U.S. EBay Seller Refuses Canucks (France, Mexico, Germany too)

wired.com ^ | Mar. 25, 2003 | Charles Mandel

[cdefreese]

VANCOUVER, British Columbia -- On eBay, the highest bid wins -- unless the item on sale is a laser printer from CompAtlanta and the bidder happens to be Canadian.

That's what a tax consultant discovered last week when he tried to buy a printer on eBay, but was refused by the vendor when it was discovered he lived in Vancouver.

David Ingram received notification that his winning bid of $24.50 had been canceled, along with this message: "At the present time, we do not ship to, or accept bids from, Canada, Mexico, France, Germany or any other country that does not support the United States in our efforts to rid the world of Saddam Hussein. If you are not with us, you are against us."

Ingram's .ca address sparked the notice from CompAtlanta, based in Lawrenceville, Georgia. Canada is one of a number of countries that said it would not support an American invasion of Iraq without United Nations' approval.

"I've made a winning bid,'' Ingram said. "To discriminate against me because I'm a Canadian is ridiculous."

Sid Mitchell, CompAtlanta's president, could not be reached for comment. However, an e-mail exchange between Ingram and Mitchell clearly laid out the company's policy: "What part of this listing do you not understand?" Mitchell wrote Ingram. "This item will not be shipped outside the USA, and we do not accept bids from Canadians. Both are plainly stated."

That didn't stop Ingram from trying again over the weekend. He bid for the laser printer a second time, offering $107.50 to avoid being outbid and specifying delivery to an American address. In a separate message, he informed Mitchell that he wanted the printer shipped stateside.

Judging by Mitchell's reply, however, Ingram isn't likely to get his printer from CompAtlanta: "You are obviously trying to get around the fact that you are Canadian," Mitchell wrote to Ingram, "and we will not honor your bid or ship to any location for you."

Ingram said Mitchell lacks a good business reason for not shipping to a Canadian who uses an American address. "If they're going to do that,'' Ingram said, "then they shouldn't sell to the 50 percent of Democrats and the 20 percent of Republicans that aren't supporting the war, either."

CompAtlanta is one of a small number of companies boycotting countries opposed to the war. The German newspaper Deutsche Welle reported late last week that a German shoe-supply manufacturer lost a contract with an American firm over Germany's stance on the war. There have also been reports of American consumers boycotting French wine and cheese.

But the boycotts aren't widespread yet. JoAnn Dupont, a customer service representative with eBay vendor IkeSound.com of Florida, said her company's policy of shipping to Canada and other countries has not changed as a result of the war.

And some eBay vendors selling such items as Saddam Hussein "terrorist hunting licenses" and dart boards will ship them anywhere in the world.

Andre Lemay, a spokesman for the Canadian department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade in Ottawa, said he wasn't aware of any reverse boycott. Nor did he believe such a boycott would be an issue, since Canada and the United States remain each others' two largest trading partners. "We still believe our relationship with the U.S. is good -- in fact, enviable,'' he said.

EBay spokesman Kevin Pursglove said CompAtlanta was the only eBay merchant he knew of that is boycotting buyers for reasons related to the war. He said sellers can decide with whom they want to do business, but eBay frowns on posting overtly political messages. Pursglove said eBay ordered CompAtlanta to remove the auction item and to modify its message to bidders from Canada, Mexico, France and Germany.

But CompAtlanta's message is still more or less intact, which incenses Ingram. He says he plans to pursue the matter with eBay.

He may also take it up in person with CompAtlanta. If he doesn't receive his printer before a scheduled trip south of the border later in the fall, Ingram says he'll pay the computer vendor a visit.

"If they don't send it,'' he said, "sometime in September or October I will park outside their store with a sign saying they discriminate against Canadians."

[GodBlessUSA]

You have a point. I wouldn't have wanted anyone to blame me for things Clinton (yuk) did while in office. Just like, I don't want to be blamed for Hitlery being my senator.

[Silent_Friend]

I would say that boycotting the entire Canada would be unfair. I live in Quebec and I still support the current war in Iraq because, in my opinion, it's a just cause. And, believe it or not, many other Canadians share with point of view. Unfortunately, it is not the case with our government and the media people who think that anti-American coverage of war will make them more popular.

So, as you can see, you cannot claim that the entire Canada hates you. Those who do, simply happen to be noisier than others are. Just my two cents.

[Tamar1973]

I got a reply from Comp/Atlanta:

Thanks for your support.

Sid Mitchell

[theSarge]

I did a Google search based on info from the original article and guess what I found?

DAVID INGRAM'S CENTA GROUP
Suite 108-100 Park Royal South Fax: 913-9123
West Vancouver, B.C. V7T 1A2
U.S. and Canadian Tax, Accounting and Immigration Matters
email: david@centa.com

[Rightwing Canuck]

Ahh crud. I hope this doesn't catch on. I use eBay quite a bit, with many of my purchases coming from US sellers.

[Rightwing Canuck]

What does Montreal have to do with this?

[Anticommie]

U.S. EBay Seller Refuses Canucks (France, Mexico, Germany too)

My sympathy is with this seller, however Ebay is own and run by a bunch of superpolitically correct faggots from San Francisco (the sodomy town), they (the E-bay faggots) are going to shut down this seller in no time.

[Beck_isright]

Sorry but the expression is "sucks to be you". Canada is just beginning to feel the wrath of Conservative America. Change your government and the sanctions will be lifted. Until then, deal with the pain and shame we had to over the 8 years of the Clinton administration. I talked to my friend who runs an e-Bay business after I read this. He's changing ALL of his auctions as we speak. Canada joins the list of the shame like the French. And deservedly so, IMHO.

V

[Beck_isright]

"dude. don't worry. just keep on making the highest bid. there's no way they can make it stick."

Yes, they can. He can ban the bidders.FYI...

[Beck_isright]

LOL, I have a friend who sells auto accessories in Florida. He's changing all of his new listings as we speak! I'm afraid Canada is joining the ranks of France and is going to pay a heavy price for their foolishness.

V

[gcruse]

There are a LOT of Canadians who are FULLY supportive of this war. You Americans should check your aim befor you squeeze off a shot.

The Atlanta company had no way of separating supporters from anti-Americans.  Giving a blanket notice that they did not wish to deal with a country the majority of whom are antis seems a logical way to do it.

[websthes]

canadians love to hate their prime minister... but that's no call to start snatching at our provinces

[gcruse]

canadians love to hate their prime minister... but that's no call to start snatching at our provinces

Absolutely correct.  The 'patriots' who clamor for some outside force to break up Canada for our benefit are jingoists.  And since the government remains undissolved, one can only infer that it has the support of most Canadians.  That is fine, too.  Being fine does not  eliminate consequences, as Canadians no doubt realize.  What goes around can be expected to come around.

[Osage Orange]

I also sell goods on eBay...and will not ship to Canada.

[CindyDawg]

Maybe, if he had sent that message he would have got the bid:')

[marajade]

Where? I haven't met a single one on usenet...

[Exit148]

"If you support the US then make some noise."

Some of them did. I read that the American National Anthem got a loud round of applause, from the Canadians, at a recent hockey game in Vancouver.

[Exit148]

See my post #97.

[websthes]

i suppose its fine sellers don't want to ship thru canadian customs. i don't shop on ebay either because its just as inconvenient for the canadian buyer who just wants a printer. but i haven't seen one good reason why its ok to discriminate against buyers based on whether or not the country they live in agrees with a particular american policy.

what if someone in california refused to ship to mexico because they don't like mexican policy... or boston because he was unhappy about what the pope said about the war... this kind of action should irritate minorities in the united states... i hope blacks and other american minorities recognize the dangerous precedent this sets that a private enterprise can choose to discriminate against a nation long recognized as a friendly trading partner

it worries me how people just throw out wild ideas to invade canada, bomb canucks... like it doesn't actually mean anything. i assume they're as shallow and thoughtless as canadians who boo the american anthem or moslems who celebrated 9/11. i had hoped that after the last quebec referendum on seperatism we montrealers had learned better than to just drag one anothers flags thru the mud over whatever crusade the politicians are using for their re-election

either way you feel about it... america has a constitution... a country ruled as much by the law of individual rights and limited government as the republican impulse to just draft some half-baked legislation to whatever problem comes along.

and for how long has america been promoting its free-trading ways that they've made of all this freedom? cuba is still isolated as an example. so when a canadian can't even get a fair deal what does this say about your principles?

[websthes]

free trade or not???

what if canada decided to scrap free trade and nationalize all of canada's oil because we don't like bush' unilateral war on iraq? instead of buying north sea crude and shpping western oil to the usa we could ship it east.. all canadians would have cheap gas instead of paying world prices inflated by american demand... nahhhhh that would be unfair

canada-us free trade agreement requires a common energy market.... and recognition of property rights is a fundamental of every free-market economy and a major part of american foreign policy... maybe canadian pharmacies should stop selling canadian discounted prescriptions to all those broke pensioners in the states... make them pay three times more at the local us pharmacy until you make french the official language of louisiana

assholes