In a nutshell: ebay has basically blocked media items (games, music CDs, books) from international buyers. There are two types of blocking:
(1) search blocking, where games, books, etc do not appear in international buyer's search result despite they're available on ebay, and despite the fact that the seller does ship internationally.
(2) shipment blocking, where ebay excludes certain countries from item's available shipping destination, without the seller's knowledge, let alone the seller's consent. Making it impossible for international buyers from the said country (mine included) to buy the item, even though the seller is willing to ship the item to the said country.

From what I gathered from ebay forum, ebay has been calling the blocking a "glitch". Yet, some people suspect that this is an attempt to strongarm international sellers to use ebay GSP program. Sellers who use GSP program do not suffer from such blocking, while sellers who do not use GSP program suffer from the blocking.

Not only this is harmful to international sellers, but it is also harmful to international buyers like me, because I cannot buy the things I want anymore (vintage games, that is).

To add insult to the injury, the ebay CS I recently contacted insisted that my search blocking is part of ebay "personalized shopping experience" program. The truth is, their "personalized shopping experience" program has put a lot of stupid things I've never bought during my entire ebay life in my search result - and in my ebay starting page too! Previously, my ebay starting page was full of games and computer hardware, now it is suddenly full of women's shoes, bibles, pillows, kid's shoes, books on forex trading tips, kid's clothing, and things that I've never bought in my entire goddamn life! Is what ebay calls "personalized shopping experience"? What's next, an entire year of Amway catalog? Robert T. Kiyosaki materials? A book titled "How to Win Downlines And Influence People To Join Your Pyramid Scheme"?

Update: allow me to stress it again: offering some stupid items I never bought is one thing, but blocking computer games from my search result is hideously unacceptable. Terra Nova: Strike Force Centauri is available on ebay, and the seller does ship to Indonesia, so why the fuck does ebay block it from my search result?

Update: and I still wonder where did ebay get the fiction about my country banning computer game imports. Did they just make it up?

Update: SquallStrife has found something interesting.

SquallStrife wrote:

That one is weird for sure.

Check this out: http://forums.ebay.com/db2/topic/Seller-Centr … 0145905?start=0

Looks like you're not the only one with this problem, and there is something fishy going on.

Update: THIS.

Kreshna Aryaguna Nurzaman wrote:

I found something disturbing... Apparently, the "import restriction" is a "glitch" manufactured by ebay to force seller to join […]
Show full quote

I found something disturbing... Apparently, the "import restriction" is a "glitch" manufactured by ebay to force seller to join their Global Shipping Program (GSP). This page, and this page.

agnescrystal wrote:

The thing is that it's not true. I live in Indonesia and I know for sure that Indonesia does NOT have such restrictions. FFS I can't even buy plastic sleeves for CD and DVD!

Thus, the "import ban" is entirely fictitious.

What actually happens then?

junk1958smith wrote:

What we have here are UNEQUAL MEDIA SELLING RESTRICTIONS based on whether or not a US seller is opted into the global shipping program.

Unequal Restrictions that deny selling opportunities to one class of sellers (those not opted-into GSP) and unfettered access to sales for the other class (opted-into GSP).

junk1958smith wrote:

It does make sense financially if they are collecting import taxes that aren't actually due and if they don't end up having to pay the excess taxes to anyone at the end of the transaction (post #80). Especially if ALL international sales from US to other countries were forced down that path.

Am I the only one who smells a rotten fish here? Is ebay trying to swindle tax? But isn't it illegal?

Update: How to circumvent eba search blocking - and possibly shipment blocking too.

Kreshna Aryaguna Nurzaman wrote:

Yes, I was also able to circumvent the search blocking by logging out and/or using ebay UK. […]
Show full quote

Malik wrote:

Bro, I just did a check on ebay. As you said, I can't see what I want from the ebay main page. […]
Show full quote

Bro, I just did a check on ebay. As you said, I can't see what I want from the ebay main page.

However, I have a "saved search" bookmark of ebay. I actually saved my preferences for searching the ' "socket 7" motherboard '. When I search again what I want from this page, I was able to get more hits of what I actually want.

But otherwise, yes, F-ebay. F-paypal. They and their arrogant capitalistic attitude.

Edit : searched at http://www.ebay.co.uk's saved search bookmark.
(Shown under "international sellers")

Yes, I was also able to circumvent the search blocking by logging out and/or using ebay UK.

However, here's more bad news. Search blocking is another thing, but shipment blocking (like what I experienced when trying to buy D.R.A.G.O.N Force from Noble Knight Games) will prevent you to buy the game, even though you can find the game by circumventing search blocking. The seller cannot do anything either, since shipment blocking prevents any transaction to be made, even though you and the seller agree to do business with each other.

The only thing to circumvent shipment blocking is to buy the game outside ebay, like what I did by buying D.R.A.G.O.N Force from Noble Knight's online store instead of through ebay.

Update: a new kind of shit. Only on ebay, ladies and gentlemen.

Kreshna Aryaguna Nurzaman wrote:

Ebay has become more disgusting. […]
Show full quote

Ebay has become more disgusting.

I really want to buy this CD, and the seller does not have restriction to ship to Indonesia AT ALL, only to Russian Federation. Heck, I can even calculate the S/H cost to Indonesia on the shipping page.

But when I tried to bid the item, I got the following error message:

Attention buyer

We are sorry but the item you selected may not be purchased due to Seller shipping restrictions, country specific import/export or other relevant restrictions.

I don't think it'll be useful to contact ebay customer service again, because I already knew what their response would be: making some FICTION that my country restrict Audio CD import and other shits, while trying to persuade me to buy other shits I don't need.

Fuck you ebay.

Kreshna Aryaguna Nurzaman wrote:

Even if what you said is true, I highly doubt it's the case here. See, another overseas buyer suffers the same problem with mine […]
Show full quote

sliderider wrote:

Kreshna Aryaguna Nurzaman wrote:

Does region restriction even apply to audio CD? W

Audio CD may not be region coded, but there may still be distribution contracts within regions. So if Distribution Company A located in your country obtains the distribution rights from Big Recording Company B then Distribution Company C located outside your country cannot distribute that material in your country because they don't have a contract with Big Recording Company B covering your country though they may have a contract to distribute in some other country. It even applies to used material imported from outside because some other distribution company reaped the profit from that CD and you being allowed to buy it from outside your country takes a sale away from the company that is licensed to sell it there.

So in other words, it's like when Electronic Arts obtained an exclusive contract with the NFL to license their imagery and players for Madden. Nobody else could produce a football game using that I.P. because of the exclusivity agreement. Your region or country is a protected territory for whoever holds the distribution rights to the material you are trying to buy and nobody from outside can sell that material to you.

Even if what you said is true, I highly doubt it's the case here. See, another overseas buyer suffers the same problem with mine, and when she/he contacted ebay, the customer service said that it is a technical problem related to android ebay app, despite the overseas buyer got the problem on Windows PC.

The sellers says he hasn't got any restrictions for overseas buyers. It's one of those "new type" listings where additional cost […]
Show full quote

The sellers says he hasn't got any restrictions for overseas buyers. It's one of those "new type" listings where additional costs are mentioned with one of those "i" icons.

The Ebay helpdesk thinks I have problems with my Iphone because I've mentioned the Ebay android app (gives error code 12310)
And they recommend trying a PC while I've mentioned the error message is from a PC...

Anyone else had this problem?

See? If it's truly because of region restriction for copyrighted materials, ebay would have said so. But ebay didn't say that. Instead, it blames android app despite the problem happened on PC.

So I suspect this is another ebay's disgusting attempt to punish sellers who are not joining their money-raking GSP program. That is, by blocking buyers from certain countries outside the seller's knowledge and consent. The said buyer's problem is exactly the same as mine:
(1) the overseas buyer comes from non-restricted country, and so do I (in my case, the only restricted country is Russian Federation, while my country is Indonesia).
(2) when the said buyer complained, ebay told her/him some fiction about faulty android ebay apps despite the error happened on PC; when I complained the first time I suffered the problem some months ago, ebay told me some fiction about Indonesia banning computer game imports - which is laughable.

Old Thrashbarg wrote:

So then, no, you don't actually have any sources... you're just spouting unfounded bullshit as usual. […]
Show full quote

sliderider wrote:

That's the whole reason for the existence of region coding. Duh!

"DVD region codes are a digital rights management technique designed to allow film distributors to control aspects of a release, including content, release date, and price, according to the region."

From wiki entry on DVD region coding.

So then, no, you don't actually have any sources... you're just spouting unfounded bullshit as usual.

In most countries, it's perfectly legal to import CDs/DVDs/games/etc. for personal use, regardless of any region coding. (That is, of course, assuming that there aren't import restrictions for other reasons, like censorship laws or whatever.) Here is the relevant section of the law in the US... not gonna bother citing the laws for every country, but they're going to be mostly similar due to all the copyright treaties and such.

The resale of such items is also generally OK. Commercial distribution without permission is a no-no, as one would expect. However, many places have the concept of the first-sale doctrine, which basically assures that an item is wholly yours after purchase, and you can do whatever you like with it... and that includes selling it. In the US, the right of first sale has even been recently upheld to include importing items specifically for resale. The EU courts have also upheld first-sale, but went a step further to include digital media in addition to physical media.

I couldn't have said it better.

Not to mention the CD I want to buy is located in China instead of the US.

So it's either ebay is still strongarming sellers who are not joining their money-raking GSP program, or ebay is sucking up to media companies by restricting legal media sale, or both. Doesn't really matter which, it's equally disgusting anyway.

Update: so where goes the import charge anyway?

Kreshna Aryaguna Nurzaman wrote:

This is just getting ridiculous: […]
Show full quote

This is just getting ridiculous:

Top Gun: Fire At Will, Pilot's Handbook (1997)

Item's price: US $2
Shipping cost: US $32.16
Import charge: US $12.90

Import charge? What import charge? My government never makes me pay import charge for anything less than US $25. So the question is, to whose pocket does the US $12.09 go? Indonesian government? I don't think so. So this is what the Global Shipping Program is all about?

*****************

Ebay. Ebay was my favorite place. A place where I used to enjoy hunting the vintage game and hardware I love.

Not anymore. Not fucking anymore.

The good old days.

When I joined ebay in 2004, I didn't even have PayPal account. Indonesia was still among the blacklist country regarding to credit card, so while I can use my CC to register to ebay, I couldn't use it to register to PayPal.

But there were many payment options those days. I did my early payments using Banker's Draft, sent physically to the seller. Then I started using Western Union. That, until Indonesians were able to join PayPal in mid-2006.

Many sellers did not ship internationally those days, but I managed to convince them to ship to Indonesia. The fact I was using Banker's Draft and/or Western Union, and the way I urged them to not shipping the item until after they get the money, was enough to earn their trust. In regards to Banker's Draft, I always insisted them not to send the item until the money is cleared (which could take 10 days).

Of course, the process was slow, and I usually got the item a month after buying it. But that way, I earned the seller's trust. I proved them that I am not a carder.

But the most important thing is: there was no system-based restriction. When the seller didn't ship internationally, it was nothing more than description. The seller could still ship the item internationally, and indeed they did after I persuaded them to ship the item to Indonesia.

Like I said, the process took a lot of time, and a lot of communications. But I made many friends that way. One of them is a pastor from Indiana who sold me many motherboards and Voodoo5 5500s, another is a nice Brits who sold me a set of Thrustmaster F-16 FLCS, TQS, and RCS.

And to me, that was a very personalized experience: I earned the seller's trust, I communicated a lot with the seller, I got the item I want, and I made friends that way. It was elegant, and truly personal.

But then came the stupid system-based restriction...

I recently found a copy of D.R.A.G.O.N Force on ebay. When I took a look at the S/H page, it says "this item does not ship to Indonesia." And indeed, I cannot find my country from the drop-down menu, so I couldn't get the S/H cost.

I contacted the seller, trying to persuade him to ship to my country. Unexpectedly, the seller was caught in surprise. He is more than happy to sell the item to Indonesia, but he also told me that he never put Indonesia in the restricted country list. In fact, he doesn't even know such list exists.

After some headache, ebay customer support eventually informs me that the restriction is automatically placed by ebay. Ebay said that they does not allow shipping to Indonesia because Indonesia bans computer game imports.

I naturally called a local custom office. And when I asked the custom official whether Indonesia has banned computer game imports, he laughed! He said our country indeed restricts certain imports (such as explosives and firearms - which needs special papers), but definitely NOT games. He even said, "what is so dangerous about GAMES anyway? Do they explode?"

But when I told ebay so, I just hit a brick wall. Ebay customer service even dared to accuse the seller of not wanting to ship the game to Indonesia, while the seller and I are more than willing to trade with each other. And to add insult to the injury, ebay customer service shamelessly call the system-based restriction personalized shopping experience. WHAT. THE. FUCK.

Fortunately, the seller has his own website. And I eventually bought the game from the website instead of ebay. An indeed, the seller's website does ship to Indonesia.

A salute to Noble Knight Games, and a middle finger to ebay.

...and some stupid search filter.

But then, the problem doesn't stop there.

I was looking for Terra Nova, and stupid ebay search engine gave me some DVD I've never heard in my life instead of the game I want.

I'm looking for this...

...and ebay insists I should buy THIS!

So what the hell did happen? Did the game is not available on ebay anymore? Well I did some search from ebay UK instead, while not logging in. Turned out Terra Nova: Strike Force Centauri still exist to ebay, and the seller does ship to Indonesia. So why the fuck ebay does not include the game in my search result?

Hey ebay, fucking stupid ebay, is this what you call "personalized shopping experience"? Hiding the game I want from my search while insisting I should buy some DVD I've never heard of?

Goodbye ebay?

Before saying goodbye to ebay, I think I need to cool my head and get real. I still need vintage hardware, and I haven't found any alternative to buy them outside ebay.

But some game seller has their own web store outside ebay. So I will definitely try to reduce my dependence on ebay. Whenever a seller has her/his own store outside ebay, I will definitely buy the game from the store instead of ebay. Noble Knight Games is an example, and I hope other ebay sellers like the_pcgamer and warehouse31 would follow. I mean, opening their own web store as alternative to ebay.

And of course, there is still GOG.com.