Ebay - what is going on ?

[Whiskytaster]

Does anyone know what is going on at Ebay ?

Is it my imagination or is there alot less on ebay these days? I was just watching a Highland Park 21 with 6 hours to run, and half an hour later it had disappeared...!

anyone ?

[AdamMY]

If I recall correctly, ebay realized it had to many liability issues with alcohol sales. The fact that minors could easily go on and purchase alcohol, in which no one would ever check their age, and its basically a system on good faith. I belive Ebay decided it was no longer going to allow any alcohol to be sold through its services.

I am not sure when that is going in effect, it might have been effective as of October first, as I thought it was announced in September if not August.

*Edit* Talked to a few people, and it is starting to go into effect. But it is not all alcohol, if it is really deemed as collectible, and not for consumption, it is acceptable. It sounds like they are allowing bottles with bottling dates at least 20 years ago.

[whiskynig]

Apparently you can still sell whisky on the European ebay sites. Really don`t know what the difference is, I thought their alcohol - to - minors laws were much the same as ours.

[richard]

i have just had my bottle removed by ebay and trying to find why is like pulling teeth out without anesthetic hard work

i am waiting for a reply from ebay i think somebody has complained about the bottle so they took it off

shame it isnt the same for every one

i think we will have to wait and see what happens


richard

[richard]

just had an email it seems to be this 20 year old rule they have just bought out
shame they dont do it to everybody a bit one sided

it seems to be a new rule until you break it you dont know what you have done

there are many breaking the new rules lets see how many are taken off ??

richard

[John Barleycorn]

What is this 20 year old rule?

[richard]

please find what ebay sent to me below



















































We appreciate that you chose eBay to list your listing(s). However, we have removed your (s) because it breaches our Alcohol and Tobacco policy.


Why did we remove your listing?

Please note that our policy allows selling of unopened alcohol containers as a collectible as an exception only. Unfortunately we have seen cases recently where the policy exception was misused. Therefore we have decided to strictly enforce the policy in order to ensure marketplace safety. We particularly do not consider containers that are younger than 20 years meeting the requirement set out in the policy that ?the container has a value that substantially exceeds the current retail price of the alcohol in the container?. Thank you for your understanding.

In accordance with our User Agreement, items prohibited by law or by eBay policy are not allowed on eBay.

The sale of alcohol and tobacco is highly regulated in the UK and Ireland. We don't generally allow members to list alcohol- or tobacco-containing products on the site. You may list a collectable container that happens to contain alcohol as long as the following conditions are met:

- The value of the listed item is in the collectible container, not its contents.

- The container has not been opened, and any incidental contents are not intended for consumption.

- The item is not available at any retail outlet, and the container has a value that substantially exceeds the current retail price of the alcohol in the container.

- As the seller, you will take steps to ensure that the buyer of the collectible container is of lawful age in the buyer and seller's jurisdiction and you are in compliance with any and all applicable laws and shipping regulations in carrying out the transaction

[wadewood]

ABC had TV show called 20/20 that ran an episode in late Sept. showing a 13 year old buying 2 bottles of Grey Goose Vodka on ebay with no ID age check.

Ebay's response in the US was to remove all Alcohol sales (exception for pre approved sellers of Wine). Here is link to policy: http://pages.ebay.com/help/policies/alcohol.html

There are no exceptions for bottles over 20 years old.

I seen a few listings get through and sold, but for the most part Ebay removes these listings.

I would also like to say that the previous policy of allowing sales of "collectible containers whose contents were incidentally" did not have any legal basis in US law. If you were not a licensed retailer, then it is against US law to sell alcohol.

[wiskerz]

this is very true
ive just had 6 bottles of ardbeg
removed all with bids
what a joke why would a kid spend £100 + for bottle of single malt ????
not sure where is best now to sell and buy

[richard]

they only remove your bottle if somebody sends them a complaint they dont check what somebody is selling

one of my bottles was taken off yet further down the list the same bottle was not so its only if somebody complains a bit one sided

the best one is the macallan private eye is touted as a 1961 vintage and thirthy five years old whisky

the majority of the whisky is in the teens and contains whisky from a barrel in 1961
but is still a very young whisky about twelve years old according to michael jackson
yet if you tell ebay they do nothing ??

richard

[Scottie]

I too have fallen foul of eBay's "20 years old" rule.
I listed a genuinely collectable bottle, all criteria met - not available at retail outlet etc etc, and it was removed.
Are there really self appointed eBay police out there?
Either way eBay have no idea what constitutes "collectable".
I will look for an alternative auction place to buy and sell
Any suggestions?

[John Barleycorn]

I will look for an alternative auction place to buy and sell
Any suggestions?

Where are you based?

Cheers John

[richard]

i must admit i was a bit dissapointed after having one of my bottles taken off as it hadnt been seen for a while at least three years since it was last sold

but after a while i realised its stopping the hoovers buying up the latest bottle and selling it straight away

the only problem is it will affect the genuine collectors




richard

[Scottie]

I am based in North of Scotland.
As far as I can see there is no direct comparison with eBay available, i.e. bottles have to be sent to auction organiser who sells them on your behalf and sends them on.

[CBMF609]

This is a copy of the message I received from ebay.

Dear nurse62laura (laurarehmer@yahoo.com),

You recently listed the following listing:

130786531296 - Vintage Collectible Whiskey Bottle Very Rare I.W. Harper Unopened


Unfortunately, we had to remove your listing because of the following:

You listed an item that contains alcohol.

eBay wants to ensure its sellers and buyers comply with all governmental laws and regulations. Since the sale of certain alcoholic products is prohibited by law, regulated, or may cause harm to eBay or its members, sellers may not list the specified alcoholic products on eBay.

We ask that you not relist this item.

All fees associated with a listing we remove are credited back to your account. You should already see this credit reflected in your account balance.



eBay does not permit listings for most alcoholic beverages and tobacco products on our U.S. Web site. This includes cigarettes, cigars, and smokeless tobacco. In addition, non-U.S. members are not allowed to sell alcohol to an eBay member who is located in the United States.

However, listings for some tobacco- or alcohol-related collectibles, such as packaging, containers, and other memorabilia, are permitted on eBay under certain conditions.

For more information about this eBay policy, please visit:
http://pages.ebay.com/help/policies/alcohol.html





Please note: violation of this or other eBay policies may result in forfeit of eBay fees on cancelled listings, limits on account privileges and account suspension.

You can review our list of prohibited and restricted items here:
http://pages.ebay.com/help/policies/items-ov.html

If you have any more questions, contact our policy experts. Get started by clicking the link below.
http://contact.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dl ... rom=163954

We appreciate your understanding.

Thanks,

eBay

Why did eBay remove my listing?
http://pages.ebay.com/help/sell/questio ... ended.html

Knowing the rules for sellers:
http://pages.ebay.com/help/sell/policies.html

[rarewhiskycollector]

I have been buying and selling whisky on EBAY for numerous years amd you are all right they have now made it nearly impossible to sell. The first thing they did was prevent the listings being shown on foreign sites, then they bought in the ridiculous 20 year rule. I.E if the whisky is bottled within the last 20 years it is not collectable, not that the whisky must be 20 years old. Howver the killer is that if they can find the bottle listed any where for sale on the internet it will be removed. Great news for aution houses and big whisky shops, bad news for competition. Also if any one reports the item it will be removed. The rules were changed in October because an underage USA minor bought alcohol in the USA on EBAY. What they didn't report was that it was a set up with the newspapers and the parents actively encouraged this purchase with their EBAY and PAYPAL accounts which you have to be over 18 to have!! So basicallyunless EBAY changes it mind (unlikely) it is now a dead loss for whisky collectors. My advise do what I did and set up your own website (whisky4sale) at least that will put a bit of competition back in the market.

[rarewhiskycollector]

Oh by the way I forgot to mention that EBAY never bothered telling anyone about the rule changes, just slapped nasty enforcement notices on everyone threatening account suspension etc.

[bifter]

First post, hi to the forum! I bought a couple of bottles of the Lidl Maxwell 33 on Thursday, one to drink and one to sell and, hopefully, recoup my outlay. However I've had my listing removed from eBay for this spurious 20 year rule that applies to the container rather than the contents! What's even more annoying is that some sellers still have their listings up and one has even sold! I was also easily able to find many, many examples of whisky for sale where the vintage stated clearly precludes any possibility of the container being 20 years old.

I'm so angry I've told eBay I'm going to fold my account unless they reinstate it but, predictably, I've been ignored so far. I've listed on a couple of less well known classifieds sites but Gumtree prohibit any listings of alcohol.

I actually registered here as I thought there may be a listings section but it would appear not? Are there any other places I've missed?

[jotter]

Hi rarewhisky collector,
What did you do about an alcohol licence? I always thought you needed one to set up shop both physically and on the net? I think ebay has had the container being sold blind spot but i doubt that works for a web shop. I'm interested because irs something i considered doing but was put off by the red tape and expense.

[richard]

hi bifter if they have taken yours off they should take off all the others all you have to do is report each item by going on there seperate ebay pages and reporting each one
no problem

richard

[bifter]

hi bifter if they have taken yours off they should take off all the others all you have to do is report each item by going on there seperate ebay pages and reporting each one
no problem

richard

Sounds like rare fun

[rarewhiskycollector]

I think i am on my 20th reply to EBAY now and would say that 19 of their replies have the exact same wording in them, i.e they are not interested in your opinions this is their rule and they aint gonna change it. I agree it is incredibly annoying seeing other bottles still for sale especially by shop resellers who are selling supermarket products as well!!

[Scottie]

You ain't gonna get anywhere with eBay. They don't understand the concept of collectable and aren't going to try.
I would have thought that they are losing 000's in fees/commission so more fools them.
This story about alcohol being sold to under 18's just doesn't wash. There are a multitude of web-sites out there where kids can buy booze with a borrowed credit card.
If they havn't already done so all they need to do is get a licence to sell alcohol on line, if indeed one is required. (maybe the subject of a new thread?).
I'm still looking for an alternative auction where you don't have to send your bottles to the auction house first but acts as a "middle man" like the eBay system.
Any advice?

[jotter]

I wonder if some of the reporting that is going on is a little mischeveous. It seems that the bottles being taken down are those recently for sale and that are being turned over shortly thereafter. For example a few forums mentioning the maxwell 33 are openly encouraging people to report bottles for sale as breaking ebay rules. Sour grapes one might say as many other whiskies are getting through the net. If ebay were that serious they would introduce a blanket ban as they did with some knives and replica weapons.

[mikeymad]

...If ebay were that serious they would introduce a blanket ban as they did with some knives and replica weapons.

They are pretty close...

http://pages.ebay.com/help/policies/alcohol.html

Not allowed

Alcohol products other than pre-approved wine listings
Liquor licenses
Non-alcoholic or de-alcoholized beer
Other alcohols listed in the Wine category
Wine listed outside of the approved Wine category

Not allowed

Collectible alcohol containers if they still contain any alcoholic content.
Open containers of alcohol.

[jotter]

That is in the US in the Uk rules containers are still ok with the disclaimer. I notice that restrictions only apply with international listed items.

Allowed
Collectable containers that may still contain alcohol. (Sellers must include the alcohol disclaimer verbatim in the listing.)
Empty collectable alcohol containers.

Restricted
Collectable containers that contain alcohol and offer international postage.

Not allowed
Alcohol products intended for consumption
Bottles of wine (including port, champagne, etc.) are not allowed, as their value is generally based on the wine in the bottle rather than the bottle itself.
Collectable  containers that contain alcohol with an item description that describes the container’s contents or implies the alcohol is consumable
Items that don't have the alcohol disclaimer verbatim in the listing (or in smaller font than the rest of the description)
Open containers of alcohol

[mikeymad]

aye.. yeah those rules leave it more open ended for you guys....

[bredman]

hi bifter if they have taken yours off they should take off all the others all you have to do is report each item by going on there seperate ebay pages and reporting each one
no problem

richard

Sounds like rare fun

Bifter. Your bottle is STILL available in outlets and it is NOT collectable and never will be. Regardless of the current issues with eBay it's speculators like yourself with no patience and list up on eBay for a quick profit that are a part of the problem and not the solution. And now, just for infantile pleasure you'll report other sellers with genuine collectable bottles. Strewth, how will things change for the better? Like i said, just a part of the problem.

[richard]

i thought it wouldnt take long to get around ebays new rules
you just say its twenty years old even if it isnt they dont have any one to check if its correct

richard

[jotter]

Where is this 20 year rule? It isn't in any guideline on the ebay rules for collectible containers? I'm puzzled by this whole thing. Are british users complaining about listings that don't comply with US rules?

[whiskygalore7]

Hey now i have heard it all and, i too have been placed in the HORNS OF DILEMMA as a result of the new eBay policy and you one off MAXWELL sellers who nipped down to Aldi or Cosco and queued up for hours to turn a buck well if the weather was freezing and you spent all night to get a bottle or two i might have felt a little sympathy for you? but then when your listing is taken off by ebay!! you all grass each other up and any one else you might not know ,sounds as though you enjoy it ? does it really make you feel better ? LOL
.Why not stick to your day job and let the pros get on with it.Remember this is eBay you are talking about they are a law unto themselves you can scream from the highest roof top but sadly it will fall on deaf ears.
So when this happened to me i just moved to eBay .com Germany this was not recently but some 8 months ago i could not get any common sense from ebay UK i knew i was a target from the grassers !!! and fellow competitors, and i had a very large stock of whisky,and so for 6 months i sold from this site it was ok,then eBay UK contacted me and asked me to come back and said i was a very valued customer and things were now sorted,so i moved back,and now here we go again .However my situation is very different to many sellers as this is my own whisky from my own casks it cannot be bought anywhere only from me, it was distilled in 1989 in fact i owned 10 casks ,and at that very same time i bought 2500 new empty bottles and stored them. my reason for my purchase was i knew at some stage i had to bottle my whisky and as we all know prices go up,i even have the receipt for these bottles dated,Jan 1990.So all my listings are for single malt whisky all over 21 rears and the bottles are at least 21 years which in a nutshell totally complies with the new enforcement rulings by eBay.Yes you have guessed right they have removed many of my listings not all but slowly slowly they are getting rid of me ,despite the fact that i TOTALLY COMPLY i have all the documents for the casks the duty i paid and a receipt for the purchase of the new empty bottles in 1991.All i can say is i am flogging a dead horse, maybe i should sue em?
I think its time again to say goodbye to eBay UK once again and reopen in eBay Germany.
If you wanted to make money from eBay you MAXWELL guys should have bought shares in the Company 6 months ago they were 40 US dollars now 52 US why bother selling whisky ? eBay must be doing some things right, however for us sellers trying to speak to a brick wall is something else.
Looks like Aldi /Cosco with the hidden Speyside distillery that is supplying them also might have to think twice about stocking whisky now the eBay outlet is finished.
Cheers!!!!!!!!!

[Scottie]

whiskygalore7

I don't think you do comply.
To comply your bottles would have to be available for sale as a finished product so to speak pre-1992, i.e. on the shelf for sale before that date. Yours have only been available as a finished product in the last year or so from what you say.
I too have had problems with genuinely over 20 year old bottles.
On asking why they were removed I received a reply stating that I did not state the date when the bottles were last for sale, but I could re-list if I did so.
I duly re-listed with a date of 1990, and guess what, bottles were removed again!
How easy is it to list on eBay.de. Do you have to re-register?
Thanks
Scottie

[richard]

if you dont mind me asking whisky galore
why did you buy 10 casks of whisky

ebay allways been funny they can take off a whisky at any time they did to me once because i put the alcahol percnet on the main title
which is not allowed but till you do it you dont know

richard

[whiskygalore7]

Scottie/Richard
Why did i buy these cask you asked.Well as an investment it would not be possible for me to consume that much whisky, although i do have a dram every night.If you or any one wants to buy any let me know,they are all duty paid,with the appropriate paper work. all single malts and are all 21 year + and the bottles are without labels,great if you want your own logo
Your comments on the bottles i think you got mixed up with the dates?
My containers/bottles were purchased in 1990.Which makes them 22 years of age,and as one is selling the container,not the contents they comply as the container/bottle is deemed as being collectable when the item is 20 years or older.
Going to your other question you do not have to re register to go to ebay Germany however you can only list max 10 days,or if you want fixed listings you have to open a shop you can then list for 30 days but it is hassle free and seems to be the only way to go,unless eBay UK does another uturn.
Good Luck
Happy New Year

[richard]

just ahd two bottles taken off ebay

so i phoned up and have found out ebay will not be allowing alcahol/whisky to be sold as from monday

shall we see what happens ????


richard