Sellers on eBay offer counterfeit apple iPhone seal stickers. It is illegal, why does eBay allow it?

[jacpainter2012]

Hello everyone!

I wanted to buy a sealed iPhone on ebay, not a refurbished one.

i was reluctant to buy from private sellers with a few sales or feedback.

When I started browsing sealed iPhones I stumbles upon seller offering- I quote:

’’Apple IPhone 16 & 15 & 14 Series New Factory Box Seal Sticker Tab UV Code’’

and in their listings they add:

Product Description

BUNDLE PACK OF 10 x OEM Factory Box Seals for Apple IPhone.

These seals provide a solid assurance of your IPhone's authenticity and pristine condition. Designed to be tamper proof, they protect the factory box from unauthorised access. Making them perfect for manufacturers, retailers or anyone selling IPhones. Our exclusive seals are like factory - showing a barcode under UV light on the 15 & 16 series models.

PAIR THEM UP WITH OUR OEM SCREEN PROTECTORS FOR THE ULTIMATE BRAND NEW SEALED PACKAGE!”

- I myself actually emphasised the word “like”.

My question is :

is it legal to sell Apple IPhone 16 & 15 & 14 Series New Factory Box Seal Stickers UV Code ?

The answer, after some Google research:

‘It is illegal to sell counterfeit Apple iPhone box seal stickers, UV codes, or any other fake Apple packaging materials. Selling these items is a form of trademark infringement and counterfeiting, which carries severe civil and criminal penalties, including fines and imprisonment. ‘

So why does eBay allow such practice?!? 

I am shocked and perplexed after discovery that it is a common practice here, I guess I got a reality check, and feel like a was slapped across my naive and gullible face to wake up!

of course I will not be buying an iPhone here, but the problem remains- it goes beyond selling counterfeit products, eBay helps here to make this problem a common issue, enables the illegal procedure of making a fake product!

Has anyone else come across this issue, or was scammed/bought fake mobile phone or other popular product?

What should be done about it?

I will actually upload the screen shots of the sellers listing of the product in question ….

Have I just woken up and everyone knows about it but shrugs it off, or is it something needing some action, guys?

It is not my intention to harm anyone’s business so I will not actually upload the screenshots I took, but I will keep them in case eBay requests them.

Guys please enlighten me and forgive if I’m barking at the wrong tree, but it seems to me that it’s not quite right- who would want to buy a “brand new sealed, never open’’ iPhone, only to discover later, that it wasn’t the case at all…

Thank you for reading it all,

Justine

[rainbowtrax · Accepted solution]

It's not right but it's just one in a very long list of things that aren't allowed but get listed anyway. Ebay don't really actively police their site. They have some automatic triggers that will block a listing or cause the listing to be reviewed but it's not very good. Other than that, they rely on other users reporting listings that should be removed - but then the reports are mostly reviewed by AI and always find that there's nothing wrong. So you could report the listing but don't hold your breath on it being removed. Ebay do always act on VeRO reports - so if Apple themselves reported it through the VeRO program then it would be instantly removed.

[jacpainter2012]

Thank you for your educational reply - I mean it!

I have been buying here for eons but I still feel like a rookie and this issue is such an eye opener for me…

I appreciate your time and effort.

The issue I mentioned is actually not about a single listing, but about nearly a dozen of sellers here in UK, so it seems a common practice!

Many thanks again,  I found your input very helpful!

My kindest regards,

J.