Are ebay and PayPal anti gun?

[Mags]

Again my question goes unaswered:

If Ebay is so antigun, why do they allow you to list scopes, grips, holsters, rails, mounts, slings, sights, stocks, reloading equipment, etc..?

Also this actually makes sense:

They allowed magazines and other gun parts until after the Virginia Tech shooting. Then they stopped selling "functional" parts of the gun. Those parts that actually allowed the gun to fire. Cho, the VT shooter had bought some mags off E-Bay.

Why would you want to tie your multi-million dollar buisiness in with a murderer like Cho? Especially when gun sales are probably a very small demographic for Ebay.

I am not pro Ebay, I just use them alot for most purchases and would like actual proof of Ebay being antigun such as contributions to the Brady campaign or Ebay just flat out stating we are anti gun. Not allowing gun sales and being anti-gun are two different things all together.

 

[alohachris]

I made & attempted to sell a couple of holsters on Ebay. I listed them with no problems, then they disappeared. I then received the following email from Ebay:

Dear alohachris ([email protected]),

You recently listed the following listing:

140416798468 - Ruger 22/45 Kydex Holster - Custom
140416804435 - Ruger 22/45 Kydex Holster - Custom
140416812147 - Smith & Wesson 500 Kydex Holster


Unfortunately, we had to remove your listing because the following information violates our policy:

The sale of actual firearms is heavily regulated by the federal government as well as many state and local governments. As a result of these restrictions and for the safety of the eBay community, your item cannot be seen with an actual gun in the picture.

Because of various laws and regulations involving the sale of weapons, most types of weapons can't be listed on eBay. So, for example, we don't allow listings for guns, including:
- Ammunition for guns
- Antique guns
- Collectible guns
- Hunting guns
- Sport guns

For more information on our policy, visit:
http://pages.ebay.com/help/policies/firearms-weapons-knives.html


You may need to take a tutorial. The next time you sell, you may be asked to take the tutorial, if it's required. Once you've completed the tutorial successfully, please review your account status for any other possible concerns. If there are no other issues, you should be able to sell again.

I just sell on GUNBROKER.COM now. It's much easier, cheaper and I can have a picture of a gun in my listing. You can see these 'Unsafe' for the Ebay community pics for yourself here:

Ruger 22/45
Smith & Wesson 500
Ruger Carbon

 

[Mags]

The sale of actual firearms is heavily regulated by the federal government as well as many state and local governments. As a result of these restrictions and for the safety of the eBay community, your item cannot be seen with an actual gun in the picture.

Again makes sense from the legal standpoint. This ensures you are not selling the holster with a "free gun" trust me I have seen ads like that(not on ebay).

 

[Maj Dad]

My current position is Sxxxx eBay and pay-pal, and Sxxxx the horse they rode in on too!
I will never ever give them another cent of my money, for anything!

rc speaks for me & I'm sure for a lot of us - just say no.

 

[Shadow 7D]

Where most of the animosity comes from is comments by the founder and upper management, lets just say silicone valley isn't known for it's shooting ranges.

 

[alohachris]

Mags, that would be true, IF my ads said something to that effect. They did not.

If I took the same picture, and photoshopped the gun color to pink, they would take the photo. Does that make sense?

 

[robhof]

I have a complete set of barrels for my DW 357max that I couldn't find anywhere and some hard to find barrels for my TC, but that was before the ban. They still have the best prices and variety of sights, scopes, and grips of any auction site. so I'll continue to use them.

 

[dogtown tom]

Impureclient Also to note is their policy of confiscating money when fraudulent activity has taken place.
I can call myself lucky as I walked away from a scam operation on myself with Paypal taking the hit.
They were not pleased that they could not pass the bill onto me. Use any other source you can to buy
something then use them at last resort whether gun related or not.

Huh?
Seems to me that using PayPal saved your butt. Why then, do you recommend not using them.

Sunray "...PayPal has been accused of cancelling transactions and closing the accounts, without notice, of customers selling firearms and firearms related items. Some say they had to fight to get funds being held by PayPal returned too.

Yep.
PayPal policies CLEARLY prohibit using their service to purchase and sell firearms. How in the heck can you be surprised that they would cancel a transaction that violates their business policies?
I would fully EXPECT them to do just that, as their policy SAYS THEY WILL. Guess what? UPS will not pay off on an insurance claim if their firearms shipping policy is not followed. That doesn't make them anti gun.

alohachris I made & attempted to sell a couple of holsters on Ebay. I listed them with no problems, then they disappeared. I then received the following email from Ebay...

So..............you're upset because you violated their policy and got caught?

Ebay is quite upfront about NO REAL GUNS IN YOUR PHOTO. As posted earlier, Ebay treads on thin ice in other countries where even a photo of a gun in a "for sale" ad could cause them trouble.

You chose to ignore their business policies, and they pulled your auction. What did you expect?

 

[Charleo0192]

They're anti liability and anti controversy.

^^^this^^^

 

[EddieNFL]

Ebay and PayPal are antigun in the same way as:

McDonalds
Burger King
Home Depot
Toys R Us
Kroger
Safeway
Nike
Wonder Bread
Target
Chevrolet
Ford
Microsoft
Time Warner Cable
Sprint
Shell Oil

All of them absolutely REFUSE to sell guns OR ammunition! That's unAmerican!BOYCOTT THEM ALL!!!!!!!

If anyone ever cares to actually read Ebay's policies you'll find out why they do not allow listing of certain firearms parts. It has to do with Ebay conducting business in OTHER countries- countries that have severe restrictions on firearms, firearms parts, Nazi relics, etc. As all Ebay sites are viewable in those countries, Ebay risks being shutout completely if they offer up an item prohibited under the laws of that other country.

The American firearms community LOVES to snipe away at a business out to make a profit. Heck, look at GunBroker and count how many sellers refuse to ship guns to California. Or how about FFL's that refuse to receive a shipment from someone who doesn't hold an FFL? That's MORE antigun than Ebay!

But hey..........it's just easier to call them anti gun.

***BTW, thanks go out to Ebay....the $$$ I've made off selling have paid for at least five guns.

No bias here.

 

[4v50 Gary]

EBay stopped my purchase of a scope and even a Civil War image because "sharpshooter" was used to list the soldier's image. Anal.

 

[dogtown tom]

EddieNFL

Quote:
***BTW, thanks go out to Ebay....the $$$ I've made off selling have paid for at least five guns.

No bias here.

Bias? Maybe. But only if you conveniently ignore the fact that Ebays business decisions are just that- business decisions. Their business decision to not allow the sale of firearms and certain firearms parts killed 80% of my Ebay sales. I used to sell upwards of $4,000 worth of pistol magazines a year. No more. Did I complain? Yep. Did I call them names or shout from the rooftop that they are anti gun? No. I'm smart enough to know why they did it.

When Ebay actually allowed the sale of firearms how many were delighted and bought or sold firearms there? How many proudly proclaimed them as "pro gun"? Damned few. Apparently they WERE pro gun at one point.

The biggest firearms retailer in the country is ridiculed almost daily on this website. There are hundreds of "WalMart is the debil" threads and posts where someone pleads with forum members to support the "mom & pop" gun shop vs the "big box" store. If the biggest firearms retailer in the country isn't pro gun who would be? But as soon as Wally decides he can make more $$$ in that floor space selling cups & saucers....guess what? No more guns. That isn't anti gun, that's business.

Just because a retailer chooses to not sell guns or an online auction does not allow firearm auctions is faaaar from being anti gun.

Our anger at so called anti gunners is wasted when directed at businesses. Aim it at those who actually make a difference- politicians.

 

[alohachris]

dogtown tom wrote:

So..............you're upset because you violated their policy and got caught?

It was my first (and last) time. I was aware of the firearm ban, but had no idea that a picture of a gun in a holster, when selling a holster was against their policy. I never said i was upset. I just choose to sell elsewhere because it's easier (and cheaper) Gunbroker's fees are much less than Ebay's.

 

[ThePunisher'sArmory]

Are ebay and PayPal anti gun? Yes prob so, and I don't know or care I dont trust paypal.

 

[Defense Minister]

Just sold my Aimpoint on there yesterday that the "pro-gun" community wouldn't even give me 200 bucks for.

This was EXACTLY my experience, too. I tried to sell my Aimpoint on Gunbroker for several weeks at a VERY fair price, and the only response I had was one "pro-gun" guy emailing me with a low ball offer. Sold it on eBay at asking price the first time I listed it there.

I realize they may be anti-gun, and I really don't care for their "my way or the highway" attitude, but I'm not going to stop driving my 2001 Toyota Tundra because the brakes don't work right on my neighbors 2009 Toyota Camry.

 

[oldbear]

Anti gun? I'll be the strange one here and say that if I had a multi billion dollar empire like ebay/paypal then I wouldn't allow gun sales either. It's too hard to keep track of and I wouldn't want to risk the profit on the firearm liability. It would be irresponsible to my corporation and shareholders.

+1

Well written. In today’s litigious climate it's hard not to blame E-bay and Pay-Pal for not wanting to have to deal with the hassle of record keeping and the potential of a law suite. As much as I ENJOY my shooting sports, if I were the C.E.O. of E-bay I would have made the same decision.

 

[Guns and more]

Are ebay and PayPal anti gun?

I think they are anti-lawsuit.
They stay away from anything gun so someone doesn't shoot themselves and sue E-Bay.

 

[Limeyfellow]

alohachris:
I made & attempted to sell a couple of holsters on Ebay. I listed them with no problems, then they disappeared. I then received the following email from Ebay:

You recently listed the following listing:

140416798468 - Ruger 22/45 Kydex Holster - Custom
140416804435 - Ruger 22/45 Kydex Holster - Custom
140416812147 - Smith & Wesson 500 Kydex Holster

Ebay use an automatic script and it probably saw the firearm names and flagged it for removal, rather than the holsters themselves. I bought numerous holsters from Ebay without a problem. Ebay have to be careful with the international part of their business and liability insurance.

 

[Hatterasguy]

I don't think it was as much a political decision as a business decision.

Selling guns exposes ebay to liability, that they didn't want to deal with. More so since they are international. Same with the Nazi stuff, thats a great way to get them kicked out of Germany. The money they could make on it wasn't worth losing that market.

As a result of them giving up that market, gunbroker.com has gladly stepped up to fill the nich.

 

[kybandit]

Yes, both are decidedly anti-gun.

 

[Girodin]

IIRC it was Ebay firing an employee that led to the Utah legislature passing a law that allowed people to leave guns in their cars in business parking lots.