Prohibited / Restricted Item Policy on EstateSales.NET

EstateSales.NET is a unique site. The items listed are often listed by an estate sale company that has been tasked with selling all the items of an estate. We help estate sale companies save millions of items from going to the landfill every year. We also help with the preservation of history. Some of the best estate sales are those of a collector who loved collecting a certain type of item or from a certain era of time (for example: mid century modern furniture or memorabilia from the 50s).

We are not a curated site though. In other words, we do not pick and choose (or even see beforehand) the items that get listed. That being said, there are items that are either illegal to sell or are specifically not allowed on our site. This page is our attempt at providing guidelines on what can and can't be listed on EstateSales.NET.

Adult Items (pornography) and Nudity

While our site is for those over the age of 18, we still try to keep it family-friendly. Pornographic items may not be sold, purchased, or pictured on EstateSales.NET. They may be listed in the sale description if the items are for sale on location. Items with real or very realistic nudity should have nudity blurred or blocked out. Sales that have a majority of its items in this category are not allowed to be listed.

Alcohol, Drugs, and Tobacco

  • Alcohol may not be sold or purchased directly on EstateSales.NET. It may be pictured or listed in the sale description if the seller is properly licensed to sell it on location.
  • Collectible bottles or containers may be sold or purchased directly on EstateSales.NET (as long as they are empty before being sold).
  • Drugs and drug paraphernalia may not be sold, purchased, pictured, or listed on EstateSales.NET. This applies to illegal drugs, marijuana, controlled substances, bongs, and hookahs.
  • Tobacco and e-cigarette products may not be sold, purchased, pictured, or listed on EstateSales.NET. Examples include cigarettes, cigars, e-cigarettes, vape devices, etc. Pipes without tobacco in them would be allowed.

Animals and Items with Animal Products

There are many restrictions around selling items that are related to animals. Here is a list of specifics related to the purchase of animal parts or items that include animal parts on EstateSales.NET (this should not be considered a complete list):

  • Live animals may not be sold, purchased, or listed for sale.
  • Items made from animals that are endangered or listed as protected by the US Fish and Wildlife Service may not be sold, purchased, pictured, or listed. Link: https://www.fws.gov/le/businesses.html (if the item can be legally sold, the animal species must be stated in the description)
  • Items made from animals that are on Appendix 1 of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) list may not be sold, purchased, pictured, or listed. Link: https://www.cites.org/eng/app/appendices.php (if the item can be legally sold, the animal species must be stated in the description)
  • Ivory may not be sold, purchased, or pictured on EstateSales.NET. If a seller believes the ivory in question is legal to sell and it will be sold on location, it may be listed in the sale description as long as there is an explanation for its legality.
  • Most feathers are not allowed to be sold, purchased, pictured, or listed because of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. If an item includes feathers, the species should be disclosed. https://www.fws.gov/birds/policies-and-regulations/laws-legislations/migratory-bird-treaty-act.php

Counterfeit Items

Counterfeit items (including money) should not be sold, purchased, pictured, or listed on EstateSales.NET. Examples would include:

  • Counterfeit money
  • Items that would be considered "knock-offs" or replicas where the copied brand's logo or insignia is used but they were not manufactured by that brand.
  • Unauthorized copies of movies or television shows

Firearms and Destructive Items

  • Bombs and Explosives may not be sold, purchased, pictured, or listed on EstateSales.NET
  • Guns that are legal to sell may be listed for purchase as long as the seller has their Federal Firearms License (FFL) or is able to legally transfer the gun.
  • Guns may not be listed on EstateSales.NET for an online purchase directly on EstateSales.NET (for example on the EstateSales.NET Marketplace). This is because of current online payment processor rules we must abide by.

Illegal Items

Items that are illegal to sell should not be sold, purchased, pictured, or listed on EstateSales.NET. There are many federal, state, and local laws and regulations on what can and can't be sold. It is both the responsibility of the seller and the buyer to follow the laws and regulations of their government.

Intangible Items

Intangible items may not be sold, purchased, pictured, or listed on EstateSales.NET. This includes items such as gift cards, coupons, prepaid cards, services, and cryptocurrency.

With the exception of items mentioned specifically in this document:

  • Items that require an age verification to sell are not allowed to be sold or purchased directly on EstateSales.NET
  • Items that require a background check are not allowed to be sold or purchased directly on EstateSales.NET
  • Items that require a medical prescription are not allowed to be sold or purchased directly on EstateSales.NET

Medications and Medical Devices

Medications or medical devices that require a prescription may not be sold, purchased, pictured, or listed on EstateSales.NET.

Offensive Items

If an item promotes hatred or violence toward a person or group because of sex, race, age, disability, color, creed, national origin, religion, gender, sexual orientation, or genetic information, it should not be sold, purchased, pictured, or highlighted in a sale title on our site. Specifically, the following items would not be allowed:

  • Items that have racial slurs on them
  • Items that celebrate hate groups (ex: Nazi flags, Ku Klux Klan materials, etc.)
  • Nazi related items (ex: Nazi uniforms, Nazi items with the swastika symbol, etc.)
  • Slavery related items (ex: shackles, bills of sale, etc.)
  • Items that are meant to demean or to be derogatory (ex: Black Americana items with exaggerated features)

Items may sometimes be flagged as controversial that are not removed from the site. In this case, an item might have its promotion restricted. For example, it may not show up in search results, picture carousels, or other presentations. It isn't guaranteed to be restricted even if it is flagged as controversial.

Recalled Items

If an item has been recalled by its manufacturer or a government body, it should not be sold or purchased on EstateSales.NET. Examples would include certain lawn darts, drop-side baby cribs, hope chests, etc.

Specific to our Online Marketplace

Some items may not be listed on our EstateSales.NET Marketplace because of restrictions by the companies we use to process online payments. We currently use Stripe and Square to process payments. Items on Stripe's restricted items policy and on Square's restricted items policy may not be listed on the EstateSales.NET Marketplace if accepting online payment.

How To Report

If you believe something violates one of the above-restricted items or it is unlawful to sell, please click the "Report This Item" link while on the sale, picture, or item page. Alternatively (or if the "Report This Item" link is not available), an email may be sent to support@EstateSales.NET with a link to the item page and the concern.

What Happens When This Policy is Violated

When EstateSales.NET is made aware of potential policy violations, there are different actions that can take place. Some possible actions are the following: the item being removed from the sale listing, the sale being removed completely, or the seller's account being suspended or cancelled. Seller refunds or credits are not guaranteed to be issued if an item or sale is removed because of a policy violation.