In its 2012 Fall Seller Update, the online marketplace said it was banning all sales of supernatural goods and services, exiling its witchy and wizardly clientele to the wilds of Craigslist and other Web-based Diagon Alleys.
Among the prohibited items: “advice; spells; curses; hexing; conjuring; magic services; prayers; blessings; Psychic, Tarot, Reiki, and other metaphysical readings & services; magic potions; healing sessions.”
EBay representatives did not immediately respond to questions as to why Harry Potter wannabes were no longer welcome or whether they contributed substantially to EBay transactions.
[Updated, 12:00 p.m. Aug. 16: EBay said in an email that it regularly reviews categories and updates policies based on customer feedback and was “discontinuing a small number of categories within the larger Metaphysical subcategory.”
Spokeswoman Johnna Hoff said that buyers and sellers have complained to EBay that such transactions “often result in issues that can be difficult to resolve.”
“It’s important to note that items that have a tangible value for the item itself and may also be used in metaphysical rites and practices (ie jewelry, crystals, incense, candles, and books) are allowed in most cases,” Hoff wrote.”]
Beginning Aug. 30, attempts to list such enchantments for sale will be blocked, according to the website. …
Oh dear evil Jebus… you’ve got to be kidding me. Not “you’ve got to be kidding me” in the sense of “you’ve got to be kidding me that EBay banned witchcraft” but “you’ve got to be kidding me that they even sold witchcraft in the first frakkin’ place!!!”
Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad that EBay woke up and smelled the coffee, so to speak. But why did they even sell this crap in the first place???
I would also just like to note that, despite showing a semblance of sanity and relation to reality by banning these so-called “supernatural sales”, EBay will still have a subcategory titled “Metaphysical” after August 30. The mere fact that such a subcategory even exists on EBay just makes me cringe and forces me to seriously question the ethics of those who operate the company. Selling such nonsense purely for the sake of making a buck just strikes me as wrong; or will the operators of EBay be willing to take “metaphysical money” in place of the real, materialistic cash for these purchases?
Ah well, EBay, this one’s for you:
The Skeptical Teacher 
Sebastian said
“But why did they even sell this crap in the first place???”
To be fair: Ebay technically doesn’t sell *anything*. It’s just a platform for other people to sell their stuff, so the users create the range of “products” that are available. It’s only now that Ebay changed the rules, so it forbids the sale of “services” that aren’t, well, *real*.
Anonymous said
Hey dude? eBay wasn’t selling magical spells. People were coming in and listing magical spells, and other people were, in fact, buying them. eBay was the mediating service allowing this transaction, not the company providing them, and now they’re adding such things to their list of bullshit-you-can’t-sell.
I’m willing to bet you can still find magic on craigslist. After all, they don’t seem to care about people selling massages in a dark alley after midnight.