Credit Card Age Verification

[bizzybee.lister]

I want to buy some DESSERT FORKS to complete a cutlery set left to me by my mother.   EBay won't allow me to buy them without first verifying my age via CREDIT CARD.

I AM 64 AND HAVE NEVER OWNED A CREDIT CARD IN MY LIFE, AS A POINT OF PRINCIPLE — AND I HAVE NEVER NEEDED ONE, UNTIL NOW!

Why must I prove I am over 18 to buy dessert forks?

Is there another way to prove my age?

How do I request a phone call with eBay?

[61stephenuk]

You need to be able to prove you are over 18 and the only id accepted by eBay is a credit card.

[tobiasd4]

Ask a friend or relative with CC to buy them for you.

[bizzybee.lister]

Yes, I understand this — it’s what I said.   My point is there should be other ways of proving age, as not everyone has or wants a credit card; I certainly don’t.

[bizzybee.lister]

I profoundly disagree with the policy that accepts ONLY a credit card as proof of age, and refuse to comply with it, or to ask anyone else to.    I tracked down my dessert forks via an independent, online supplier and ordered them (and soup spoons and tea spoons and fish knives) seamlessly with no demands to jump through such ridiculous and narrow age verification credit card hoops; I paid easily via debit card, and my name and post code was all the seller needed to verify my age.    This experience has made me far more reluctant to buy via eBay in future.

[tressygirl]

You only need to verify your age with eBay with buying any sort of knife even a cake slice appears under this umbrella.  It's not an ' eBay ruling' but a rule of the land to be over the age of 18 to be able to buy any sort of knife.  Maybe your ' independent online supplier' managed to slip the net for this UK ruling ?

However,  I do agree or rather,  do not understand,  why a passport or driving licence cannot be used as proof of age?  I do understand that a debit card can be owned by anyone of any age , and a credit card only for those over 18,   but like you,  many do not own one.

Other forms of proof do exist,  yep it's a valid question why they are not acceptable  for this purpose of age verification.

@bizzybee.lister 

[john1297576]

I think you do not understand the uses of credit cards, it is not necessary to borrow money and pay interest, it can be used as a very convenient way to pay for all sorts of things, particularly on line. I have never paid any interest and have had a card since they first came out in the UK which must be nearly 50 years ago.

You get a monthly statement and can arrange for it to be paid by direct debit on a monthly basis, so costs nothing but saves having to make individual payments.

My only objection to cards in general, is that it means cash is used less and one day someone will decide we do not need it any more.

[bizzybee.lister]

How kind of you to assume I "do not understand" and to mansplsin credit
cards to me. How can you possibly presume to to know what I "understand"?

Please be assured I perfectly understand what credit cards are and how they
work, yet I still will not have one on principle. I have debit cards
which have always been quite sufficient for my needs.

My objection is rooted in the fact that there are many ways to verify one's
age — yet eBay insists on just one format which is not at all helpful.

[bizzybee.lister]

Proving one's age may well be the law of the land when buying knives
online, but I was attempting to buy dessert forks.

I have no objection to proving my age via any reasonable means and — as I
stated — the supplier from whom I eventually made my purchase did not 'slip
the net' — they were able to establish my bona fides via a simple online
check using my name, post code and debit/bank account details.

You are correct; my objection is not the need to prove my age — it is the
limited means by which eBay allows me to do this that I object to.

[tobiasd4]

There are various ways to prove age,

but to simplify things, ebay chooses to only use credit card.

You could contact Ebay to complain, but I doubt they will do anything.