Ebay lost the plot! Don't use the word 'style'.....

[havocpaul]

I had listed a lovely original 1940's horsehide 'Barnstormer' jacket last weekend and had several bids, eBay then this evening cancelled the listing apparently for breach of copyright and brand, they took exception to the words 'U Boat style' in the title! I wasn't aware there are old Kriegsmarine vets out there defending the U Boat name as a brand all of a sudden! I removed the word style, I can't see the word Barnstormer belongs to any maker hopefully so eBay should leave it now. Really annoys me as I have had to relist and lost the potential sales if they decide not to rebid. Another example of the eBay police madness IMO.

 

[Dinerman]

You're not even allowed to use terms like that (or reproduction, repro, etc) in the Vintage Reproduction category. It's pretty nuts.

 

[robrinay]

I know the feeling - I had a genuine Belstaff taken off sale because some "toaster" (predictive text for a more rude word) had told them it was a fake- It wasn't. I've also had genuine pen cases / boxes delisted as apparently people buy them in order to help sell their fake pens - bad news for vintage pen collectors etc. who want to buy original boxes.

 

[handymike]

I had that happen when I listed a watch bracelet as fitting a certain watch- even though this was a vintage replacement for that make and model.
It gets tricky....

 

[rocketeer]

I firmly believe eBay are trying to get rid of the private small time buyers with these pathetic restrictions. I had a toy(Model) Mercedes 770K removed as it was a model of Hitlers Parade car, deemed an item of racial hatred, you cannot list things as 'nearly new' or 'As new' even. The returns policy is even worse in some cases allowing buyers to keep items they are not happy with and also get their money back.
I have had some great deals from eBay as a seller but I doubt it would worry me too much if the whole business went down the pan. In actual fact that may be a good idea

 

[technovox]

You're not alone. It happened to me too. I listed a vintage watch on EBAY as a retro "tank" style. But apparently, according to ebay, Cartier owns the word "tank." So EBAY pulled my listing.

While I'm very sympathetic to copyright issues, piracy and forgeries, I felt this went a little too far.

 

[Edward]

eBay have their feet to the fire when it comes to making sure they don't get done for infringement of intellectual property. Seller caught out on some of these things have my sympathy; tey're paying for the idiots who put "Aero style", "Like Eastman, Aero, RMNZ", "not Buzz Rickson" and such on their titles.

 

[havocpaul]

It seems U Boat is now a brand name for ridiculously high priced watches so maybe that's what they object to despite it being a vintage jacket!! I guess they think their buyers are thick and might not read anything other than the title of the item and not capable of telling a vintage item from a new one...whatever, it has cost me the three bids it had and who knows of they will bid again.

 

[LouisBailie]

I was just involved in a transaction where the seller opened a new seller account then listed a jacket as a Lost Worlds, then hrs later removed the wording. Then sent ebay comm s to several buyers that he was instructed to take it off, but it was a Lost worlds 6-7 year old item.

Turns out that it was one of real early 92-93 items sold off as seconds and pre production models for 100-110. Very small in sizing and completely different from current production sizing or models. It was returned because it was badly misrepresented and paypal refunded. Feedback left to warn potential future buyers

Then relisted them back under his other seller name claiming never to have gotten a negative. Ebay did nothing. Ebay is mainly concerned with collecting those fees.

 

[handymike]

Do they post these rules? or is some algarythm going through and tagging terms in the system? I doubt the staff is doing the searching or knows what half the listed items are.

 

[havocpaul]

It sometimes will flag up when you are about to upload a listing if it breaks their many rules on brand and copyright. They used to have some system that picked up on brand names as they worked alongside those big corporations trying to stop fakes. I had a problem several years ago when trying to sell a Vietnam war Zippo which was genuine Zippo but they said it wasn't and I couldn't sell it. They certainly have no staff with specialist knowledge particularly with vintage items hence this incident, and from comments above, others too.

 

[rocketeer]

eBay have their feet to the fire when it comes to making sure they don't get done for infringement of intellectual property. Seller caught out on some of these things have my sympathy; tey're paying for the idiots who put "Aero style", "Like Eastman, Aero, RMNZ", "not Buzz Rickson" and such on their titles.

I dont think it is as bad as you think actually. Try looking up A2 Jacket or B3 jacket, even Irvin brings up masses of lookalikes, where as someone advertising 'Not Eastman', 'Like Buzz Rickson' tells you it is not an Eastman or Buzz etc etc. I just looked up Eastman Jacket, 16 items came up, Aero leather jacket brought up 35 items. After dismissing the items I was not interested in it would not take long to flush out the real items.
As for brand names being banned, not that long ago there was a bargain label of retro clothing from the "Used Clothing Co"(probably still sold in stores such as TK Maxx). So should we all be vigilant and try to stop anyone using the words 'Used' Jacket? Be it Aero Eastman or some non de script mall jacket?

 

[Justhandguns]

I dont think it is as bad as you think actually. Try looking up A2 Jacket or B3 jacket, even Irvin brings up masses of lookalikes, where as someone advertising 'Not Eastman', 'Like Buzz Rickson' tells you it is not an Eastman or Buzz etc etc. I just looked up Eastman Jacket, 16 items came up, Aero leather jacket brought up 35 items. After dismissing the items I was not interested in it would not take long to flush out the real items.
As for brand names being banned, not that long ago there was a bargain label of retro clothing from the "Used Clothing Co"(probably still sold in stores such as TK Maxx). So should we all be vigilant and try to stop anyone using the words 'Used' Jacket? Be it Aero Eastman or some non de script mall jacket?

As a seller, I am completely disappointed with ebay, too many restrictions, too high of all the charges. As a buyer, I am also frustrated with all those 'junk hits' that overwhelm all the positive hits. I suspect when TaoBao or Alibaba get international in the future, it can overtake ebay by offering a more flexible platform. Not that I like the antics of the Chinese based auction site, but I think it is time to give ebay a run for its money.

 

[nick123]

The eBay HQ is about five minutes away from my house. I'll be sure to give it the bird from now on when I drive by.

 

[Horace Debussy Jones]

It's getting pretty ridiculous! maybe you could use "unterseeboot" instead? [huh]

 

[rocketeer]

As a seller, I am completely disappointed with ebay, too many restrictions, too high of all the charges. As a buyer, I am also frustrated with all those 'junk hits' that overwhelm all the positive hits. I suspect when TaoBao or Alibaba get international in the future, it can overtake ebay by offering a more flexible platform. Not that I like the antics of the Chinese based auction site, but I think it is time to give ebay a run for its money.

Yes I can see your point here, I just put in a search for a souvenir Lanzarote Devil Necklace to replace one I lost. In the old days todays search would have brought '0' returns, but what do we get today? Hundreds of necklaces, non from Lanzarote, but there was an ashtray with the Devil on it.
I no longer sell as it is so easy to scam sellers, I rarely buy, and can often find the same things cheaper elsewhere on the net.

 

[Smithy]

Ebay is a right royal pain in the backside much of the time irrespective of whether you're a buyer or a seller. I buy the odd thing off there but haven't bothered to sell anything on it in well over a year. I now try and source whatever I'm after from alternative places. It won't be long and someone will come along and give them a real run for their money (literally) and it's crying out to happen now.

eBay back in the day was great, sadly you can't say the same for it in 2014.

 

[Azog]

I've had a recent ebay woe as well. I bought a mint condition old deerskin leather halfbelt jacket from the US. Ebay USA has the option of selling with the Global Shipping Program which uses the company Pitney Bowes to do the customs work which the seller was using. Anyway Pitney Bowes determined the jacket couldn't be sent to Australia and have permanently seized the item. I've been fully refunded by Ebay and the seller gets to keep the money I paid them but the jacket is now most likely going to be destroyed or suffer whatever fate seized customs items have.
I've got my money back but I really wanted that jacket!
I've bought many leather jackets from the USA before through ebay with no customs issues until ebays Pitney Bowes scheme took control. I can only think that the seller declared it as a deerskin jacket (it was tanned and looked like usual brown leather and was minty clean) rather than declaring it as a leather jacket.
I would advise any international ebay buyers to ask the seller not to use the Global Shipping Program or ask the seller to declare it as a leather jacket. Not deerskin, not horsehide, not bison etc.
Any info on the net that I found about Pitney Bowes has all been negative. From stories of people who work there to people who get things shipped through them.

 

[Smithy]

I've had a recent ebay woe as well. I bought a mint condition old deerskin leather halfbelt jacket from the US. Ebay USA has the option of selling with the Global Shipping Program which uses the company Pitney Bowes to do the customs work which the seller was using. Anyway Pitney Bowes determined the jacket couldn't be sent to Australia and have permanently seized the item. I've been fully refunded by Ebay and the seller gets to keep the money I paid them but the jacket is now most likely going to be destroyed or suffer whatever fate seized customs items have.
I've got my money back but I really wanted that jacket!
I've bought many leather jackets from the USA before through ebay with no customs issues until ebays Pitney Bowes scheme took control. I can only think that the seller declared it as a deerskin jacket (it was tanned and looked like usual brown leather and was minty clean) rather than declaring it as a leather jacket.
I would advise any international ebay buyers to ask the seller not to use the Global Shipping Program or ask the seller to declare it as a leather jacket. Not deerskin, not horsehide, not bison etc.
Any info on the net that I found about Pitney Bowes has all been negative. From stories of people who work there to people who get things shipped through them.

That Global Shipping Program they've kicked off recently is an absolute joke and bloody hopeless for those outside of the States buying items from there. All you hear about it are horror stories and horrific amounts of stuffing around.

And sorry to hear of your jacket, that is just sublimely ridiculous, but sadly ultimately sums up that balls up that they call the Global Shipping Program.

 

[Horace Debussy Jones]

Getting to be about time for all us smalltime sellers of unique items to bail. I just recently put some stuff on Etsy again. Sold a few items too.
I think a huge paradigm shift is coming here as greedbay gets worse and worse. They've gotten just too big for their britches as they say,..

Yes I can see your point here, I just put in a search for a souvenir Lanzarote Devil Necklace to replace one I lost. In the old days todays search would have brought '0' returns, but what do we get today? Hundreds of necklaces, non from Lanzarote, but there was an ashtray with the Devil on it.
I no longer sell as it is so easy to scam sellers, I rarely buy, and can often find the same things cheaper elsewhere on the net.