Ebay claiming my item is counterfeit and took listing down

[vendorberg2023]

I listed Canada Goose gilet and after 2 days it was taken down as counterfeit, called them and they did not give explanation they said that they experts conformed that is cheap counterfeit. As I don’t have receipt due it was present I contacted London Regents Street store and they confirmed that it is 100% authentic. Can anyone explain how you can sell items if some thinks that is counterfeit, I am waiting certificate to arrive next week and I will make official complaint about the Ebay, wasting my time and humiliating me selling fakes, has anyone came across anything like this and how that was resolved?

[arkwebus]

It is not that it "is" counterfeit [how could anybody tell from a listing] but more than likely this premium brand has registered with VeRO that they do not want their items sold on this auction site. 

Do not be tempted to relist as you might get sanctioned.  

@vendorberg2023 

[4_bathrooms]

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@vendorberg2023 wrote:

I listed Canada Goose gilet and after 2 days it was taken down as counterfeit, called them and they did not give explanation they said that they experts conformed that is cheap counterfeit. 

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Did you list it as being in "new" condition?

The luxury brands really don't like private sellers advertising "new" condition items. There are several reasons for this - it could be seen as cheapening their brand, it could be counterfeit and a private seller doesn't really have a "brand new" item even if they've never worn it. The seller will typically have a retail or gift receipt from the retailer it was purchased from but their buyer will not; hence it is not brand new any more.  

[arkwebus]

I may be cynical but I doubt that eBay has "experts" on hand to verify!  @4_bathrooms goes along with my idea that CG does not want their brand "cheapened"

@vendorberg2023 

[*vyolla*]

I think that all of the brand new clothing items may have got your gilet flagged up by the brand owner. You've a lot of new items, and the multiples of some (like the Men's T-Shirt Alse Studio RRP£ 19.90 XL which you have 14 brand new of) indicate that you're a business seller operating on a private account. 

Or 59 One-button Press Type Ice Mold Box Plastics Ice Cube Maker Ice Tray Mold.

You're also using stock photos, and if you used one belonging to CG without their permission they could request its removal. 

A private seller is one who is just selling off their own personal items such as clothes from their wardrobe, bits from their loft/garage etc. They will never have 14 identical brand new shirts all in the same size. 

A Business seller is someone who buys or makes items to sell on.  They need to be registered as a business to meet the requirements of UK law. They need to declare income to HMRC once they reach £1,000 worth of sales (eBay will be providing HMRC with your details anyway so it's vital to keep correct accounts for your tax return). You can obviously offset more expenses as a business seller, but can't offset any at all as a private one.  

To correctly register as a business seller simply go to your Personal Information in your account and to the right of Account Type, which will be showing as 'Individual'  you'll see an Edit option.

https://accountsettings.ebay.co.uk/profile

This doesn't affect your feedback profile or any current listings, it merely upgrades your account so that you're legally compliant. 

If you're also selling your own items, just open another eBay account (you can have more than one).

eBay will pass on data to HMRC automatically if you're selling 30 or more items a year OR have total earnings over the equivalent of £1,740. eBay will automatically share this information with HMRC by 31 January 2025 – the first lot of data-sharing will cover the 2023/24 tax year.

This eBay guidance page explains what's being reported and when:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/help/account/regulatory/uk-digital-sales-reporting?id=5454&st=3&pos=1&query=U...

[retroragman]

Yes it was new without tags indeed but again,Icant sell as used and lower my price for this

[retroragman]

ues that is the reason actually I get it ,selling on the side is a business:))) the topic was something else about ,cycling Mike

[*vyolla*]

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@retroragman wrote:

ues that is the reason actually I get it ,selling on the side is a business:))) the topic was something else about ,cycling Mike

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Apologies, I don't quite understand what you're saying here.

Hopefully I've explained why your item may have been removed. 

There's no such thing as selling on the side as a business. If you're selling items that require you to register as a business then it's not an option, I've explained how eBay will be passing information on to HMRC too. 

Simply open another account for your own personal items, it's easy to register and you can have more than one selling account.

[dch2112011]

Expanding on your excellent advice ref VERO 

If a listing is removed under the VERO program ebay must send you an email explaining why it was removed and giving the rights owner contact details who must within 5 days respond and provide you with specific information as to why the listing violated their rights - quite often as you rightly stated it is a photo or text from a brochure or packaging or advert.

The link below not only details this info but also has an A to Z list of vero members who have a dedicated ebay page  (click on rightholder name ) where you can report a listing direct to the rights holder  along with other info.

Link to Vero owners with an ebay report page  

If your listing was removed based on a VeRO report, eBay sent you an email with details about why your listing was reported and how to contact the rights owner directly for more information. If you have concerns or questions about why your listing was removed, please contact the rights owner directly.

Contact us in the following circumstances

You can’t find the rights owner’s email address in your removal notification email.
You emailed the rights owner, but they haven’t replied after 5 business days.
Sellers are responsible for ensuring that any item they list on eBay is authentic and that the listing description doesn’t infringe on the rights of others.

Examples of infringements

Items that bear the rights owner’s trademark—such as a logo—but were not authorized by the rights owner.
Unauthorized copies of audio, video, or other media.
Unauthorized use of a rights owner’s images or text in a listing.

[the_artist_123]

Yes, you are correct on that. Dyson is one such company. I still have original sales receipt and still is counterfeit in Dysons eyes!!!

The barcode, everything tallies. Pathetic.

[dwbeautystore]

eBay are doing this loads at the moment, it's infuriating!!

I have one brand that I've sold loads of. I only ever sell genuine products and have sold thousands and thousands of items in the last 17 years. Never had a claim of item being fake and only ever buy from reputable companies, all with receipts.

The last 2 weeks they have thrown off 4 of my listings, falsely claiming they were counterfeit items. One of them I have been selling for 2 years with no problem.

Yet when I look on ebays website, there are so many 'private' sellers listing the same items and many, many sellers who are actually selling copies of 2 of these products. Their title lists the genuine product but their photos and description show a cheap copy.

I have reported these on numerous occasions as they are deceiving customers, but these listings are allowed to stay!!?

[plpmr]

Indeed business sellers trading as private sellers have a very unfair advantage and the member you are responding to is one of them.

[dwbeautystore]

Well I'm selling off all my stock now and after 17 years selling on here I will be giving it up.

[dwbeautystore]

Well after my last rant, I actually had an invite from ebay to work with them on improving the situation we've been talking about!

The guy I spoke to was very helpful and not speaking from a script for a change.

He reinstated my listings that had been removed and promised to keep an eye on my account.

I've also reported a couple of Chinese accounts that are very blatantly selling fakes/copies of high-end cosmetic and skincare brands for very low prices - they're not even picturing the genuine product - and ebay seem to be finally listening and removing those listings.