This policy is ludicrous! When selling anything, the seller (or auctioneer) has no way of ensuring that the item(s) purchased will be used as intended or that item(s) will end up in the "right" hands.
If a person is going to cheat, they're going to cheat. Not being able to find the answers on ebay will not deter them!
I am a home-schooling mom who has purchased and sold many school-books, including the Teacher Edition on Ebay. Because of this new policy, while I have been very pleased with Ebay in the past, I will be forced to move to other auction sites. I really hate that.
I support this petition. Home school families are being treated unfairly by this change in procedure. I will no longer use eBay if this policy is not changed.
As homeschoolers, most of us live on 1 income. To make ends meet, we must purchase used materials. Ebay is used by many homeschoolers across the country. If we aren't allowed to buy and sell Teacher's editions, someone else will get the business.
Ebay should not try to get in the business of policing cheaters. A cheater would figure out a way to cheat in spite of someone monitoring these puchases. More people would be harmed than helped if this were to become a policy. Don't let a few cheaters bring the whole group down!
I support this petition because I have been able to save hundreds of dollars by purchasing books and materials through ebay. I also recently sold a number of my old materials through my ebay account. And other families have benefited from the savings. It is frustrating that they would punish the homeschooling community by disallowing teachers editions. I will be emailing them directly as soon as I am done. URGH!! to ebay for this act. Interesting that they will not disallow the sale of dirty socks and many other disgusting and odd items. I believe the may have their priorities a bit mixed up. Judi
I support this petition as it's a valuable resource for homeschoolers. I don't think it's ebay's place to police this portion of their site and ignore the other auctions that sell explicit materials without verifying the buyer.
There is no reason eBay could not simply institute a policy requiring homeschooers to "prove" their status, just as is done with paid teachers. Every business with which I have had dealings has been able to work out some approach that does not alienate such a large (and growing) customer group. There is also no reason why curriculum materials that are marketed specifically to homeschooling families could not be exempted from this policy, since the original publishers sell the materials--including teacher's manuals--to anyone with a checkbook or credit card. Personally, I plan to stop using eBay entirely until this matter is dealt with satisfactorily.
eBay should be made to understand that if they don't change this policy, a competitor will come along to take away the lion's share of homeschooling users. I for one already look elsewhere first.
Ebay's policy on this is offensive to it's buying and selling population. It is predjudicial to homeschool families in particular and it is trying to impose an opinion on it's public.
I don't mind verifying information to show I am a home educator, I do that already to the local school district, as I live in one of the more regulated and restrictive states in the nation, but, please, don't take this VALUABLE resource away from us. We have been able to aquire much more quality material though eBay then we would have been able to if we had to pay publisher's list prices for new material or settle for what might (or might not) be available at local swap meets.
Thank you for your time,
Don Frost
(Third year as Home Educator of three)
Unfair policy to homeschoolers and teachers or tutors !!! Individuals using eBay must be 18 years of age or older, or supervised by a member 18 years or older. Ebay's own age policy makes this policy pointless.
Even if kids were to use materials to "cheat" -- would they not then be LEARNING the material? But most who wish to use it are home educators. And many school teachers make up their own tests.
As both an eBay customer (buyer AND seller) and a homeschool parent, I strongly urge eBay to drop this policy and allow homeschoolers to sbuy and sell teacher materials!
Suggestion:
Seller can add a disclaimer that buyer is not a minor and is buying TE materials to aid in teaching. Sort of like an honor policy statement. It what Ebay was founded on, wasn't it?
I support this petition. Please do not punish those who are homeschooling(which was legal last time I checked!) I buy lots of curriculum on your site and also half.com but will have to take my business elsewhere if this policy is enacted.
I am a homeschooler and former school teacher. Teacher's Editions are used in my home for educating my children. When I sell my used supplies I sell them in a set. I would sell them elsewhere before I broke up the set. Students would not need to use teacher's editions to cheat if they were receiving a proper education in the public schools system. Teacher's Editions can be used by public school students as a viable tool to reinforce, relearn, and review material. In the right hands, an ambitious child could learn material in more depth and with more understanding through the use of teacher's editions. If children are using them to cheat - then shame on their parents. What is ebay going to ban next - the selling of curriculum books - in fear that a child might try to get ahead in school. Why not ban the love of learning or just books altogether. I am pretty disgusted with a lot of the items bought and sold on ebay. Teacher's editions is certainly not one of them. Perhaps the real opposition is coming from publishers and not schools - are they, perhaps the real lobbyist for this policy?
I support this petition because teacher editions are readily available in many other places - please open eBay back up to selling them from homeschoolers.
