Simple delivery and age verification ...

[peacocksrestoration]

So I cant believe I am sitting here having to ask this but I literally cant list any items right now. So as a for instance I want to list an axe which is a tool axe for chopping wood allowed by ebays policy. It locks me into simple delivery on mobile app and desktop web browser and requires age verification then doesn't give the option to add age verification. I just asked eBay and they couldn't answer and a specialist will get back to me in up to three days. Whaaaaaat? 😕 

I am sure this has been talked about but the solutions I found were to use a glitch or not relevant any more due to changes by ebay ... Surely theres a normal way to sort this? Or do I just post it then somehow alter it after? Its getting nightmarish as I am getting messages about listings which also don't even exist any more on eBay but need age verification postage added to them...its getting bonkers.  😞  thanks for any insight

[4_bathrooms]

I'm pretty certain bladed items can't be sent via Simple Delivery at all. Royal Mail does offer age verification as an add-on for Tracked services but this almost certainly won't be available via eBay's RM account. Neither Evri nor DHL permit bladed items to be carried at all.

If there isn't a custom postage option available it sounds like such items can now only be sent by businesses even if that isn't explicitly stated in eBay's policy.  

[peacocksrestoration]

Eeerk! Thanks so I've got to hope they scrap simple delivery... And change the age verification which is messed up as well Please eBay! Or list it as something else add the age verification possibly.... Jesus... such a mess. 😞 need to go down the glitch road I guess after all...

[4_bathrooms]

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@peacocksrestoration wrote:

And change the age verification which is messed up as well Please eBay! Or list it as something else add the age verification possibly.... 

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eBay can't change the requirements around requiring age verification for bladed items - which must be made during purchase and upon delivery - because the law requires those checks to be carried out. Whilst eBay have been over-complying with the law by requiring AV checks for items that are not covered by the legislation "any axe" is specifically named as an item requiring those checks to be carried out. The Offensive Weapons Act is why many couriers do not permit knives, axes or other "bladed" items to be sent on their standard services.  

If you try to circumvent the requirements you will be breaking the law. You may also discover eBay aren't joking when they call it a "permanent" selling restriction.  

[peacocksrestoration]

By change age verification I mean steam line it as currently you have to add credit card details in check out... Which means if you don't have a credit card or just don't have the details on you you have no way of buying anything age verified even though I assume most accounts have been verified at an earlier date and could be again easily using the details already on the system! Plus add it as an option in simple delivery or separately or just scrap simple delivery. I also meant maybe list it as something else then get the age verification added another way after listing or something... Need to research.

Then there's the fact that almost no one else online selling blades does the same backward implementation that eBay does why is that? And I must say it's pretty obvious all this is changing near to nothing anyway with the problems in society. I saw a seller got his jam spoons banned... Big problem jam spoon murders these days. :0

[jonatjonatjonat]

Then there's the fact that almost no one else online selling blades does the same backward implementation that eBay does why is that?

Other retailers know what they are selling. They hold the stock (mostly) - ebay don't - they are reliant on the honesty of their sellers to list correctly. 

We've got examples of things like saw frames without a saw blade. I can tell you now - if there was a loophole where you could sell a saw frame with a sawblade in it - but avoid age verification by saying it didn't contain a sawblade - a good percentage of sellers would lie.

[4_bathrooms]

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@peacocksrestoration wrote:

By change age verification I mean steam line it as currently you have to add credit card details in check out... Which means if you don't have a credit card or just don't have the details on you you have no way of buying anything age verified

An alternative is already employed for other restricted items such as alcohol and tobacco/vaping products. Sellers of such products must be registered as business sellers and use VerifyMyAge - a third-party age verification service - which was identified by the Chartered Trading Standards Institute as the only age-verification service that met Government guidelines. Sellers of such items have to sign up with VMA and pay a fee for every AV check that is carried out.

I'm surprised these requirements weren't rolled out to bladed items.

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@peacocksrestoration wrote:

I assume most accounts have been verified at an earlier date and could be again easily using the details already on the system!

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eBay only verifies the identity of a seller if they sell over a certain threshold for the purposes of the Anti-Money Laundering Regulations; if an account is only used for buying no verification of the buyer's identity is ever carried out. The regulations also require retailers and online marketplaces to verify the buyer's age during every purchase if there is any risk an account could be being used by a minor (which pretty much means every sale).

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@peacocksrestoration wrote:

Then there's the fact that almost no one else online selling blades does the same backward implementation that eBay does why is that? 

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Have you tried purchasing an axe from a major retailer's website recently? In many cases you either can't (i.e. you must purchase in-store) or the item can't be shipped and must be collected in-store so the retailer can apply their Think 21/Think 25 scheme. All the major retailers I've checked that do offer delivery use VerifyMyAge during purchase and employ an age verified delivery service.

[peacocksrestoration]

I saw a few places doing more checks on axes I see what you mean. But all were way easier to purchase if over 18 and pretty smoothly implemented others were not doing it at all especially on the ridiculously banned items  clearly not going to be used as a weapon 😕 .

All I'm after now is for them to fix the age verification option as it's currently non existent. I waited for ages after contacting eBay they never got back to me. Very telling... I would love to be a fly on the wall because I have no idea what's going on... Can only wait I guess 😞 

[francess2075]

Hi there.  Did you actually manage to resolve this issue?

I'm trying to sell some teaspoons that contain a butter knife and I cannot for the life of me see how to obtain age verification.  It must be possible because there are several identical sets for sale on Ebay.  Thanks in advance.

Fran

[palacecs]

Same problem here.  I'm trying to sell a cutlery set and my listing got blocked.  It says I need to change the delivery method to one that requires Age Verification and to also remove Collection as an option - I did this, selecting the Royal Mail 48 Age Verification option and selecting postage only but when I try to save it, the same Knives policy error appears.

[francess2075]

I found the way round it was to change the eBay Category to ...

Collectables/Kitchen & Home/Flatware, Knives & Cutlery, Cutlery Sets and Canteens

However, nobody at eBay knew this, I just fumbled around in the dark until something worked!

Good luck!


Sent from Outlook for Android<>

[palacecs]

Thanks!  I managed to sort it this morning by raising an appeal which was approved - that seemed to allow me to save the changes to the delivery method without the error appearing again.  It seems odd that they give you the option to revise the listing though if none of the changes will be applied until you raise an appeal! 

[rodent0_2]

'Collectables/Kitchen & Home/Flatware, Knives & Cutlery, Cutlery Sets and Canteens'. tried this method, didn't work for me. Trying to sell a solid silver antique butter knife, hardly a weapon...

[4_bathrooms]

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@rodent0_2 wrote:

'Collectables/Kitchen & Home/Flatware, Knives & Cutlery, Cutlery Sets and Canteens'. tried this method, didn't work for me. Trying to sell a solid silver antique butter knife, hardly a weapon...

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Make sure there are no international shipping options available including GSP. 

[rodent0_2]

I’ll try that thanks, nothing is easy anymore
Sent from my iPhone using smoke and mirrors

[wmt2_007]

What is so crazy now is that it is nearly impossible to select any postage option other than Special Delivery (which I don't mind using). I have small wire cutters that I loaded with no problems. When I went to change the price, it flagged me, and now I cannot change anything. Cannot even find a way to select Royal Mail Age verification. Can't even promote mu listing

Any thoughts?

[cobwebcottage]

Reply from Marco from the weekly chat last week.

'This is still being looked into. Ive seen some reports on site saying RM are only allowing AV for business sellers however, this has not been confirmed. At the moment though AV can only be purchased through the RM site directly'.

[nh4321]

Yes, age verification with RM is only available for business account holders....but even their own website doesn't say this.  eBay will post with AV via UPS but that is pricey and is often not available to select when listing anyway.    Another poorly implemented change/policy by eBay, even if it is for good reasons.

[diamondjewel0]

I was told by one of the Irish customer service to alter before ebay remove.  I've had a pair of seized nippers taken off..... I pointed out a pencil can kill, many films have this!   This is mad, I'm selling some of my vintage tools. I've just altered a few, under cutlery single item... putting R.M. age verification but by price you can see no doing it. The price is double normal postage as you pay the normal plus a fee for age verification.

[diamondjewel0]

I tried to buy a new stanley knife the other day, I'm in my 60s but couldn't pass the age verification for ebay as don't have the things they wanted,  I don't have an online presence they can check which seemed to be necessary. No photo id either.  Got one of my adult kids to do it instead, still with my Credit card.!!!