Your listing has been removed: Trademark Violation - Unauthorized Listing Content

Welcome to the wonderful world of VERO on eBay. Have you ever received one of these emails?

VeRO stands for Verified Rights Ownership. Or in plain English:

Stuff you can't sell on eBay, or words you can't use in titles.

It means the company has taken special steps to protect their product from 3rd party sales, or to restrict the use of their trademarked name. Some companies just don't want their items sold on eBay. They feel it devalues the item. Amazon is the same - many companies like Dunkin Donuts and Gillette don't want their items sold on Amazon by 3rd party sellers (us). You just have to accept that and move on.

A few common examples:

Velcro. This word is trademarked and you can't use it in your titles. You can say "hook and eye fastener." And it is ok to use the word Velcro in your description, just not in the title.

Another common one is Onesie. This is a word trademarked by Gerber for the little one piece underwear / outfit for babies. I wrote about the restriction on the word Onesie back in 2013 - see, you gotta read this blog to stay in the know!

If you are selling automotive items or aftermarket parts or accessories, be careful. There are a lot of VeRO violations for automotive items - most sellers just don't know about the rules. Take some time to educate yourself on what is allowed.

Don't stress, it happens. Just follow what eBay says. I had a Simpsons ball cap removed a few months ago for VeRO. I didn't know. No big deal, I just donated it back to Goodwill and moved on.

You can read the full list of VeRO companies here.

Can anybody actually know this whole list? Of course not. Some just have rules for exactly what you can and can't sell under the branded name. Like Frito-Lay. They say you can't sell unauthorized coupons. But you can sell all the Fritos corn chips you want.

Or John Deere. You can sell all the John Deere stuff you want, it just has to be authentic. Do if you list a fake or knockoff John Deere item with their logo used illegally, and they see it, your listing will be removed. Who knows if there are fake John Deere logoed items out there, but anything is possible. (There are fake Uggs, fake Otterbox cases, fake North Face jackets - nothing surprises me anymore.)

These companies just want to preserve the integrity of their brand. It isn't about punishing eBay sellers. It is about keeping their brand pure and not having their image diluted because a bunch of people are making fake items and selling them on eBay.

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eBay Seller Success Story: Consignment Seller Sells $5,500 in One Week!

Congrats to fellow seller Karen Zumbrun in Louisville, Colorado for her incredible success selling on consignment! Karen shared with us that she had just shy of $5,500 in sales in one week with her eBay consignment business. 

So, your next question is, what does she sell for other people? Karen said, 

"Mostly watches right now but generally sell whatever shows up that is worth my time. I'm going to be listing some high-end dinnerware and sterling silver in the next week or so. I have more clients than I can reasonably handle and am having to turn people away!"

Robert Goins, in Tacoma, Washington, has the same problem. eBay consignment is a huge business and is another way to use your eBay skills to make money without having to buy inventory and wait for it it sell. (Check out my interview with Robert on YouTube here.)

Karen also commented, 

"Oh and I sold over $7,000 in the last month. It was a 3 week month - I spent 10 days lying on the beach in Jamaica."

Just about everything Karen sells is on consignment. Her store has all kinds of items including:

• Watches
• Art
• High end handbags
• Crystal
• Designer clothing, shoes, and boots
• Jewelry
• Collectibles
• Books

You can view Karen's store, Art and Other Things, to get an idea of her price points and the kinds of items she sells on consignment. 

Are you ready to get into the consignment game? If you aren't sure, check out my videos explaining the pros, cons, and how-tos of selling on consignment. 

How to Find Clients for eBay Consignment

Types of Items to Sell for eBay Consignment Clients

eBay Consignment Sellers Needed Nationwide

Another way to connect with people who have things to sell, but don't have the desire, skill, or time to list items themselves, is to join my consignment directory. I promote this list heavily with Facebook ads, Google ads, and through other methods. This is what Karen is referring to above when she says "consignment list."

eBay used to have an eBay Trading Assistant Program but discontinued it several years ago. So I created this list to fill that void so when people are searching for eBay sellers, they find my list. The list gets several thousand hits a month - all people looking for an eBay seller to sell their stuff.

Check out the list of sellers here.  And don't worry if there is already another seller in your area, as Karen and Robert said, they are having trouble handling the demand so more than one seller in the same area is not a problem. There is plenty of opportunity for everyone. The cost to join the list is $50 a year - I do not get a percentage of your sales. You just pay a one time fee of $50 and I do all the promoting so people can find you when searching Google for eBay sellers in their area.

I also provide a basic consignment selling contract and a tip sheet, as well as unlimited email support about your consignment business. So if you are new to consignment, I am here to help you.

Congrats again, Karen, for the incredible business you have built! You are proof that "if you build it, they will come!"