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Prohibited and restricted items

What you can't sell on MARTA

Updated over a year ago

MARTA aims to be an open, non-curated marketplace to power the circular economy. However, we prohibit certain types of items from MARTA for various reasons. Some items present legal risks to our community; others are inconsistent with our values or harmful to our members. This policy is part of our Terms of Service and explains what is prohibited or restricted on MARTA.

In general you may only sell items in your possession and you may not buy or sell items that are legally prohibited in the country you live in. That goes for items that are listed as allowed in our list.

At MARTA, we reserve the right to decide what items are or aren't allowed on our platform at any time. We may also remove items not listed below if we determine that they are offensive, in breach of our Terms of Service, or are in any other way a risk that we're not prepared to take.

The list is intended as a guide rather than exhaustive. Please note that we continuously update this list.

Adult-only material and nudity

  • Any material representing or describing bestiality, necrophilia, coprophilia, rape, or incest in all sorts of publications, films, and other recordings

  • Any material of any type representing, describing or depicting nudity or sexualized imagery of children, including child sexual exploitation material

  • Adult magazines, films and videos

  • Adult toys and related accessories for sexual purposes

  • Unclean, unwashed underwear listings, including listings that are not clear about the condition of the item

  • Any imagery depicting full or partial nudity

Advertisements

  • Posts that advertise commercial or private websites to sell outside of MARTA

  • Advertisements for selling schemes, businesses or marketing opportunities

  • Unsolicited advertising or promotions

  • Requests for donations

  • Spam

Alcohol

  • Alcohol products, including gift sets

  • Liquor license

Example of what is allowed:

  • Beer/wine-making kits

Animals and wildlife products

  • Any alive animals. This extends to listings that include animals as a gift, prize or giveaway in connection with an item listed on MARTA.

  • Any part, pelt or skin from endangered animals, that is any species listed in the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species.

  • Ivory items and ivory derivatives

  • Tusks, horns or antlers from any animal

  • Animal traps, including glue-based traps, used in pest control to catch and monitor insects

  • Animal specimens preserved in toxic or flammable substances such as formaldehyde

Example of what is allowed:

  • Pelts of non-endangered animal species, except dogs and cats

Counterfeit currency and stamps

  • Replica coins for collection

  • Counterfeit coins

  • Counterfeit banknotes

  • Counterfeit bonds

Counterfeit items, replicas and unauthorized copies

  • Counterfeit clothing and accessories such as, for example, a bag bearing the Gucci® name or logo that was neither made nor authorized for sale by Gucci®

  • Counterfeit replacement parts not made by the manufacturer that the items are labelled with

  • Counterfeit electronics

  • Counterfeit cosmetics

  • Unauthorized or pirated copies, including but not limited to pirated, duplicated, backed-up or bootlegged copies of books, videos, films, music CDs, MP3s, MP4s, photographs, radio programs, concerts, television programs and video games

  • Products made available by digital download where the seller doesn't own the copyright. This includes, but is not limited to, codes that can be used to access content on other websites or platforms, e-books, or audiobooks.

  • Any product that has been illegally replicated, reproduced or manufactured

  • Any item or behaviour infringing copyright, trademark, design, or other intellectual property rights, including user-generated content or creations made using parts of branded items without the authorization of the brand itself.

  • Equipment used to make counterfeit items

Credit cards

  • Currently active and inactive bank credit, debit and pre-paid cards

  • Currently active store credit cards

Example of what is allowed:

  • Blank plastic cards

Data banks, mailing lists and personal information

  • Data banks

  • Mailing lists

  • Personal information

Drop-shipping

  • Drop-shipped designer, luxury, electronic or cosmetic items

  • Drop-shipped items listed using stock images, customer photos and supplier photos

  • Drop-shipped items produced at large scale and bought to order from catalogues or other marketplaces

Example of what is allowed:

  • Handcrafted items designed by the seller

  • Items produced or printed on demand that the seller has designed

Drugs and drug paraphernalia

  • Tobacco

  • Smoking accessories

  • Narcotics, steroids, and any other controlled substance

  • Any substance described as having drug-like effects (for example, a 'legal high')

  • Any article meant for the use, manufacturing or concealing of a controlled substance

Food and edible items

  • Perishable or past expiration date food and edible items

  • Non-perishable food and edible items that do not have a precise expiry date

  • Non-perishable food and edible items that do not show an ingredient list

  • Unsealed or opened food products

  • Home caterer services

Example of what is allowed:

  • Non-perishable food and edible items with a marked expiration date and ingredient list provided in the listing. The item must comply with applicable food regulations at the time of the sale in the country where MARTA is located and in the registered user's country of residence or domicile.

Firearms, weapons and military items

  • Any firearms, weapons and military items, regardless of their functionality, construction date or their being collectables. The term 'firearm' indicates all the parts constituting a firearm, a sporting gun, and all types of collectable, vintage, antique and signalling guns.

  • Ammunitions

  • Kits for the construction of firearms

  • Firearms replicas

  • All blade weapons, knives and sharp instruments, including but not limited to kitchen knives, fishing and scuba knives, blackjacks, clubs, brass knuckles, switchblades and swords of all kinds

  • BB guns

  • Airsoft guns

  • Paintball guns

  • Pneumatic spearguns

  • Bows and arrows

  • Scuba spearguns

Example of what is allowed:

  • Bulletproof vests

  • Miniature weapons designed for toy miniature figures

  • Toy weapons that cannot be mistaken for real weapons

Fireworks and kits for their implementation

  • Any fireworks, even those available in high street stores

  • Kits for fireworks implementation

Goods from embargoed countries

  • All embargoed restricted items

Government items

  • Any government, transit and shipping-related items, government documents, IDs and licenses

Example of what is allowed:

  • Historical or collector badges that do not resemble modern badges (e.g. an antique police badge from the 19th century), provided that the listing clearly states that the object is at least 75 years old or belongs to an organization which no longer exists.

  • Souvenirs such as hats, mugs, pins, pens, buttons, cuff links, shirts and paperweights that do not contain or show any emblems

  • Fake, novelty or unofficial badges, such as plastic or humorous ones

Graphic and violent imagery

  • Any graphic imagery or content depicting or endorsing acts of violence, death or injury on the platform.

Hate speech and discriminatory content

Hazardous materials

  • This includes but is not limited to fire extinguishers, radioactive materials, flammable gases, combustible items, pesticides and poisons, toxic substances

  • Any dangerous item subject to specific sale restrictions

Human remains, human organs and body parts

  • Human body parts including, but are not limited to: organs, bones, teeth, blood, bodily fluids, waste products, sperm and eggs

Example of what is allowed:

  • Hairpieces, extensions and wigs made from human hair

Lockpicking and locksmithing devices

  • Any lockpicking and locksmithing devices

Lotteries and giveaways

  • All types of lotteries (raffles)

  • Mystery boxes or mystery items, where a seller offers an item or number of items for sale for a set price, without specifying the items that the buyer will receive

Example of what is allowed:

  • Free prize competitions and free draws that comply with applicable law both in the country where MARTA is located and in the registered user's country of residence and/or domicile

Medical devices

  • All medical devices (prescription and over-the-counter medical devices), including contact lenses

  • All medical products (prescription and over-the-counter medical products)

  • Contraceptive products and devices

  • Teeth whitening products containing hydrogen peroxide and any other compound that releases hydrogen peroxide, including carbamide peroxide and zinc peroxide

  • Herbal and holistic remedies, supplements and other items whose descriptions implicitly or explicitly compare the products listed to prescription drugs, imply any non-approved treatments, or market them as having the same results

  • Unapproved or unlicensed healthcare products or supplements

  • Supplements, herbal and holistic remedies containing prohibited ingredients

  • Supplements, herbal and holistic remedies containing regulated ingredients that exceed permitted levels

  • Smoking cessation medicines such as nicotine replacement gum or patches

  • Non-medical items that make misleading, unverified or false medical claims

  • Weight loss products with warnings or recalls

  • Counterfeit medicines

  • Used and unsealed healthcare products

  • Past expiration date products

  • Surgical masks

  • Respirator masks

  • Non-handmade fabric face masks

  • Sanitizing sprays, gels and liquids

Example of what is allowed:

  • Vitamins provided the product is new and unopened and the list of ingredients clearly visible in the listing

  • Face masks handmade by the seller

Perfumes and cosmetics

  • Testers

  • Decanters

  • Used perfumes and cosmetics

  • Perfumes and cosmetics replicas

  • Past expiration date perfumes and cosmetics

  • Unsealed product samples decanted from their original packaging, for example, a full-sized product decanted into samples by a seller for resale

  • Homemade cosmetics that do not show an ingredient listCosmetic items containing prohibited or hazardous ingredients

  • Cosmetic items containing regulated ingredients that exceed permitted levels

Example of what is allowed:

  • Unused and genuine perfumes and cosmetics

  • Sample perfumes and cosmetics, as long as they come in the original container that includes the ingredient list

  • Homemade perfumes and cosmetics, as long as they comply with the applicable regulations at the time of the sale both in the country where MARTA is located and in the registered user's country of residence and/or domicile

Plants and seeds

  • Any prohibited or restricted plants, seeds, plant pests and other materials

Products subject to safety regulations

Any product that does not meet regulatory safety requirements for sale. This includes, but is not limited to:

  • Products for babies and children, including prams, baby carriers and slings, cots, car seats, dummies and dummy clips, teething rings, clothing and blankets

  • Toys, particularly those containing button batteries, magnets or small parts

  • Safety clothing and protective equipment such as helmets for cycling, motorbiking, skating and snow sports

Example of what is allowed:

  • Products for babies and children, toys, and safety equipment are permissible for sale provided they meet regulatory safety requirements, including safety notices and appropriate labelling, and are not a risk to the buyer's safety. Sellers are responsible for ensuring that their items meet applicable regulations and do not pose a risk to the buyer's safety.

Real estate

  • Any real estate property, including property rental or licence

Recalled items

  • Products recalled by a manufacturer or another government agency. For additional information please consult the applicable regulator website (e.g. European Commission website)

Second-hand clothing

  • Any second-hand clothing item that is not disclosed to be second-hand or used. The seller must declare that any second-hand clothing listed is not new and that it has been cleaned according to the manufacturer's instructions.

Services

  • Professional or personal services such as for example financial or marketing advice, building or labour services

  • Clothing rental services

Software

  • Counterfeit software

  • Pre-installed/OEM software

  • Any software restricted for sale

  • Any software sold via digital download

Stat or public agency ownerships, artistic, historical and archaeological properties

  • Artefacts, antiques and items with historical or artistic value that are protected under national laws or regulations

Stocks, shares and other securities

  • Stocks, shares or security interests

Stolen property and property with removed serial numbers

  • Any item taken without authorization from private individuals, companies or governments

Tickets

  • Event tickets for sporting, music, stage or any other events

  • Transit tickets for rail, aeroplane or other transport services

  • Lottery tickets

Tobacco

  • Tobacco and its derivatives, including cigarettes, cigars and snus

  • All tobacco products and accessories, including ashtrays and collectables

  • Herbal tobacco, nicotine-free cigarettes or tobacco-free cigarettes

  • E-cigarettes and associated products, including e-liquids and pods

  • Cigarette papers, filters and rolling machines

  • Pipes

Example of what is allowed:

  • Incenses provided that the listing and the instructions do not mention, either implicitly or explicitly, that the item is related to drugs or to the consumption of illegal substances

TV de-scramblers

  • Any TV de-scramblers

Vouchers, gift cards, digital and non-material goods

  • Vouchers

  • Gift cards, store or merchandise credits and all items equivalent to cash

  • All products made available by digital sale or download, including games and game accounts, in-game currency, items, and characters

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