Ebay and safe guarding members - beware of selling second hand kids clothes

[JuicyJ]

Can someone please tell me how Ebay regulates it's members activities on the site ? I was selling some second hand kids clothes including school shoes and last night a member messaged me with the following message: 'Hello, I work for a deodorising company and I am looking to buy really smelly footwear (flats, slippers, trainers, sandals, insoles, socks,...). For now, I am more interested in footwear worn by girls between 6 to 16 years old because we have already found lots of sellers of adults and boys footwear. Do you have something for sale? I can pay up to £20 per pair. Please let me know,
Regards.'

I am in no doubt this is a pervert and feel that Ebay as a company has a responsibility to bar members who are acting in this way on the site - so complained about them this morning, got a standard reply of 'If we see anything unusual in their activity we will take action' but to be honest I feel fobbed off by Ebay and concerned they are not acting responsibly in ensuring that members like this are removed from the site - if I had sold my daughter's shoes then I always have a return address label with the item, so who's to say that people like this then know where I live ? I feel like predators are openly using sites like ebay to source their 'fetish' items and more action needs to be taken to stop them and bar their activity - does anyone else have the same concerns as me ? I feel a petition against Ebay coming on...

Of course they use it for fetish items.

You can't police it as most wont admit it. Shrugs.

It turned my stomach - surely there is a way that Ebay can monitor this activity ? Brings the whole site into disrepute if they cannot control this type of behaviour.

I'd call their bluff and ask for the name of their company so I can check it's legit. But you're right. It's obviously a perv. Thanks for raising awareness of this.

After the red mist went, I sent him an email asking which company it was, hasn't responded yet..

This is quite common. Ebay won't tell you about action taken against another account, but I believe they do shut them down.
I don't think there is any evidence that these people are predatory though. Disgusting, yes, but unlikely to be dangerous.

They're not doing anything illegal.

You advertise second hand children's clothes and you have no idea of the background of the buyer.

It's not illegal to buy used clothes if you plan to peeve over them.

Just because it's not illegal does not mean it's right..

My friend regularly sells 'trashed' shoes on eBay...she buys them from primark. Wears them out over a weekend if puddles etc...n then sells them for £40 a pair. At first it creeped her out.. but it's a fetish n mainly harmless. The kids shoes bit is a bit odd...but one practice involves using it as an aid for masturbation...maybe they need a small shoe ..

How do you police charity shops?

You cant.

The bit about kids is paedophilia and it ISN'T ok.
Maybe report to CEOP with their user name and a screen shot here:

www.ceop.police.uk/safety-centre/

I'm not talking about charity shops - i'm talking about Ebay - they can safeguard against this happening by vigilant reporting and banning members - this activity should not be condoned just because it happens other wise your supporting these twisted people.

Thank you guardianfree - for your comment, this activity is wrong regardless of whether it happens or not - as parents we have a moral responsibility to protect our children until they are old enough to make their own responsible decisions. I am not selling second hand clothes on ebay with the intention of having some pervert owning it.

The thing is, you don't know if action has been taken. Ebay won't be able to discuss someone else's account with you.

Wow just looked on eBay for trashed shoes

Just put them on your blocked bidders list & move on. They're harmless fantasists until proven otherwise.