eBay VeRO violation: what happens and what to do next

Before you start

In shortThese steps fit any listing removed through eBay.com’s VeRO program.

What happens after an eBay VeRO violation

In shortOne report removes the listing, and more reports can bring selling restrictions, then suspension.

7 steps after a VeRO removal

1. Step 1 of 7: Read the removal message in My eBay Messages

   In shortFind eBay’s message in My eBay Messages and note who reported the listing and why.

   After an eBay VeRO violation, eBay sends the reason to your registered email address and to Messages in My eBay. No email? Check your spam folder. eBay does not warn you before it removes the listing. It says the law requires it to act as quickly as possible.

   Part of the message	What it means for you
   Why your listing was removed	Tells you which right the report is about: a trademark, a copyright, a design or a fake item.
   What part may have infringed	Points at the cause: the item itself, or only the title, photos, logos or text.
   How to revise it, if possible	Says whether a fixed listing may go up again.
   The rights owner’s name and contact	The only party that can withdraw the report. You write to them in step 4.

   Check that the message is real. A real removal message also sits in My eBay Messages. eBay’s help on fake notices says: no copy in Messages means the email was not from eBay. Never use a link from an email you cannot find there.

   Write down the item number, the rights owner and the reason. The contact may be a law firm or agency. VeRO lets rights owners report through authorized representatives. Seller Help also lists policy issues on your account and how to resolve them.

   Result: The item number, the rights owner’s name and contact, and the reason, written down.

   Mark this step as doneNext: Find out whether the item or the listing caused it

2. Step 2 of 7: Find out whether the item or the listing caused it

   In shortMatch the reason to one row of the table: the item itself, or only its words, photos or logos.

   eBay’s intellectual property policy covers two kinds of problem. The item itself can break a right, like a fake handbag. Or only the listing does, like copied photos on a genuine handbag.

   What was reported	Sell it again? What to do
   A fake, replica or copy of a branded item	No. eBay says an item reported as counterfeit can’t be relisted. Stop selling it.
   A brand name on an item that brand did not make	Yes, once fixed. Put “for”, “fits” or “compatible with” before the brand, or leave it out.
   Several brands in one title	Yes, once fixed. Keep one brand in the title. List the others in the description.
   A plain-looking word that is a trademark, like a style name	Yes, once fixed. Remove the word. The message names whose mark it is.
   Photos or text copied from a website or catalog	Yes, once fixed. Use your own photos and words, or eBay’s catalog.
   Another brand’s logo in photos or text	Yes, once fixed. Remove the logo everywhere in the listing.
   A famous person’s name or photo, without consent	Yes, if only the listing uses it. Remove it. An item printed with it can’t be fixed.
   A genuine item made for one country, offered abroad	Yes, once fixed. Exclude the countries where it may not be sold in your shipping policy.
   A maker’s warranty that does not cover resale	Yes, once fixed. Say who gives the warranty, or that there is none.
   An item that copies a protected design or patent	No. Stop selling it. eBay says patent questions are complex, so ask an expert.

   If the item was reported as counterfeit, never list it again. eBay’s Seller Center says another attempt can bring selling restrictions or suspension.

   A genuine item is no shield. eBay’s help says it removes a listing when the rights owner asks, even if the item is genuine.

   Result: Your case sorted: an item problem, so you stop selling it, or a listing problem, so you fix it.

   Mark this step as doneNext: Hold off relisting and check your other listings

3. Step 3 of 7: Hold off relisting and check your other listings

   In shortHold the relist, and first fix every other listing with the same brand, photos or text.

   eBay’s help says not to relist before you ask eBay exactly why the listing was removed, even if you think it was a mistake. Relisting can lead to suspension, and in some cases legal action. For some removed listings, the Relist option is gone. Questions about the reason go to eBay through Contact us on that help page.

   Ending the listing does not clear the report either. The violation counts from the moment of the report. Ended listings stay visible on eBay, so a rights owner can still report them.

   Then check the rest of your store. Go through Active listings in Seller Hub’s Listings tab. Look for the same brand in titles and in the Brand item specific, the same photos and the same supplier text. Fix or end those listings before the rights owner finds them.

   Result: No relisting yet, and a list of your other listings that share the brand, photos or text.

   Mark this step as doneNext: Ask the rights owner for a retraction

4. Step 4 of 7: Ask the rights owner for a retraction

   In shortWrite to the contact in eBay’s message with your user ID, item numbers and photos, and ask them to retract.

   Only the rights owner can withdraw a report. If they agree it was a mistake, they email eBay to retract it. You cannot do it for them.

   First, look for their VeRO participant profile. Many rights owners explain there what they protect and what sellers may do. It may answer your question.

   Then write to the contact in eBay’s message. Keep it short, polite and factual. This outline covers what Seller Center asks you to include, and what the rights owner needs to decide:

   • Subject“Retraction request: eBay item” and the item number.
   • Who you areYour eBay user ID and the email address on your eBay account.
   • Which listingsEvery removed item number.
   • What you soldThe item, where you bought it, and photos of the item itself. Offer the invoice.
   • What you changedFor example, photos or words you removed, or other listings you ended.
   • What you askIf they agree it was a mistake, that they email eBay to retract the report.

   Do not relist while you wait for an answer. eBay’s pages set no deadline for a reply. No answer? Fix the listing in step 6. If you hold proof of permission, the appeal in the next step does not depend on them.

   Result: A short, polite retraction request sent, with your item numbers and photos.

   Mark this step as doneNext: Appeal to eBay if you have proof

5. Step 5 of 7: Appeal to eBay if you have proof

   In shortAppeal only with proof: written permission from the rights owner, or a US copyright counter notice.

   eBay’s Seller Center names the ways to challenge a removal. Which one fits depends on the proof you hold.

   Your situation	What to do, and who decides
   The rights owner made a mistake	Send a retraction request to the rights owner (step 4). Only they decide. If they agree, they email eBay.
   You have permission to use the brand, photos or text	File an appeal with the rights owner’s permission, or send the documents to vero@ebay.com. eBay decides.
   A US copyright report you believe is wrong	Send a DMCA counter notice to copyright@ebay.com. eBay restores the listing after 10 business days, unless the rights owner tells eBay it went to court.
   You have no proof	Send nothing. The removal stands. Revise the listing through the Resolution Hub instead (step 6).

   eBay judges an appeal on the listing as it was when reported. An appeal needs proof, not a promise to do better. If you revised the listing since, eBay reviews the new version as a separate case.

   Result: An appeal filed with proof, or a clear decision to fix the listing instead.

   Mark this step as doneNext: Fix the listing, or let the item go

6. Step 6 of 7: Fix the listing, or let the item go

   In shortRewrite the listing in your own words and photos, and drop any item reported as a fake.

   A listing problem can usually be fixed. Seller Center says you can revise the listing through the Resolution Hub. Remove whatever caused the report, then relist.

   Title

   Reported: iPhone 16 Case Clear Magnetic Apple MagSafe

   Fixed: Clear Magnetic Phone Case for iPhone 16, Slim Shockproof Cover

   Brand item specific

   Reported: Apple

   Fixed: The case maker’s brand, or Unbranded

   Photos

   Reported: Product photos saved from a supplier’s website

   Fixed: Your own photos of the case you ship

   Description

   Reported: The supplier’s text, with an Apple logo

   Fixed: Your own words, no logos, models it fits listed once

   A drawing, not eBay’s screen. Not a real listing or notice.

   eBay’s rule for brand names depends on what your item fits:

   • Made by the brandUse the brand name. Do not add other brands to compare or to get more views.
   • Made for one brandPut “compatible with”, “fits” or “for” before the brand, like a case for one phone.
   • Fits a few brandsName one brand in the title, with “for” before it. List the others in the description, also with “for”.
   • Fits every brandA USB-C cable, say. Use no brand names at all.

   Take your own photos and write your own words. eBay’s product catalog photos are allowed. A cropped or edited stock photo is still someone else’s photo. On a genuine item, show its own logo clearly. eBay asks for photos from several angles, with no logo hidden or blurred.

   Never add another brand’s logo to your photos or description. The eBay listing optimization checklist goes through every field before you publish.

   Result: A revised listing in your own words and photos, with correct brand wording, or the item dropped.

   Mark this step as doneNext: Check the brand before your next listing

7. Step 7 of 7: Check the brand before your next listing

   In shortBefore you list a branded item, read the brand’s VeRO profile and keep the invoice that proves it is genuine.

   Rights owners can publish a free VeRO participant profile on eBay’s Seller Center. It says what they protect and what they allow. eBay says the list is not complete. A brand without a profile can still report you.

   • Buy from a source you can proveKeep invoices from the maker or an authorized supplier. The wholesale suppliers for eBay guide covers the checks.
   • Use your own photosSupplier and maker photos need written permission. Your own photos never do.
   • Check where it may be soldSome genuine items are made for one country only. Exclude the other countries in your shipping policy.
   • Read the warrantySay who gives it. If the maker’s warranty does not cover resale, say there is none.
   • Write “for” before a brandWhenever your item fits a brand but was not made by it.

   Check the brand before you buy stock. A brand cannot use VeRO to control your price. eBay says it does not accept reports based only on minimum advertised pricing (MAP) or selective distribution. Then check demand with eBay product research.

   Result: A brand check you run before each new item, and an invoice kept for every branded product.

   Mark this step as doneNext: Your recovery checklist

Your VeRO recovery checklist

In shortWork down this list after any eBay VeRO violation, in this order, and tick off each line.

Common questions about eBay VeRO violations

How Productivo helps prevent the next eBay VeRO violation

In shortProductivo’s Blacklist keeps listed brands, keywords and items off eBay, and ends live listings that start to match.

Every step above works with eBay’s own tools. This part is about Productivo, the app behind this guide, and its eBay VeRO list check.

Guide step	What Productivo does
Step 3	Add the reported brand once, under Settings › Blacklist. Productivo ends your live listings that match and keeps the products. Each take-down shows as a job on the Activity page.
Step 6	A keyword rule checks a product’s title, description, bullet points and specs. A product that matches is never published or auto-approved.
Step 7	Every store starts with a shared list of over 1,000 VeRO brands. You add your own brands, keywords and ASINs, one per line. A check every 15 minutes ends any matching listing still on eBay.

The Blacklist, in Productivo

Your own brands, keywords and ASINs sit above the shared VeRO brands. Products that match are flagged in the Products table and never go to eBay.

Open the full screenshot (new tab)

The Blacklist is in every plan. It knows only what is on the list. A rights owner who is not on it can still report you. It does not check your photos or text for copying, and it does not contact rights owners or file appeals.

Productivo can also import products from Amazon. Buying an item from Amazon or another retailer after the sale, for delivery to your buyer, is not allowed under the eBay dropshipping policy.