Hi Pipa
Firstly thankyou for getting back to me. I hope you will read this (perhaps
overly) lengthy reply, but I honestly feel that my account has been
suspended unfairly. Also, I am in the process of experimenting with an eBay
business of selling punk records, and this has been halted at day two - day
one was the first couple of sets.
I have read your offensive material policy, and agree with it ... honestly!
However, I have been suspended for listing records that are not covered by
this policy. However, I can see how they are connected, albeit incorrectly,
with the Nazis.
Going back to my first 'slap on the wrists', the record in question was
readily available from two or three other eBay users. I'd used these
listings to judge my starting price. When the listing was cancelled, I
questioned it, and was told that I was promoting Nazi memorabilia. I'm
sorry, but having spent years working for a bank dealing with Africa,
Caribbean and the Middle East, as well as having a Jewish friend, I found
this rather upsetting. My reply to this accusation was ignored. A few weeks
later, I relisted the same item with the added line that this was not an RAC
record. RAC (Rock Against Communism) is the term given to racist filth. It
was removed again, and somebody else who was also selling the same record on
eBay gained the sale.
In this case resulting in my suspension, one of the records sold on eBay
less than two weeks before my listing. The other record was not on eBay, but
it is very rare and only appears occasionally ... but it DOES appear on
eBay. It appears that anything by the band Skrewdriver is removed if it is
sold in the UK, but is acceptable in other countries. Double standards?
This band WAS the musical voice of the National Front, but only after 1982
when the singer was the only remaining member of the original line-up. The
records in question were released in 1977, when they were a punk band ...
and a pretty good one too. I'd like to quote from an interview with one of
the original members. It's from this website:
www.btinternet.com/~stephen.yarwood/phil_w.htm=======================================
The band existed as two very distinct entities, Skrewdriver Mk1 evolved out
of the punk explosion that gripped Britain in 1976. The early period was all
about the music, the fashion, and four lads from the north west of England
having a good time. Two years later the impetus had gone, bad decisions had
been made, key players had left and a lack of musical focus led to their
decline into a very average rock (not punk) band. They limped on into early
1980 before finally expiring. Then two years later singer Ian Stuart revived
the name with totally different personnel and the full National Front
manifesto. Unfortunately the image of Skrewdriver will be forever tarnished
by the extreme political affiliations of this later incarnation. People are
entitled to their own opinions but this is not the place to debate the
rights or wrongs of Ian Stuart's politics as expressed through Skrewdriver
Mk2. This is the story of those exciting early days of 76-78.
Were there ever any indications of the future Skrewdriver political agenda?
"Our music did not have any serious political content, I don't recall Don
being politically active at the time, other than the normal sexual/racist
prejudices that prevailed. There was however, always an aggressive
undercurrent with Don, ever since school. He was a volatile character,
always prone to explosions of violence at the least provocation, especially
after a drink. He was great fun to be with most of the time, very generous,
he would always buy you a pint if you were skint, always back you up if you
got in a sticky corner. A great pal when your face fitted. Above all, he
sought notoriety and attention, which he finally achieved."
=======================================
To be honest, I don't know what more to say. If you are still reading this,
thanks ... if you're not, then I guess it doesn't matter what I say :-) What
I will say is that I've looked through the internet and have found a huge
number of complaints about eBay's customer service. YOU can help to change
this ... YOU can make a difference. Once my account is back, I really do not
know whether I dare continue with this business experiment. There are no
guidelines as to what bands will be considered offensive, and I do not wish
to be suspended indefinitely. I guess I'll go back to being an occasional
buyer.
I hope we can come to a satisfactory conclusion before my seller's
reputation plummets further. I guess the bidders on my latest list are lost
for ever, as they will know I've become unregistered and wouldn't take the
risk in dealing with me in the future. If only you knew me personally ...
I'm a really nice guy, with no intention to upset or offend anybody. And no
... I ain't hitting on you :-)
Thanks for listening
Lyndon.
