Ban is simply circumvented Ricardo auctions off Nazi memorabilia
Nazi relics continue to be offered on the Ricardo platform despite the ban list. Ricardo promises to check and delete the advertisements. But does this really always happen?
No time? blue News summarizes for you
- Despite clear guidelines, banned Nazi items are still being offered on the Ricardo sales platform.
- Despite automated and manual checking procedures, the platform remains susceptible to rule violations.
- Ricardo deletes offending offers, warns sellers and threatens to block them if they repeat the offense, but the effectiveness of the measures is being questioned.
The online platform Ricardo is primarily known for allowing people to sell things they no longer need. If you want to sell a wardrobe, sofa or table, you advertise it and interested parties can place their bids. However, some people use the platform to sell banned items from the Nazi era.
Ricardo is part of the Swiss Marketplace Group AG. Products that are on the site's banned list are offered for sale. As "Inside Paradeplatz" writes, some users have managed to circumvent the platform's rules.
One example of these circumvention tactics is the declaration of banned commemorative medals as coins from the time of the "Third Reich". These coins are allowed on Ricardo, which allows sellers to circumvent the platform rules. Another example is the use of image editing software to remove swastikas from photos of war merit badges, while informing buyers that the symbol is only missing from the image.
An advertisement shows a coin with a swastika and an eagle's head. On the other side, the head of Adolf Hitler is embossed on the coin. It also reads: "One people - One Reich - One Führer." The reverse reads: "Adolf Hitler, Reich Chancellor." The bidding for the coin starts at 69 francs. An immediate purchase for 150 francs is also possible. Under the advertisement, a user asked the seller a question: "Can you explain the significance of this coin?" The seller then replies succinctly: "Commemorative coin."
Medals with Hitler motifs, which were minted until the 1990s and are considered collector's items by neo-Nazis, are particularly popular on Ricardo. These items fetch prices of over 40 francs on the platform. Anti-Semitic literature such as the book "Adolf Hitler - Bilder aus dem Leben des Führers" can also be found on offer. This is not possible on other online sales platforms such as Ebay.
Ricardo has a prohibited list
Ricardo has a so-called prohibited list. It contains all the rules that products that are advertised must adhere to. Sellers would actually have to adhere to them. Nevertheless, such prohibited items can still be sold - with a title and picture.
The keyword "Hitler" produces 138 results in the Ricardo search bar. These include many stamps with an image of Adolf Hitler's head. Historical books or films that are permitted are also among the search results - but so are banned items.
The operators of Ricardo have reacted to the criticism and told "Inside Paradeplatz" that they have deleted the offers and warned the sellers. In the event of repeated violations, the sellers are threatened with being blocked.
Ricardo's security team works with automated and manual systems to detect prohibited offers at an early stage. Nevertheless, prohibited items can still be found on the platform, which casts doubt on the effectiveness of these measures.
However, a visit to the Ricardo website shows that dozens of advertisements with relevant offers still exist on the site.
This article was created with the help of artificial intelligence (AI). All content created by AI is verified by the editorial team.
