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eBay tells sellers to request ID in clampdown on knives
Katie Whelan, Evening Standard29.08.08
Internet auction site eBay joined the fight against knife crime today by making it more difficult to buy weapons.
It said that from Monday it will require proof of identity from anyone trying to buy a knife.
"From September, buyers must have a credit card on file with us in order to purchase a knife. If you don't, we'll ask you to enter your card details when you place your bid.
"This is for verification only; you won't be charged," eBay said.
So far this year, 18 teenagers have been fatally stabbed in the capital, the most recent being 18-year-old Charles Junior Hendricks, knifed near a bus garage in Walthamstow on Saturday.
The auction site which made more than £200million in the first quarter of this year added that no weapon should be marketed to glamorise violence and knives such as flick-knives and throwing knives are banned from being sold via the site.
• Two teenagers have been arrested in connection with the fatal stabbing on Saturday morning of Charles Junior Hendricks. The boys, both 16, were arrested yesterday.
Charles Junior, known as CJ, was was pronounced dead at Whipps Cross hospital shortly after being found.
Police have already arrested two males, aged 19 and 17, who have been bailed to return in September pending further inquiries.
Anyone with information should call detectives on 020 83453715 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Reader views (5)
eBay OWN PayPal. eBay now force all sellers to offer payment by PayPal. PayPal requires you to provide your credit card information. So eBay now going on about a "clampdown" on kiife-selling is meaningless. Also, note that eBay have recently increased their charges to sellers very substantially. eBay also receive high income from PayPal. eBay seem to me to be VERY VERY greedy indeed.
- Michael Smith, United Kingdom
eBay should ban all weapons, including anything that could be made into weapons, like bricks and hammers, and computer keyboards, and wire and cloth, and paper products.
Get a grip guys, knives are also often sold for decoration. I have several antique swords that I bought for decoration, but I'm pretty sure that they were not made with that intention in mind. Should I not have been allowed to purchase those?
- Bob Johnson, Venus
Rob,
You are quite right particularly as Paypal is owned by Ebay so in effect they've had the details twice.
I've purchased a number of different knives via Ebay from kitchen knives to game knives, but there are numerous knives that are sold have the sole purpose of inflicting grievous harm to another human being. Perhaps it's the type of knife that is being sold, which should be looked at rather than the fact that there's a very slim chance they might being sold to somebody under eighteen. Let's face it there's plenty of places you can get a knife these days.
- Mark, South-East London
eBay should stop selling all forms of weapons: knives, swords, air guns etc. It would not be difficult, but then again it will eat into their revenue, so unlikely to happen.
- Nobby Clark, Perth, Scotland
Ebay already has my credit card details, having obtained these details when I opened a Paypal account. Surely Ebay could link Paypal details with bidder details. I refuse to give my credit card information again, particularly over an unsecure internet site. I was trying to purchase an antique knife and fork. At first glance it seemed like a scam.
- Robert Mitchell, Brisbane, Australia
