According to the statutory guidance on the Offensive Weapons Act 2019 (from GOV.UK):
“Section 2 defines a remote sale as being where the seller or the seller’s representative was not in the presence of the buyer, and therefore includes sales which are made online, over the telephone or by post.” gov.uk+1sprotbroughandcusworthparishcouncil.gov.uk+1
This clearly only applies to remote (i.e., non‑face‑to‑face) transactions. In-person sales—like meeting someone for a collection only sale and handing over the hedge trimmer—do not fall under this definition, so no age verification is required.
The guidance continues:
“When a corrosive product is sold remotely, the seller needs to meet certain conditions…”, including age verification and adult delivery. chichestercity.gov.uk+2gov.uk+2ipo.gov.uk+2
Again, this is strictly about remote sales. The law makes no equivalent requirements for in-person exchanges between individuals.
To be clear: A collection only item involves a face to face in-person exchange between individuals. Therefore, no age verification is required. This is why Facebook marketplace and other sites are still legally continuing to allow collection only sales of hedge trimmers without age verification.
Bottom line: eBay's policy is an overreach and not legally required.
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