How to Avoid Selling Counterfeit Items on eBay

Member

By A. Suzanne Wells
User-Submitted Article

Article Rating:

(6 Ratings)

Avoid Selling Counterfeit Items on eBay

eBay is very serious about counterfeit items being sold on their site. Granted, counterfeits appear, and eBay has a tough job policing millions of listings. If you are caught selling counterfeit items, your store can be shut down and you can be removed as a seller.

Learn how to spot counterfeit items and avoid selling them on eBay.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

eBay Account
Internet Connection
Time

Step 1

Make absolutely sure the item is authentic and is not a fake. If you are 100% sure of its authenticity, then you may use the brand name as a key word in your title. (Example - Coach, Burberry, Kate Spade, Gucci.)
Step 2

If you are not 100% sure of an item's authenticity, do not list it.
Step 3

If the item is not an actual branded product, for example a Coach purse, do not compare your item to the branded product. You may not use phrases like, "Designer handbag like Coach," or, "Women's Wool Blazer compare to Burberry." This is key word spamming and your listing can be removed.
Step 4

Only use the word "New" in the title if the item is brand new. Do not use phrases like, "as new," or "like new." This also is key word spamming and an eBay violation.
Step 5

Take your own photos and write your own descriptions. Using another eBay member's images or description violates eBay policy. Using photos or descriptions from a manufacturer's website or catalog is also not allowed. The listing needs to be written in your own words and show your photo.
Step 6

If you come across a listing that you think is for a counterfeit or replica item, report it to eBay Trust and Safety. (Click REPORT THIS LISTING at the bottom of the page.) eBay members must work together to keep counterfeits off of eBay. The only way these items will be removed is if another seller reports it and brings it to eBay's attention.
Step 7

Take eBay's tutorial on these policies. You can find the tutorial under the eBay Help Index in the tutorials section.

Comments

bestmommy said

Flag This Comment

on 8/24/2009 I once tried to sell a Chanel silk scarf and Ebay pulled the listing saying it was a fake--I know for a fact it is authentic since I received it as a gift from a friend who worked for Chanel 20 years ago. Since I did not have a sales receipt from a Chanel boutique they said I could not prove it was authentic and therefore they wouldn't allow the listing. Very frustrating and unfair in my opinion.

mayviola said

on 11/20/2008 I hope you can help me. I have been a Buyer on Ebay since they began. Recently they suspended me because I sold something counterfeit. But I am not a Seller and they and PayPal won't listen to me and won't give me a way to get back in. HELP....

LVNutty said

on 10/27/2008 Actually, selling counterfeits is a Federal Crime, punishable by law, so selling fakes on eBay or anywhere else is against the law. Surprisingly, the law states that the Seller (on eBay or in the real world) is responsible for knowing that the item for sale is authentic and NOT KNOWING is not a defense. Therefore, authenticating all designer items before selling them to make sure they're real is desirable and protection for the seller.

If the seller sells a counterfeit and sends it through the USPS, that is ALSO a Federal Crime. Sending fakes through the mail.

If the seller sells a counterfeit on the Internet, it is ALSO a Federal Crime. Selling fakes on line.

So yes, you can get suspended on eBay for selling fakes, but you can also be tracked down and arrested if you're a habitual and deliberate seller of counterfeit items.