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Encouraging Illegal Activity

Policy overview

For a safer buying and selling experience on eBay, we don't allow selling or linking to items that encourage, promote, facilitate, or instruct others to engage in illegal activity.

We also don't allow buyers to ask sellers to break any laws. For example, buyers can't ask sellers to falsify customs declarations or have an item marked as "gift" in order to avoid customs fees.

If you're a seller, make sure your listing follows these guidelines. If it doesn't, it may be removed, and you may be subject to a range of other actions, including limits of your buying and selling privileges and suspension of your account.

What are the guidelines?

Not allowed

Here are some examples of information, items, and activities that aren't allowed on eBay:

  • Examples of information

    • Instructions on how to use or inject steroids (eBook, website, etc)

    • Lockpicking DVDs or DVDs that provide information on how to pick locks

    • A link to a website that provides information on how to hijack an aeroplane

    • An eBook describing how to create methamphetamine

    • Other sources of information similar to those listed here

  • Examples of items

    • Products designed to fake the results of a urine or drug test

    • Reflective spray paint or license plate covers or diffusers

    • Software or services which can unlock blocked/barred mobile telephone SIM cards or enable access to restricted areas, confidential information or other encoded data.

    • Kill switch activated electronic devices, including smartphones and tablets.

    • Services to bypass or override kill switches

    • Other items similar to those listed here

  • Examples of activities

    • Falsifying customs declarations or having an item marked as "gift" in order to avoid customs fees

    • Winning an item and requesting that the seller falsify the customs or taxation documents related to the item

Note: We may also remove listings as requested by law enforcement agencies.

Reporting a breach of the policy

If you find a listing that encourages illegal activity, you can report it.

If you sold an item and your buyer asks you to commit customs fraud, you can report it. When we receive a report that a buyer asked a seller to falsify customs documents, we only review the report if the seller's listing description clearly specifies who is responsible for paying the customs fees, duties, import taxes, and any related charges.

Why does eBay have this policy?

Since encouraging illegal activity may be prohibited by law, we urge you to follow all laws and regulations. You're not allowed to use eBay to encourage other members to engage in illegal activity.

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