X
CNET logo Why You Can Trust CNET

Our expert, award-winning staff selects the products we cover and rigorously researches and tests our top picks. If you buy through our links, we may get a commission. Reviews ethics statement

You can't actually sell your Flappy Bird phone on eBay

Sellers who attempted to capitalize on withdrawal symptoms suffered by those addicted to the year's hottest app tell Crave's Eric Mack eBay has put the kibosh on their cash cow.

img-20200924-185317
img-20200924-185317
Eric Mack Contributing Editor
Eric Mack has been a CNET contributor since 2011. Eric and his family live 100% energy and water independent on his off-grid compound in the New Mexico desert. Eric uses his passion for writing about energy, renewables, science and climate to bring educational content to life on topics around the solar panel and deregulated energy industries. Eric helps consumers by demystifying solar, battery, renewable energy, energy choice concepts, and also reviews solar installers. Previously, Eric covered space, science, climate change and all things futuristic. His encrypted email for tips is ericcmack@protonmail.com.
Expertise Solar, solar storage, space, science, climate change, deregulated energy, DIY solar panels, DIY off-grid life projects. CNET's "Living off the Grid" series. https://www.cnet.com/feature/home/energy-and-utilities/living-off-the-grid/ Credentials
  • Finalist for the Nesta Tipping Point prize and a degree in broadcast journalism from the University of Missouri-Columbia.
See full bio
Eric Mack
2 min read
Turns out this auction and others like it violated eBay's copyright policies. Screenshot by Eric Mack/CNET

Despite numerous headlines flying around this week about smartphones with the now-grounded Flappy Bird app installed selling for as much as $100,000 on eBay, it's unlikely any of those sales have actually gone through.

Related stories

I've been in touch with multiple eBay sellers who have had their auctions pulled from the online marketplace for violating eBay's listing policies. Basically, selling copyrightable material (like an app) without permission from the creator (Dong Nguyen in this case) is a no-go.

You can find the relevant eBay policy here, and below is part of an e-mail from eBay to one of the sellers in question, which I obtained:

Smartphones and tablets must be restored to factory settings before they are allowed to be sold on eBay. Please remove all content from your device, including the game Flappy Bird, before you attempt to list your item again. Please be sure your current and future listings follow these guidelines, keeping in mind that additional violations of this policy could result in the suspension of your account.

So there it is. That seems to eliminate any possibility that folks are making six figures off their old phones with a really simplistic but addictive game installed. At least not on eBay. There does seem to be several Flappy Bird phones for sale by Amazon sellers, though -- at least for now.

By the way, Android users should have no trouble finding places online to download the Flappy Bird APK file and side-load it on their device. I wonder if anyone would be willing to pay $100,000 on eBay for me to make a house call to perform that service? Let me know in the comments and we'll talk.