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http://www.antiqueweek.com/Article.asp?newsid=534
eBay bans most gun parts, blames Virginia Tech shooting
In a surprising shift in policy, eBay announced July 30 that it will
prohibit the sale of most gun parts, which have been allowed since the
Internet phenomenon started in 1995. The ban commences Aug. 13.
Under the company's General Announcements section, next to a photograph of a
smiling Matt Halprin, Vice President of Trust & Safety, was this:
"Hello everyone . In mid-August, we will be updating our Firearms, Weapons
and Knives Policy to place more restrictions around gun-related items. Once
these changes take effect, we will prohibit listings of any firearm part
required for the firing on a gun. This includes items like bullet tips,
brass casings and shells, barrels, slides, cylinders, magazines, firing
pins, trigger assemblies, etc."
After referring readers to the section on Firearms policy, he continued:
"As you may know, eBay does not allow the listing of any items which are
regulated by individual states or the federal government, however, there are
still a large number of firearms-related parts that are legal and are widely
available in retail stores. These items have also historically been allowed
on eBay.
"After learning that some items purchased on eBay may have been used in the
tragedy at Virginia Tech in April 2007, we felt that revisiting our policies
was not only necessary, but the right thing to do. After much consideration,
the Trust & Safety police team, along with our executive leaders at eBay
Inc., -- have made the decision to further restrict more of these items than
federal and state regulations require.
The items to which he referred which "may have been used" by Seung-Hui Cho
in his April 16 shooting rampage was a pair of spare 10-round magazines for
one of his guns, a Walther P22. The handgun is equipped with a standard
10-round magazine to accommodate .22 long rifle caliber ammunition. No laws
were broken in the sale of these extra clips.
"It's apparent that he purchased empty magazine clips," the Associate Press
quoted eBay spokesperson Hani Durzy. "They're similar to what could be
purchased at any sporting goods store around the country," Durzy said. The
media, however, was quick to point a finger at eBay for enabling the killer
to buy what he needed.
Word of eBay's new no-parts policy spread rapidly among gun collectors and
dealers through gun website forums and blogs. One firearm website owner,
Manny DelaCruz, of www.auctionarms.com, e-mailed all his buyers and sellers
alerting them of eBay's decision and welcoming new members to his site.
"We invite all abandoned eBay sellers to move your firearms, firearms parts,
ammunition, ammunition reloading components and reloading gear immediately
to AuctionArms," DelaCruz wrote. "Show eBay you can abandon them as quick as
they abandoned you ."
DelaCruz said, "We disagree with eBay's stance on the 2nd Amendment in
general and specifically their lackadaisical abandonment of their long and
faithful customers. We think it is unconscionable. But hey, it's their
right, and we love them for helping us continue to build our business."
Indeed, eBay has had many "long and faithful" gun parts merchants. After
eBay stopped selling actual firearms in April 1999, the decision was met
with opposition from many in the gun community. But, consistent with the old
adage, "Necessity is the mother of invention," a number of gun dealers
started their own websites to give eBay castoffs a marketplace.
Dot coms such as GunBroker, GunsAmerica, AuctionArms, A-Gun, AntiqueGuns,
SoldUSA and others have become well-established cyber merchants selling a
considerable amount of guns and related items annually.
On its website, the National Rifle Association made this statement: "With
this action, eBay sends the message that they don't want or appreciate
law-abiding gun owners' business. By banning these legal products, eBay is
adopting the anti-gun movement's opposition to all legal gun ownership.
Fortunately, gun owners and sportsmen have alternatives."
On any given day there were more than 12,000 individual items for sale under
Gun Parts and more than 11,000 under Gun Accessories. Additionally, more
than 200 sellers had their own eBay Store specializing in gun parts. While
the casual seller of occasional old gun pieces won't be significantly
impacted by the new ban, those with active storefronts with high sales
volume have been dealt a sudden, unexpected, crushing financial blow.
User reddogxxalaskan, an eBay Store gun parts dealer in Alaska who has more
than 26,500 feedbacks, had this to say:
"It will be a hard hit. I have sold on eBay since 2000. In 2001 I quit my
job as an adult probation officer and took my business full-time. In the six
years it has done great. In early 2003 I earned Platinum Level Power Seller
status ($25,000 or better in sales a month) and have exceeded that level
every month since.
"I do not sell high capacity magazines or any type of restricted gun part.
Just small, easily shippable items like mags, barrels, parts, etc. It has
been a great business. It's allowed me to stay home and for my wife, who is
a registered nurse, to work part-time or not at all. I was told I was the
largest seller in this category .
"Since the news hit last Monday (July 30) I have been scrambling to get my
existing inventory moving on eBay in the time left. I have also been getting
new listings on the gun-related auction sites like Gunbroker and
AuctionArms. I want to keep my business afloat but it is looking like it
will be a struggle .
"I do not blame eBay. It is their business and they can call the shots. Who
I blame is the media and the officials who covered the Virginia Tech
shootings. In their rush to explain and give reason for an insane act, they
drug eBay's name into the mix . So when they were able to make an eBay
connection to the shootings, I am sure it scared the hell out of management
at eBay."
Asked if the gun parts ban was prompted by legal action filed by Virginia
Tech survivors or victims' relatives, eBay spokesperson Cathy England said
no lawsuits have resulted.
As the no-parts policy was bantered about in forums last week, a question
often raised concerned other potentially harmful items still available on
eBay. Knives, hammers, ice picks, rope, axes, and baseball bats all can be
lethal weapons in the wrong hands.
One forum writer wondered if a terrorist bought a car through eBay, planted
a bomb in it and blew-up people, would eBay ban the sale of cars?
Here is sampling of opinions from other eBay users who bought or sold gun
parts:
"I figured something like this was coming. I didn't think they would stop
selling things like barrels and sights, though. Guess part of the trouble is
that it's hard to keep track of just what is being sold so they decided to
stop just about everything."" (mrsdeadhorse)
"While I personally think this is a bad business decision, I have also
realized that we gun folks are a small portion of what business they do, and
one that I believe they are willing to lose . My biggest complaint with eBay
is the selective enforcement of their own policies. How can they police this
new policy when they cannot police the existing policy?"
(chesterfieldarmament)
"I read that some folks are mighty upset about it. I can't work up the same
emotion. I marvel every day that I am in America, still legally buying,
building, owning and using firearms. While I have enjoyed buying gun-related
items off eBay, I don't have anything negative to say about eBay. What they
do or do not allow is their call. I will continue to buy and sell on eBay
and use Paypal well into the future." (member888754).
eBay bans most gun parts, blames Virginia Tech shooting
In a surprising shift in policy, eBay announced July 30 that it will
prohibit the sale of most gun parts, which have been allowed since the
Internet phenomenon started in 1995. The ban commences Aug. 13.
Under the company's General Announcements section, next to a photograph of a
smiling Matt Halprin, Vice President of Trust & Safety, was this:
"Hello everyone . In mid-August, we will be updating our Firearms, Weapons
and Knives Policy to place more restrictions around gun-related items. Once
these changes take effect, we will prohibit listings of any firearm part
required for the firing on a gun. This includes items like bullet tips,
brass casings and shells, barrels, slides, cylinders, magazines, firing
pins, trigger assemblies, etc."
After referring readers to the section on Firearms policy, he continued:
"As you may know, eBay does not allow the listing of any items which are
regulated by individual states or the federal government, however, there are
still a large number of firearms-related parts that are legal and are widely
available in retail stores. These items have also historically been allowed
on eBay.
"After learning that some items purchased on eBay may have been used in the
tragedy at Virginia Tech in April 2007, we felt that revisiting our policies
was not only necessary, but the right thing to do. After much consideration,
the Trust & Safety police team, along with our executive leaders at eBay
Inc., -- have made the decision to further restrict more of these items than
federal and state regulations require.
The items to which he referred which "may have been used" by Seung-Hui Cho
in his April 16 shooting rampage was a pair of spare 10-round magazines for
one of his guns, a Walther P22. The handgun is equipped with a standard
10-round magazine to accommodate .22 long rifle caliber ammunition. No laws
were broken in the sale of these extra clips.
"It's apparent that he purchased empty magazine clips," the Associate Press
quoted eBay spokesperson Hani Durzy. "They're similar to what could be
purchased at any sporting goods store around the country," Durzy said. The
media, however, was quick to point a finger at eBay for enabling the killer
to buy what he needed.
Word of eBay's new no-parts policy spread rapidly among gun collectors and
dealers through gun website forums and blogs. One firearm website owner,
Manny DelaCruz, of www.auctionarms.com, e-mailed all his buyers and sellers
alerting them of eBay's decision and welcoming new members to his site.
"We invite all abandoned eBay sellers to move your firearms, firearms parts,
ammunition, ammunition reloading components and reloading gear immediately
to AuctionArms," DelaCruz wrote. "Show eBay you can abandon them as quick as
they abandoned you ."
DelaCruz said, "We disagree with eBay's stance on the 2nd Amendment in
general and specifically their lackadaisical abandonment of their long and
faithful customers. We think it is unconscionable. But hey, it's their
right, and we love them for helping us continue to build our business."
Indeed, eBay has had many "long and faithful" gun parts merchants. After
eBay stopped selling actual firearms in April 1999, the decision was met
with opposition from many in the gun community. But, consistent with the old
adage, "Necessity is the mother of invention," a number of gun dealers
started their own websites to give eBay castoffs a marketplace.
Dot coms such as GunBroker, GunsAmerica, AuctionArms, A-Gun, AntiqueGuns,
SoldUSA and others have become well-established cyber merchants selling a
considerable amount of guns and related items annually.
On its website, the National Rifle Association made this statement: "With
this action, eBay sends the message that they don't want or appreciate
law-abiding gun owners' business. By banning these legal products, eBay is
adopting the anti-gun movement's opposition to all legal gun ownership.
Fortunately, gun owners and sportsmen have alternatives."
On any given day there were more than 12,000 individual items for sale under
Gun Parts and more than 11,000 under Gun Accessories. Additionally, more
than 200 sellers had their own eBay Store specializing in gun parts. While
the casual seller of occasional old gun pieces won't be significantly
impacted by the new ban, those with active storefronts with high sales
volume have been dealt a sudden, unexpected, crushing financial blow.
User reddogxxalaskan, an eBay Store gun parts dealer in Alaska who has more
than 26,500 feedbacks, had this to say:
"It will be a hard hit. I have sold on eBay since 2000. In 2001 I quit my
job as an adult probation officer and took my business full-time. In the six
years it has done great. In early 2003 I earned Platinum Level Power Seller
status ($25,000 or better in sales a month) and have exceeded that level
every month since.
"I do not sell high capacity magazines or any type of restricted gun part.
Just small, easily shippable items like mags, barrels, parts, etc. It has
been a great business. It's allowed me to stay home and for my wife, who is
a registered nurse, to work part-time or not at all. I was told I was the
largest seller in this category .
"Since the news hit last Monday (July 30) I have been scrambling to get my
existing inventory moving on eBay in the time left. I have also been getting
new listings on the gun-related auction sites like Gunbroker and
AuctionArms. I want to keep my business afloat but it is looking like it
will be a struggle .
"I do not blame eBay. It is their business and they can call the shots. Who
I blame is the media and the officials who covered the Virginia Tech
shootings. In their rush to explain and give reason for an insane act, they
drug eBay's name into the mix . So when they were able to make an eBay
connection to the shootings, I am sure it scared the hell out of management
at eBay."
Asked if the gun parts ban was prompted by legal action filed by Virginia
Tech survivors or victims' relatives, eBay spokesperson Cathy England said
no lawsuits have resulted.
As the no-parts policy was bantered about in forums last week, a question
often raised concerned other potentially harmful items still available on
eBay. Knives, hammers, ice picks, rope, axes, and baseball bats all can be
lethal weapons in the wrong hands.
One forum writer wondered if a terrorist bought a car through eBay, planted
a bomb in it and blew-up people, would eBay ban the sale of cars?
Here is sampling of opinions from other eBay users who bought or sold gun
parts:
"I figured something like this was coming. I didn't think they would stop
selling things like barrels and sights, though. Guess part of the trouble is
that it's hard to keep track of just what is being sold so they decided to
stop just about everything."" (mrsdeadhorse)
"While I personally think this is a bad business decision, I have also
realized that we gun folks are a small portion of what business they do, and
one that I believe they are willing to lose . My biggest complaint with eBay
is the selective enforcement of their own policies. How can they police this
new policy when they cannot police the existing policy?"
(chesterfieldarmament)
"I read that some folks are mighty upset about it. I can't work up the same
emotion. I marvel every day that I am in America, still legally buying,
building, owning and using firearms. While I have enjoyed buying gun-related
items off eBay, I don't have anything negative to say about eBay. What they
do or do not allow is their call. I will continue to buy and sell on eBay
and use Paypal well into the future." (member888754).
