Counterfeit & Stolen Goods Policy

Counterfeit and stolen goods are the two things that can destroy trust in a wholesale marketplace overnight, so they carry the harshest consequences we have. Listing either is grounds for immediate removal of the listing and termination of the account. There is no warning ladder and no second strike for a deliberate fake. Trafficking in counterfeit goods is also a federal crime, and we will not stand between a seller and the consequences of that.

An item is counterfeit when it bears a trademark, logo, or other brand identifier that the brand did not put there or authorize. A genuine item counts too once it has been altered to appear to be something it is not: swapped tags, upgraded labels, fabricated “samples.” Marketing language does not change what an item is: “replica,” “inspired by,” “AAA,” “mirror quality,” and “unbranded designer” are all descriptions of counterfeits, and all prohibited.

In second-hand wholesale, fakes arrive hidden inside otherwise-legitimate bales and manifests. That is exactly why authenticity is your responsibility item by item, not bale by bale: when you list a branded lot, you are stating that every branded piece in it is genuine. Buy from sources you can name, keep your receipts, invoices, and manifests, and pull anything you cannot vouch for. If we investigate a counterfeit claim we will ask where the goods came from, and “I don't know” is not a good answer.

Goods obtained by theft or fraud (shoplifted retail merchandise, stolen cargo or freight, lots bought from a fence, fraudulently obtained returns) cannot be sold here, even unknowingly. You must have good title to your inventory. If goods you bought turn out to be stolen, you do not own them and neither does your buyer. Report it to us and to the authorities where your source operates rather than passing the problem downstream.

We cooperate with law enforcement and brand-protection investigators on counterfeit and stolen-goods matters. We preserve listing content, transaction records, and account information, and we respond to lawful requests for them. Where we identify what we believe to be trafficking in counterfeit or stolen goods, we may report it proactively.

If a lot you bought contains items you believe are counterfeit, contact the seller, then open a dispute within the Buyer Protection window (5 days from delivery) and say specifically that you believe the items are counterfeit, because those claims are handled differently from ordinary not-as-described claims. Do not resell suspect items while a claim is open, and be prepared to provide photos of tags, stitching, and hardware. If your claim is upheld you are refunded under Buyer Protection. We may require that confirmed counterfeit items be destroyed or surrendered rather than returned to the seller, because shipping counterfeits back into circulation helps no one.

A confirmed counterfeit or stolen-goods sale results in permanent closure of the account, forfeiture of related pending payouts to fund buyer refunds, reversal of any Crane Credit earned on the transactions, and preservation of records for rights owners and law enforcement. An account closed under this policy is closed for the person and the business behind it, not just the username. Opening a new account to continue selling is a violation on day one.

We know the difference between a counterfeiting operation and an honest seller who missed one fake in a 200-piece bale. Sellers who find suspect goods in their own inventory and tell us first, pull the listing, and make affected buyers whole will be treated accordingly. This policy exists to remove bad actors, not to punish disclosure.