Yahoo Changes Auction Policy
To Help Protect Speleothems
by
Tom Lera
Liaison for International
Speleothem Protection, NSS Conservation Committee
IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT: On November 1st,
2001,
Yahoo changed their Auction Listing Policy to include speleothems. The Yahoo's policy is simple and can be found at http://user.auctions.shopping.yahoo.com/html/guidelines.html.
After
eBay change their policy on September 1st, I sent a similar detailed
document to their General Counsel Matt Robinson and two weeks later we
developed the below policy. Although it
is not perfect, the policy is one that can be enforced by the Yahoo Auction
Team.
Items
that are prohibited by Yahoo!
It is
the responsibility of both the seller and the buyer to ensure that the items
listed for auction and bought by the winning bidder are appropriate for sale
under all applicable laws and regulations. In addition, every item listed on
Yahoo! Auctions must be consistent with Yahoo!'s policies, as determined in
Yahoo!'s sole discretion. Yahoo! expressly reserves the right to, but has no
duty to, refuse, reject or remove any listing in Yahoo!'s sole discretion.
There
are some things that you may not list or sell under any circumstances. These
include:
14.
Speleothems, stalactites and stalagmites from caves on federal land or
as prohibited by state or federal law.
The revised policy, however, does not prevent
speleothems from occasionally being listed.
There are over 100,000 items on daily and the Yahoo cannot check them
all. Cavers still must monitor the
auctions, and, if we find a cave formation for sale, immediately email Yahoo
found under Auction Abuse http://add.yahoo.com/fast/help/us/auct/cgi_abuse
referencing the item and the new Policy.
I have been advised when we do this, Yahoo will immediately contact the
seller and have the item delisted.
The two largest Internet Auction Companies, eBay and
now Yahoo, have taken a position for cave conservation and speleothem
protection. Together we can all make a
difference.
Cave Softly and Safely