eBay restricted my account after updating phone number
Hello, my account was temporarily restricted after I changed my phone number.
My old number was no longer active, so I updated it and verified the new one successfully. A few minutes later, I received a restriction notice.
I also tried to request a call from support, but I’m in Argentina and I’m not receiving any calls.
Has anyone experienced this? What is the best way to resolve it?
Thank you.
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23 comments
ryry-jj
·4 months agoBy changing your number, you established with eBay that you are no longer in possession of the items you are selling. In order to have someone in the US be in control of your items, you first needed to get eBay permission to have forward deployed inventory. I'm sure you skipped that detail. eBay doesn't care if you have a LLC or not, they only care that you and you alone are shipping your items. Anything different needed prior approval, or first set up with multiple administers by name as a "team" with each member being registered properly on ebay
soh.maryl
·4 months agoPerhaps the fact that your LLC is registered in the US, but your phone # now indicates that you are in Argentina triggered the temporary restriction? When you say "temporary", does that mean that your restriction has been lifted?
kova_house
OP4 months ago@soh.maryleBay itself tells me in a message that the restriction is temporary and urges me to contact support. However, when I try to reach support, it asks me to leave my phone number and says they will contact me by phone (obviously the call never comes, as eBay no longer makes international calls).
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kensgiftshop
·4 months agoDon't know what concerns they would have about your account?
They say they will contact you by phone, because it shows you are registered in the US.
Lying about your location isn't a good way to get started on Ebay.
Why are you paying for a store when you don't have anything listed?
kova_house
OP4 months agoWhen I signed up for eBay, the platform allowed me to declare: 1) The country where the business is registered, and 2) the owner’s KYC information, including country of residence.
eBay allows structures like mine, and they are very common. I don’t know what my mistake was.
lacemaker3
·4 months ago@kova_house
What phone number did you change? The number in the account’s registered address, or your number as beneficial owner?
If your business is registered in Wyoming, then all the business contact information should be in Wyoming, including the phone number. That would be the registered address and phone number for your business account. If you, as the beneficial owner of the business live in Argentina, then your contact information as the beneficial owner should be in Argentina.
Why isn’t your registered agent taking care of this for you? How much do they charge you to register the LLC and provide your registered agent for you?
FYI, there have been a number of posts from foreign sellers with business setups like this, who have been promptly suspended when they tried to get their business started. It seems to be because they are associated with the company that advised them (and charged them) to use this business structure. Or possibly with some of their other clients who were not successful at selling. You may be experiencing the same thing.
It doesn’t make any sense to me to add tax obligations in the US when you still have to pay taxes to your own country on the income. Or extra fees to the company that set this up for you.
Also how are your taxes reported to the IRS in the US? Most LLCs are taxed as pass through entities, so the income is reported on the owner’s individual tax return. But you would not be required to file US taxes except for this income. Is it passive or active income? They are treated differently.
kova_house
OP4 months agoFrom a legal and platform perspective, eBay allows foreign individuals to own and operate U.S.-registered entities, such as a Wyoming LLC. The company structure itself is not the issue.
The automatic sanctions triggered by a phone number change can be critically questioned,
. A phone number change is a routine and low-risk action that many legitimate users perform due to carrier changes, lost SIM cards, or international mobility.
kova_house
OP4 months agoIt makes sense: If you sell in the U.S., it’s logical to register the company in the U.S., not in South Korea.
The data is completely separated: company and owner. However, when you try to change it, eBay triggers an alert.
jonathanbrightlight
·4 months agoIt doesn’t make sense, as no matter where you’re selling to, you need to accurately state where you are.
kensgiftshop
·4 months agoBut you don't sell in the US, you sell in Argentina.
kova_house
OP4 months agoNo. I sell in the U.S. to American customers, from Argentina.
roccotacodad54
·4 months ago"No. I sell in the U.S. to American customers, from Argentina."
It seems at the very least you are misrepresenting your location to potential customers. Tricking them into thinking they are buying from a US seller when in fact they aren't.
The very type of seller I go to great lengths to avoid. Your complaints fall on deaf ears as far as I go.............
momtoabeautifuldaughter
·4 months agoWhat is the name of this LLC?
kova_house
OP4 months agoCorrect. I have my LLC registered in Wyoming, with a U.S. address and taxes up to date, and the representative is called a “registered agent,” which is required by law. I reside in Argentina as an individual. I simply changed my phone number one day—something so simple and basic—and eBay’s security system did not allow it.
I think that under the excuse of platform security, a lot of injustices are being made and the system is out of control (or has too much control).
lacemaker3
·4 months ago@kova_house
You didn’t answer why you are using a foreign LLC. What is the benefit for you?
If you have a business eBay account, your contact information should all match. Your phone number should be the business number in Wyoming.
The names and contact information of the beneficial owners of the business are entered separately during registration.
There is a law in the US called the INFORM Act which requires eBay to record accurate information about their sellers.
albertabrightalberta
·4 months agoEbay saw your IP location in Argentina, your claim to be registered in the US and the mismatched phone/location/IP/registration raised security concerns.
roccotacodad54
·4 months ago-->Member since: Feb-15-26 in United States<--
Does your new number have a US area code?
momtoabeautifuldaughter
·4 months agoI have the same question as above.
Are you trying to drop ship items?
kova_house
OP4 months agoI have an LLC in the USA, which is why it shows my location as the United States. However, I reside in Argentina. I changed my phone number and my account was restricted.
Company registered in the : USA.
Personal residence: Argentina.
Phone number: Argentine.
lacemaker3
·4 months ago@kova_house
An LLC registered in the USA is required to have a business address and contact information in the USA, and a business representative who physically lives and works in the same state where the LLC is registered.
Why do you have an LLC in a different country? I see other posts from sellers who have done this and also have difficulties with it. I don’t understand what the advantage would be for you. I would appreciate it if you would explain why you decided to do this.
kova_house
OP4 months agoI have an LLC in the USA, which is why it shows my location as the United States. However, I reside in Argentina. I changed my phone number and my account was restricted.
Company registered in the : USA.
Personal residence: Argentina.
Phone number: Argentina.
kensgiftshop
·4 months agoIt shows you are in the US.
Are you trying to dropship?
kova_house
OP4 months agoI have an LLC in the USA, which is why it shows my location as the United States. However, I reside in Argentina. I changed my phone number and my account was restricted.