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Sleep Apnoea Forum Bringing Help + Support to the Patient
Ebay and Sale of Masks + Accessories
I am constantly asked why people can't buy and sell their masks on Ebay, and have had many discussions with them about this fact. Tonight I found a 'suggestions' area on Ebay, so have sent the following email to them, and will post their reply when I hear from them.
I am contacting you on behalf of many of my customers and contacts, who tell me they are constantly frustrated that they cannot buy or sell CPAP masks on Ebay.
I run a company solely for sleep apnoea sufferers (I am also one myself) which is www.hope2sleep.co.uk and I can confirm that CPAP Masks and accessories are NOT a prescription item, and can be bought freely on websites, Amazon, Ebid (where I have no option but to list mine) Gumtree etc. In fact Ebay is the only place where they are prohibited!
As far as I am aware, the only country in the world where CPAP masks need a prescription is the USA, but here in the UK, Europe and Australia they are not a prescription item (sorry for repeating myself). In fact there are currently CPAP masks for sale on Ebay's Australian site.
I wholly agree with Ebay prohibiting CPAP Machines though, as they are indeed a prescription item, but anyone wishing to purchase masks or accessories would have no use of them anyway if they didn't have a CPAP machine or in fact didn't suffer from sleep apnoea.
I have been asked why Ebay will not allow the sale of masks and accessories so many times, that I intend to tell all the members of my forum ( www.hope2sleepguide.co.uk ) that I have contacted you and will post your answer there when I hear from you, as well as informing all the customers in my newsletters, and followers on Facebook and Twitter, as we'd all appreciate you changing your policy and if you won't, then we'd like to know why.
I look forward to hearing from you when you have given this matter your consideration.
Kind regards
Kath Hope
Hope2Sleep
Views: 955
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by symmit on
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Interesting how the policy seems not to apply to ebay.de and ebay.nl, or ebay.fr all of which I've ordered cpap related stuff, and masks, from. In fact ebay.de sell machines also!
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Permalink Reply by Javed Iqbal on
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Well good luck with that Kath but its my opinion thatbyou will just get fobbed off by Ebay because they do what they want when they want! I realise the sale items are different but recently my niece, who works for Greater Manchester Police, was BANNED INDEFINITELY by Ebay & all her listings removed. She was simply making wardrobe space by selling her unwanted clothes & shoes and following lots of emails to find out what had she done wrong the final reply was "we don't have to tell you & you've now exhausted all your appeal rights". Ebay are a law unto themselves! Anyway, best of luck!
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Permalink Reply by Kath Hope on
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Thanks for that valuable info Symmit.
symmit said:Interesting how the policy seems not to apply to ebay.de and ebay.nl, or ebay.fr all of which I've ordered cpap related stuff, and masks, from. In fact ebay.de sell machines also!
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Sorry to hear this Javed - let's hope we get more understanding in this matter.
Javed Iqbal said:Well good luck with that Kath but its my opinion thatbyou will just get fobbed off by Ebay because they do what they want when they want! I realise the sale items are different but recently my niece, who works for Greater Manchester Police, was BANNED INDEFINITELY by Ebay & all her listings removed. She was simply making wardrobe space by selling her unwanted clothes & shoes and following lots of emails to find out what had she done wrong the final reply was "we don't have to tell you & you've now exhausted all your appeal rights". Ebay are a law unto themselves! Anyway, best of luck!
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Got a reply this morning stating our query is being forwarded to their 'Concern Dept':-
Hello Kath,
Thank you for writing to eBay with regard to listing items.
Kath, I totally understand your concern regarding the item which is not allowed to list on eBay. First of all, let me thank you for such a valuable suggestion. I will forward this to my concern department so that they can take steps regarding this query. I assure you that they will communicate with you for any update. Let me take this opportunity to explain few things.
Bilevel Positive Airway Pressure (BiPAP), Variable Positive Airway Pressure (VPAP), and Continuous Positive Air Pressure (CPAP) machines can only be sold by prescription. Please do not relist such machines.
Any substance or item that requires a prescription from, or the supervision of, a licensed practitioner (such as a doctor, dentist, optometrist, optician, pharmacist or veterinarian) to dispense isn’t allowed on eBay.
Some over-the-counter (OTC) products are allowed, as long as their listings neither mention nor compare them to prescription drugs. Worldwide shipping should not be offered on these items as it’s impossible to verify whether it is legal for sale in every country. Similarly, please understand that items authorised for sale in other countries aren’t necessarily authorised for sale in the United Kingdom.
eBay's policy is very comprehensive in this area. To find out more about our policy please copy this link into a new browser window:
http://pages.ebay.co.uk/help/policies/prescriptions.html
Thanks again for taking the time to clarify this issue with us; please get in touch with us for any additional queries.
Kind regards,
N*** S****
eBay Customer Supportand here's my reply back:-
Thank you for your quick response N***, and it is encouraging to know that this topic will be looked into. I will pass on this information to all the people I am representing with my query.
Can I just say that I am not seeking to list or relist any CPAP/BiPAP machines or such like - it is only the masks and accessories we are looking for a change in policy for.
For your information, one of my customers has highlighted me to the fact that CPAP Masks are actually permissable on ebay.de, ebay.nl, and ebay.fr and apparently UK buyers get them from these countries, due to not being able to buy them on ebay.uk
I look forward to hearing from you.
Kind regardsKath Hope
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Permalink Reply by Deborah Wainwright on
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I understood it was because too many NHS devices were finding their way onto eBay from non-compliant NHS patients unaware (or perhaps they were!) that the devices remain the legal property of the 'prescribing' hospital. That would go some way to explaining why the ban only applies to the UK, perhaps.
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That's a very interesting and valid point Deborah, and not one I'd thought of myself. The people who have asked me about where they can sell their equipment (hence why I started up the Buy/Sell/Swap area on this forum) are all people who've spent their own money on trying to get the 'right' mask. I've done it myself years ago and spent around £500 altogether on masks that were no good for me. Mind you, I don't want to sell mine as they're always good to keep when experimenting with our comfort products and helping people with their issues.
Half the battle is that a lot of the sleep clinics don't/can't stock all the manufacturers' masks. In fact my own clinic doesn't stock my favourite. There are lots of people who purchase masks privately from us, and no doubt from other sites, and bearing in mind Ebay is the most popular place for sales that's why people would have liked to sell their unwanted items on Ebay, but of course (now you've pointed this out) it would be open to abuse I'm sure from some people selling items that don't officially belong to them!
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Indeed! One hospital had a patient that was burgled, flooded, lost his luggage and mugged ... I jest not ... At least one of these devices found their way onto eBay ... A bit of a money spinner haha
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Oh my goodness!! Best make sure I'm insured for my 2 machines, as I bought them myself - plus my collection of masks lol. We once got everything stolen in Spain, apart from our passports, clothes and CPAP machine, phew! Thankfully we'd upgraded to all inclusive the day before, so at least for the rest of the holiday, we could eat, drink and I could sleep safely
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Permalink Reply by David on
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If I can chip in. Medical Devices such as a defibrillator appear on Ebay UK . I sold these for too many years to remember and know that you can kill yourself in using it inappropriately. Surely the sale should be banned
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That's interesting David. I'm thinking the point Deborah made is more like the truth!
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Since my last update, I've had several correspondences by email with Ebay about this matter and have finally received this reply, so let's see what happens when they review things. At least they are listening to us. Here's the latest reply:-
Hello Kath,
Thank you for writing back to eBay with regard to the current policies of eBay UK.
Kath, I completely understand the importance of this matter to you. I have read the conversation you had on email and I have now forwarded your message to our relevant department that’s dealing with the policies we have on eBay UK. I do understand and appreciate your efforts in bringing this matter to us for telling us what you need from our services.
Kath, thank you again for your time. I wish you continued enjoyment and success on eBay in the future.
Kind regards,
J*** A***
eBay UK Customer Support
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