ebay bans straights in the UK?????

Did a refresh of my listings just after lunch 10 listings gone????

I get phone support so I rang them, after all the check’s the guy said yes your listings have been removed under the UK Knives policy. After a bit of bleating from me about taking fees & when the knife policy came in it didn’t mention Razors, he went to ask someone, came back & No you cant list razors! More bleating from me about my 10 listings removed & 3 left on? 166 other peoples razors still listed, away he goes again to check, still cant list razors but this time he doesn’t seem convinced!
He told me he would do some further checking & get back to me! I am now in a pretty desperate state as selling razors on ebay makes up half my income!!!
After 2 hrs the phone rings & its the same guy. Ooohh it was all a big mistake, they are allowed & the 10 listings were reinstated. Mmmmmm No I have to start them all again from scratch so I have 7 days with no sales. I think some one at ebay may be in trouble.

Anyone else had problems?
Tony H

That's bad news short term, but at least it was a mistake & they've not been stupid enough to ban them. The knife ban was bad enough. I had a Strider i was bidding on removed near the end of the auction. I managed to get it anyway though. :D

Yes I can imagine there were a lot of disappointed people with the knives!
I had 13 bids rejected on my buying account & some them may not bother to list again?
It may take a while for it to settle down!


Tony H

at least so far it was a mistake. Next time they band find another sourses and i am sure they are around. I don't know about in England but USA ebay is not the only way to sell your razors. if i am not mistaken there is Overstock.com: Online Shopping - Bedding, Furniture, Electronics, Jewelry, Clothing & more .etc. Gl

I'd wager every razor you list in the classifieds here would sell after a few weeks tops. They go like hotcakes....

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Originally Posted by BKratchmer

I'd wager every razor you list in the classifieds here would sell after a few weeks tops. They go like hotcakes....

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Just as a side note, we try to discourage vendors from running their businesses out of the classifieds as an alternative to eBay :)

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Originally Posted by hoglahoo

Just as a side note, we try to discourage vendors from running their businesses out of the classifieds as an alternative to eBay :)

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Oh, sorry. I guess I didn't connect "Half my income" with "business"... I can be a bit slow sometimes. I was just imagining selling off parts of a collection so huge....

Thank god that was a mistake! Surely they should have checked before removing your items though...?

I'm also delighted to see a seller in the UK! Its hard to find things in London so I'm glad your listings are back up, so I can buy 'em all..!

It affected a lot of UK sellers razor listings, my own included. When my listings were cancelled I got an email from Ebay stating:

"...Your listings breached our policy on weapons and knives, so we removed
them from the site and credited all the fees back..."

I sent them an email telling them that razors were excepted and this came back:

"...You listed a Cut Throat Razor. Cut Throat Razors are not allowed to be sold on the site. Please do not relist..."

I then posted a plea for clarification on Ebay's UK Community Help site, and one of the moderators there put my case forward again. Eventually, this email came from Ebay:

"...I understand you're concerned about the
removal of your cut throat razors listings.

While we make every effort to ensure that we only take action in cases
where we have all relevant evidence, unfortunately it appears that in
this case, the action on your account was taken in error.

We'll refund the listing fees for the listings we ended, and you're free
to relist your items..."

I had talked via email to Tony - he got a result in three hours, mine took a day and a half. I really thought that I would get some support on the community forum, but boy, was I wrong! A few mildy commiserated with me, but other comments included:

From a weapons point of view, these are worse than many more conventional, also banned, knives.

Seller selling cut throat razors and #### falling over himself to help the bloke, while at the same time slaps are being dished out for ridiculous reasons, and.....................oh what is the point, this place has gone compleatly mad......I'm going to another drink.

I just can't understand why #### is falling over himself to help this bloke

#### was the name of the moderator trying to get a clear ruling for me - I changed it to save his blushes! A few other people posted on that board about the same thing, and got similar treatment

Beggars belief, doesn't it?!

Regards,
Neil

UPDATE: The namby-pambies on that Ebay forum are still at it - here are a few samples:

"...This thread and eBay's help for OP has left me incredulous! ..."

"...Well at least all our shaving needs are taken care of on eBay: We can buy deadly cut throat razors..."

"...stabbed meself with a legal screwdriver today [...] and yet these dangerous things are still being sold on ebay!..."

I have even been likened to Osama Bin Laden and to people who sell surface-to-air missiles! To be fair, a few more people are sticking up for me - mainly for being polite though - and pointing out the ridiculous comparisons between terrorists and missiles.

If you listed it as cutthroat rather than simply a straight I can see where the ignorant would be upset. Try not using the term "cuttthroat".

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Originally Posted by nun2sharp

If you listed it as cutthroat rather than simply a straight I can see where the ignorant would be upset. Try not using the term "cuttthroat".

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I didn't - mine are usually listed as "straight razor" "open razor" or "open / straight razor" - it is simply that the Ebay UK category itself is called "cut throat razors" so that's where they get listed.

I'm glad they came to their senses in jolly ole E-Bay England but it's truly a sign of the post 9/11 times. Our own Congress was recently considering a ban on pocket knives that could be opened with one hand. I'm not referring to so called switchblades or automatics that can be opened by pressing a button, but a simple folding pocket knife, (a real nice one is for sale right here on SRP), that can be opened by using the thumbstud to open the blade about half way and then flicking your wrist. Congress was considering banning any knife unless it required the use of both hands to open it.
:soapbox:Since I truly believe we live on a global insane asylum, nothing really surprises me anymore, but things do sometimes disgust me. The knife community, large companies like Frost, put a lot of heat on Congress to stop the above ban. Straight edge razors can become an easy target for politicians looking to prove the war on terrorism and crime is being won. Remember the 9/11 highjackers used the omnipotent boxcutter, a type of razor, to do what they did. When we use the cool sounding nickname Cut Throat Razor it just makes them sound more menacing.
If Congress does target razors, is the straight edge community strong enough to do what the knife community did ??

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Originally Posted by Neil Miller

- it is simply that the Ebay UK category itself is called "cut throat razors" so that's where they get listed.

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They need to correct that or they will lose the business.

Michael - I agree, the world's gone mad.

nun2sharp - I think that they will correct it - by banning the sales of straights.

oldschool - I've been expecting a ban for some time now, and I'm sure it will come eventually. Listing on Ebay.com sounds like a good idea - I'm also thinking of opening a webshop. Pity about Ebay - in the old days when it was a proper auction site it was great, but now the scammers and Ebay's perverse idea that sellers are always wrong combined with them trying to get rid of the small man by endorsing businesses has all but ruined it for me.

After bidding on a few straight razors last night I checked in today to find all my bids had been cancelled. I tried bidding again and got this message.

http://i399.photobucket.com/albums/p...erful/eBay.jpg

These auctions were on both eBay.com and eBay.co.uk

Does this mean you can now list razors for sale on Ebay.co.uk but only sell them to people outside the UK?

This really is mad. I'm gobsmacked.

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Originally Posted by dannywonderful

After bidding on a few straight razors last night I checked in today to find all my bids had been cancelled. I tried bidding again and got this message.

These auctions were on both eBay.com and eBay.co.uk

Does this mean you can now list razors for sale on Ebay.co.uk but only sell them to people outside the UK?

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I would contest that.
Ebay UK policy is here
Weapons and Knives

It says both razor blades & surgical blades are allowed & no mention of "cuthroats" being illegal

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Originally Posted by Neil Miller

UPDATE: The namby-pambies on that Ebay forum are still at it - here are a few samples:

"...This thread and eBay's help for OP has left me incredulous! ..."

"...Well at least all our shaving needs are taken care of on eBay: We can buy deadly cut throat razors..."

"...stabbed meself with a legal screwdriver today [...] and yet these dangerous things are still being sold on ebay!..."

I have even been likened to Osama Bin Laden and to people who sell surface-to-air missiles! To be fair, a few more people are sticking up for me - mainly for being polite though - and pointing out the ridiculous comparisons between terrorists and missiles.

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Could you post a link to this? I'd be interested in seeing it.

PM sent, Pete.

Regards,
Neil.

have to agree. The problem could be that these bans are done by a computer. I would not be surprised that it uses US English in which cut throat has different meaning than in UK one. Just wrong combination of words. Possibly if you list the items as Traditional steel object to be used during everyday ceremony of great importance you could be more successfull. Just thought you would have to be carefull when drawing your razor in front of parliament as you coul find yourself followed by a policeman ready to help you if you needed the assistance.

Ardsprach - I spoke to the Ebay Mods and they say that all the bans in this category are follow-ups on things that have been reported by other users.

I can see a computer helping with listings using banned substances like Ivory or possible trade infringements (eg "Puma" being confused with sports clothing), but these are flagged at listing time.

Call me suspicious, but if Ebay wanted to toe-the-line they could computer process all the listings in every category and pull 1000s of them, so why don't they do that? - could it be they are fonder of monetary gain than following the law?!

The stupidity of having a "cut throat razor" category heading (seriously! it is under collectables>vanity/perfume/grooming>barbershop/shaving>cut throat razors) and then knee-jerk pulling of listings of cut-throat razors (whether of not they have that name in the descriptions: mine and Tony's don't) is what gets me.

I feel the same way about the UK "knife-crime" furore as I do about speeding cameras - they cure the sympton, not the cause. If its not guns, its knives. If its not knives its stanley blades. If its not blades its sharpened aluminium combs. If its not combs, its screwdrivers/axes/claw hammers - and on and on. It's not the implement, its the individual - if they are going to commit crime with a weapon they will use whatever they can get, and we already have laws in place that cover that - carrying an offensive weapon to name but one.

Just to re-cap after that long, tedious diversion of mine, its not the wording that got the listings pulled, just do-gooder numpties.

Regards,
Neil

Couldn't have said it better myself, Neil. If I wanted to use a weapon I wouldn't have to go to the extent of importing a straight razor from the USA, I could just go to the local supermarket and buy something that could harm someone.

You wouldn't believe the velvety edge you can put on a salad fork with a BBW!

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Originally Posted by BKratchmer

You wouldn't believe the velvety edge you can put on a salad fork with a BBW!

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:)

On the other hand, there are several brands of straight, whose names I won't mention, that make the most wonderful folding butter-knives...

I'm with Neil on this: this short-sightedness is a disgrace. Good thing though we can still joke and laugh about it.

I'm afraid you all are mistaken. There are already cunning and insightful steps being taken that will eliminate all Knife Crime in the UK, and after that, the world. Gentlemen, allow me to present the "Stab Proof Knife"! Just think, if these were for sale, everywhere, no one would be able to stab anyone else ever again!

http://www.foxnews.com/images/539586...609_Knives.jpg


First 'Stab-Proof' Knife to Go on Sale in the U.K. - International News | News of the World | Middle East News | Europe News - FOXNews.com

No, sadly, this isn't a joke...

Slightly off topic but they just banned fireworks in our Capital.
The government must be fearful of a Guy Fawkes style attempt to blow em up :gaah:

To those stab proofs. Probably have not seen yet anybody impaled on a flat topped fence post or never heard of possibility of cutting stone with water.
To that Guy Fawkes thing. Was he not the only man entering the Parliament with honest intentions?

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Originally Posted by adrspach

To that Guy Fawkes thing. Was he not the only man entering the Parliament with honest intentions?

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I'm sure many politicians have honest intentions... It's just their actions that create doubt :p

I'm having trouble with that "stab-proof" knife - here's the blurb from the link:

"...The first "anti-stab" knife is set to hit store shelves in the U.K., designed to work as normal in the kitchen but ineffective as a weapon. The knife has a rounded edge instead of a point and will snag on clothing and skin to make it more difficult to stab someone. It was invented by industrial designer John Cornock, who was inspired by a documentary in which doctors advocated banning traditional knives. Cornock, 42, from Swindon. England, said that the knife will cut vegetables, but will make it almost impossible to stab someone to death and will reduce the risk of accidental injuries.
"It can never be a totally safe knife, but the idea is you can’t inflict a fatal wound," he said. "Nobody could just grab one out of the kitchen drawer and kill someone."..."

Reduce accidental injuries? I don't know about anyone else, but I've never stabbed myself in the kitchen, though I have sliced myself!

Can't inflict a fatal wound? It's got a blade hasn't it? Jugular + sharp blade = nasty, usually fatal, wound. Now we need a slash-proof knife! How about an unground blank in a handle? Or knives made out of rubber?

I reckon Cornock hankers after a Big Rock Candy Mountain world, bulldogs with rubber teeth, no axes, saws or picks... Jeez, the world has gone mad.

I would have chuckled if I saw this on April 1st...

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Originally Posted by dannywonderful

Couldn't have said it better myself, Neil. If I wanted to use a weapon I wouldn't have to go to the extent of importing a straight razor from the USA, I could just go to the local supermarket and buy something that could harm someone.

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You wouldnt even have to go that far. Most people have carving knives or bread knives in the kitchen, which I`m sure go missing on a regualr basis. I'm sure there are parents in London who have found knives missing from drawers only for them to be used by their offspring in a mugging or somesuch.

Sainsburys has knives on its shelves which are frequently stolen, in fact I saw someone pocket one the other day. Fortunately they were caught by security...!

Department stores like John Lewis have blocks of lethally sharp Sabatier knives on display, I wonder how many of those get nicked a year?

People with this sort of mentality can always get hold of a weapon, even if its just a block of wood with a nail in it.

Banning razors from eBay is going to do nothing to reduce knife crime. All its going to do is stop people enjoying their hobby. Its the same as the pistol ban after Dunblane, another knee jerk reaction. Gun crime is higher than its ever been, funnily enough committed ususally with illegal weapons, and all its stopped is people enjoying their hobby.

Here endeth the rant! :soapbox:

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Originally Posted by Stubear

Y

People with this sort of mentality can always get hold of a weapon, even if its just a block of wood with a nail in it.

Here endeth the rant! :soapbox:

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"There's nothing like a nice piece of hickory" :D