Fake PICASSO - Not a Listing Violation Says eBay... Reporting Fakes a Waste of Time!

[fine-art-auctioneers]

This is a thread to shame eBay reporting system, not the seller of the item in question. Apparently according to eBay, faking a Picasso painting and selling it on eBay, deception, fraud and infringement of copyright, is NOT a violation of their policy.

There is a seller with multiple private accounts who buys cheap paintings from auction houses and other locations, erases from the painting any details of the original artist, signs the paintings "Picasso" or with signatures of other well known artists, and adds fake stamps of provenance to the works.

I found and reported the following listing as a counterfeit item. Username and item number eradicated. The description reads:
"Pablo Picasso vintage original watercolor mixed media painting on paper laid on cardboard. Very beautiful old painting hand signed Picasso. Gallery stamp at the back. Listed as a manner of the artist. Listed on behalf of the collector. Unframed. Size approx. 33x25cm."

In reality, this painting is by Agnes Gladys Holman.  The seller painted over Holman’s signature at the bottom, added "Picasso" in the upper right corner, and stamped the work with fake provenance stamps. This is the link to the auction house listing where the painting was originally bought from Adam Partridge 27th Sep, 2023 Lot 346: 

https://auctions.adampartridge.co.uk/auction/lot/346-agnes-gladys-holman-watercolour-horse-in/?lot=4...

I reported this listing twice and provided eBay with all the necessary details, including screenshots below.

Despite this, the fraudulent listing remains active. I received the email from eBay:

"Thanks again for reporting the listing(s) you found. 

What happened:
We looked into your report and didn’t find the listing to be in violation of our policy.  This determination was made by a customer service agent."

Why this matters:

This isn't just about this one fake listing. It's about the damage eBay's inaction does to the entire painting category, affecting both buyers and sellers:

1. Devalues Buyer Trust:
   Allowing obvious fakes to remain for sale undermines buyer confidence. Collectors and casual buyers alike deserve to trust that items sold as genuine on eBay are authentic or accurately described.

2. Harms Honest Sellers:
   As a business seller of paintings myself, I see firsthand how this nonsense distracts serious buyers. Fakes clog the search results, making it harder for genuine sellers to reach their audience. Worse, when buyers realize they've been duped by fakes, they may become wary of the entire category—hurting legitimate sellers like me.

3. eBay's Reputation Suffers:
   eBay’s unwillingness to act on clear evidence of fraud damages its reputation as a trustworthy marketplace. It’s baffling that eBay would prioritize keeping fraudulent listings live over protecting the integrity of its platform.

4. Encourages Fraudulent Sellers:
   When eBay turns a blind eye, it emboldens bad actors to continue their fraudulent practices, knowing there are no consequences.

I am a business seller and buyer on of art on my other accounts. I don’t typically report fakes, but it’s frustrating to waste time sifting through fraudulent listings when searching for genuine items. This fake is so obvious with clear evidence, that I believed I could do something about it, or so I thought. eBay needs to act when detailed reports are made—not just for individual cases like this, but to maintain trust in their marketplace and protect their legitimate users, instead of supporting and assisting fraud.

[redwick1]

There are many fake items on ebay but ebay will say they do not see the items.

All buyers are covered by the ebay money back guarantee.

It is up to buyers to know what they are buying.

It is frustrating when you see items that are fakes and report and no action is taken.

Is there no other body you can report it too?.

[red_magpie]

If you read eBay's policy on reporting counterfeits you will see that eBay does not accept reports of counterfeits from ordinary members, only from the registered owner of the brand name. I imagine this is why eBay's computer keeps returning "no violation" replies when users report counterfeits. Instead, they suggest reporting them to the brand owner, as below:

Intellectual property rights owners
Only intellectual property rights owners can report eBay listings that infringe on their copyright, trademark, or other intellectual property rights. Sellers who are rights owners can learn more about the VeRO program and file a report from the Reporting intellectual property infringements (VeRO) - opens in new window or tab page.

Not the rights owner
Members who are not the rights owner can still help by getting in touch with the owner and encouraging them to contact us. Some rights owners who participate in the VeRO Program have created a participant page, so eBay members can find out more about their products and legal positions. Though not all VeRO participants have a page, those that do can be found at our VeRO participant pages - opens in new window or tab.

So unless you know who, if anyone, currently owns the rights for Picasso's work it may be impossible to report it. Not that there was ever much chance of buying a genuine Picasso for £55. For full information see: https://www.ebay.co.uk/help/policies/listing-policies/selling-policies/intellectual-property-vero-pr...

[fine-art-auctioneers]

I understand your point about the eBay Money Back Guarantee, but that doesn't address the broader issues this creates for buyers, sellers, and the platform as a whole.

While it's true that buyers should be cautious and informed, not everyone has the expertise to spot a fake—especially when sellers go to great lengths to fabricate provenance. Many buyers assume eBay has mechanisms in place to protect them from blatant fraud like this, and when eBay fails to act, it undermines trust in the entire marketplace.

The fact remains: eBay has the tools and responsibility to remove these listings when provided with evidence. Their inaction creates an environment where fraud is not only tolerated but inadvertently facilitated.