# How do you report an illegal eBay auction? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 24, 2005, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-report-an-illegal-ebay-auction/291773 "2005-02-24T22:28:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![blowero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/41988e/32.png) [@blowero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blowero)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2005, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-report-an-illegal-ebay-auction/291773/1 "2005-02-24T22:28:51Z")
I’m tired of seeing people selling copyrighted material on eBay. How does one report inappropriate auctions to the eBay authorities? Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2005, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-report-an-illegal-ebay-auction/291773/2 "2005-02-24T22:49:44Z")
Follow this link: [http://pages.ebay.com//help/contact\_inline/index.html](http://pages.ebay.com//help/contact_inline/index.html) Select the type of listing violation, then click the option to email them about it, paste in the listing ID, click send and sit back to watch absolutely nothing happen. eBay is not very efficient at dealing with them. ---
**Author:** ![Cornelius\_Tuggerson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/13edae/32.png) [@Cornelius\_Tuggerson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cornelius_Tuggerson)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2005, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-report-an-illegal-ebay-auction/291773/3 "2005-02-24T22:54:47Z")
Hey how about some links to the said material? And exactly how does it make you tired (looking for illigal auctions might wear one out, but them simply being there is not something that takes energy out of people)? 😛 I don’t know how you’d report anything, but unless the RIAA is paying you, you are probably putting too much effort into this. ---
**Author:** ![aeropl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f05b48/32.png) [@aeropl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aeropl)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2005, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-report-an-illegal-ebay-auction/291773/4 "2005-02-24T22:56:30Z")
Can you be more specific? It’s perfectly legal to sell copyrighted items like books, for example. ---
**Author:** ![Futile\_Gesture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f05b48/32.png) [@Futile\_Gesture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Futile_Gesture)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2005, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-report-an-illegal-ebay-auction/291773/5 "2005-02-24T22:59:10Z")
The ease with which it is possible to find the “report an auction” contact is an accurate reflection of the priority ebay places on stopping illegal auctions. None at all. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2005, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-report-an-illegal-ebay-auction/291773/6 "2005-02-24T23:00:15Z")
> [@faldureon](#): > > Hey how about some links to the said material? And exactly how does it make you tired (looking for illigal auctions might wear one out, but them simply being there is not something that takes energy out of people)? What about if you’re looking to buy something genuine (say a DVD) and you have to expend a good deal of effort wading through numerous listings, trying to discern which of them might be offering the genuine article? I find that tiresome to deal with. ---
**Author:** ![Jayrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Jayrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jayrot)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2005, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-report-an-illegal-ebay-auction/291773/7 "2005-02-24T23:01:13Z")
It is actually perfectly legal to sell copyrighted music as well. My local Borders is making a business out of it! ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2005, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-report-an-illegal-ebay-auction/291773/8 "2005-02-24T23:02:28Z")
> [@aeropl](#): > > Can you be more specific? It’s perfectly legal to sell copyrighted items like books, for example. I assume **blowero** is talking about _illegal copies_ of copyrighted material. ---
**Author:** ![blowero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/41988e/32.png) [@blowero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blowero)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2005, 7:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-report-an-illegal-ebay-auction/291773/9 "2005-02-25T07:46:04Z")
Thanks for the answer, Mangetout. If someone wants to start a GD thread on the subject, I’d be glad to join in and elaborate. But since this is GQ, and the question has been answered, that ought to wrap things up here.