In recent news, contrary to what seems to be eBay’s policies as in writing, eBay has spoken out in refusal to remove counterfeit auctions and denied responsibility to monitor authenticity of sellers’ items.

New York Times News Service — SAN FRANCISCO - EBay refused to remove hundreds of listings for [knockoff butterfly brooches]. It said it had no responsibility for fakes, because it was nothing more than a marketplace that links buyers and sellers.

EBay, based in San Jose, Calif., argues that it has no obligation to investigate counterfeiting claims, unless the claim comes from a ‘rights owner,’ a party holding trademark or copyright. A mere buyer who believes an item is a fake has almost no recourse.

Experienced eBay users say that the fraud goes well beyond eBay’s official numbers, and that counterfeiters easily pass off fakes in hundreds of categories.

This means jeans, jewelry, handbags, almost anything, can be fake. Buyer beware; only buy from a seller who offers to give refund if an item is counterfeit, and get everything authenticated by an official retailer (not department stores).

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