It's one thing to know, immediately upon reciept of an item, that you've received a fake or counterfeit item from an eBay seller, or that the goods you've bought are likely stolen.

It's another thing, however, to merely suspect that this may be the case. It's an uncomfortable feeling?on the one hand, you're relieved that the transaction has gone according to plan, but on the other, you have the sneaking suspicion that it actually hasn't, that you've been taken to the cleaners and may need to do something about it.

But how to find out?

In cases in which the genuineness or legality of a delivered item isn't clear, it can be a difficult proposition to make a clear determination. Here are some ideas to help you start.

• Contact the manufacturer. In many cases, contacting the manufacturer of the goods is a great first step. Many manufacturers are able to help you to make a determination about an item based on serial numbers, authorized distribution channels, unique product characteristics, or other factors. In some cases, manufacturers can even help you to know whether an item has been stolen or not based on such characteristics. Most manufacturers these days have websites and contact information, and most are interested in hearing about possible cases of fraud, counterfeiting, and other nefarious activity.
  
• Contact partners or service providers. Some kinds of goods are useful only when paired with the appropriate service provider or other partner. Mobile phones and some kinds of industrial equipment are good examples here. In such cases, even if the manufacturer isn't able to help you, the service provider or partner in question may be able to help to identify stolen goods.
  

• Do web research. It's surprising just how many discussions can be found out there in "Google space" that are designed to help consumers to differentiate genuine products for non-genuine ones. It can also be a good bet to search for the serial number of your item and its make and model in a Google search, particularly if the item is valuable?you may just find that someone has already put information online requesting the return of the item as stolen.
  
• Contact law enforcement. For some kinds of goods, most notably vehicles and bicycles of various makes and models, law enforcement or other local governmental agencies are your key to identifying stolen goods by serial number. If they maintain a registry for the kind of item in question, they'll be able to tell you definitively whether it is or isn't reported as stolen.
  
• See an expert. Some kinds of goods?like art, antiques, and collectibles?aren't nearly as "tied in" to consumer goods databases and uniform manufacturing practices as are things like mobile phones, handbags, or automobiles. For these kinds of goods, visiting an expert or an appraiser can generally help you to figure out whether you've been taken or not. Such experts can often tell you not only whether an item is genuine or not, but?in the cases of extremely valuable or extremely rare items?it is collectors and appraisers in these areas that are typically most tied in to methods for identifying goods that have been stolen.
  

Naturally, if it turns out that you have received stolen or counterfeit goods, there's much more than a Buyer Protection case in order, though a dispute through eBay is still a good idea, since it will help eBay to prevent this seller from pulling the wool over anyone else's eyes.

In most cases, if you've received stolen or counterfeit goods, you should at least ensure that you've contacted manufacturers and law enforcement about the item(s) in question so that they can take appropriate steps. If you're able to identify the original owner, you should also take steps to contact them as well?though you should do everything in your power, including a credit card chargeback if necessary, to ensure that you're made whole first. Otherwise, you could find yourself feeling great about having returned a stolen item to its rightful owner, but out the cash that you paid for it.