Scruples are alive and well at eBay. You’re forbidden from buying or selling certain things. Here’s a list of some of the things you won’t find on the site (you can find the entire list at http://pages.
ebay.com/help/community/png-items.html):
Alcohol: Unless the alcohol is in a collectible container, making the value of the container worth more than the contents, you can’t buy hooch at the eBay site. But you may be able to purchase wine from a licensed wine broker who has been approved by eBay to sell spirits on the site. Oh yes, you
still have to be 21 to purchase it. Wine can only be sold by dealers who have been vetted by
eBay as legally able to sell wine.
* Animals: No live animals may be sold, nor may any stuffed
migratory birds. Pelts and parts of any animal that’s an endangered
species are also forbidden.
Figure 1-1: Better bring your credit card, or maybe a T-bill, when you shop here.
* Fireworks: The category of forbidden fireworks includes aerial bombs, booby traps (pull string), bottle rockets, chasers, daygo bombs, firecrackers, fountains, nitro poppers, party poppers, roman candles, skyrockets, smoke balls, smoke bombs, snap caps, snappers, sparklers, sparks, and torpedoes.
* Human Parts and Remains: Nope, you can’t buy a kidney, sperm, or eggs at eBay. But if you’d like to purchase a real skull or skeleton for educational purposes, it’s well within the rules.
* Weapons: No firearms, period. Not even if they are antique or collectible. No hand weapons, nunchaku, throwing stars, switchblades, or disguised knives.
* Miscellaneous no-no’s: No counterfeit currency, credit cards, drugs and drug paraphernalia, or tobacco.
eBay understands that the community is made up of a diverse group of people. Offensive material is not tolerated on the site. If you’re into auctions that promote hatred, violence, or intolerance,
you’re out of luck. Such items are “judiciously disallowed.” You’re also out of luck if you’re interested in items that promote organizations (such as the KKK, Nazis, neo-Nazis, and Aryan Nation) with such views.
Please realize that I can’t possibly give you a complete list of forbidden or questionable items. If you really want to investigate this subject thoroughly, for a current listing go to http://pages.ebay.
com/help/community/png-items.html. The eBay venue offers, of course, a very active Mature Audience category. You’ll have to find it yourself because I don’t have the space to cover it in the book. To enter the adult area (when you find it in the Everything Else category), you have to be a registered user of eBay with a valid credit card number on file — to verify that you’re over 18 — and confirm agreement to the Mature Audience category Terms of Use.
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