Can't buy an item because I don't have a credit card to prove my age
Summary: The discussion revolves around the legality and practicality of using credit cards as a form of age verification for purchasing items online. pumpkin_warrior questions the legality, suggesting that there are better ways to verify age given modern technology. jonatjonatjonat explains that using a credit card is an effective age check since they are issued only to adults, thus verifying age inherently. A participant also mentions that being an eBay customer for many years should suffice in proving age, especially for age-restricted products.
I just tried to buy a set of hole saws (I bought a similar set on eBay last year without a problem) and was asked to verify my age with a payment card. I entered my debit card details not realising that it had to be a credit card. The details were rejected and I got a message saying that if I didn't have a credit card, I should contact customer services.
I phoned customer services who just repeated that I need a credit card.
Firstly, why advise me to phone customer services if they aren't going to be any help?
Secondly, when I phoned customer services, the first thing the guy said to me after I gave my name was, 'I can see you have been an eBay member for 25 years, thank you for your loyalty' - so a) they know I must be over 18 and b) when I challenged the guy, he acknowledged that he knew my age (considerably older than 18!) but said that I still need a credit card. He then advised me to shop on another platform.
Call me old fashioned or summink, but having been a bit stupid in my 20s (forty odd years ago), I have deliberately opted not to have a credit card to avoid getting in trouble again, why should I have to have one when it should be obvious that I'm over 18. I bought a lethal looking bread knife of Amazon last year and only needed my postman (who I know very well) to confirm my age. Similarly, Twitter/X recently asked me to verify my age and then without my intervention deduced that due to the time I had had an account, I must be over 18.
Seriously, are we turning into a nation of babies?
rocksimian
·2 days agoHaving been an ebay customer for over 18 years surely provides proof enough of over 18 legal age law compliance. It would appear that a jig saw comes within the definition of a bladed item, the one I wished to purchase came without blades.
jonatjonatjonat
·2 days agoHaving been an ebay customer for over 18 years surely provides proof enough of over 18 legal age law compliance
In short, under the legal guidance as it stands - it doesn’t.
pumpkin_warrior
·3 weeks agoI don't think this is legal, no other Organisation on Earth would accept a credit card as a form of ID.
They already have our bank details, names and addresses, how is a credit card number even proof of age?
There are a thousand other ways to verify your ID online especially with face/fingerprint/voice verification on every device.
jonatjonatjonat
·3 weeks agoNothing illegal about it.
It’s not a form of ID - it’s an age check. Credit cards are only available to over 18s so if the credit card details supplied match the name and address of the account, then that shows the user is over 18 because they would have been age verified to get the credit card in the first place
More info found here
https://www.businesscompanion.info/en/quick-guides/underage-sales/online-sales-of-age-restricted-products#Onlineageverificationchecks
gnosemalf
OP2 months agoJust for the lulz, I decided to jump through the hoops to measure the inconvenience of buying a £5.22 (after discount) hole saw set off eBay.
Actually, this is only one chapter in the epic 'How Long Does It Take To Change A Lightbulb' - the rented house where I live has MR16 lightbulbs which require the use of a bucket because whenever the bulb clip is removed, there is a deluge of black carbon granules which somebody once thought it a great idea to fill the ceiling void with. The bucket is required to catch the granules and any other debris and light fitting components. It's impossible not to get the powder from these granules on one's hands so the surround always requires removal and cleaning and the removal and replacement causes erosion in the ceiling plaster to the point that the fitting no longer fits.
Enter the hole saw. I had the idea to reinforce the ceiling plaster using a disc with a hole in it. Rather than make discs (I decided to fix all seven whilst I was at it), I bought ten 10cm thin plywood discs from a Chinese website for £1.94 and they are here waiting for my age verification to allow me to cut holes in them.
And so back to age verification. I applied for a credit card through my bank explaining why I needed it but the answer I gave was not an option the operator could put in her computer so we agreed on 'for emergencies'. I asked for the lowest credit limit possible, £500 and after answering a dozen or so largely irrelevant questions about my intended repayments on the balance of the card which I will never use, I was asked my income which I had to estimate as it is from multiple sources. I then sat through the recital of the small print and was told that as I had no recent credit history, I would probably receive a letter asking for proof of my income.
True enough, over a week later, the letter arrived telling me that I would have to take proof of income to my local branch. The bank is not exactly local, it's about 15 miles away but I go nearby once a week so I accumulated the documentation to prove my various incomes, put it all in a plastic envelope and put that in my car so that I didn't forget it on my next weekly trip.
So, I take my weekly trip to my local town. Park in my usual place and walk the half mile to my bank only to see an ominous A3 sized piece of paper stuck to the pane of glass in the door. As I approached it read, 'Sorry, we are closed for the day.' followed by some niceties about the possibility that I might see people working inside but they were busy blah blah blah (I didn't read the rest).
I remember singing that song as a kid a hundred years ago, 'There's a hole in my bucket, dear Liza' and thinking how stupid it was but accepting that it was just a silly theme for simple folk to have something to sing about in the olden days - like the dead woman who had somehow swallowed a horse.
Yet here we are, the current year.
I've got 30 days to prove my income so will return to the nearby town next week (in between visiting my partner in hospital and trying to sort out her eBay problems - see other thread).
lucy_farmer
·2 months agoBlimey gnose... I'd go to B and Q or something if I were you ...stuff trying to buy on ebay.
82woodtech
·2 months agoTotally agree, Ebay is becoming a joke , I'm the same have had an ebay account and a P pal account for over 25 years. Is that not proof enough...apparently not !
As a joiner I go through various tools, blades a lot ,
I have now been forced to shop on A****n etc.
Ebay will lose a lot of custom through this.....
Never had and never will have a credit card !
I have a bus pass , driving license, passport , NOT GOOD ENOUGH FOR EBAY THO .......
tressygirl
·2 months ago@82woodtech wrote: I have a bus pass , driving license, passport , NOT GOOD ENOUGH FOR EBAY THO .......
It is good enough to prove one's age, no denying that fact, but the fact is, that would need a lot of peeps to verify that documentation, which would take time but most importantly... Money ! That cost of course would be passed onto members, not a popular move.
So, eBay use the credit card as verification, because those Companies have already spent the money and done the verification on their members, to prove they're over 18.
It all boils down to, as with most things... cost ! 🤔
cheekychippy210
·3 months agothere is an ebay option to input NI number, that will verify your age.
jonatjonatjonat
·3 months agoNot for buying blades articles it wont
cheekychippy210
·3 months agobank details and credit card registered on my account for over 20 years.
last year SELLING and asked to prove age at listing blade. Inputted NI and problem solved.
jonatjonatjonat
·3 months agoThat’s to sell an item, not buy one which is the scenario being discussed.
cheekychippy210
·2 months agono difference what so ever,
asked for credit card the op said, to prove age.
if credit card logged with ebay that will apply across all services offered by ebay, no seperation for buying or selling.
bank details and credit card registered on my account for over 20 years and at mo, issues ended with input of ni. not a requirement as income not over allowance but i did it.
on another point, paypal froze my account because i did not have a mobile to prove id!!! Each business makes its own rules to. again 20 years with pp, same bank account, same address, same email and same landline number and they want a mobile, a device that can be lost or stolen, to prove my id. They can send a code to my email or landline but no, its mobile or go. I dumped the *bleep*s, they are not a bank as the FCA kindly informed me and indeed the EU when raised issue with them.
jonatjonatjonat
·2 months agoadd a knife to your basket. I get this. irregardless of the fact I already have a credit card available for buying. and a NI number logged. does not matter.
insidethe93
·2 months ago@jonatjonatjonat"add a knife to your basket..."
It's a generic response, not tailored enough. At times eBay systems are a blunt instrument - which re a knife is ironic.
cheekychippy210
·2 months agoI have just added knife to basket and no issues.
perhaps its something to do with you?
no feedback to see or indeed any of your listings?
are these community messages are under a ghost account?
jonin1981
·3 months agoHonestly eBay customer service don't give a.... About . trust pilot UK is over 22k opinions about eBay and 82% is bad... They just don't care about loosing their customers. I've tried to by scissors and same thing. eBay silly explanation is to prevent under18 to use your account like your kids can't use friend credit cards 🤣🤣 just to skip this silly problem.
gnosemalf
OP3 months agoTwo points of possible interest.
1) According to AI (which I don't really trust but who else should I ask?), there are no recorded incidents of a hole saw being used as a weapon. I am willing to bet that the number of injuries caused by, say, pool cues is off the charts.
2) I often notice a flag on items saying that X number of people have an item in their basket. X is normally up to about five or so, as far as I can remember. The listing for the set of hole saws I wanted to buy says 36 people (including me) have it in their basket - though I have just removed it. I imagine that is 35 people in a similar spot to me because given that there may be as few as 10 available, £5.49 isn't a price which would cause somebody to hesitate.
I get that this is about the law and not eBay per se but I can buy this on the same Chinese websites that I have switched to for most non urgent purchases because many eBay sellers are basically buying from them and selling at twice the price or more. By the looks of things, it would take almost two weeks to get a credit card so it would arrive from China (the same item) quicker with no age verification.
To be clear, I don't particularly object to age verification but everything about this has been dumb at a time when everything is supposed to be smart and it is practically impossible to keep anything private.
The woman I spoke to at the bank said that everything had changed since 'that programme'. I assume she means the one which I refuse to watch and which has been debunked as completely unrepresentative even though many grandstanding politicians have referred to it as a documentary despite it being a drama.
Ho-hum. The current year.
jonatjonatjonat
·3 months agoquite the vague posting at the end there.
gnosemalf
OP3 months agoIt's a commonly used meme.
jonatjonatjonat
·3 months agoClear as crystal now
gnosemalf
OP3 months agohApPy tO EnLiGhTeN yOu.
cee-dee
·3 months agoYou're a fan of Flamesong then?😇
gnosemalf
OP3 months agoWhich one might you referring to?
thesmokingrunner
·3 months agoI have to say I really don't know why you're going on about this. eBay's policy on bladed items is that buyers have to have to prove their age with a credit card. No credit card, no sale: simple. So if you don't have a credit card and don't want/can't get one then the option of buying a bladed item on this site is not available to you. However...
You do know there are places to shop other than eBay, don't you?
Screwfix, Toolstation, B&Q, Wickes, many other shops - they all sell holesaw sets. Not only that but you can actually see them before you part with any money so you know what you're buying rather than hope that what you just bought online isn't some cheap Chines tat. And you won't need a credit card to prove your age either as it'll probably be fairly clear to the person on the checkout that you're over 18.
Shopping in the real world. Try it - it's fun.
gnosemalf
OP3 months agoI want to cut ONE hole. It is cheaper to buy a set with the size I need than to buy just one. Unfortunately, the set I bought off eBay without all this fuss does not go up to the size I need.
Why am I going on about it? Because just like going in to a pub, the staff don't need to ask proof of my age because I look old enough to be their granddad and the eBay staff member told me that he knew my age.
And actually, 'shopping in the real world' isn't fun for everybody.
jonatjonatjonat
·3 months agoAccount age is simply not enough under the laws involving sale of blades to show due diligence has been conducted by the marketplace.
cant blame eBay for that one.
they are banning more products than they need to though, and it is crazy they won’t allow anything other than credit card as evidence of age, but there we go.
tressygirl
·3 months agoProof is need to comply with UK law, that a member is over 18, when buying or selling any bladed item on eBay.
The only way eBay allow this verification of age, is for a credit card to be presented at time of sale, or at time of buying, as credit card companies have already done very stringent checks to ensure that person is over the age of 18, so eBay have ' piggy backed' if you like , taken their verification processes to use for their own.
Anyone of any age can own a debit card.
You may be over 18, but this would not prevent a minor using your account to buy a bladed item, hence the asking for this, at time of purchase.
It is annoying I fully understand, not everyone has or wishes to own a credit card, my parents never had them, but this is the only way, the cheapest way, for eBay to act within the rules, for selling any bladed item online.
The only workaround, if you need to buy this item from eBay, is to ask a friend or family member who do have a c. card on file to buy this item for you.
@gnosemalf
gnosemalf
OP3 months agoI appreciate you taking the time to reply but your response is kind of contradictory. You say that 'this would not prevent a minor using your account to buy a bladed item' but if I had a credit card (and the was a minor living in the house), this would not prevent a minor going in my wallet and 'borrowing' my credit card.
I just spoke to my bank and because I chose to save for everything I buy rather than use a credit card for over 40 years, it is very possible that I will fail a credit check and be refused a credit card.
So, it may well be that I will end up like a kid loitering outside a corner shop asking grown-ups to buy cigarettes for them.
What is wrong with having the option to use a driving licence?
Well, I suppose I know the answer to that question because my partner and I tried to book a couple of nights at an AirBnB to attend a wedding and for some reason after an hour of messing around, her driving licence was rejected. We ended up booking a room in a hotel.
jonatjonatjonat
·3 months agoNothing would stop a minor using an adults credit card on an adults eBay account. But eBay would still have done enough due diligence to check the sale was to an adult. In addition the chosen courier is also supposed to do an age verification on delivery.
driving licence and passport aren’t used by eBay for the sole reason (IMO) that the process of checking them would cost more. I’ve looked at age verification for our website. Age checks against credit agencies are cheap and you get several hundred a month for very little. Age checks against passports cost per check.
tressygirl
·3 months ago@gnosemalf wrote: I appreciate you taking the time to reply but your response is kind of contradictory. You say that 'this would not prevent a minor using your account to buy a bladed item' but if I had a credit card (and the was a minor living in the house), this would not prevent a minor going in my wallet and 'borrowing' my credit card.
Personally, I would hope I would know my child well enough to be worried or not, if they would rifle through my purse for credit cards, and that this could lead to buying a bladed item on my eBay account, then yes, a purse cannot be guarded, but I most certainly would log out of my account when not in use, and change passwords regularly. Thankfully I do not have that worry from my children ! 🤗
So, I disagree, my post is not contradictory, but everything is on the account owners shoulders, to safeguard their eBay account from misuse.
insidethe93
·3 months agoObviously I have no idea what happened with you, the OP, "forty odd years ago", and I'm not inviting you to explain (better not, really).
However, may I advise that you do your own research rather than accept a bank employee's say-so. Your "forty odd years" is a ridiculously long time. You don't want to be hampered by it any more.
What one bank employee SAYS can quite often differ from another's. It was the case when I worked for a couple of leading high street banks, and personal recent experience suggests to me that things haven't changed. The only thing you should (maybe) trust is what a bank puts in writing, and even then they can be incorrect or trying it on.*
I'd hazard a guess at a 'black mark' on your credit score, guessing from what you say. I apologise for wasting time if I'm totally wide of the mark.
You'd need to check the following as I've simply googled and summarised, but much of it I don't know any more or don't remember well any more, so I can't vouch for its veracity (I don't have time to spend to go into that level of detail). But it should be possible to improve the situation - note that the time periods are considerably less than "forty odd years ago"!
Most adverse markers on a UK credit file last 6 years (defaults, CCJs, IVA, DRO**, bankruptcy impact). Hard credit searches show for 12–24 months. After the retention period entries should be removed; if not, dispute with the credit reference agency and the lender (escalate to the Financial Ombudsman if needed).
** CCJ = County Court Judgment. IVA = Individual Voluntary Arrangement. DRO = Debt Relief Order.
For the steps needed, search "can an individual get hold of their credit records and start to get any black marks removed?" - btw, the answer is yes.
It's a hassle I'm afraid, but it's a good idea to sort out your finances, particularly where it involves a credit record, as soon as you can. Better to do it sooner rather than later, to avoid possibly getting to a time when you really needed to have done it in the past e.g. raising funds to pay for vital medical care which isn't something that can brook delay or obstruction (or stress). It's like marinading food overnight - it MUST be done in advance, because if you don't you're faced with dinner in 20 minutes and have food that should've been marinaded overnight, and you can't call back time.
** below is an example (long, sorry) showing you don't need to take banks at their word, and for banks you can also read some insurers, and most or possibly all estate agents, councils, TV Licensing, DVLA, statutory undertakers like water, gas etc etc:
Bank staff and bank literature will state the bank "requires" original docs as ID, but re several relatives I wasn't going to send or hand over the original docs including the original Lasting Power of Attorney, Birth and Marriage Certificates etc, so I got the solicitor to do me a certified copy of each document (I did the photocopying and he certified my copy docs for a comparatively small charge; if you let a solicitor do the copying too it's pricey e.g. I'd've been charged £50 + VAT per LPA certified copy), and I photocopied the certified copy (the important part is where the solicitor certifies it, signs, dates, writes the solicitor's business addres). I sent out 100+ LPA photocopies of the certified copy, and I redacted them to remove data that would be gifts to an ID-thief e.g. donor's mother's maiden name, phone number etc [the donor is the subject of their LPA]. I told the bank (and other organisations/statutory bodies) that if they wanted an original certified copy contact the solicitor at [address] so you can buy one at your own expense; no one did so, no one queried me, no one queried the redactions. To avoid POSSIBLE delay I sent/handed over less redacted copies in certain cases, mainly to insurers. Just generally, I'd advise people to question things demanded by organisations/statutory bodies - they might say an item is "required" but it's merely what they want.
gnosemalf
OP3 months agoThanks for the very detailed reply but you have missed the point; I don't have a credit card because I didn't want one. I made a conscious, if not philosophical decision after going a bit mad with cards back then that I would only buy something if I could afford it or had saved up for it. The only exception to this would be if I had ever wanted to buy a house.
And it wasn't just one bank employee that I have heard that those without a credit history may find it difficult to get credit, I remember hearing it from Martin Lewis and on You & Yours amongst many places.
Anyway, I managed to 'stop an adult outside the off license who agreed to buy me some cigarettes', so that I can cut a hole in my ceiling.
1956glyn
·3 months agoHi. Our family do not believe in credit cards either 🙂
No credit history will make it almost impossible to get a credit card.
If i were you i would forget about all the stress of trying to buy the item off Ebay and just go to the outside world and a proper store and pay the extra for what you need. The stress this thread is causing you (in my humble opinion) just is not worth it.
insidethe93
·3 months agoNo, I wasn't saying you *should* get a credit card - please re-read my post! I was addressing things like what a bank employee told you, and because having a good credit history is important should you ever want to seek a loan or if (if if if!) apply for a credit card, I indicated how you could ensure you have a good credit record or clean up one with a bad mark, so as to stand you in good stead in the unpredictable future.
I totally understand that people don't want credit cards! I believe no one should be made to have one, nor feel any pressure to even consider one. I myself didn't want a credit card for decades, but then I gave in due to its convenience, potential as emergency back-up, and the points they give you: I pay it off in full each month, and the card company gives me money back each year (enough for a free fortnight's holiday if I wanted it). If I decide to stop using it I'd probably keep it, in case of emergency or as a support ID; I could just have it and never use it, as card companies don't require you to use it.
A person's credit history affects a lot of things, not just whether you can get a credit card. Credit history is routinely looked up by companies and influences their decision if you make large purchases such as buying property, seeking a mortgage, equity release, any large loan. You never know when you may need a large amount of money quickly - the example I gave was medical care (for yourself or a relative), which can happen at any age. Or extra costs if taken ill abroad, or feeling forced to go private rather than NHS depending how much pain one is in, or go unemployed and need money. No one can accurately predict what's going to happen, nor at what age.
Anyway, sounds like you know your own mind, and no doubt you have your finances in hand in case you suddenly need to use a large amount of savings and/or obtain a large loan quickly.
1956glyn
·3 months agoAs i said before my lad had a load of issues when trying to get a mortgage with basically no credit history. If one does not fit the norm then things can be difficult.
It was possible in the end but the lenders main concern was money laundering not whether he could afford it or not 😞
To be honest we go part private and part NHS depending on how long the NHS wait is..........thats not popular with our NHS doctor.
So far as being ill abroad is concerned........that is why one should always take out the appropriate insurance.
Everyones personal circumstances are different...for a lot of major unexpected events insurance/schemes can be taken out.
insidethe93
·3 months agoInsurance doesn't cover everything. You might be under-insured (or they say you are). Insurers won't always pay out, or won't pay out enough, or won't pay out in time e.g. when needing to pay for plane flights or settle a medical bill. I wouldn't say that insurers are dishonest, but that deviousness, obfuscation and obstruction are often baked into insurance systems - it isn't the fault of an insurer's employee when one speaks to them on the phone.
I've worked for insurers, and I've battled insurers on behalf of relatives.
Insurers also sometimes impose terms or withdraw benefits, against the T&Cs but get away with it as few individuals are up to challenging them or know how to. When a care insurer rejected a relative's claim, I challenged it (I hadn't trusted them and had had the foresight to have the doctor complete aspects - where most people wouldn't involve a doctor - of the claim form, sign and date it) and so I gained a review, then won the claim on review. But the insurer, against the policy T&Cs, restricted the monthly pay-outs to a maximum 36 months. I knew it wasn't worth challenging them on the 36 months. "Luckily" my relative died within the 36 months.
Basically when it comes to dealing with insurers, you're unlikely to win or to win 100%. If anyone has a claim rejected, be aware that sometimes this is a routine step - the claimant thinks it's the end of the process, but it's merely part of it.