another dodgey £bay offer

[Andy Duff]

Here we go again. not buying bees, buying an order form-
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Order-for..._Pet_Supplies_Bee_Keeping&hash=item4d03d828d9

 

[Andy Duff]

But the smoker fuel is a bargin-
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Roof-for-..._Pet_Supplies_Bee_Keeping&hash=item416957993a

 

[REDWOOD]

But the smoker fuel is a bargin-
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Roof-for-..._Pet_Supplies_Bee_Keeping&hash=item416957993a

Free if you take a walk in the woods

 

[Into the lions den]

Here we go again. not buying bees, buying an order form-
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Order-for..._Pet_Supplies_Bee_Keeping&hash=item4d03d828d9

I find it a rather amusing way to get round the restrictions on selling live bees on e-bay, and quite possibly a loophole that will end up closed.

Of course the person behing the listing is indeed a forum member.

 

[rolande]

Sadly I see that the listing has now been removed. I don't know the woman in question but I am aware of who she is. Seems to me like she's only trying to make a living out of something which she enjoys. Sure she's found a loophole but until it's actually closed why not make the most of it?

I admit, she'd probably be better off offering free electronic delivery of her order form (if that's allowed) but other than that, good luck to her.

 

[alanf]

Sadly I see that the listing has now been removed. I don't know the woman in question but I am aware of who she is. Seems to me like she's only trying to make a living out of something which she enjoys. Sure she's found a loophole but until it's actually closed why not make the most of it?

I admit, she'd probably be better off offering free electronic delivery of her order form (if that's allowed) but other than that, good luck to her.

The 'no live animals' rule strikes again. It's an arbitrary ebay thing - why make an exception for live topical fish but not allow bees? I don't think 'free' is allowed on ebay, they can't charge a percentage. You could list a sales catalogue with order form at 1p though.

 

[rolande]

By 'free' I was suggesting that the postage costs (.99p?) of sending her order form out by snail-mail could be lost by using an email drop of the purchased order form. So I don't think there's a major problem there as free postage is allowed (actually it's encouraged more often than not), it's just an issue of whether they have a silly rule saying that you can't send a purchased item (order form) by email.

I do agree with your point about the 'no live animals' rule being less than transparent.

 

[alanf]

By 'free' I was suggesting that the postage costs (.99p?) of sending her order form out by snail-mail could be lost by using an email drop of the purchased order form. So I don't think there's a major problem there as free postage is allowed (actually it's encouraged more often than not), it's just an issue of whether they have a silly rule saying that you can't send a purchased item (order form) by email.

There are listings for emailed or texted items, mobile phone unlocking codes for instance, and collection is usually free. The sell form will not allow auctions to start under 1p and buy it now has a minimum 99p, I know because I have tried before to list (and sold for 99p!) after no response on freecycle.

 

[mbc]

I buy live lizard food on cheesebay

 

[alanf]

I buy live lizard food on cheesebay

Another specific exception. You can buy mealworms for instance, as long as they are intended as pet food, but not bees. Could you buy a mealworm or cricket as a pet? According to the rules, no. Could you sell bees as pet food*? According to the rules, yes, but the ebay moderators would probably remove it anyway.

* http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bee-eater

 

[ShaneR]

So what if someone wants to get round some of Ebay's ridiculous rules using loopholes? perhaps some people should keep their noses out of things that actually do not concern them.and get a life, If the seller want to sell "order forms" to sell queens then what is wrong with that?? Christ! does it really matter??

Sorry for the rant but it really gets my goat when you see these types of posts, haven't people got anything better to do?

 

[For want of a better word]

So what if someone wants to get round some of Ebay's ridiculous rules using loopholes? perhaps some people should keep their noses out of things that actually do not concern them.and get a life, If the seller want to sell "order forms" to sell queens then what is wrong with that?? Christ! does it really matter??

Sorry for the rant but it really gets my goat when you see these types of posts, haven't people got anything better to do?

a few years back some brownshirt from the fleabuy police dibbed me in for offering antique key duplicating machines... eBay BANNED me !

 

[thorn]

For anything like that there needs to be rules. They'll also have to be catch all, so sometimes they'll appear overly restrictive, but better that than a free-for-all.

 

[garlicpickle]

I keep tarantulas as a hobby and although I have never sold any via fleabay, some people try and get round the regs by offering them as food for large lizards etc. These listings almost always get pulled once somebody reports them.

Crickets, locusts and mealworms can all be legitimately sold on there as feeder food, but listings for things like praying mantids, stick insects, land snails, millipedes, fruit beetles etc often don't get removed even though these are not prey items.

It's all a bit arbitary. I guess you could try offering bees on fleabay as food for people's pet bee-eaters?

 

[alanf]

So what if someone wants to get round some of Ebay's ridiculous rules using loopholes? perhaps some people should keep their noses out of things that actually do not concern them.and get a life, If the seller want to sell "order forms" to sell queens then what is wrong with that?? Christ! does it really matter??

Sorry for the rant but it really gets my goat when you see these types of posts, haven't people got anything better to do?

There are many people who would like to sell a few bees on ebay, it's a realistic topic for debate if there is a way of doing so. Ebay don't generally engage in rational discussion, as consumer programme reports of ticket tout activity has generally shown. They prefer to act as judge, jury and executioner and in this case if live bees are seen, they get deleted and ebay won't listen to any objections. Or alternatively ignore what they want to. As already pointed out they allow tropical fish which must be a greater risk in the post of chilling or becoming de-oxygenated than a queen in a cage, so there's no logic to their position. There are people openly selling butterfly kits with a voucher for caterpillars (search for 'butterfly garden'), perhaps you could offer a 'queen voucher'?

 

[yeogi75]

what about queen cage with lodger for sale
or nuc for sale with inhabitants
i see people selling insects and fish etc i see no diffrence

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Christ! does it really matter??

No need to be offensive Shane.

I think the worry(?) is that there are a lot of cowboys on fleabay (both on the buying and selling side) Personally I'm not comfortable with live creatures being shunted back and forth to any Tom Dick and Harry on fleabay some of the sales do look legit but you can never tell (like Lady B buying a pair of designer shoes on the site and getting them seized by customs how embarassing )

 

[DorsetB]

I wrote to ebay in February of this year, as I have bought marine shrimp, fish, and coral as well as livestock for my pond and tropical tanks, and wanted to know why bees were not allowed. Here is a copy and paste of their reply:

Please consider that out of safety and welfare concerns for the creatures involved, eBay does not permit the trade of live animals on it's platform. There may be issues in their handling or may be prohibited by the carrying company themselves. Insects are only allowed if they are feeder animals and they (insects, cricketsand worms.) may be listed with proper packaging and overnight postage.

Bees are not allowed as these can only be kept as pets/hobby insects so do not fall within exception for live creatures permitted. I kindly request that you do not list them on the site.

When I queried the fact that "ebay does not permit the trade of live animals on it's platform" yet allows all manner of animals and insects which are not for feeding, I never got a reply.

I suppose I should have mentioned that they were to be sold exclusively as food for young martins and swallows...

 

[Easy Beesy]

Just don't like the idea of any live creature going through the postal system.
Sell and collect - that's different.

 

[Andy Duff]

Just don't like the idea of any live creature going through the postal system.
Sell and collect - that's different.

This forum is the ideal place to buy and sell bees especially if you have a reputation to maintain and nothing to hide about the bees you are selling. I would be very wary of somebody trying to flog bees on £bay by trying to circumvent their rules