eBay has stirred up controversy by banning the sale of spells, potions and other supernatural paraphernalia via its online marketplace.
eBay had previously banned the sale of ‘intangible’ items, but potions and other magical items had not yet fallen under the restrictions.
The firm’s previous policy said it would not allow the sale of “things that people won’t be able to use or be able to confirm whether they’ve received the items.”
For example, listings that offer someone’s ‘soul’ or a container that claims to have someone’s ‘soul’ are not allowed.
Now, as part of the company’s regular updates, eBay has decided to remove the ability to list psychic and tarot reading services, spells and potions from the surprisingly busy Metaphysical category.
As a result, listings like a spell cast at midnight by Celtic witch Esmerelda (just £2.45) and listings promising to wipe out debt with black magic (£9.99) will be invalid for listing on eBay from next month.
eBay attributed the move to a growing number of dissatisfied customers, many of whom will have been receiving refunds through eBay and PayPal’s buyer protection systems.
“Transactions in these categories often result in issues between the buyer and seller that are difficult to resolve”, the company explained in its notice to sellers. “To help build confidence in the marketplace for both buyers and sellers, eBay is discontinuing these categories and including the items on the list of prohibited items.”
A full list of the impending changes, which come into force at the end of the month, can be found on eBay’s website.
