It is one thing to sell a caliper or master cylinder core on eBay for the bidder to rebuild, but to sell used brake pads is a whole different matter. It is an unsafe practice that eBay should stop because chances are the person buying the pads will not be able to.
Brake pads wear to the caliper and rotor they were originally fitted to. The friction material can form a wedge if the caliper hardware, bracket or caliper has any play. If the pads are installed on a different vehicle, the different pad shape can cause uneven contact. This can cause longer than normal stopping distances, soft brake pedal and noise. Also, you have to ask why were the pads removed in the first place?
I realize that technically eBay is not liable if there is a problem because the transaction is between the seller and bidder. But, if they can ban the sale of used under ware, they should ban the sale of used brake pads.
There should be exceptions for “off-highway” racing brake pads of if it is a rare application that the the bidder intends to send them to a custom manufacturer like Porterfield Brakes for relining.
Deal 2: BMW Blue Plate Special (Look at the Shims! WTF?)
If you buy used pads, you are just installing someone else’s mistake.