determined that any item required to fire a gun has no place on eBay. All of our policies are under constant review. As the Internet and the way our communities use the Internet evolves, our policies and our marketplace must evolve with it. We determined that this policy change was in the best interest of promoting a safe marketplace for all members.

I understand your frustration regarding this matter and apologize for the inconvenience it caused you.

Sincerely,

Terri
Office of the President

Sounds like the same bullshit they tried to feed everyone else.  Piss on eBay.

 

Edited by The_Mountaineer

Evening MOUNTAINEER  >>  I got that exact form letter back from them responding to my comments as well but mine was signed by a Rebekah Long .

Wish there was something the collective firearm community could to to hit them hard and show them the silliness of the policy change.  I fear eBay has simply gotten to large to care.  >>  korey 

 

I've been an ebay member since 1999 but will be no longer.  It makes me sad but principles are principles.  Screw them.

Morning TIKKA  >>  In my response back to dear Rebekah Long (the gal who signed off on my form letter that I got back from eBay) among other things, I mentioned something along the lines that it'd be nice if the powerful gun organizations of the country got wind of this.  I'm not sure that that feeding frenzy is what they'd have chosen to bring upon themselves, had they thought this policy change through clearly.

Again, it'd be nice to hit eBay where it hurts.  And that's the pocketbook, I guess.  With what happened to Zumbo still fresh in our minds (and he was one of our own, supposedly), eBay desperately needs something similar to occur.

More then anything else, I'm sickened by the idea that they're linking this whole policy change to the VT killings     ...     that somehow history could have been altered if they weren't selling firearm related components.  Nonsense.  I don't care if people or organizations are anti-gun, anti-hunting     ...     they'll come and go.  But using that kind of trajedy as a premise to force through anti-gun, anti-hunting policy is simply unforgiveable.  In my last note to eBay I wrote that I'd have had more respect for them if they'd have simply come out with this policy change and claimed up front to be anti- firearm and hunting and 2nd ammendment, rather then hide these real motives to the change behind a senseless act of murder, such as VT.  Be interesting to see how much longer it takes for them to cut my eBay membership.

As I said earlier, I honestly think eBay has gotten to large to care, but if it's true the NRA's involved, I hope they stick this thing right down eBay's perverbial throat.