No way to verify age other than with a credit card - seems pretty stupid!

[inkysloth]

I'm a little surprised that Ebay has no way to verify an account holder's age other than with a credit card. Around 30% of adults in the UK don't have a credit card, and it's not a suitable product for a lot of people, so Ebay is indirectly discriminating against a chunk of the population. 

People without credit cards are more likely to be on a low income or unemployed, disabled, elderly, or with a history of gambling or debt. 

In my case it just means I'll have to buy a rotary cutter from a physical shop, which is fine as I can leave my house and travel. If I were more significantly disabled than I am, that would be a real problem. Physical shops aren't universally accessible (despite the Equality Act 2010) and a lot of physically disabled people rely on online shopping because of physical access issues. Disabled people are also less likely to hold a credit card that non-disabled people (source: https://www.bankrate.com/personal-finance/credit/how-to-establish-credit-for-adults-with-disabilitie... ) so this policy means Ebay is indirectly discriminating against disabled people, which is against the Equality Act 2010 ( https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2010/15/notes/division/3/2/2/7 )

I understand the requirement to not sell blades / sharp items without checking the buyer's age, but there are ways to check age without relying on a credit card. 

[tressygirl]

You are not alone in this dilemma,  we seem to see this issue popping up here daily.

To date,  the only way to verify you are 18 or older for eBay,  is to have a valid credit card on your eBay account.

Maybe,  if enough people complain about this,  eBay will do something ?  🤔  Then,  again..... ! 🤔

@inkysloth