Protecting your trademark on eBay isn’t easy.
Counterfeiters and unauthorized sellers know how to game the system — tweaking product descriptions, changing account names, or relisting fast after takedowns. It’s frustrating, costly, and damaging to your brand’s reputation.
Even when you report them, enforcement can feel slow. Meanwhile, those infringing listings stay live, stealing sales that should be yours.
That’s why it’s crucial to understand eBay’s Verified Rights Owner (VeRO) Program — and know exactly how to use it.
In this guide, you’ll learn:
- Report trademark infringement on eBay (and get it right the first time)
- Speed up the takedown process
- Protect your brand from repeat offenders
- Monitor your listings without wasting hours manually searching
We’ll break down the step-by-step process and share proactive strategies to help you stay ahead of bad actors — so you’re not just reacting, but reclaiming control of your brand’s revenue.
Let’s dive in.
How to report trademark infringement on eBay
To report eBay trademark infringement, you should use the process outlined on the eBay VeRO Program page. This page was created to help intellectual property (IP) owners understand eBay’s infringement policies and easily make reports on infringing listings and sellers when they arise.
If you’re already enrolled in VeRO
Using eBay’s VeRO Program to report a trademark infringement
Once you are sure a trademark infringement has occurred, you’ll need to complete and submit eBay’s Notice of Claimed Infringement (NOCI) form to file your complaint.
Follow these steps to ensure your eBay trademark infringement takedown request is filed correctly and effectively:
Step 1: Gather evidence
Step 2: Complete the trademark infringement report
Step 3: Submit the report
Step 4: Follow up with eBay
Step 5: Monitor for additional infringements
Step 1: Gather evidence
To submit an effective eBay trademark takedown request, you need clear evidence of the infringement (seller’s account and listings) and proof of your trademark ownership.
Gather the following information to provide in your report:
- Item numbers, URLs, and screenshots of the infringing item or listing
- URLs of the seller account using unauthorized IP
- Brief description of how the listing/seller violates your trademark
- Your trademark registration certificate for the trademarked IP that has been infringed
- Any other information to prove you are the trademark holder (i.e. URL to your brand website, trademark registration documents, etc.)
Step 2: Complete the trademark infringement report
Visit the VeRO Program page and select “I want to report a rights violation.”
This will give you a breakdown of what eBay considers a reportable violation, and includes a link to the NOCI form.
Download and complete the form with the following information:
- Contact information: name and title, company name, mailing and email address, phone number, and website.
- Signature: declaring you are submitting the report in good faith and providing accurate information, under the penalty of perjury.
- Info about the infringing material: including the product numbers and URLs you collected.
- Description of the infringement: briefly detail why you believe the content you are reporting is in violation of your brand’s trademark rights.
- Ownership documentation: trademark registration information proving your ownership of the infringed IP.
You will also have to list a “Reason Code” specifying the reason for your report from a list of provided examples.
To report a trademark infringement, you’ll use one of the first two codes listed, depending on whether you are reporting a counterfeit item or infringing listing. Use the final code (6.1 Other) if your complaint does not fit the first two options.
Step 3: Submit the report
Once you have completed the NOCI form, review it for accuracy. Then submit it to eBay by email at vero@ebay.com or by fax at (801) 757-9521.
Keep a copy of your form and a record of when you sent your report, should you need the information in the future.
Step 4: Follow up with eBay
Keep an eye out for follow-up communication from eBay once your takedown request has been submitted. If asked to provide additional information to verify your claim, reply promptly to ensure timely approval.
If the reported listing is not removed in a timely manner after you have submitted your report, follow up with eBay support. You may have to submit an additional report with further evidence, updated trademark registrations, etc.
Step 5: Monitor for additional infringements
Keep up your monitoring efforts even after a successful takedown. Multiple infringing listings can appear at once, and repeat offenders often relist removed items.
Run searches for infringing listings on eBay regularly for the best chances of early detection and prompt takedowns. You can also create a VeRO participant profile to help prevent future infringements by providing information on your brand’s IP policies.
If you are NOT enrolled in the VeRO program
Step 1: Create a VeRO brand profile
While you don’t need an existing VeRO brand profile to report trademark infringements on eBay, setting one up can be helpful in preventing future infringements. It can also provide a faster way to report infringements, with a VeRO reporting button under each listing when logged in.
Participant profiles are linked on the VeRO Program page and allow you to outline your brand’s IP rights and policies with the eBay community. While this won’t stop malicious scammers, having a profile can provide guidance for genuine sellers and may help consumers avoid purchasing from infringing listings.
Information you can include in your profile:
- A list of your IP, including brands, trademarks, and copyrights
- Potential consequences of infringing on your brand’s IP
- Conditions which allow the sale of products bearing your brand’s IP
- How to contact your brand with questions or concerns
- FAQs
To create a free VeRO participant profile page, contact vero@ebay.com to start the process.
Step 2: After joining VeRO, follow the reporting guide above
How long does it take for eBay to remove an infringing listing?
Once you have submitted your trademark takedown request, the eBay trademark enforcement process usually takes a few days to approve reports and remove listings.
Approval and action may be delayed in some cases, whether by high volumes of requests or unclear evidence provided in your report. This is why it is essential to provide the most accurate links, descriptions, and information as possible in your NOCI form.
What happens after I submit a VeRO complaint?
If your takedown request is approved, the infringing listing (or the seller themselves) will be removed from eBay. The seller may receive a warning, restriction, or account suspension for the infringement.
The seller will also receive the contact information you provided in the report, and can submit a dispute to reinstate the listing. While the listing shouldn’t be reinstated so long as an infringement occurred, there is a chance that the seller could get their dispute approved.
Monitor the seller and communication from eBay regularly to ensure the listing does not reappear, and take immediate action with another takedown request if it does.
What if eBay rejects my trademark infringement report?
There are various reasons eBay may reject your trademark infringement report, which they should provide you with upon rejection. Reasons for takedown rejection can include:
- Insufficient proof that the listing/seller you reported was in violation of your trademark rights
- Incorrect information provided (i.e. URLs, trademark registration info, etc.)
- Incorrect category chosen for the type of infringement you are reporting
If possible, appeal the decision directly through eBay support and provide any additional information or clarification they require.
You can also submit a refined NOCI form with more detailed evidence and a clearer description of the infringement. Re-review the information provided, as well as the category of your infringement to ensure accuracy.
Another step to take would be to consider sending a formal cease and desist letter or DMCA takedown directly to the infringer. Even if they do not respond, this creates a paper trail to show that the seller was informed of the infringement if further escalation is needed. If all else fails, it may be time to invest in legal assistance to remove the infringing listing.
Can I report a seller if they keep listing counterfeit products?
Yes, there are steps you can take to report a seller if they continually infringe on your trademark rights with counterfeit products.
If a seller repeatedly violates your trademark rights on eBay, you can:
- Submit multiple reports to track their activity. Report any listing in violation of your trademark rights to ensure it is officially recorded with eBay.
- Ask eBay for stronger enforcement, including account suspension, with proof that the seller has repeatedly violated your IP rights.
- Pursue legal action if the seller’s account remains active and consistently infringes on your trademark rights.
Too many infringers? Here’s a smarter way to protect your brand on eBay
Combatting eBay trademark infringements can feel like a never-ending challenge. Manual reporting may work for the occasional infringement, but quickly becomes inefficient and unsustainable for brands facing constant violations and repeat offenders. Luckily, there are automated solutions that can help.
Red Points offers brands a better way to track, monitor, and take down violations with AI-powered brand protection services that automate the entire process.
The advanced trademark infringement software provides superior protection of brand IP with:
24/7 monitoring
Never miss an infringement with Red Points’ trademark software, which constantly scans eBay and various ecommerce sites and marketplaces for unauthorized listings.
High-risk prioritization
It can be difficult to know where to start if you are dealing with multiple infringements on eBay. By identifying the most prevalent, highest-risk infringements threatening your brand, Red Points ensures dangerous listings are removed with efficiency, before they damage your brand.
Enforcement team
When dealing with complex issues and challenges in the takedown process, Red Points’ brand protection specialists can step in and help. From eBay trademark dispute resolution, to tackling repeat offenders and other issues that may arise, you’ll have an expert team on your side to aid in the process.
Listing monitoring
Manual reporting of violations can lead to a mess of documents and emails that become difficult to track and can easily get lost or fall by the wayside. With Red Points, every takedown report is tracked and closely monitored to ensure every violation is removed on eBay and beyond.
Scalable solutions
Red Points makes trademark protection easy. It handles the monitoring, bulk reporting, and enforcement tracking for you, all in one platform. With wide coverage across eBay and +5000 marketplaces, you can protect your IP, recover lost revenue, and stay ahead of counterfeiters without spending hours chasing down listings yourself.
What’s next
Protecting your brand from trademark infringement on eBay is non-negotiable if you want to safeguard your revenue and reputation.
Manual monitoring isn’t enough to keep up. It drains time and resources and still leaves your brand exposed. That’s why more businesses are turning to automated, AI-powered protection.
Red Points’ Trademark Monitoring Software makes it easy to detect, report, and remove infringing listings, all while protecting your brand around the clock. With continuous monitoring, expert support, and scalable enforcement, you stay in control without adding to your team’s workload.
Request a demo today and take the first step toward stronger brand protection on eBay and beyond.
