Stolen property and items with missing or altered serial numbers includes:

• Items taken from private individuals.

• Property taken without authorization from companies or governments.

• A television set with a completely removed serial number.

• A DVD player with some of the digits in its serial number altered.

U.S. federal law on selling stolen property or government property without authorization:

• Interstate transportation of stolen property

• Theft of government property

Theft of Property: If members see an item on eBay that they believe is stolen, the best course is to contact law enforcement immediately. Under eBay's privacy rules, eBay’s attorneys will provide important records about pending and past listings with an official request from law enforcement officials. eBay will ask that members inform the police officer handling the case that eBay will be pleased to cooperate in the investigation, and ask the officer to contact eBay using eBay’s law enforcement-specific webform. The officer should include all relevant information, including the case number and any item numbers or User IDs.

Items with Missing or Altered Serial Numbers: Members should also direct any reports about items on eBay that they believe have missing or altered serial numbers to law enforcement so that an officer can investigate such listings using the process set out above.

It is important that this webform be reserved for law enforcement use only, as it enables us to respond quickly in case of emergencies. Emails directed through this webform that are not from law enforcement will be routed to the appropriate mailbox or individual accordingly and may cause delays in response time.

Theft of descriptions or pictures:  If members are concerned that the images, text, or HTML in their item description have been used by another eBay user without authorization, please see eBay's Item Description and Picture Theft Policy.

Theft of Intellectual Property Rights:  If members believe that their intellectual property rights have been violated by an eBay listing, get more information about eBay's Verified Rights Owner program.

eBay urges its sellers and buyers to comply with all governmental laws and regulations. Since the sale of stolen property is prohibited by law, or may cause harm to eBay or its members, sellers are not permitted to list them on eBay. State and federal law prohibit the knowing sale of stolen property, and a majority of states in the U.S. prohibit the sale of consumer goods with missing or altered serial numbers, therefore sellers are not permitted to list such items on eBay.