Bladed items new restrictions...

[peacocksrestoration]

Just need to ask if there are things being put in place to accommodate the changes? The message I got was currently only UPS provides this service and I cannot use UPS. This would mean essentially the main part of my sales will be wiped out meaning I will have to close my account and move on. I'm sure this will be sorted but it's worrying. Other services coming like EVRI and royal mail? eBay already requires me to buy the postage through them as such so I'll need services in place! I hope the costs of these services and inconvenience doesn't cripple sales as well. Then there's international sales... That will need the GSP to have an option for it no?

As a side note if we are getting age verification for selling now surely we can start selling actual knives with this service soon? Or surely more categories are going to be added such as antique items or vintage butchers cleavers? Thanks.

[markc5536]

I sold an Einhell pole saw/hedge trimmer but it turns out the UPS age verification postage on eBay has a max of 97cm, I contacted eBay and they told me just to buy my own non age verification postage off parcelforce and just add tracking to the item. I’ve asked for it in writing.

Regards

Mark
Sent from my iPad

[adrgr_19]

Thanks for the info Mark. Interested to know if they do put it in writing. Seems to me that they want to be seen to be compliant, but will offer ways around it, so as not to lose business!

Sent from Outlook for iOS<>

[nextphase59]

With reference to attached link I cannot see a Garden Lawnmower Blade requires age verification delivery, if so not stated BUT …….EBay has removed various listing under this policy ?

Also unfairly, penalised somewhat not if required across all EBay sellers, this has effected sales due to doubling of postal delivery. Also will require Click and Collect ie Argos options also on listings to change.

I expect next will be a Garden Shredder Blade, Electric Jigsaw Blades and Garden Strimmer plastic Blades all are “Blades”

Hopefully this is actually picked up by EBay Human or probably AI services because could lead to seriously damaging of sales across the entire EBay community if applied across all sellers.

Postal costs of now needed for just a lawnmower blade selling at £9.99 after cheapest Royal Mail 48 age verification @ £6.27……….. that’s also with the issues of Click and Collect changes on specific listings?

After that was it worth it at final of £3.72 …….then deduct your packing/time/item cost/fee’s.

I understand but EBay use good common practical sense to actual items being listed.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/help/policies/prohibited-restricted-items/knives-policy?id=5047

[markc5536]

I checked parcel force regs and they are happy for bladed items to be sent
for garden tools, food processors, hedge trimmers etc providing they are
adequately packaged so this is not a legal requirement just eBays policy. I
suspect eBay may well be reviewing their policy sometime soon.

[nextphase59]

Hi Mark

Thank you for information, let’s try and trust a quick EBay sensible broad review as business and private sellers will suffer firstly hopefully short term, but extra time changing multiple listings as prices to compensate bothering to sell lower value margin items will decrease.

best regards

Paul

[randydave]

I sell a fair amount of DIY items on eBay but a lot are slowly getting hidden until postage options are amended 

99% of these I can’t afford to send via the age verification services as makes them far too expensive in comparison to other online sellers 

I can no no longer sell lawnmower blades, metal or plastic…. Ones they took off are 50mm long, 10mm wide by 1mm thick and are bendy plastic….. highly dangerous…. Not!

no circular saw blades, jigsaw blades, planer or hand plane blades, chisels , I’m just waiting to see what else goes when they come to relist as I also sell reciprocating saw and hacksaw blades as well as fan blades for items

this has taken £11k of my stock items off

the other issue of sending via age restriction services is it requires people to be at home and have photo ID to sign for it, they can’t be collected from a post office if not in and if people are at work they aren’t going to take time off for a parcel, they’ll simply buy elsewhere so will drive a lot of people to other marketplaces to purchase such dangerous items like bendy plastic blades

£3.95 on B&Q sold to anyone or £9.95 on eBay, need to be at home and have photo ID 

absolutely crazy and very badly thought out by the people that created this lunacy anything can be used as a weapon if you want it too!!

[markc5536]

As there is no legal requirement to send most of these items via age
verification, I'm just listing things like hedge trimmers with age
verification postage and then just sending it via my normal couriers and
adding the tracking manually, a lady at eBay suggested I do that when I
called to complain about the policy. Thing is they also don't understand it
themselves as she first suggested I get them to collect which is not
allowed. I have not had any problems yet listing bruschcutters with metal
blades so fingers crossed.

[randydave]

I can see this being a workaround of sorts, however you have to list with their expensive priced postage so regardless of which service you send with it stops items being sold cheaply 

also anyone using eBay postage will only have the option of the age verification services

i do have a Royal Mail account but costs more than eBay postage on parcels

larger items like the tools that are more expensive is not as bad but I have a lot of circular saw blades around £7-15 that I make a small margin on that I can no longer sell on there, also those super dangerous jigsaw blades I used to sell for £3.95 I’m now unable to sell, it’s taken 968 items from my listings so far, this will wipe millions of items from eBay forcing sellers to go elsewhere 

[v83500]

The new policy is complete madness we sell tools and it appears a chisel a pick even a hacksaw is a bladed item and best one is they removed a pneumatic air shears used for cutting sheet metal to use this as a weapon you will also need to carry a compressor and suitable length airline and try and cut something that is under 2mm thick madness

[nextphase59]

Hi

We have changed all our stock of lawnmower blades and other blades etc over to the policy requirements of “age verification” using Royal Mail at £6.30 and had to increase selling price to cover doubling postal delivery cost.

Major loss of sales as unfair selling platform now as EBay still NOT enforced across the entire selling platform ?

For delivery increase on Royal Mail you still only get a picture of a doorway and NO signature from receiving only from delivery postal person….crazy.

[v83500]

The madness is a lawnmower blade is not and never has been a weapon and if
you send it age verified and person is over 25 who accepts package the
postman does not even check

[reparq]

I've got a pair of pliers that are in limbo at the moment, I appealed over a week ago and I've still heard nothing.

Just used the new service for the first time as a buyer, the only id they accept is a credit card.  

Wonder how many of my customers even have credit cards ?  Especially the older generation. 

[nextphase59]

Unfortunately yes….and on using a limited now under policy the “Click and Collect” delivery point service of say to Argos, the sales assistant becomes the recipient.

Hopefully then does the sale assistants handing out at Click and Collect check the age verification …… or was that wasted.

Policy …… Needs to have a real sensible look at the full practicality for sellers and buyers, not tooling, garden tools or as it appears anything sharp edge, blade, point etc.

[v83500]

But a credit card does not prove your age and if you answer the door and
are obviously over 25 the postie does not even check so in that case the
cost of age varification is wasted Maybe eBay should start age varification
of its buyers

[reparq]

• Bladed products need to be delivered to buyers in person and not to collection points, P.O. boxes, or parcel lockers.  Any sales to buyers who give a collection point, P.O. box, or parcel locker as an address will need to be cancelled

[v83500]

Reparq you seem to have totally missed the point of this conversion 

[jow1995]

Best bet is register correctly to a business account, i sell vintage tools but my Ebay fees are  much higher, giving yourself an added advantage.

[randydave]

I’ve been a business seller for many years and they are still removing my highly dangerous listings like reciprocating saws and jigsaws without blades 

there is simply no thought behind many removed items that are not age restricted elsewhere 

[v83500]

I have emailed the government department that deals with this age
restricted nonsense asking what is classed as a bladed item and given
examples of listing we have had removed from Ebay such as saws hacksaw
chisels even some pneumatic sheet metal air shears (which could be an
offensive weapon as long as you want to cut something under 2mm thick and
carry a compressor and airline) I await a reply

[peacocksrestoration]

I may have to join you it is such a mess now I'm totally confused with what's what and I'm trying to work out what is worth selling any more ...think I'll have to take down a sizable amount of items and no good cheap age verification postage out there...