Cuban cards - eBay

[painthistorian]

We have experienced the most absolute moronic policy issue last 2 days regarding selling any pre 1951 Cuban League Baseball Cards, graded or ungraded. Now paypal will threaten to restrict and possibly limit your account if you have any mention of Cuba, or Cuban in your e bay listing or paypal HTMK description box..we found this out very recently without warning or knowledge, they told us to PULL listings off e bay but since e bay accepts these cards and it was less than 12 hours left, e bay refused to cancel. We have spent over 7 hours on phone talking to mostly inept people, only one very sharp paypal supervisor finally explained this....both paypal and e bay refused to resolve this as it is impossible for even them to contact paypal compliance division. They stated we have to reject any paypal payments and return them to buyer or risk further problems. This is so absurd as this is pre 1958, paypal supervisor stated this is a FEDERAL MANDATE to them and gave some federal agency as the party that requires paypal's crackdown without any knowledge of when item was produced. It even applies that if you sell an auto graphed pictured of Cuba Gooding Jr or Mark Cuban, or Cuban Missile Crisis book, they will be flagged also as the settings they use flagged and outlaw key words...welcome to 2015. They make you promise never to sell these items again and its still not totally clear as e bay still allows these cards to be sold and still requires we accept electronic method of payment (paypal) with NO warning about this policy. What a horror!

[autocentral]

This happened to me. I put "Cuba Photo" in a description of payment and they flagged me and halted activity from me (the buyer) for about 20 days. I called the very first day to resolve the problem and it took them 20 days to conclude nothing.

-Nick

[Scocs]

....and this comes AFTER we're normalizing relations with Cuba?!

If that's not bad enough, now I can't buy an 8x10 glossy of Mark Cuban on EBay? Can I buy one in Cuba...?

[Exhibitman]

Looks like the Feds got their hands on some village idiots too...

[painthistorian]

This incident really has not done any damage to us as we never lost any services, just quite inconvenient. We have refunded everyone that purchased thru e bay since we could not end early. We also gave everyone option to pay by check or MO or opt out... e bay still allows these cards to be sold but NO ELECTRONIC TRANSFERS THRU PAYPAL! of course e bay requires us to use paypal so it is quite a slippery slope but a customer can request to pay the old fashioned way and WE WILL GIVE FREE SHIPPING to anyone that bought their cards last night. I said all that in one breath!

Now about that Cuban Missile Crisis Historical Book we planned to sell, well that one goes to donation.

I took it on the chin, and for the hobby, now everyone should avoid that dreaded word on paypal!

[Leon]

Originally Posted by painthistorian

This incident really has not done any damage to us as we never lost any services, just quite inconvenient. We have refunded everyone that purchased thru e bay since we could not end early. We also gave everyone option to pay by check or MO or opt out... e bay still allows these cards to be sold but NO ELECTRONIC TRANSFERS THRU PAYPAL! of course e bay requires us to use paypal so it is quite a slippery slope but a customer can request to pay the old fashioned way and WE WILL GIVE FREE SHIPPING to anyone that bought their cards last night. I said all that in one breath!

Now about that Cuban Missile Crisis Historical Book we planned to sell, well that one goes to donation.

I took it on the chin, and for the hobby, now everyone should avoid that dreaded word on paypal!

Larry, learn how to breath when speaking . Thanks for the heads up about the word "Cuba" on ebay. Don't use it!!

[Scocs]

So let me get this straight: I can purchase a book on the Cuban Missle Crisis on Ebay, but can't use Paypal to pay for it?!

Is the C.E.O. of Paypal aware of this...or was this his idea? Or was this Marco Rubio's idea??

[Leon]

Originally Posted by Scocs

So let me get this straight: I can purchase a book on the Cuban Missle Crisis on Ebay, but can't use Paypal to pay for it?!

Is the C.E.O. of Paypal aware of this...or was this his idea? Or was this Marco Rubio's idea??

Unless Marco Rubio collects baseball cards there is no reason to mention him that isn't political. Please no politics or references like this you made. It will cause other members to respond and then.....well, we don't want to go there. As far as this "Cuba" mess with Ebay and Paypal, it is ironically stupid, imo.

[Peter W Thomas]

Marco's idea i am shure

[steve B]

The stamp people have been dealing with this for a few months. Even stuff printed by the BEP when Cuba was a colony was getting removed.

Probably some group with plenty of time and some political clout searching and reporting everything.

Ebay has never been all that smart when it comes to figuring stuff out. A friend of mine had a WWII Marlin arms matchbook pulled because it was "Nazi memorabilia" When he called them and pointed out that it was US made by a US company and showed a US soldier bayonetting and stepping on a Nazi flag they actually looked and agreed it was ok. They'd simply pulled it when someone complained.

Steve B

[Exhibitman]

Those morons are misreading the regulations. The main regulation that covers Cuban goods 31 CFR § 515.201, has an effective date of 1963. Anything here before that time is not subject to sanction. There are also numerous exceptions to the law that make a blanket rule overbroad, such as stuff you can bring back with you if you go to Cuba lawfully. Also, the transaction prohibition on new imports involves goods of Cuban origin that are outside the USA, not stuff already here:

31 CFR § 515.204 Importation of and dealings in certain merchandise.
(a) Except as specifically authorized by the Secretary of the Treasury (or any person, agency, or instrumentality designated by him) by means of regulations, rulings, instructions, licenses, or otherwise, no person subject to the jurisdiction of the United States may purchase, transport, import, or otherwise deal in or engage in any transaction with respect to any merchandise outside the United States if such merchandise:
(1) Is of Cuban origin; or
(2) Is or has been located in or transported from or through Cuba; or
(3) Is made or derived in whole or in part of any article which is the growth, produce or manufacture of Cuba.

Ebay is taking a shotgun to a surgery.