EBay UK prohibits sales of all live animals, including eggs and invertebrates

[Simon Cole]

Changes to EBay UK <Live Animals Policy> will come into effect on the 20th of March 2025.

"Live animals - including pets, vertebrate and invertebrate feeder animals, and hatching eggs - aren’t allowed on eBay...
Activity on eBay is required to follow this policy, the eBay User Agreement and all applicable laws, as well as respect the rights of third parties. If it doesn’t, eBay may take action consistent with applicable laws and the eBay User Agreement, and may even be legally required to do so. Such actions may include, as an example only: Removing the listing or other content, issuing a warning, restricting activity or account suspension."

This has been widely reported, but I thought I might mention it just in case this helps someone here on UKAPS. The policy change is also international.

 

[Maf 2500]

The suggestion I heard is that the extra disputes and so forth involved with live animals knocks out the profit margin so ebay have decided it is not worth it anymore.

 

[Andy Pierce]

Facebook has a similar policy against not only selling but also discussion of selling live animals. This is obviously a bummer for several smaller vendors that have nothing but the best interests of their animals at heart, specifically for fancy colour varieties of shrimp where you're much better off going to a dedicated breeder than to a wholesale reseller.

 

[tam]

Yep, going to completely wipe out a couple of small businesses. As above, I can't imagine it's a welfare based decision it will be the disputes or maybe if legal issues i.e. being chased for sellers not displaying licence numbers (or whatever other countries equivalents are), something that effects ebays revenue. I know band is popular for some fish niches but it's a different style platform so you can't search product listings the same way and you have to know it exists and download the app.