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woelen
Super Administrator
Posts: 7976
Registered: 20-8-2005
Location: Netherlands
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Mood: interested
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Even element samples are banned from eBay
Today I received this email from eBay:
| Quote: | Dear woelen,
Thank you for your bid on the following listing:
Item number: 120008995715
Title: Hafnium Hf metal in sealed glass ampoule tube in argon
Unfortunately, eBay removed this listing because it's against the law, eBay policy, or both. All bids or offers on this listing have been canceled. We
advise you to not purchase this item.
To learn how you can protect yourself and help ensure a positive buying experience in the future, please visit:
http://pages.ebay.com/help/buy/buyer_checklist.html
To review eBay's list of Prohibited, Questionable, and Infringing items, visit:
http://pages.ebay.com/help/sell/item_allowed.html
We're sorry for the inconvenience and thank you for your understanding.
Sincerely,
eBay Trust & Safety |
Bweh bweh, of course I need to protect myself. Hafnium metal is soooooooooo dangerous and these sellers must be put in jail, immediately, NOW!!!!
At the same time I also received a similar message on a set of 12 high voltage diodes (20 kV). These items also apparently are bad in the eyes of
eBay.
Everything, which is looking somewhat technical, probably will be banned by eBay, because we need to be protected. Yes, we need to be protected!!!!
------------------------------------------------------------------------
This is the first time I have this experience with eBay. Apparently, they are tightening up their safety policies and items which could be sold a year
ago, cannot be sold anymore right now. I already noticed a sharp decrease of auctions of this type on eBay and apparenlty eBay is actively looking
upon this type of auctions and if they are found, they are removed. So, element collectors, try to find another place for obtaining your elements.
[Edited on 4-9-06 by woelen]
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12AX7
Post Harlot
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Whaaa? Such things must be a big part of their business, as in, an actual percentage.
Alright then.. I want to know who will come up with ebay's evil twin, which DOES sell all the good stuff (perhaps at a premium commission, meh).
Tim
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The_Davster
A pnictogen
Posts: 2861
Registered: 18-11-2003
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And another freedom bites the dust....
According to Ebay's questionable material, international buyers and sellers are 'questionable'.
Soon ebay will be reduced to selling music and furniture.
"Don't let the people get elements, they are CHEMICALS and are EVIL" "Same with electronic parts, they could make devices of unprecedented evil"
EDIT: I agree with Tim. Lets find someone willing to start up ebay's evil twin.
[Edited on 3-9-2006 by rogue chemist]
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Swany
Hazard to Others
Posts: 188
Registered: 11-4-2005
Location: My happy place...
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Well, if you provide a marketplace aimed at all of the chemistry forums on the internet, you have a rather large base of people who are constantly
trying to expand and alter their inventories. As of now, most transactions are quite private and covered through PM's, but the whole open-market thing
would be great IMHO. Of course, there are many problems with starting such an area....
Still, we can dream. No?
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Eclectic
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That's odd, because I just bought a 13x26mm rod of Hf. A search for hafnium turns up lots of hits in the stores.
Maybe some "Barney Fife" decided you were collecting Hf to make a "Nucular" reactor? We can't have the foreigners havin' access to "Nucular"
materials. Hide the borax, silver, and cadmium too.
I don't think the hazzard police on Ebay have much oversight. Some loose cannon deleted Chemsavers' Ebay store listings a few weeks back, and they
had to recreate all the listings from scratch.
[Edited on 4-9-2006 by Eclectic]
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evil_lurker
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Posts: 767
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Mood: On the wagon again.
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Its chemophobia, plain and simple.
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MadHatter
International Hazard
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Loss
And it's their loss too ! There are other auction sites on the net. Someone may pick it up
and collect the dollars that eBay will lose. It's ashame, the wimps have taken over !
From opening of NCIS New Orleans - It goes a BOOM ! BOOM ! BOOM ! MUHAHAHAHAHAHAHA !
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YT2095
International Hazard
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I had a similar thing happen on a bid for a 150mw laser a few months ago, we still did the deal but outside of eBay vai email.
Techno-Phobia is rife, but I wonder how many of these beurocrats have Ipods and mobile fones or laptops!?
\"In a world full of wonders mankind has managed to invent boredom\" - Death
Twinkies don\'t have a shelf life. They have a half-life! -Caine (a friend of mine)
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chromium
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I do not know how it is in USA but in my country firms do not worry about every kind of lost markets. In fact many of them intentionally drop such
areas from their business that do not make great part of their profits but make some special problems. For ebay owners there are easyer ways to make
money than mediating sales of elemnt samples, lasers or HV diodes and so they just do what wisdom of capitalism tells them - sell what gives more
profit with less hassle.
I will be very happy if some other auction site will pick up this market but even if this happens then they may also be forced to drop it. Not much
pressure needed. 
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joeflsts
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Recently I got a similar message message about a purchase. As it turns out it was an over zealous ebay employee and there was nothing wrong with the
purchase. You will never hear anything from ebay on their mistake. I highly doubt this is chemophobia.
Joe
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DeAdFX
Hazard to Others
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[at joeflsts]Was that the item was science related? This is bad because ebay is one of my best sources[in terms of price] for science equipment and
certain chemicals.
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not_important
International Hazard
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Perhaps the science auctions will move back to LabX, they were in the business before there was an ebay.
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joeflsts
Hazard to Others
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Registered: 14-1-2006
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| Quote: | Originally posted by DeAdFX
[at joeflsts]Was that the item was science related? This is bad because ebay is one of my best sources[in terms of price] for science equipment and
certain chemicals. |
Yes, it was an obscure alchohol. eBay sent me a rather nasty message, informing me to not complete the purchase because the chemical in question was
against their policy. About a week later I got a message from the seller with an attachment from eBay apologizing for thier mistake. eBay never
contacted me.
Joe
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triphenylphosphineoxide
Harmless
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I think that a bit of laziness, ignorance, and cowardice are behind this. Ebay has automatic filters to search for substances that may be a postal
hazard or require a licensed buyer or seller. It only takes one employee with minimal knowldege deciding to err on the side of caution to remove a
listing.
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YT2095
International Hazard
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| Quote: | Originally posted by chromium
I will be very happy if some other auction site will pick up this market but even if this happens then they may also be forced to drop it. Not much
pressure needed. |
have you tried "Ebid" instead? a google search may find one for your country, a mate of mine told me about this site ages ago (I haven`t joined yet),
but it MAY be worth a look? 
\"In a world full of wonders mankind has managed to invent boredom\" - Death
Twinkies don\'t have a shelf life. They have a half-life! -Caine (a friend of mine)
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vulture
Forum Gatekeeper
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Well Hafnium is a dangerous material ofcourse because it can be used in high yield nuclear reactors and god forbid you're an iranian agent trying to
buy this to allow his country to exercise its rights under the NPT.
Ofcourse, ebay isn't so strict about bogus chemical pheromones that are on the front page...I wonder why...
One shouldn't accept or resort to the mutilation of science to appease the mentally impaired.
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Xenon1898
Harmless
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Registered: 19-1-2013
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Xenon1898
Even if it is just a poor decision/mistake from an Ebay screener there is a clear trend to restrict all materials that could possibly ever be
perceived as bad in any conceivable way. Draconian, pointless, anti-science. As younger people grow up this is the result - chemophobia in greater
portions of society. Nanny state, here we are.
“If we knew what it was we were doing, it would not be called research, would it?”
-Albert Einstein
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IrC
International Hazard
Posts: 2710
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Quote: Originally posted by YT2095  | I had a similar thing happen on a bid for a 150mw laser a few months ago, we still did the deal but outside of eBay vai email.
Techno-Phobia is rife, but I wonder how many of these beurocrats have Ipods and mobile fones or laptops!? |
I have dealt with this on ebay for years. Hamric was banned from ebay and it infuriated me to no end. Some of the best cool items I ever bought on
ebay were from him. I learned to find auctions before they get banned and contact the seller, telling them I need their off ebay email address because
no doubt the auction would never make it to the close. How many times have I used paypal with goods/other as the item I no longer can total.
Woelen did you ever get your Hf?
"Science is the belief in the ignorance of the experts" Richard Feynman
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neptunium
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wait! i just got some mercury iodide off ebay!! but Hf and electronics are banned??
someone explain i am lost!
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IrC
International Hazard
Posts: 2710
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Woelen I just searched and see 11 auctions or buy it now's for Hf.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Hafnium-metal-disc-1-x-1mm-99-95-pur...
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Hafnium-metal-99-9-purity-/200738726...
http://www.ebay.com/itm/High-purity-Hafnium-wire-sold-per-me...
Quote from link above:
"This is high-purity hafnium (99.9% pure ex-Zr. This contains 0.209% zirconium) at 1.0 mm diameter (0.040" diameter). It was made for someone doing
evaporation using a wire-feed. It is still new, ready for immediate use in your high-vacuum application, and comes with a certificate of analysis. We
are selling this for $100.00 per meter. This is a huge bargain compared to the commercially available price of $800/meter, as seen in this location:"
(you can see the link on the page)
More:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Hafnium-Metal-Sponge-High-Purity-99-...
Last and possibly closer to home If you feel like doing some separation work:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/COBALT-HAFNIUM-PIECES-100g-Co-63-Hf-...
However at 5 percent the other links are better at around 3 bucks a gram for high purity. Myself I seldom do auctions, just tired of the hassle,
losing good deals, or paying too much. I avoid it in preference to buy it now sales unless no one else has the item. Not to mention you can buy it
before ebay trashes it. Still infuriating as hundreds of items over the years I could not track because ebay removes the listing after you buy an
item. I can say only 3 items in over 2,000 never arrived over the years so not a bad risk overall. I copy the item page and seller info right after I
pay just in case as a matter of habit today.
"Science is the belief in the ignorance of the experts" Richard Feynman
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CHRIS25
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| Quote: Originally posted by YT2095 | | Quote: | Originally posted by chromium
I will be very happy if some other auction site will pick up this market but even if this happens then they may also be forced to drop it. Not much
pressure needed. |
have you tried "Ebid" instead? a google search may find one for your country, a mate of mine told me about this site ages ago (I haven`t joined yet),
but it MAY be worth a look? |
I tried a number of non-hazardous chemicals on Ebid, in the end I resorted to typing in Sodium Chloride on Ebid....this place is quite hopeless for
anything chemistry.
‘Calcination… is such a Separation of Bodies by Fire, as makes ‘em easily reducible into Powder; and for that reason ‘tis call’d by some
Chymical Pulverization.’ (John Friend, Chymical Lectures London, 1712)
Right is right, even if everyone is against it, and wrong is wrong, even if everyone is for it. (William Penn 1644-1718)
The very nature of Random, Chance development precludes the existence of Order - strange that our organic and inorganic world is so well defined by
precision and law. (me)
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woelen
Super Administrator
Posts: 7976
Registered: 20-8-2005
Location: Netherlands
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I never received that sample of Hafnium, I had no contact with the seller outside of eBay and the transaction was never completed.
I have the impression though that at the moment things are somewhat more relaxed than 6 or 7 years ago. Especially in the UK, but also in Poland I see
more and more interesting auctions of chemicals and equipment, which were not there 5 years ago. Apparently eBay slowly has loosened their controls
somewhat, until at a certain point someone tells that it is time to enforce policies more strictly again. It is like a wave, there are periods where
things are fairly lax and periods where things are strict.
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neptunium
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thats pretty much how everything works in this world periodicity! like the price of pork and the immigration influx..but my paycheck refuse to submit
to this rule!
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Pyro
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It's crazy! no Hg thermometers, I'd rather stick an Hg thermometer in my mouth than an alcohol thermometer!
and no memorabilia!!!
it's too bad. And Woelen, chemicals are very easy to get from Poland!
all above information is intellectual property of Pyro.  |
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MagicJigPipe
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You're fucking kidding me? No Hg thermometers on eBay? I'm glad I purchased like 7 of them about 5 years ago. Unfortunately, I broke 3 of them.
Does this even apply to lab thermometers (most of which are Hg--as they should be). Fuck eBay. I've been hating eBay ever since they banned the sale
of hypodermic needles, syringes and anything with a swastika on it and started charging nearly half the cost of a $20 item.
In other words, they shut down the small people in favor of the enormous.
"There must be no barriers to freedom of inquiry ... There is no place for dogma in science. The scientist is free, and must be free to ask any
question, to doubt any assertion, to seek for any evidence, to correct any errors. ... We know that the only way to avoid error is to detect it and
that the only way to detect it is to be free to inquire. And we know that as long as men are free to ask what they must, free to say what they think,
free to think what they will, freedom can never be lost, and science can never regress." -J. Robert Oppenheimer
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