I have had 7 listings pulled for replicas. All these were listed prior to the 20th of Feb. They were listed on the 19th. I thought Ebat said they were going to let the listings run to completion. I had 2 days left on them with tons of watchers. I am wondering if others have had there listings pulled. I appreciate all responses.

Well, I guess it is official (since NUMEROUS emails to several depts and people on Ebay have gone unaswered for clarification of the new replica coin rule)...

3 listings for my large replica coin key chains were pulled today...

Here is the explanation email...

Unfortunately, we had to remove your listing because of the following:

This listing was for a coin or bullion that appears the same or similar to a coin that was issued by a government mint. This is considered a "replica" coin which we no longer allow on our site, regardless of size or age. We ask that you please do not relist this item.

We appreciate that you chose to list this coin on our site and we realize you may not have been aware of these policies. All listing fees have been credited back to your account. Please do not relist this item.

I put the emphasis on size or age but that is what I (and MANY other sellers) have been asking for clarification of since the new rule went into effect.

So I guess if it looks like a coin but isn't... then it is no longer allowed on Ebay period.  I feel for those Fisher price toy sellers who sell the "money sets" so your kids can learn how to make change etc and the jewelry sellers, and everyone else who sell legitimate items on Ebay.  Since there are NO exceptions evidently.

Well, the policy is updated.  There isn't much there, the changes are minor (unfortunately, the page revisions are so minor, most people wouldn't know or see the difference).  Thankfully, there are no surprises that I could see. 

Replica coins are simply prohibited.  No details, no clarifications for novelty items or contemporary counterfeits, no indication there was even a policy change for those who might not know about it. 

jlwilkers wrote:

it's a fake one!  here is the 20th, and the policy change has not taken affect!

 

Well, at least they've not revised the policy page yet..

http://pages.ebay.com/help/policies/currstamps.html

I posted the link so it will be easy to check back on it.  I'm still interested to see what the exact verbiage will read, and more importantly what other "revisions" appear that no one has discussed or anticipated.

Well... I am frustrated (is this a new feeling with Ebay??).

The pink on the Fakes and Forgeries board says my large 3" replicas will not be allowed (read earlier post in thread), but the Ebay employee who I talked to (and wrote me back) says they WOULD be allowed.

I wrote my rep back and told him what the other one said.  I waited 3 days and got no response.

I wrote him back yesterday asking if there was a superior I could talk to to clarify this new rule and if it does affect me, who I could appeal to about this.

Of course, I have not heard back.

Also, evidently my application to the Fakes and Forgeries board was denied or ignored since I haven't heard anything in a week from them.

Any advice as to anyone at Ebay I can email or contact? Anyone have any "inside" email addresses from people you have dealt with that actually helped you?

Thanks!

johnmenc wrote:

1- They are slabbed from a current approved E-Bay slabbing firm like PCGS/NGC.

that won't work... they're faking the slabs too...

I ordered some "replicas" from various Chinese sellers back in 2009, and some of my photos were published in the July 2009 issue of Coinage.  NONE had the required COPY stamp, and the .900 silver Flowing Hair and Draped Bust coinage was in spec and very dangerous.  We showed some of these at the May 2009 TNA show.  About half of the DEALERS were fooled and offered to buy the fakes.  Of course professional dealers know about these now, but  small mom & pop coin shops, flea markets, pawn shops are still being cheated by this stuff, and  unless you are a reasonably advanced collector, it passes. Cutting off the supply of this stuff through eBay is the right thing to do, even if some legitimately collectible coins can no longer be sold on eBay.

The real question here as an example is how do we keep a legitimate contemporary counterfeit like a James I Shilling in TIN instead of SILVER that would say bring 100 English pounds in a Spinks/Baldwins/Diz Noonan Webb auction and have that pulled now on E-Bay under these new guidlines. There are 100's probably not 1000's that collect these type of coins with as much passion as the regal silver pieces. We really need an exception to this new poilcy - perhaps with proper documentation and then its E-Bay's call to pull or not pull the auction. Just a thought ...

I believe we have established that it is not a spoof or a fake.  The ebay pink "Judith" confirms it is real and several outside links to the new policy have been posted.  The fact that it did not show up in "My Ebay" mail is meaningless.  I get many emails from ebay straight to my email address without showing up in "My Ebay" messages.

"climate is what we expect weather is what we get" M. Twain

Will their listing get pulled after the new policy starts, if they're unable to say it's authentic?

That has been the case with the Coin Selling policy for quite a while now... disclaimers about "I'm no expert, I don't know for sure if it's real", etc. have been prohibited.  I'm not a great fan of that policy, but the problem is someone who is being realistic and honest when saying that, versus the people who know full well their item is fake and say it anyhow as some sort of excuse or to mislead people.   Authenticiy disclaimers are now forbidden site-wide, so any dislclaimers are not allowed.  You're allowed to say it's authentic, but don't have to... the presumption is that it is authentic whether you say it or not, and in Coins it's an automatic violaiton if it is not.

*smedley* wrote:

aotantiques wrote:

It's not like a scammer is going to buy a coin necklace which has a fake coin in it, remove it, then be able to sell it as real on eBay.

 

you can bet your bottom dollar that it happens regularly... and not just on feebay...

I understand and know it has and does happen.

My point was/is, with the new policy it's less likely to happen "because" of the new policy. It would be too hard to list, say a one sided coin made for jewelry only. Or even if it had both sides, (referring to an ancient roman copy made for and used as a jewelry piece only) as the seller would be required to say it is authentic.

In any case, the scammers aren't going to stop (seems to be what you're saing too). So it still begs the question, why does this new policy spill over to jewelry? Clearly no costume jewelry should be listed in the coins area, unless the piece does contain an authentic coin. And, anyone looking for coins in the costume jewelry area doesn't need a nanny to watch over them. If they're looking in the costume (or even fine) jewelry area for a coin, they should be capable of looking after them selves, buying at their own risk then. IMHO, it's just silly for eBay to make this policy so strict for jewelry. As it's also just plain silly to restrict a seller from selling a 3" Buffalo nickel copy.

And, you can bet China sellers will still be listing their fake coins. Might slow them down from selling fake US coins, but chinese fake coins will still be listed.

Besides all the above, I enjoy doing searches for unknown, unattributed, unusual, unidentified coins, from people who genuinely didn't know what they had and listed as such.

Will their listing get pulled after the new policy starts, if they're unable to say it's authentic?

I've bought some pretty nice coins using this search. Only once did I ever receive a copy, but I bought at my own risk knowing it could be a copy (the price was certainly worth the risk) and it was still silver.

buyingcoins wrote:

If anyone thinks this will stop the China sellers from listing counterfeits they are delusional.

What is really ironic is that Ebay allows Chinese sellers to sell coins that both the Chinese government and the United States government have agreed to ban from export out of China and will not be allowed into the United States.

Many of the old or purportedly old Chinese coins listed by Chinese sellers are banned from being exported and can be legally confiscated by US Customs upon arrival into the United States. 

old press story:

"On the 30th anniversary of entering into diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China, the outgoing Bush Administration announced Jan. 14 that it had entered into a memorandum of understanding with the PRC that will make illegal the export from China, or third countries into the U.S., certain cultural properties more than 250 years old.

Import restrictions were imposed on specific categories of archaeological material from "The Paleolithic Period Through The Tang Dynasty," as well as "Monumental Sculpture and Wall Art at Least 250 Years Old.""

Included are all coins to the Tang period, period.

I think Ebay should ban the sale of all Chinese coins that were covered in this memorandum.  It's the law.