Sears Apologizes For Selling Swastika Rings In Online Marketplace

As seen on Sears.com before it was pulled.

After a third-party listing for a men’s “Thai silver Swastika ring” popped up on Sears’ online Marketplace, the company has pulled the “punk rock style” jewelry and has been busy apologizing to upset customers for selling it in the first place.

The ring also appeared on Amazon.com briefly but is no longer available, Haaretz reported.

“This gothic jewelry item in particular features a Swastika ring that’s made of .925 Thai silver,” the item description read. “Not for Neo Nazi or any Nazi implication. These jewelry items are going to make you look beautiful at your next dinner date.”

In response to customers outraged over the Nazi jewelry, Sears tweeted individual responses to apologize and assure people that it didn’t mean to sell swastika fashions.

“We certainly understand the upset and regret this occurred. The vendor is being reviewed and the item removed,” Sears said in one, via the Washington Times.

“This item is a 3rd party Sears Marketplace product that does not abide with our guidelines and is being removed,” the company tweeted in another response.

A spokesman said in statement that the rings were listed by independent third parties on the Sears Marketplace site in violation of their guidelines.

“We are contacting the sellers to strongly voice our concern over their lack of judgment,” a spokesman said.

This isn’t the first time Sears and Amazon tangled with customers over offensive items — there was this concentration camp sign for sale that had online retailers scrambling to apologize. And in other concentration camp merchandise, Zara recently apologized to customers for a shirt that some thought resembled a concentration camp uniform similar to those warn by prisoners during the Holocaust.

Here’s a great rule to live by: If it’s related to Nazis and the attempted extermination of an entire group of people, stay as far away as possible. Always.

Sears removes swastika ring for sale from website [Haaretz]

Sears apologizes, removes swastika ring from Marketplace website [Washington Times]

by Mary Beth Quirk via Consumerist