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 Replies: 20 / Views: 4,359 |
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
3098 Posts |
I've just had a very frustrating call with ebay support after they pulled three of my listings for inexpensive uncleaned Roman coins. The reason listed was that my listings violated ebay's artifacts listing policies (such as Native American artifacts and fossils, but not ancient coins) because I did not include the coins' provenance history nor did I have any documentation showing the coins' country of origin or import information. In my long discussion with the woman from ebay, who was very polite . . . as I tried to be . . . she told me that any item that did not have full provenance or documentation will be pulled from ebay. I pointed out to her that there are currently 77 listings on ebay for "uncleaned" coins and over 33,000 listings for Roman Imperial coins, and I doubt that more than a tiny percentage have any such provenance history or required documentation. I asked if all of these coins will be removed from ebay. She basically said, "Yes". If they violate this policy they will be removed. I will wait to see this happen. I'm going to relist one of the coins and just not say it's uncleaned. I'll see what happens. Frustrating, to say the least. Has anyone else experienced this? Paul Bulgerin
Edited by Paul Bulgerin
09/25/2015 1:09 pm
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Pillar of the Community
United States
7631 Posts |
ebay does funny things sometimes. I'm guessing that ebay didn't just automatically find your listings violated their policy. I'd just about bet that they had some help.... probably were reported by another seller.
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
3098 Posts |
Someone reported me? But I'm such a nice guy. I've relisted one of the coins. I didn't call it uncleaned and I stated that I bought it from a seller in Europe. I'll see what happens with this one. All of this for coins that I was offering for less than $4.00 each. The woman at ebay with whom I spoke said she was a trained expert on ebay policies, so there wasn't anyone else I could ask to talk with about this. Paul Bulgerin
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Moderator
 United States
16679 Posts |
I'd list it like the top seller of ancient coins (where ebay makes the most money on fees). Follow his practices and you'll be fine. swcoin.ecrater.com
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Moderator
United States
23731 Posts |
This is the first time I've heard of them doing this on uncleaned coins.
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
12057 Posts |
I see tons of listings for uncleaned ancient coins, mostly from the UK and elsewhere, why would they pick on your listings? Jealous competitor reporting them? CDN just ran a nice front page story on the Bluesheet about how coin selling on ebay has gone to pot since that new CEO took over and fired all of the people who used to be in charge of coin listings. Member ANA - EAC - TNA - SSDC - CCT #890 "Most of the things worth doing in the world had been declared impossible before they were done." -- Louis D. Brandeis |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1192 Posts |
Is ebay getting getting proactive to avoid flak from the dept of justice over the whole potiental artifacts from ISIS or Countries banning historical artifact exports? If they delist it again look up what countries allow cultural exports in Europe and just say they were imported from that country 40+ years ago. I doubt they want proof haha. Edited by Bertensgrad
09/25/2015 2:36 pm
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Valued Member
United States
297 Posts |
For the small amount-value ? Ridiculous
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Pillar of the Community
United States
567 Posts |
They pulled four of my listings yesterday for exactly the same reason. I had a chat with them and they want provenance or an export licence. Awfully odd this happening now. Never happened to me before either. Oddly they left my other listings alone, like a Sasanian drachm
It was just a real bother because they pulled a listing that had been sold already and I have a ticked off buyer who already paid and who doesn't know what happened.
Oh well, going to have to dig out my Israel Antiquities Authority export certs and post them with the coins. Whole lot of trouble over nothing.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
562 Posts |
Could have something to do with the pending law in Germany requiring provenance for ancient coins. Perhaps ebay has taken the law up as part of their own policy? |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
567 Posts |
Whatever the reason the timing is a pain. I'm down to my last few hundred and I'm just trying.to get rid of them. Had a few lots of 100 up for cheap. Now I have to go through a whole new set of hoops. Oh well once they're gone no more ancients for me. I'll probably consign whatever ancients I have left to an auction house, let them sort the whole lot out. I'm getting more heavily into oriental cast coinage. Much more interesting.
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Moderator
United States
16679 Posts |
I've got my ancients on ecrater. No way I'm dealing with all that ebay noise. swcoin.ecrater.com
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1186 Posts |
You'd be better off listing counterfeit and cracked-out details coins.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4971 Posts |
i just did an search of "uncleaned" coins on ebay, there are very few ancient coins now. recently, there were many pages of listings ...now there are 30 total. there were more earlier this afternoon. why go after uncleaned coins and not all ancient coins? why the sudden move?...i think there are some good ideas above. for ebay to do this something had to put some pretty serious pressure on them I would think. are other ancient coins next? i find it a troubling development for our hobby, whatever the reason. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1788 Posts |
I don't find it fair, I like buying uncleaned lots, gives me a sense of surprise and it's fun to identify them.
Edited by Ploopy
09/25/2015 9:10 pm
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Pillar of the Community
United States
949 Posts |
Quote:
why go after uncleaned coins and not all ancient coins? One step at a time. I am sure that Atlas 642 has nailed it on the head. For whatever reason, ebay is buying into the notion of cultural patrimony being promoted by the archaeologists in the US. They have the ear of the U.S. State Department already from the days of Hillary Clinton. At present they want to see something that might pass for a provenance. So give them one and see what flies. End of story for now. --------- Read the following only at your own risk: The sum total of all people in the US who collect ancients, or even care about them at all, is such a small minority that ancient coins are an expendable commodity in the US. Banning them from import to the US is a relatively painless way to posture for "despoiled" countries in the Middle East and anywhere else ancient coins are being harvested for export. It is just a matter of time, and ebay is on board with this if it serves to demonstrate their willingness to cooperate with the State Department. Students on college campuses are the most vulnerable to being co-opted for the task of vilifying the collecting of anything ancient, and that is where the archaeologists have the edge. ebay has much to gain by giving the appearance of being a leader in the movement. Wayne Sayles and the ACCG has been battling this for over two decades. If there are 25000 people in the US shopping for ancient anything on ebay, or even three times that number it is a paltry number next to the number of transactions that take place on ebay daily. So the total clout of all the angry collectors of ancients is not likely to matter much in comparison to the gains to be made by taking an opposing position. For the moment sellers or ancients on ebay will be challenged to provide a "provenance" for the material they sell. Take a stab at it, and I'm betting ebay will give anything that looks close a "pass." So do that. |
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Replies: 20 / Views: 4,359 |
Posted 09/25/2015 12:01 am
