To Allow Sales of All Cloth Diapers, Both Used and New, On Ebay

Regarding eBay Policy on the Buying and Selling of Used Cloth Diapers:

We are writing with our concerns about certain used Cloth Diaper auctions being removed from eBay. Many of us have been buying and/or selling new and used Cloth Diapers on eBay for several years. This has been a wonderful opportunity for someone new to Cloth Diapering to try out a few things without spending a lot of money on brand new diapers. It also provides sellers a way to earn some money back by passing along diapers which their children have outgrown or simply do not need any longer.

It is in eBay's best interest to allow the sales of used Cloth Diapers to continue. Diapers are a significant part of the cost of raising a baby, and many parents have found that turning to eBay helps to make such purchases more affordable. Furthermore, having had success with eBay for such early purchases as good used Cloth Diapers, parents are encouraged to return to eBay for other needs as their children grow, such as for clothing, toys, educational items, and so forth. The buying and selling of used Cloth Diapers thus acts as a sort of introduction to eBay and the value it provides to many people, and therefore is a reliable source of repeat customers.

We have noticed that many eBay sellers have had listings for used Cloth Diapers removed without prior warning or notice. If there is a policy specifically banning the sale of used cloth diapers, sellers should be made aware of it when they attempt to create the listing in the first place. It is confusing to both seller and buyers when the auction is pulled days after it is listed, sometimes within minutes of closing. Furthermore, hundreds of similar listings remain on eBay. We believe this is unnecessarily frustrating and insulting to both buyers and sellers. The reasons being given to sellers have likewise been both frustrating and inconsistent.

Classifying these diapers as used underwear is not appropriate. Anyone who reads the word "diaper" knows what a diaper is and what it is used for. Anyone who is interested in Cloth Diapers is well aware of the fact that a Cloth Diaper needs to be properly laundered and cared for. A cloth diaper by its very nature is an item properly designed to be safely used over and over again. There are many commercial Diaper Services in operation which do this very thing. A parent can subscribe to such a service and receive, delivered to their home, clean used Cloth Diapers to use on their baby. These diapers are then picked up by the service, appropriately cleaned, and sent out to another family. It would be appropriate for eBay to return to allowing used Cloth Diapers to be bought and sold on the site under the same terms as other used clothing that is intended to be worn repeatedly: that is, that the used Cloth Diapers are said to be properly laundered before the sale.

Classifying used Cloth Diapers as violating the Adult/Mature content policy simply does not make sense. There is no way these listings could be mistaken for anything but what they are: diapers for babies and toddlers. Used Cloth Diapers should not be classified as used underwear in the first place, and therefore do not fall under the Adult or Mature Content category. It is inappropriate and misleading to remove a listing for Cloth Diapers by incorrectly labeling it as violating the policy regarding Adult and/or Mature content.

Singling out used Cloth Diapers as items not allowed for sale on eBay is inconsistent and inappropriate. Anything, new or used, diaper, garment or article of clothing, purchased for anyone, baby or adult, should be washed properly before being worn. Buyers and sellers are well aware of this. Prohibiting the sale of used Cloth Diapers is an ineffective way to protect buyers, if that is the intent. To do so would require prohibiting the sale of any items, clothing or otherwise, that are not brand new and sealed in packages. Even then, the responsibility rests on the end consumer to use the item in a safe and appropriate manner, including proper laundering, care, and cleaning.

Furthermore, there are many other personal care items sold on eBay which could potentially pose as much as or much higher risk than clean used Cloth Diapers of passing on any bacteria or pathogen, such as swim wear, breast pumps, urinals, razors, and more. To single out used Cloth Diapers is inconsistent and frustrating to the many people who are interested in buying, selling, and using them.

We believe that many eBay buyers and sellers, and especially many Cloth Diapering parents, will be unhappy and extremely dissatisfied if eBay continues to remove listings for used Cloth Diapers. This is certain to result in loss of revenue for eBay itself, not to mention for many eBay sellers. Not only revenue will be lost however; eBay's reputation for good service and as a friendly giant in the online shopping industry is at stake.

We urge eBay to allow buyers and sellers of used Cloth Diapers to resume "business as usual" on the site. We repeat that it would be most appropriate for eBay to return to allowing used Cloth Diapers to be bought and sold on the site under the same terms as other used clothing that is intended to be worn repeatedly: that is, that the used Cloth Diapers are said to be properly laundered before the sale. Please do not take the unnecessary and uninformed stance of prohibiting the sale of Used Cloth Diapers on eBay.

Thank you for your attention to this matter.