This Prohibited Items Policy applies to every listing on AYE Market — across all 22 categories: Vehicles, Property, Jobs, Jobs Wanted, Electronics, Phones & Tablets, Computers, Home & Furniture, Fashion, Beauty, Services, Agriculture, Industrial Equipment, Education, Sports, Animals, Baby Products, Health, Food, Business, Construction, Legal & Justice, and Lost & Found. It supplements our Terms of Service and Community Guidelines with a detailed, categorized list. If an item isn't explicitly named below, the general rule still applies: if it's illegal to sell, illegal to own, or requires a license you can't show, it doesn't belong on AYE Market.
- Weapons, ammunition & explosives
- Drugs & controlled substances
- Stolen goods
- Counterfeit goods
- Human remains & organs
- Wildlife & protected animals
- Adult & sexual content
- Items requiring a license you can't show
- Recalled products
- Hazardous chemicals & materials
- Counterfeit currency & financial instruments
- Academic fraud services
- Jobs & Jobs Wanted restrictions
- Legal & Justice category restrictions
- General catch-all
- Enforcement
- Reporting a prohibited listing
- Applicable law
- Contact
1. Weapons, ammunition & explosives
Firearms of any kind, ammunition, gun parts and accessories designed for firearms, explosives, and other weapons intended to cause bodily harm may never be listed — even where an individual holds a personal license, since AYE Market has no mechanism to verify weapons licensing at the point of listing or sale. This includes replica or deactivated weapons that could reasonably be mistaken for functional ones.
2. Drugs & controlled substances
Illegal drugs, controlled substances, and any product marketed for recreational drug use are prohibited, regardless of category. This includes drug paraphernalia marketed primarily for illegal drug use.
3. Stolen goods
Listing an item you don't legally own or have the right to sell — including stolen vehicles, electronics, or any other property — is prohibited and may constitute a criminal offense under Ethiopian law independent of anything AYE Market does. Sellers of high-value items (vehicles, electronics) should be prepared to show proof of ownership if asked.
4. Counterfeit goods
Fake or replica branded goods misrepresented as genuine are prohibited in every category, including Electronics, Phones & Tablets, Fashion, and Beauty. This is covered in full detail, including how honestly-labeled replicas are treated, in our dedicated Counterfeit Goods Policy.
5. Human remains & organs
Human body parts, organs, tissue, or remains of any kind may never be listed, offered, or solicited under any circumstances.
6. Wildlife & protected animals
Endangered or legally protected species, and any product made from them (ivory, protected animal skins, and similar), are strictly prohibited. This is separate from the legitimate Animals category, which exists for lawful trade in livestock, poultry, and common pets — those listings remain welcome as long as the animal and its trade are legal under Ethiopian law. Wildlife trafficking of any kind is not.
7. Adult & sexual content
Sexual content, sexual services, or any listing that sexualizes a person is prohibited across every category, including Services. This applies regardless of the age or consent of anyone depicted.
8. Items requiring a license you can't show
Some goods are legal to sell in Ethiopia only with a specific license or permit — for example, certain firearms accessories, specific categories of medication, or regulated industrial chemicals. If you can't produce that license on request, don't list the item, regardless of whether the category (e.g., Health, Industrial Equipment) would otherwise allow similar products.
9. Recalled products
Products that have been formally recalled by a manufacturer or regulator for safety reasons — for example, recalled baby products, electronics with known fire risk, or recalled vehicles/parts — may not be listed for sale, regardless of disclosure.
10. Hazardous chemicals & materials
Industrial or household chemicals that are toxic, flammable, corrosive, or otherwise dangerous to handle or ship without specialized precautions are prohibited outside of properly licensed commercial contexts. This applies especially within Agriculture, Industrial Equipment, and Construction listings — legitimate equipment and supplies are fine; raw hazardous substances without proper handling and licensing are not.
11. Counterfeit currency & financial instruments
Counterfeit banknotes or coins, forged financial instruments, stolen or cloned payment cards, and stolen account credentials of any kind are strictly prohibited.
12. Academic fraud services
Services offering fake diplomas, forged certificates or transcripts, or answers to exams and assignments on someone else's behalf are prohibited under the Education and Services categories.
13. Jobs & Jobs Wanted restrictions
Job postings must describe genuine openings from a real employer, and Jobs Wanted ads must describe genuine availability for work. The following are prohibited:
- Pyramid schemes, multi-level-marketing recruitment disguised as a job, or any "opportunity" that requires the applicant to pay or recruit others to earn money.
- Pay-to-work scams — any posting that asks a candidate to pay a fee to apply, interview, or be "registered."
- Vacancies that don't actually exist, posted to harvest CVs or personal data.
- Postings soliciting child labor or any work arrangement illegal under Ethiopian labor law.
14. Legal & Justice category restrictions
The Legal & Justice category exists to connect users with legitimate legal professionals and services. Postings must not constitute unauthorized practice of law — anyone offering legal advice, representation, or document preparation as a professional service must be a properly qualified and licensed practitioner under Ethiopian law. Generic informational services are fine; holding yourself out as a lawyer or advocate without the credentials to back it is not.
15. General catch-all
This list cannot name every possible prohibited item. As a general rule: anything illegal to sell, buy, own, or trade under the laws of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia is prohibited on AYE Market, whether or not it appears above.
16. Enforcement
| Violation | Typical action |
|---|---|
| First-time prohibited listing (lower severity, e.g. recalled product) | Listing removed, formal warning |
| Weapons, drugs, stolen goods, counterfeit currency, human remains, wildlife trafficking | Immediate listing removal and account suspension, typically permanent |
| Adult content, pay-to-work job scams | Immediate listing removal and account suspension |
| Repeat violations after a warning | Permanent ban |
17. Reporting a prohibited listing
Tap Report on any listing and choose the reason that matches — most closely, "Selling Prohibited Items." Every report reaches a human moderator's review queue. Reports involving imminent danger should also follow the guidance in our Safety Center.
18. Applicable law
This policy is governed by the laws of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia. Listing a prohibited item may expose you to legal liability independent of any action AYE Market takes.
19. Contact
Questions about this policy: ayetechub@gmail.com.