i feel like giving up

I just completed a nice soprano and decided to list it on eBay as I have done for the last 6 years with hardly any problems...Now! I filled in all the details, Description, start price, shipping costs, etc: plus a load of nice photo's....And when I hit the List button this comes up :wallbash:

You can't submit your listing due to the following problems

Musical instruments made from certain types of wood may be restricted for export from the U.K. under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). It appears you may be listing an item that contains wood that is restricted for export, therefore this item is not eligible for shipment through the Global Shipping Program. Please choose an alternate shipping method and ensure your shipment complies with applicable laws. You can search the CITES species database here - http://www.speciesplus.net/ and learn more about the restrictions associated with the CITES Appendices here - http://www.cites.org/eng/app/index.php.

Thanks for your attention to this matter.

Timbuck, I have bumped into the same bricks--just check the box that you will ship within the US only and see if that gets you there. Best wishes.

Farp said:

Timbuck, I have bumped into the same bricks--just check the box that you will ship within the US only and see if that gets you there. Best wishes.

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But I live in the UK

I've run into that before, instead of mahogany, just write mahog. etc.

I'll try again later when I've calmed down a bit.....Ill be more crafty next time ..thanks for the tip

Ken, use the botanical terms for the wood.....

Pete Howlett said:

Ken, use the botanical terms for the wood.....

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You mean like Hondurosismahoganinia

Don’t give up. theres still a market!

Have you seen the Ebay listing for a used Timms in Japan? $1280 (£836)

Perhaps in future you should list your ukuleles as ‘used’ (instead of new)? they seem to demand more money that way?

that way, i could buy one of your ‘cheep’ new ones!
KEV

"Ukulele Mania" is the seller on that listing. "Mania" is pretty accurate. All the instruments they have up for sale have exorbitant prices on them. Not that I don't cherish the Timms I have, but it would take less than $1280 to prise it out of my hands.

I'dc all it swietinia machrophllia

Try Reverb? Lower fees. I've done well selling there.

I'd event try to spell it correctly

All is well now..I managed to list it, missing the word ebony out and omitting some letters of Mahogany...This one is unique cos its got one of those negative WBWBW rosettes.
This is it

In between trying to improve my ukulele playing I make and sell 17th century microscope replicas on ebay. The rules seem to change weekly. Who knows the ways of ebay? Certainly not me!

I certainly understand the frustration involved with dealing with import and export law, but in this case eBay may be trying to protect the seller as well as itself. Whatever we may think about CITES the US Fish and Wildlife folks, or any of the other federal programs enacted to try and protect resources, purposefully changing listings to circumvent selling an item may create a lot of hardship for the seller.

There have been lots of cases in the US where sellers ran into huge legal problems when marketing items beyond borders, so just be aware that it may be an issue, no matter how small of a sale it is. Ebay most likely could supply any government entity with lists of folks who tried listing and then modified to circumvent the CITES warning. It would be particularly bad if that ever became reality, and less likely things have come to pass.

I personally no longer sell instruments outside our US borders to eliminate the possibility of emboundment or worse.

The simple act of selling an instrument shouldn't be such a headache, but the fact is it's going to get a lot worse and I wouldn't want to be the first person made as a public example. It just isn't worth it.