E-Bay Auction Listing Cancellations

[55rab]

E-Bay recently cancelled one of my helmet listings. The listing did not contain any "forbidden" symbols. E-Bay's e-mail that notified me of the cancellation stated -
". . are not allowed to sell items (such as helmets, daggers, and medals) that bear the Nazi, Neo-Nazi, or Aryan Nation symbols. Even if members block, crop, or simply don't show the organization's symbol in their listing, the items are still not permitted on eBay."

The later part of this policy could severely limit collectors.

Is E-Bay getting more aggressive in cancelling auction listings? Also, does anyone have any advice on wording "do's and don'ts" to avoid the E-Bay censors?

Many Thanks - RichB

[crown.point]

Never use the word "decal". Try "Heer Adler" instead. Or don't mention anything at all, and don't show the side of the helmet that has the decal. Collectors will pick up on that and ask for additional pics. Send the pics from a different email account than the one you use for eBay.

[cmaher55]

Good advice crown.point, I was trying to sell two helmets in the last couple of weeks and I got pulled six times. I think somebody had me on their watch list and reported me every time I listed. Ebay is going to take a dive pretty soon, bad customer service, heavy handed policy, constant raising of fees, forcing listing and viewing formats on people who don't like them, it's only a matter of time. If you like the stock market I would sell them short, you will make some money. I have made a lot more money off of Ebay stock then they will ever make from me! I don't buy and sell Ebay stock anymore as I don't like the company at all. Regards, Chris

[prussian.guard]

i listed 2 helmets on ebay.they sold i was paid and then ebay cancelled the auction and they returned my listing fees .
i don't buy on ebay anymore too much rubbish on there,usually i just surf reputable dealers and pick up genuine helmets,no chance of getting burnt as most give a garentee.
i think cmaher55 has hit the nail,ebay is going to hit the wall soon with regard to fees and cancelled listings.
my advice would be stick to dealers or garage sales or the estand,a great source for top helmets

[FLAK]

IMO i Think its all f#$@in B S Ebay should just shut the hell up ,,and get off the crying pot already ,,there making Mad money anyway ,,IMO so what german helmets with decals daggers flags who give a hell,,i still dont understand what the big deal is ,,,i have stoped buying from Egay myself because of the bidder 1 bidder2 B S ,And also i tryed to sell 2 USA Helmets with decals and they took me off also ,,,Now when im ready to sell something else im going to wrap it up in paper and just state Helmet E,mail me for pics With a different e,mail addy just like crown.point said ,,i really dont know anymore,
HAHA Home of the free mmmmmm
Regards
Mike

[peacenotwar]

This is really absurd: for first ebay creates categories such as WW2, helmets and so on, then cancels the auction.
Totally a non sense.
I have given up ebay for selling my items.
Mauro

[helmetbuyers]

I feel if E-Bay didn't "ban Nazi items"..... prices would drop... and the big time dealers would crap in their pants.

E-Bay hurt the value of most "collectibles"... and the ban only keeps prices artificially high.

Just imagine all the helmets out of the woodwork that would be posted !

Just my two cents worth.

[pantera123]

right on

Good advice crown.point, I was trying to sell two helmets in the last couple of weeks and I got pulled six times. I think somebody had me on their watch list and reported me every time I listed. Ebay is going to take a dive pretty soon, bad customer service, heavy handed policy, constant raising of fees, forcing listing and viewing formats on people who don't like them, it's only a matter of time. If you like the stock market I would sell them short, you will make some money. I have made a lot more money off of Ebay stock then they will ever make from me! I don't buy and sell Ebay stock anymore as I don't like the company at all. Regards, Chris

Ebay's problem is that they continue to feed their own greed by jacking up fees, cancelling auctions, introducing bogus bidder1,2 and 3, and especially weeding out the smaller sellers. They only want expensive, high end items to be sold on ebay because then they make more of a comission. These people who sell things for under 10 bucks, only waste ebay's time. This website was the greatest internet invention about 3 to 5 years ago, now they are headed down a steep slope. I really think that some other entity is going to give ebay a run for it's money soon. It still amazes me how we can't sell historical artifacts because they are considered offensive. I don't know about you, but I think the selling of human organs, human bones, fake rubber dog crap, fake human puke, and stupid auctions like this http://cgi.ebay.com/EVERYONE-LOVES-A...QQcmdZViewItem are more offensive than a metal helmet!!!

How about this garbage!!!http://cgi.ebay.com/LAZY-MEXICAN-KID...QQcmdZViewItem Whoa, wait a minute, I found something totally worthwhile and extremely historical in all context!!! http://cgi.ebay.com/ONE-DEAD-BUG_W0Q...QQcmdZViewItem WHAT A SEPTIC TANK OF JUNK!!!

[Mikey]

I wish I had the money to take on Ebay for there false advertising, "If you want It, you can find It on Ebay"????? enough said.

[cmaher55]

I just got pulled a couple of hours ago.....But I guess I was asking for it by showing the Heer decal in all it's glory. It lasted about 8 hours. It tends to happen in the early evening USA Pacific Coast time. That means the screeners they hire real cheap over in India are awake and pulling all the discriminatory and hateful objects.....
Chris

[daveinoz]

The same just happened to Me

Hi All,

Just had the Same happen to Me within the Last 24 hours, I sell Small Time on Ebay(mostly Other Stuff), and I have tried to take this further.

The First Time it happened, I eventually got a Reply from EBAY GERMANY as the Instigator of taking My Bits off.

Question that was never answered was - WHY if I am an Australian Seller selling on Ebay Australia, HOW can a GERMAN Site have jurisdiction over Me?.

My reasoning would be the same for You Guys in US, UK etc, if it is LEGAL to Sell in Your Country, how can Ebay stop You, it isn't YOUR Problem that People from other Countries Look or Buy.

On the Other Side , just saw a Helmet Put up on Ebay Australia with ALL DECALS inc Swastika Showing go for full 10 days and then sell.

I really wish I had enough money to take them on, or better still go into Competition and watch them fail.

Regards,

daveinoz

[ROBB]

I tried to sell this and got suspended ,instead of picking on us little guys selling the odd Nazi item they should concentrate there efforts on banning all those horrible cabbage patch dolls .Rob.

[nutmeg]

Ebays ban on Nazi related material is the best thing that ever happened for collectors. I am delighted about it and commend them for it.

Why?

Because estate buys and calls from antique dealers practically dried up as they were posting the material themselves. Now they have no easy venue to sell .

If Ebay allowed it again it would give the fakers an even bigger audience and there would be a huge surge of fakes. Like throwing fertilizer on the fake market.

It would run alot of the smaller maybe even larger dealers out of business.
No more dealer guarentees, buying would be by the seat of your pants with little chance of return priviledges.

Shows like the SOS would crash, the smaller buyers could all stay home and buy the same material. If the dealers don't sell at shows there would be little point in going. The gun and militaria auction houses in the US have ruined the collector shows and dealers. Attendence at many Antique gun and militaria shows is off 50% and so is a lot of dealers business in areas like Civil War collectibles.

This is one case IMO where political correctness is actually good.

[Asper]

There are already other fast growing ePay equivalent auction sites that allow TR militaria. The internet has revolutionized the old way of dealing on militaria - and things will never go back to the old dealer based system.

Once one or two of the other websites become more popular - the same game will continue - but on a different site. Personally, I thing online auctions have given the collecting community another venue to locate common and sometimes rare pieces at still reasonable prices. Surely it is also a vehicle for unscrupulous people - but then again, the internet is not the only habitat for this breed of folks.

My two cents,

Asper

[Derek O.]

They will kick them off for random reasons even after you have walked around all the PC eggshells. They have done it to me as well.
Also, people will snitch you out sometimes and thus ebay will cancel your listing.