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Homeschool magazine responds to eBay's ban on selling teacher's editions...an interesting short article, go here to read it.

Also worldnetdaily had an article here.
eBay prohibits textbooks
for homeschool teachers
Lumps them with illegal drugs, bootleg recordings,
prompting avalanche of complaints from customers

I remember when the ban hit, maybe last year? It did affect my ebay habit, I don't visit the site anymore. As a homeschooler, finding used teacher's manuals was the main attraction to ebay. It is frustrating that they have made such a policy when *many teacher's manuals do not contain the answers, they are lesson plans...the solutions manuals are often separate items *I can order teacher's manuals from the big bookstores- no policy to check if I am a teacher or not.
*most of the items sold to homeschoolers are specialty "homeschool" books, or older editions of textbooks, they are not items used commonly in the public school settings, a group of kids intent on cheating will not be buying the books the homeschoolers are buying. *the whole cheating thing is the arena of parental responsibility

“Teachers editions are intended for teacher’s use and eBay believes in limiting the resale of those items as we are not equipped to verify if the buyer is a teacher or not.”

(from the article)

This also brings on a whole discussion on who is a teacher...I wonder if they meant to make this a political statement?

"Homeschoolers frustrated with the eBay ban on teacher's editions can take their business to other sites who understand the importance of being able to buy and sell teacher's editions for home educators. "

I think we already have...
the whole thing is frustrating. Ebay was easy to work with. I guess we all have to get used to a new system somewhere else. I hope that Ebay's loss is their gain.

Labels: homeschool