Should ePay pull an item simply because the previous owner USED it illegally?

[k4kyv]

I understand tha ePay supposedly has a policy not to allow the sale of illegal radio equipment on their site, although I see plenty of non-type accepted good-buddy rigs and leen-yars for sale all the time.

Recently on QRZ.com there was debate over an AL-811 linear amplifier that was put up for sale by a chicken bander, and many respondents said that ePay should have pulled the item.  The seller admitted that he was not a ham, but was using it as a CB leen-yar.

Q: Is this the AL-811H or just the AL-811, because the AL-811 3 tube amp is only rated a 600W? If your getting 800W your over driving the hell out of it? Also it looks like there is white paint splatter on the top cover it the photo? Jun-11-09

A: I use this amp on 11 meters, I get a little more out of it on CB radio, I'm not an ham operator.

But I maintain that ePay would have had no justification to pull the item. Why should they? It's a legal amateur radio linear amplifier. The fact that a previous owner used it illegally on unlicensed frequencies doesn't put some kind of hex on it or make it any less a legitimate piece of amateur equipment. If a licensed ham buys it, that will get one more piece of equipment out of the hands of an illegal operator.

But, of course, besides possible damage from running it beyond its rated capability, he may have "modded" it. Buyer beware.

I notice that now, the item has apparently been de-listed.

[Opcom]

The e-bay auction minions are not very smart or they'd be working somewhere better like a telemarketing job. They probably have a list of keywords to look for like "CB" and "11 meters". Ebay's wrong most of the time when they pull stuff and wrong most of the time when they leave obvious CB amps up for sale. They should pay me $100K/yr to be the "CB amp Czar" if they want it done right. But it's cheaper to pay a couple people $8/hour and call the job "well done".

[k4kyv]

I suppose they think I'm a terrorist or something.  Whenever there is a military surplus item up, like a BC-610 or other WW2 items as well as more modern stuff, I am denied access.  They say that they are sorry, but "my country" may restrict or prohibit the sale of that item, and then go on to invite me to view other items on ePay.

Freakin' idiot bastards!

[KF1Z]

Auction pulls are the same as Craigslist... driven by Flagging.

Yes, there is some keyword searching, but those listings you probably won't ever see.


Sure, illegal amps, made OK for ebay by the seller stating that it IS legal.
Usually because it's a "10 meter amp".
Which, of course, are just as illegal to sell in 96% of the cases.

I'd assume the listing was pulled because a couple hams complained to ebay that a CBer was using an amp illegally, and trying to sell it on ebay.

[W2VW]

All it takes are some do-gooder's complaints and the auction will go away. It could be an 11 meter size picture of Mother Teresa.

We are all safer on planet Earth because of do-gooders.

The hard core sellers and buyers of   for real CB crap   will put an auction up fully knowing it may be yanked. Meanwhile the buyer and seller have reached agreement outside of the bidding process. Ebay Motors works similarly. It's really a classified ad that looks like an auction. Car dealers sit in the showroom with the tumbleweeds shill bidding on each other's auctions with throw away user I.D.s.

[Opcom]

We are all safer on planet Earth because of do-gooders.

The counterbalance to that situation is the mad scientist. And there is nothing funny at all about a mad scientist.

[Ed/KB1HYS]

We are all safer on planet Earth because of do-gooders.

The counterbalance to that situation is the mad scientist. And there is nothing funny at all about a mad scientist.

Hey! some of us ressemble that remark!

As for the original question: should ebay pull an auction because the previous owner was using the item illegally?

I'd say no. 

That would be equivalent to pulling a muscle car off the site because the previous driver would have been speeding, or maybe lost his license.  really what's the point of pulling the auction for that reason?

If the item itself is illegal then they probably ought to pull the auction just to protect themselves.

The only caveat would be involving firearms, as someone selling a firearm that had been used in a crime could be setting the new owner up for trouble. But since the folks at Evilbay don't deal with those it's a non-issue.

[Opcom]

OT - I never did ask, Ed, but did you roll that HMMWV? and was anyone manning the gun at the time?

[flintstone mop]

Wow Don,
Your Internet connection must take a route through N. Korea before showing up at ePay. Or Cuber

Fred

[KF1Z]

I suppose they think I'm a terrorist or something.  Whenever there is a military surplus item up, like a BC-610 or other WW2 items as well as more modern stuff, I am denied access.  They say that they are sorry, but "my country" may restrict or prohibit the sale of that item, and then go on to invite me to view other items on ePay.

Freakin' idiot bastards!

Gee Don.
In over 9 years on ebay, I've NEVER heard of that happening to anyone.....

You must have a rogue setting somewhere that is doing that.

Is your registration address correct, and complete?

Is you time zone on your puter set to the right zone?
(in XP you can set the time zone anywhere you want, and then change the clock, that's why I ask)

That's just plain odd, that's all..........

[w1vtp]

I brought this question up a while ago on this forum and was blasted by some that it was not import who ham gear was sold to.  I'm still scratching my head over the response I got.

I agree with you Don

Al

[Steve - WB3HUZ]

Probably using a pirated copy of WinXP from China!     

I suppose they think I'm a terrorist or something.  Whenever there is a military surplus item up, like a BC-610 or other WW2 items as well as more modern stuff, I am denied access.  They say that they are sorry, but "my country" may restrict or prohibit the sale of that item, and then go on to invite me to view other items on ePay.

Freakin' idiot bastards!

Gee Don.
In over 9 years on ebay, I've NEVER heard of that happening to anyone.....

You must have a rogue setting somewhere that is doing that.

Is your registration address correct, and complete?

Is you time zone on your puter set to the right zone?
(in XP you can set the time zone anywhere you want, and then change the clock, that's why I ask)

That's just plain odd, that's all..........

[W2VW]

I listed my BC-610 on ebay about 4 years ago without incident.

Biggest problem was moving it.

[Opcom]

or since Don knows alot of French - the browser has the French language pack, or a French keyboard is being used... something in the computer's self-identification is lying to ebay.

[Steve - WB3HUZ]

Did you ever use it for anything illegal?   

I listed my BC-610 on ebay about 4 years ago without incident.

Biggest problem was moving it.

[W2VW]

Did you ever use it for anything illegal?   

I listed my BC-610 on ebay about 4 years ago without incident.

Biggest problem was moving it.

Ebay or the BC-610?

[Steve - WB3HUZ]

Yes.

Did you ever use it for anything illegal?   

I listed my BC-610 on ebay about 4 years ago without incident.

Biggest problem was moving it.

Ebay or the BC-610?

[k4kyv]

or since Don knows alot of French - the browser has the French language pack, or a French keyboard is being used... something in the computer's self-identification is lying to ebay.

I use the Dvorak keyboard layout with the additional option of US International if I need it.

I can go to my wife's profile on the computer and gain access to the denied listings.  She has the same keyboard layout options that I do. I have a French spell check option installed on the computer, but that shouldn't have anything to do with it.  EPay seems to think I am located in some country that restricts access to military items, including WW2 surplus.  I have checked all other settings and everything looks normal.  It must be something in the ePay account that I set up, but rarely use.

[W2VW]

Yes.

Did you ever use it for anything illegal?   

I listed my BC-610 on ebay about 4 years ago without incident.

Biggest problem was moving it.

Ebay or the BC-610?

OK. that clears things up quite nicely. TNX.





















No. Neither.











I was recently mod-er-rated so please be careful around me.

[Ed/KB1HYS]

W2VW - you're not somebody till you get "moderated" 

or was that modulated...