This Can't Be Good

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TomGeorge

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@TheJakeBailey

Let me start off by saying that I dont use ebay for anything so its not going to effect me either way.

I read the reddit thread and another post about this on a different thread here on ECF and assumed that when ebay said they will no longer sell ecig products, they meant they will no longer sell ecig products. I then remembered a thread from a few months back and posted a link to it (Operation Choke Point). Essentially its a government agency that can shut down businesses but not allowing them to get financial support from banks. Lots of the effected businesses are online ones too, so ebay would be a prim candidate.

I was under the assumption that we were still not considered a tobacco products, and the the FDA has been trying to get it classified as one so they can regulate it.
 

TheJakeBailey

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Back in the day, e-cigs were widely considered a smoking cessation product, like the patch. If a product is considered a "drug," then it falls under the control of the FDA, and has to be approved for use as a medicine. Avoiding that is how the term "a smoking alternative" came about. in other words, we aren't saying that you will necessarily stop smoking, but that you can do this instead. Maybe you will stop smoking all together, and maybe you won't, and we aren't saying that we think this will help you do it. It was basically a time saving measure, and it bought us a few valuable years to really get this thing off the ground.

As far as "operation chokepoint" goes. In MY opinion, it's tin foil hat fodder. But anybody can believe what anybody wishes to believe.
 

AzPlumber

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Nothing new, this has been Ebay's policy for years and stems from FDA's 2009 warning about Electronic Cigarettes. Ebay can't police every seller but when caught the listings are pulled. You can take your chances buying e-cig related items but when something goes wrong and Ebay discovers it's related to e-cigs they won't help. There have been many vendors that sold on Ebay for years only to have their account closed and funds frozen for violating policy.
 

TheJakeBailey

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TomGeorge

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As far as "operation choke point" goes. In MY opinion, it's tin foil hat fodder. But anybody can believe what anybody wishes to believe.

You asked for evidence, and I gave it to you. This isnt a theory, it is a fact. Operation check point exists, and it enforces the will of the administration. Denying its existence is like denying Benghazi or the IRS committing Tax Fraud to restrict the Tea Party, you can chose not to accept it, but that simply makes you wrong.

Idk if the ban will remain on ebay or if it is related to choke point, but it fits the bill.
 

Rickajho

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This is nothing new and it's been a part of eBay's Terms of Service for several years now. It has nothing to do with government involvement... just eBay's internal policy to avoid having to deal with tobacco related products and regulation. It's easier for them to prohibit sales of related items than deal with Regulatory boloney. Since they own PayPal the same policy applies for US based companies only...

eBay is just very inconsistent on enforcement for US based users.... technically you can buy/sell e-cigarette gear as long as it doesn't contain any nicotine, but you also can't use the word cigarette or any reference to tobacco, smoking cessation nor health claims in the product descriptions.

^^^ That. This isn't anything new so if Reddit users are suddenly having a profound revelation and getting all hippy-hoppy... whatever.

The only complaint you may have is eBay's inconsistent application of the policy. But buying/selling e-cig related stuff within the confines of the US has been a long time unacceptable use for eBay. So if you get caught in the cross fire of an AUP violation don't come complaining if it happens.
 

TheJakeBailey

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You asked for evidence, and I gave it to you. This isnt a theory, it is a fact. Operation check point exists, and it enforces the will of the administration. Denying its existence is like denying Benghazi or the IRS committing Tax Fraud to restrict the Tea Party, you can chose not to accept it, but that simply makes you wrong.

Idk if the ban will remain on ebay or if it is related to choke point, but it fits the bill.

How many peole have pointed out in this thread alone that this has been ebay's policy since 2009, and that they have been haphazardly enforcing it for 5 years? But continuing blaming the anybody but e-bay.
 

TheJakeBailey

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What I offered was the entirety of the aforementioned operation. (I have google too) But there is no way that I can PROVE to you that it ISN'T being applied to e-cigs any more than you can PROVE that it is. As it applies to this topic, E-bay has had the same policy for years, it isn't anything new, it hasn't changed, at all.
 
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