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My Seller Account is Being Investigated for the FOURTH Time in Two Months.
Summary: scifiwriter99 expressed frustration over eBay freezing their payouts during seller account investigations, particularly when daily payouts exceed $1,000. They have experienced this issue four times in two months, which has been financially challenging. iggsaustralianaandcurios shared a similar experience, mentioning a hold on their account due to alleged changes in bank details and small sales despite being a low-volume seller. They criticized eBay's practices, feeling targeted as a small seller. Other participants suggested starting a new thread due to the age of the discussion and remarked that some account issues might lead to permanent bans.
Has anyone else had their payouts frozen while eBay does an investigation of their seller account. I've had it happen four times in the past two months and it's been very hard on me financially. It always happens when my payouts exceed $1,000 per day. I've called to complain but haven't received a reason for it. It just seems like a way for eBay to hold on to my money for no reason.
iggsaustralianaandcurios
·2 weeks agoOh and before anyone comments about high volume payments. I have made a little over 4k since I started selling on Ebay in October 2025 (I have been a member since 2006) so no, there are no large volume payments going through my account. I sell predominately small items, between $8.00 and $40.00.
albertabrightalberta
·2 weeks ago@iggsaustralianaandcurios
This thread is 3 years old.
You should start a new thread because this one will likely be locked soon.
onefootflipper
·2 weeks agoPost from someone who one day 3 years ago just stopped shipping orders. They are certainly permanently banned and won't be back here to read your response.
iggsaustralianaandcurios
·2 weeks agoI am in the same boat. I currently am three days into an account payment hold, due to "changing my bank account details." Well no actually, I am still using the same bank account, I have been using for the last twenty eight years! Then I was told, it was because Ebay investigates "money laundering activities" well good luck with that one, (let me know how it goes?) I made exactly $67.46 cents last weekend. I am sure that the Federal Police Anti-money laundering team, are going to be at my doorstep VERY SOON, asking for a "PLEASE EXPLAIN MADAM!" (not) Then I was told, it is because you made too many sales? (Well nice to see that my high sales in one weekend) (I did make six sales over the weekend) but they are only small sales, as you see my total funds are NOT high, was met with by Ebay putting my bank account on hold and freezing all my funds. Makes me want to go out there and make more sales (NOT!!) This is not the first time my accounts been put on hold. I get that when you are a new seller this happens (it happened to me) but three times in under 11 months! When I went to a paid pro-seller account, my account got frozen (with a message stating, you are a brand-new seller, with little to no selling evidence (I had sold 120 items by this stage) Ebay automated system seemed to think that creating a new pro-seller account, also meant that I hadn't sold anything? (Wrong) So I got that removed...........and now this again!! I haven't even made that much in the last 10 months. I am not a large volume seller and use Ebay to supplement my income, as I am semi-retired. You CANNOT tell me that this happens, repeatedly to large, HIGH VOLUME drop shippers........(they'd have accountants and lawyers, chomping at the bit, to get back at Ebay if Ebay randomly shut down their payments, every so often just because they can). No this is predominately happening to small, independent, low volume sellers. WHY? (My thinking is because it makes EBay look like they are being hard-core around fraudulent issues such as money-laundering and other such type, financial scams and targeting smallish, independent sellers (like me) quite frankly, is the easiest way to do this. I also sell on other platforms and via online auction sites, and NONE are as vitriolic as Ebay. I do NOT have a problem with activities designed to weed out financial crimes, JUST TARGET THE REAL CRIMINALS and not innocent sellers like me!
herway
·3 years agoSorry that this is happening to you, my account funds were frozen while they did a security check on my account last week. My understanding is that it was a routine thing that ebay is doing to stop fraud.
My payment funds were frozen for approximately 24 hours. It was very very stressful, I cannot imagine how you feel having this done 4 times.
I put my store on vacation when I was notified of my frozen funds. No way I was going to allow more funds to flow into a frozen account. A business cannot run with no cash flow.
iggsaustralianaandcurios
·2 weeks agoAre you in Australia? I am three days (or 48 hours) into a hold, and no sign yet of my money being released? So perhaps you were just lucky that it only took 24 hours. I am heading to the weekend now and no signs of my funds being released. I rely on this money to supplement my casual employment!!
dbfolks166mt
·3 years agoSorry for your situation. The payment holds seem to be getting out of control and there is no reason for it. EBay could easily investigate an account, if they wished, and ask for the information they need and then if you did not respond freeze your payouts. I realize the payment holds are disclosed in the eBay policies but I sell on multiple forums and eBay is the only site that holds funds. They wonder why sellers are leaving or new sellers are no coming on board, this is one possible reason. There are simply too many other venues and options out there these days.
While I have not had this happen to me if my funds are ever put on hold I will immediately end every listing I have and relist them once the hold is lifted, if it is lifted. There is no reason to add to the pot of funds eBay is holding. I can easily sell the items on other venues.
ckimodog
·3 years ago@scifiwriter99
Hello
Sorry for your situation. Is eBay asking for tracking for the items you sold? Are they asking for receipts for all the sports equipment you sold in multiples? Due to all the stolen merchandise that is being sold on eBay and especially from your area, eBay has the law leaning on them hard to find out where sellers are sourcing their merchandise and asking to provide info as to who their vendors are as well. NOT saying this is your situation, but because of all the port and train robberies that are out of control in many cities and states, this has been sort of a protocol where this type of selling behavior is concerned. If it were electronics and work tools, I would be concerned. My guess is that you bought a pallet of overstock sports merchandise and are just trying to sell it here. Most likely you'll have your account restored in a few days. Just go a long with it and make sure if you are asked for anything concerning your sales, you provide that info for them to view.
I wish you good luck and hopefully you'll be back to selling in no time.
scifiwriter99
OP3 years agoFrom what I can tell, Ebay isn't doing any kind of an investigation. It mainly seems to be a way to hold onto my funds whenever my payouts go over $1,000. They've never contacted me regarding an investigation or asked for any kind of documentation to verify my personal information. I searched for other posts on the subject by sellers and found that they were investigated when their payouts were higher than normal, also. Funny that it never happens when I have payouts of only a few hundred dollars. This leads me to believe that Ebay is withholding payouts because they may be in financial trouble.