All online auction sites have rules and policies and before you begin selling you should read through these to make sure you do not fall foul of them. Some of these rules concern items which can not be offered for sale or which have restrictions attached to them.

Ebay prohibits the following items but please note; this is not a comprehensive list. For the full list you must check the Ebay site.

· Alcohol
· Animals and Wildlife products
· Art
· Contracts
· Used Cosmetics
· Drugs
· Event Tickets
· Food
· Human Parts and Remains
· Lock-picking Devices
· Pesticides
· Real Estate
· Stamps
· Stocks and other Securities
· Tobacco
· Weeds and Seeds.

Common sense tells us why some of these are prohibited but for further information check out the relevant section on the Ebay policies page.

Ebay also restricts some items. Once again this is not a comprehensive list and you will need to check the Ebay website for the full list.

· Used clothing – no underwear is allowed to be offered for sale and clothing must be clean and in good repair.
· Coin – no counterfeit coin or notes are allowed. Coin should be certified and there are additional rules for coin or notes that are uncertified.
· Describing Drugs – legal substances like herbs and plants are restricted from being described as having any properties similar to illegal substances or offering unsubstantiated health benefits.
· Gift Cards – must not be over $500 in value and must be in hand at the time of listing.
· Offensive Material – things like scenes from morgues, some crime scenes and other sensitive material may be removed from Ebay listings.
· Travel – Ebay restricts who can sell travel related items.

Listings must also be appropriate. Make sure you list your items in the correct category and give the correct item location. Do not include brand names in the title or description as this may be seen as keyword spamming. Make sure your descriptions accurately describe the item and include any defects or problems.

If you list an inappropriate item Ebay will contact you by email, notifying you that the item has been withdrawn. As well as having your listing cancelled your account privileges could be limited or your account could even be suspended. You could lose your Power Seller status and you will still have to pay fees on the cancelled listing.

The penalties for inappropriate listings can be harsh especially if it was an innocent mistake. These rules are there to protect both the buyer and seller so it is in our own interest to adhere to them.

Always check the policies and rules sections before you list and if in doubt email the support centre.