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Is my item allowed on eBay UK?
Prohibited, Questionable & Infringing Items

eBay is here to help, but you are ultimately responsible for making sure that buying an item or selling your item(s) is allowed on eBay and is not prohibited in the eyes of the law. Follow these steps to find out whether or not your item can be listed on eBay.

  • First, review eBay's listing policies. These guidelines will help you properly list items and understand what is allowed on eBay.
  • If you're still unsure about listing your particular item, look over the select list of items below. These guidelines and policies are designed to help you trade safely on eBay. Remember that:
    1. "Prohibited" means that these items may not be listed on eBay.
    2. "Questionable" means that items may be listed under certain conditions.
    3. "Potentially Infringing" means that items may be in violation of certain copyrights, trademarks or other rights. For your protection, some items here are not allowed ("prohibited"), regardless of the legality of these particular items,because they almost always violate copyright or trademark laws.


Aeroplane Tickets
Alcohol
Animals and Wildlife Products
Catalogue and URL Sales
Counterfeit Currency and Stamps
Counterfeit and Trademarked Items
Credit Cards
Drugs and Drug paraphernalia
Embargoed Items & Prohibited Countries
Firearms and Ammunition
Fireworks
Franking Machines
Football Tickets
Government IDs, Licences and Uniforms
Human Parts and Remains
Lockpicking Devices
Lottery Tickets
Mailing Lists and Personal Information
Multi-level Marketing, Pyramid, Matrix and Trading Schemes
Offensive Material
Prescription Drugs and Materials
Recalled Items
Satelitte, Digital and Cable TV Decoders
Shares and Securities
Stolen Items
Surveillance Equipment
Tobacco and Tobacco Products
Train Tickets
Travel Vouchers
Unlocking Software
Questionable
Adults Only
Artefacts
Autographed Items
Batteries
British Titles
CFC and HCFC Refrigerants
Contracts and Tickets
Electronics Equipment
Food
Hazardous, Restricted and Perishable Items
Pesticides
Plants and Seeds
Police-Related Items
Pre-sales Listings
Slot Machines
Used Clothing
Used Medical Devices
Weapons & Knives

 

Potentially Infringing
(copyright & trademark)

Academic Software

Anti-circumvention Policy

Authenticity Disclaimers

Bèta Software

Bootleg Recordings

Brand Name Misuse

Comparison Policy

Compilation and Informational Media Policy

Copyright Basics

Encouraging Infringement Policy

Faces, Names and Signatures

Games Software

Image or Description Theft

Importation of Goods

Keyword Spamming

Misleading Titles

Mod Chips

Movie Prints

OEM Software

Recordable Media

Replica and Counterfeit Items

Promotional Items

Trademark and Domain Name Basics

Unauthorized Copies

 


Important Note:
Even if you offer to give away for "free" (rather than sell) a prohibited, questionable, or infringing item, this will not relieve you of potential liability. This applies to both seller and buyer.

This list is updated from time to time and is incorporated by reference into the User Agreement. Notice of updates to this list will be posted on the Announcement Board on the eBay website on the day of the change. These guidelines do not constitute legal advice and do not pertain to any particular company's practices. When in doubt, check with law enforcement agencies, a lawyer, the law or with a copyright, trademark or other rights owner for clarification. eBay also has adopted certain policies regarding prohibited items, regardless of the legality of the item.

Please note that the above list is neither exhaustive nor restrictive. eBay reserves the right to delete any listing that may violate any legal provision or the general principles and values of the eBay community, even if the legal provision or principles and values are not explicitly stated on the site.

You are a part of the eBay community, and, as a member, you should encourage the participation of sellers who are serious about their transactions and the posting of listings of objects that are lawful and genuine. For that reason, we have set up a Community Watch programme allowing each member of the community to inform us about any prohibited, questionable, or infringing item under eBay policy.

Why did eBay end my auction early?
If eBay ends your auction early because it violates one of our stated policies, you deserve to be properly informed. Therefore, eBay will notify both the seller and bidders via email when an auction has been ended. For additional information, visit the Why Did eBay End My Auction Early? page.

Reporting prohibited, questionable & infringing items to eBay



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