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12 Items You CAN'T Sell On eBay
Some items are copyright infringement and can actually land a
seller in federal prison:
1. Knock offs of music, TV shows or movies. The "bootleg"
movies, for example, are often made by guys who sneak a movie
camera into a newly-released movie where presumably, they crouch
behind a seat and make a crummy copy. There is a large
production of these counterfeit items in Asia where US laws have
no power.
2. Software and computer games can likewise be copied and their
sale is illegal by all US laws.
Naturally, the items above may be sold if you have a copy that
you purchased legitimately and no longer want.
3, The so-called "replica" market for handbags, designer
sunglasses and clothing is definitely forbidden although these
items are often sold in physical stores around the US.
Ironically, when attending eBay Live In New Orleans in 2004, we
found a store in one of their famous markets selling replica
purses that were not allowed on eBay.
4. Lazy and less-than-honest sellers often steal copyrighted
material from other sellers. This has happened to me many times
and eBay has a program called VERO (Verified Rights Owner) that
will remove offending auctions, although there seems to be no
penalty attached to the seller, which is unfortunate.
5. Alcoholic beverage sales are not allowed although a beverage
"container', especially those of wine, may be sold for its value.
6. Cigarettes, cigars, smokeless tobacco or coupons for such
items are not permitted on eBay.com.
The Ebay rules for collectible tobacco and alcohol containers
are the same:
* The value of the item is in the collectible packaging, not in
the wine/tobacco itself.
* The listing description should state that the package has not
been opened, but that the twine/tobacco within is not for
consumption.
* The collectible tobacco packaging must not be available at any
retail outlet, and packaging must have a value that
substantially exceeds the current retail price of that
wine/tobacco product in the package.
* Sellers must take steps to ensure that the buyer of these
collectibles is at least 18 years of age.
7. Firearms are strictly regulated by US law and may not be sold
on eBay.
8. Satellite and cable TV descramblers are forbidden by the
Federal Trade Commission.
9. Animals and wildlife products may not be sold, which includes
stuffed birds and pelts from endangered species. There are
limited sales of ivory, tortoise shell, marine products and
other items relating to animals. This area is quite complex and
any would-be seller needs to thoroughly understand the various
laws before getting involved in these sales.
10. Event tickets have state-by-state laws that make their sale
complex. Some states, for instance, forbid anyone to make more
than a few dollars in profit (or no profit at all) on the resale
of tickets. For instance, Florida law states that tickets can be
resold at no more than face value plus $1. In such states, these
regulations apply only to buyers and sellers located in the same
state as the actual event, meaning if a seller lives in Florida,
he can't profit from ticket sales to Florida events. However, if
he lives in any of the other 39 states, this restriction doesn't
apply.
11. Listing a catalog of items that a seller offers for sale is
forbidden. The only catalogs legally sold on eBay are
collectible kinds, such as an old Sears Roebuck or Montgomery
Wards catalog that is memorabilia and doesn't offer current
merchandise for sale.
12. Raffles and prizes are 100% prohibited. According to eBay,
such promotions are highly regulated and may be unlawful in many
states.
There are other kinds of merchandise that a seller may not sell
on eBay, so carefully check eBay rules before listing anything.
It's much better to know the rules in advance of spending money
that can't be recouped.
About the author:
Learn how to sell on
eBay with 16 hours of online instruction taught by a 10
year eBay veteran. Own an eBay business instead of an eBay
hobby.