Tradeit is committed to building a trusted, secure marketplace for both vendors and customers across Zimbabwe. As a vendor, you must understand what products are allowed, which are prohibited, and what qualifies as counterfeit or restricted.

This guide will help you:

• ✅ Understand what items you are NOT allowed to sell
• 🛑 Identify counterfeit or pirated products
• 📦 Know what happens if you list restricted or banned goods
• 🔐 Protect your shop from suspension or legal issues
• 🇿🇼 Stay compliant with Zimbabwean regulations and Tradeit’s policies

🧾 1. What Is Tradeit’s Anti-Counterfeit Policy?

Tradeit prohibits the sale of counterfeit, fake, pirated, or imitation products on the platform.

❌ Counterfeit Products Include:

• Fake branded goods (e.g., fake Nike shoes, Huawei phones with copied logos)
• Pirated DVDs, music, or software
• Imitation perfumes and cosmetics labeled as originals
• Phone accessories or electronics falsely branded as Samsung, Apple, etc.
• Any product with a copied logo, trademark, or packaging without approval

⚠️ Example: Selling a phone labeled “Samsung Galaxy” when it is not made by Samsung is a violation.

📃 2. What Are Prohibited Items on Tradeit?

Certain items are completely banned for sale on the platform due to legal, safety, or ethical reasons.

🚫 Tradeit Prohibited Items List:

🧠 Note: Even if these items are easy to find informally in local markets, they are not permitted on Tradeit.

🕵️ 3. How Tradeit Detects and Handles Violations

Tradeit uses a combination of:

• Automated keyword scanners (flagging suspicious terms like “copy”, “clone”, “Grade A++”, etc.)
• Manual listing reviews by Trust & Safety staff
• Community reports from buyers and other vendors

If a violation is detected:

You’ll be notified via email or your Vendor Dashboard if you are in violation, with the chance to appeal.

⚖️ 4. Why Counterfeit and Prohibited Items Are Banned

✅ For Legal Compliance

Zimbabwe’s Trademarks Act and Copyright Act prohibit the sale of counterfeit goods. Tradeit complies with:

• ZIMRA import/export laws
• Zimbabwe Medicines and Allied Substances Control regulations
• Censorship and Entertainments Control Act

🛒 For Customer Protection

Buyers trust Tradeit to deliver safe, genuine products. If you violate that trust, it affects:

• Your shop’s rating
• Your ability to get future sales
• The reputation of the entire marketplace

📌 5. Examples (Zimbabwean Context)

❌ What You Cannot Sell:

• A “Louis Vuitton” handbag bought from Mbare and branded with stickers
• USBs with preloaded movies or Nigerian films copied from YouTube
• Fake “Fenty” makeup bought in bulk from South Africa
• “Grade A++” AirPods that are imitations

✅ What You Can Sell:

• Handmade bags with your own branding
• Affordable, unbranded earphones labeled correctly
• Organic soap or herbal teas (if labeled and safe, but without medical claims)
• Imported goods with clear, accurate branding (e.g., “Look-alike design”, not “iPhone”)

🔐 6. How to Protect Your Shop

📤 7. Reporting Counterfeit Listings

If you spot another vendor selling counterfeit or illegal products:

1. Go to Vendor Dashboard → Help → Report a Product
2. Include:
   • Product link
   • Screenshot
   • Reason (e.g., “This perfume is a fake replica of Dior.”)

Your identity will be kept confidential.

🧠 Summary: Vendor Responsibilities

📞 Need Help Reviewing Your Product Listings?

• Use the Live Chat in your Vendor Dashboard
• Or email [email protected]
• WhatsApp support also available for quick checks

By following Tradeit’s Anti-Counterfeit Policy, you not only protect your shop — you help build a safer, stronger marketplace for all Zimbabwean entrepreneurs.

Would you like a companion guide on How to Brand Your Own Products or How to Legally Import Goods for Sale on Tradeit?

Let me know and I’ll prepare it for you!

4o

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Reporting suspicious activity or fraudulent listings

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Certainly! Here’s a complete, step-by-step Vendor Help Article on:

🕵️ Vendor Help Guide: Reporting Suspicious Activity or Fraudulent Listings on Tradeit

Tradeit is committed to maintaining a safe, trusted marketplace for buyers and sellers across Zimbabwe. If you come across suspicious activity—like fake listings, copied products, scams, or dishonest vendors—you have the right and responsibility to report it.

This guide will help you understand:

• 🧐 What counts as suspicious or fraudulent activity
• ✅ How to report a suspicious product, vendor, or message
• 🔍 What Tradeit does after you report
• 🛡 Why reporting protects everyone, including your own shop

🚨 1. What Counts as Suspicious or Fraudulent Activity?

Suspicious or fraudulent activity includes anything that violates Tradeit’s trust, safety, or legal policies.

🚫 Common Red Flags:

📝 2. How to Report Suspicious Activity

✅ Option 1: Report a Listing or Product

1. Go to the Product Page in question
2. Scroll down and click “Report this product”
3. Choose a reason:
   • Counterfeit item
   • Stolen photos or content
   • Illegal or prohibited item
   • Price scam or misleading description
4. Add details or upload a screenshot (optional but helpful)
5. Submit — You’ll receive a confirmation via email or dashboard

✅ Option 2: Report a Vendor or Shop

1. Go to the vendor’s shop page
2. Click “Report this vendor” under the vendor’s name
3. Choose your reason:
   • Impersonating your shop
   • Abusive messaging or scam tactics
   • Selling dangerous or fake items
4. Submit — the report will be reviewed within 24–48 hours

✅ Option 3: Report via Help Desk or WhatsApp

If the issue isn’t tied to a specific product (e.g. scam messages, fake courier requests):

• Go to Vendor Dashboard → Help → Report a Safety Issue
• Or message Tradeit Support on WhatsApp
• Provide:
  • Screenshots or chat history
  • The suspicious user’s phone number or username
  • Product or shop link (if applicable)

🧪 3. What Happens After You Report?

Tradeit’s Trust & Safety Team reviews every report manually and confidentially.

The Process:

👁 Your identity is never revealed to the reported party. You remain anonymous.

⚖️ 4. What Happens to Fraudulent Vendors?

Depending on the severity of the violation:

Tradeit also works with ZIMRA, POTRAZ, and the ZRP for serious fraud or counterfeit cases.

🧠 5. Examples of What to Report (Zimbabwean Context)

✅ Report This:

• “iPhone 14 Pro” listed for $100 (clearly fake or clone)
• Vendor using your business name or product photos
• Listings for unapproved medicine or “miracle cures”
• Buyer asking to “pay directly to my EcoCash, not on Tradeit”
• Courier claiming to work with Tradeit, asking for delivery fees in advance

❌ Don’t Report This (Not Fraud):

• A vendor offering the same type of product as you
• Slightly lower pricing on genuine products
• Delayed response from a real buyer or seller

🔐 6. Why Reporting Helps Protect Your Business

By reporting suspicious activity, you:

• 🛡 Help keep dishonest vendors off Tradeit
• 📈 Increase customer trust across the platform
• 💼 Protect your own brand and reputation
• ✅ Stay compliant with Tradeit’s Vendor Agreement
• 🧾 Prevent price undercutting from counterfeiters

✅ Summary Checklist: When and How to Report

📞 Need Help With a Report?

• 📧 Email: [email protected]
• 💬 Live Chat via your Vendor Dashboard
• 📲 WhatsApp Support (for urgent reports or scam screenshots)

Tradeit’s support team works 7 days a week, and we are here to help ensure your business is safe, trusted, and respected.