A Bookmark Is An Offensive Weapon According to eBay
I cannot believe what eBay have done today. I had an email from them to say that two of my items had been removed from sale as they breached their Weapons and Knives Policy. I had to re-read the email as the two items that they had removed were two thin silver bookmarks, yes two silver bookmarks. The reason is that I described them as dagger shape in my eBay antique silver shop (which they are and I must comply with the Trades Description Act), but offensive weapons they are definitely not.
After I had stopped laughing, the anger crept in and I was on the telephone to eBay Customer Services saying that there must be some mistake as one of these items had been listed for sale since December 2011. But no, the eBay Policy Department were not budging saying that they are dagger shape and could be misused and they were not going to re-list them.
Whilst I agree in principle with their Weapons Policy, it is being interpreted by someone who clearly has never read a book and used a bookmark!
They set out the weapons policy items that you are allowed to sell which include razor blades, surgical blades, tools such as chisels, axes and saws, however small 2 inch flimsy bladed bookmarks in the shape of daggers are not allowed.
I am so incensed with this that I have decided to take this story to the national newspapers, to show that by taking their knife policy literally, even bookmarks are now classed as weapons. As a result of this, my policy compliance on eBay has been lowered because of these two listings, again laughable.
This is the second time I have suffered the crazy eBay Policy Department decisions. In January they removed a bone handled pair of fish servers as they breached their Animals Plants & Wildlife Policy. On this occasion it was because I could not identify which animal it came from, Daisy possibly? Read more here EBay Bonehead Or Bone Handled?
This means people are just putting anything they like into titles and description which are lies to avoid these crazy eBay Policies, just take a look at how many “faux” tortoiseshell items are listed! Its either tortoiseshell or its not!
Here are some more images of these “offensive weapons”
To enlarge any image click once, wait for it to load and then click the image again
1330 05/04/12 Guess what – Its all change at eBay! They have now decided my two antique silver bookmarks no longer breach their weapons policy and presumably can no longer be misused and can be re listed. What a farce eBay is turning into these days!!
It is ridiculous, considering you could probably hurt somebody with most household objects – but they certainly do have a point to them.