EBay pulls 'women for sale' ad

Online marketplace eBay says it has removed from its web site a listing that offered three young Vietnamese women for auction and will report the person who posted it to local authorities.

EBay spokesman Hani Durzy says the listing, which says the women are for shipment only to Taiwan, "is an egregious violation of not only eBay policies but also the law".

"It was pulled as soon as we were aware of it - anything illegal is against our policies; there is absolutely no room for human trafficking [on the site]," Mr Durzy said.

EBay also has suspended the poster, who originally listed the women for auction on eBay Taiwan.

Mr Durzy says he is not certain of the dates the posting appeared on eBay, which is a popular venue for bidding on and shopping for myriad items from cars to collectibles.

A screenshot of the listing provided by the National Congress of Vietnamese Americans shows that it was first posted on March 2.

Hung Nguyen, the group's president, says advocacy groups wrote to eBay demanding that the item be pulled down when it came to their attention on March 5.

Such activities "really concern us," Mr Nguyen said, who commended eBay for its quick response.

EBay, along with its community of users, keeps a constant watch on listings and reports cases of illegal activities to law enforcement.

The US State Department has said Taiwan is a source, transit and destination point for people trafficked for sexual exploitation and forced labour.

Victims often are trafficked to Taiwan from China, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Indonesia and the Philippines.

-- Reuters 2004-03-14

Holy s*$@... how insane that scum is...

LovelyCutie, If you knew how much of this goes on, mostly to Japanese and Chinese businessmen, you would be using words worse than s*$@

Yes the purveyors of misery.

They deserve all they get. I was approached by some people I know to help "transport" Thai" ladies to Hong Kong. it was $1000- AUD and expenses.

Personally, I would rather eat from the rubbish bins in the soi before I took any of their money.