Thank you for writing eBay in regard to your listing that was recently
removed and similar items on the site.
I have reviewed your listing and can confirm it was removed correctly in
accordance with our policies.
I understand that your "M4 Handguards for AR15 Carbine Dual Heat
Shields" are not actually a firearm. However, I'm afraid that your item
was removed correctly under our Firearms policy.
Your handguards were removed because it was described as an accessory
for an assault weapon, in this case an AR-15. eBay has recently revised
its Firearms Policy so that the sale of any assault weapon-related parts
or accessories will no longer be permitted. This will apply to all parts
and accessories related to any firearm defined as an "assault weapon" by
either Federal or California law. This means that eBay will remove any
item, even including things like stocks, grips,
slings, or
sights/scopes, that is described as being compatible with an assault
weapon model.
The primary reason that eBay has changed its policy is that various
state and federal laws are particularly complex when it comes to
regulating, and even defining, assault weapons parts and accessories.
What is legal in one jurisdiction may be illegal in another, and as the
category grew, it became increasingly difficult for us to enforce a
consistent policy. To keep our community from inadvertently violating a
firearms law, and to simplify our enforcement into a policy that would
be fair and consistent to all sellers, we took the step of banning all
parts and accessories related to assault weapons. This decision was made
purely to help protect our community from inadvertently violating
firearms laws, and for enforcement reasons.
eBay takes no position on
the gun control issue. eBay will continue to allow the sale of hunting
rifle parts and accessories because the laws surrounding the sale of
these items are much simpler and thus easier to enforce.
I appreciate the fact that you may disagree with eBay’s decision to
establish this policy. If you would like to see these policies change,
or have suggestions on how to make this policy better, I encourage you
to submit your feelings by completing the form at the following URL:
http://pages.ebay.com/community/suggestion/
Although you may not see the policy change immediately as a result of
your email, the appropriate personnel will be made aware of your
position on this issue.
With regard to your concern about other listings you may see on the site
that are similar to yours, I understand your position. Let me assure
you that you are not being targeted or discriminated against, and that
we value having you as a member.
The Community Watch Team understands there are auctions currently
running on the site that are in violation of our listing policies or
guidelines. Please understand that with over 1 million active listings
at any given time, it is not always feasible for us to be aware of all
violating listings within the time frame of some auctions. I know this
may not seem fair because these listings are live on the site, however,
during our search for listing policy violations, or when members like
yourself report these listings and bring them to our attention, we fully
investigate each report. Listings that are found to be in violation of
our policies are dealt with appropriately, and repeated offences are
dealt with appropriately.
To submit a report to us, please do so through the following link:
http://pages.ebay.com/help/contact_inline/index.html
It's important that you do not treat the action taken on your listings
personally, but rather as an informational alert to make you aware of
our policies. While it may not be immediate or obvious, other sellers
who are engaging in listing practices which violate our policies will
eventually have similar action taken.
I apologize for any inconvenience this has caused. If you need further
assistance, please don't hesitate to reply to this email and let us
know.
Sincerely,
Charmie
eBay Customer Support
