The END of eBay Beer Sales May Be Approaching
Story by:
MyBeer Buzz
We’ve reported on Hill Farmstead, Alpine Brewing and other breweries having issues with their beers being sold on eBay (here and here). eBay for years has required only this disclaimer:
- By buying you are acknowledging that you are over the age of 21 and are legally allowed to purchase these items.
- The Value of the item is in the collectible container, not its contents.
- The container has not been opened and any incidental contents are not intended for consumption.
While eBay continues to profit on listing and final value fees from the sale of these “bottles,” it’s beginning to look like someone has finally figured out people are selling beer. As brewers threaten potential liability for the on-line auction, I (and Hill Farmstead—see above) are noting that specific brewery auctions are actually being pulled and removed. I’ve also noted a fair amount of chatter and personally received notes from sellers including the following removal notice from eBay:
Unfortunately, we had to remove your listing because of the following:
You listed craft beer. Craft beer (or beer from a microbrewery) is generally sought after for its contents and not for the bottle so we have made the decision not to allow it on the site. Please do not list any more craft beer.
We understand that it is a frustrating situation to have your item removed from eBay, especially if you have seen other listings like yours on the site. If you do come across any other items that are the same or similar to yours, and you feel that they are in violation of our policies, please report them to us using the "report item" link on the listing page.
eBay does not permit listings for most alcoholic beverages and tobacco products on our U.S. Web site. This includes cigarettes, cigars, and smokeless tobacco. In addition, non-U.S. members are not allowed to sell alcohol to an eBay member who is located in the United States.
However, listings for some tobacco- or alcohol-related collectibles, such as packaging, containers, and other memorabilia, are permitted on eBay under certain conditions.
For more information about this eBay policy, please visit:
http://pages.ebay.com/help/policies/alcohol.html
In the end I assume the sales will move from eBay to other sites and continue on, it’s beginning to look like the end of alcohol sales on eBay are coming soon….BUT only for breweries who protest. According to Shaun @ Hill farmstead…it was Natalie Cilurzo from Russian River that finally made a connection @ eBay…interestingly enough Russian River beers are STILL for sale on eBay.
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