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Restricted account but even eBay doesn’t know why…
My eBay account was restricted today and they removed all 150 plus of my listings. But I have no idea why it was restricted and apparently neither does eBay. The email just says “We restricted your account because we noticed activity that we believe is a risk to our community,
More specific details are provided belowâ€. But there are no other details below at all. I spoke to a rep who transferred me to the department that handles the account restrictions and he told me that he can’t see why it was suspended either and that everything seams to be in good standing on my account, and that there was no actual reason listed… like what?!?!
And to top it off the info they want is all things they already have. They want all tracking from previous orders (which they already have since I use eBay generated labels for all shipped items) and to resolve any disputes I have (I don’t have any).
I have been selling for 3 months, I have over 100 ratings and not a single neutral or negative review, I ship everything out by the next day every single time, and I just hit top seller status a few days ago. I have also had no warnings or anything like that either for any reason what so ever. I have had a few returns but I refunded them immediately upon receiving the item, well within the 48 hour time frame. So what the heck?
so I guess my questions are:
1. Does anyone see something on my account that would cause this?
2. is it normal to actually remove every single active listing and to list in the email sent about the restriction of the account all of those listings that were removed when an account is suspended?
3. anyone know why I can’t actually email them back? I have tried dif browsers, on my email, and my seller account, but I get the same error saying they can’t receive replies to that email after I send a reply, (even though it clearly says reply to this email). I’m just really frustrated as I don’t see any reason why it was restricted and apparently no one can tell me either. Of course it was on the day I receive my weekly payouts so I have a few grande in there to rub salt on the wound.
kh_nipun
·2 years agoHi everyone,
Due to the age of this thread, it has been closed to further replies. Please feel free to start a new thread if you wish to continue to discuss this topic.
Thank you for understanding.
ckimodog
·2 years agoOld thread 2023
leastra-13
·2 years agoMay I ask what the outcome of your situation was?
Unavailable member
·2 years agoYou may never know, this thread is from a year ago.
bigjsa-44
·3 years agoJust had it happen to me on my newish account I have given them all my banking information to set up the account all my payouts have gone smoothly and I have perfect feedback on all purchases. All of a sudden boom 75 listings gone they pulled them all they gave me no explanation no reason and offered me no help. They just kept telling me we sent you a MC011 message telling you what to do but I never received said message or email. They said well we can see the link you need on our end I said great can you share it with me please? No we already sent it to you we are not going to give it to you again. I couldn't believe how ignorant and rude customer service has been to me. Remind you I have perfect feedback no strikes nothing and they treat me like I'm a scammer or something. I'm disabled started this for extra income to survive and it all is gone in one sweep with no explanation other than we sent you a message that you didn't receive oh well are you kidding me. They said that I need to load a picture of my license back and front my debit card connected to my account with my name on it back and front another form of ID all my banking statements that matches my sale payouts even though they have that information and I really don't know what days the sale actually came through as a payment into my account all my purchase records for everything I'm selling with my name on it even though I paid cash for some of them and a utility bill with my name and address matching my eBay account which I also don't have. But now I know what I need which some I have no way of possibly getting I just can't create things that don't exist but I don't have this link to load it on that they have in front of them but say they can't give it to me for a second time even though there was never a first time. Is your head spinning yet reading this because mine has dam near fallen off. They know exactly why they shutdown your account believe me and they know exactly what you need to do to get it back but they don't care about you unfortunately you are just another number that will just be replaced by someone else so you mean nothing to them. I've come to learn that eBay doesn't care about the sellers they don't care if you loose everything they don't care if they made a mistake and it's screwing you over which they will never admit they don't care if you don't get your payouts they are holding they just don't care. I don't know what to do I'm in serious hot water with no idea what to do and customer service could care less. Not to mention the thousands and thousands of dollars in merch I'm sitting on counting on selling for extra income. I put my extra savings into more merchandise because I had a eBay account to sell it on everything was going great and they just ripped the rug right out from under me. I'm barely scraping by there are many days of a empty refrigerator now this I don't know what I'm going to do. I'm physically disabled and can't just go get a regular job. If you figure out how to get your account back or if anyone has any suggestions please share them with me I need all the help I can get. I also hope and wish you the best with your situation sorry this is so long but just had to put it all out there and see if anyone can give me any tips thank you
albertabrightalberta
·3 years agoFWIW, I believe the OP's story. (And I tend to be one of the most cynical people when it comes to "stories!")
Although those messages you received @melindaanne seem to be missing information, they DO say the restriction is temporary and if you comply with all their requests, I don't think you're going to be restricted forever.
My suggestion in cases in which sellers have high-fraud and commonly dropshipped items is to give yourself credibility and buyers and ebay reassurance that you aren't a scammer is to show your own pictures of the actual items.
I don't believe for a minute that it's not a PITA to take pictures, crop, show multiple angles and upload them to your computer and listings, they do show that you have those items in your possession and that you take pride in proving it.
It may or may not help with ebay but it certainly won't hurt, especially if you decide to use other venues to sell.
Regarding the 1099s that the OP states show MSRP for the items as being highly inflated, that's simply how they do it.
Many years ago, I remember getting "gifts" from banks for opening a new account or from time-share presentations for just listening to their spiel. Those free gifts came with 1099s that showed retail prices at which I could have purchased 3 of each item from retailers!
https://www.berrydunn.com/news-detail/the-hidden-tax-cost-of-bank-incentive-rewards#:~:text=In%20certain%20situations%2C%20banks%20are,and%20corresponding%20actions%20to%20take.&text=Awards%20for%20opening%20accounts%20are,taxable%20to%20the%20account%20holder.
reallynicestamps
·3 years ago@devon@ebay
dhbookds
·3 years agoOn one question.......I "think" I've seen others post in these kinds of cases.......that the first thing Ebay asks for is the tracking numbers......then they come back and ask for invoices........
One suggestion that you might look at is talking to an local auction house.....that could be an easy way out: they would come take the stuff from storage units....and stage them where ever they do auctions.
slati_2013
·3 years agoIn less than two months, you sold over three hundred, high end, brand new stuff. That more than most sellers sell the entire year. It is simple; eBay does not know where you are getting your stuff from. Your explanation of how you got them will not fly with eBay. I doubt it is flying here with many. I don't think in your case taking your own pictures would have made a difference. There is simply too much expensive new stuff for eBay to ignore.
The biggest mistake too many new sellers here make is selling too much, too quickly. If you had spread all you items over the year, you might just have slipped under the radar. Even then, all that new stuff would soon have caught the attention of eBay.
1. Too much new, expensive stuff.
2. Once all the listings are gone, odds are they are never coming back.
3. No contact means their decision is final. It is always good to insist on your payouts from eBay immediately. Weekly means you could leave a good chunk in there once you are suspended.
Good luck. Sometimes good things happen.
dbfolks166mt
·3 years agoUnfortunately there have been a number of postings on this forum regarding suspended accounts. With eBay you are guilty until and if you can prove yourself innocent. Often it is easy to spot the reason for the suspension but in some cases it is not but in your case others have already suggested a number of possibilities.
With regards to taxes talk to an accountant or tax specialist but since you have 1099's and receipts from the companies you got the items from and you have sales information from eBay reports. Regardless of whether you are making a profit, breaking even or taking a loss you can and should be reporting it on your taxes. If you are operating at a loss that loss can help offset other tax liabilities but only for a certain amount of time. Again talk to an accountant.
If you cannot get your eBay account re-established as a few others have suggested look at other venues. I utilize consignment auction companies for some items that I cannot list on eBay, or other forums, and there are a number of them close to you in McDonald PA. There are probably also a number of estate sale companies you could utilize to move the items.
toysaver
·3 years ago“We restricted your account because we noticed activity that we believe is a risk to our community, More specific details are provided belowâ€. But there are no other details below at all.... And to top it off the info they want is all things they already have."
Sounds like there were other details in the email from eBay that have been omitted. Just wait until next January when you get another 1099 for the same merchandise. I think there is more to the story than we are hearing. I can't be the only doubting Thomas here.
melindaanne
OP3 years agoI’m aware that I will receive another 1099 for the same items which is why I’m selling the items to cover that tax amount as well. That is still below what others are selling it for though so maybe I should be selling it higher. But my main focus is just selling my backlog of items and breaking even with taxes, I’m not selling to make money on here.
And there actually isn’t any information below that statement other than the listings that were removed (which are all of them). There is absolutely nothing else below at all like a reason or anything like that.
Im not sure what else could be “more to the story†as I laid it all out on here what my situation is. And I’m also not saying that there couldn’t be a reason why it was suspended, though after the replies I received my guess is the fact that I price low/or that I’m using stock photos (which I thought I could since everything I read says if it’s brand new you can except for certain brands and phrases).
But either way I’m just trying to figure out why if either of those two things are the issue that they didn’t just ask me for the receipts or tell me that they don’t want me using stock photos. I think my feedback speaks for itself and if I can provide proof of ownership then I’m not sure what you are insinuating with your comment about “more to thisâ€.
toysaver
·3 years ago"There is absolutely nothing else below at all like a reason or anything like that."
"And to top it off the info they want is all things they already have."
Asking for info is something else.
melindaanne
OP3 years agoThey ask for the info before saying that, not after.
monica-sells
·3 years agoread this post again....it is the same thing I observed......
========================
Also, i happened to notice the content of the message you are trying to send, stating that all your tracking is readily available to eBay thru your shipping labels. It states that a customer service rep told you to mention that. Did he also tell you it wasn't necessary to upload all your tracking data into your response to eBay?
If you were told this it is incorrect.
I cannot stress this enough—give them exactly what they ask for. Whatever information eBay requested of you, regardless of the fact that some of it is already easily available for eBay to review in your Selling pages, make sure you follow their instructions precisely.
If they want the tracking numbers, upload them into your response and give it to them, despite it seeming redundant. If you fail to provide all the requested documentation, there is a distinct possibility you will suffer a permanent restriction of your selling privileges.
=======================
also, don't be afraid to try the facebook ebay for business link...
you will have the chat record for that too, and they can be helpful....
(maybe refer them to this thread)
is there possible restrictions on your ability to "resell" these items you are not aware of
(the fine print?)
melindaanne
OP3 years agoIs there any way to easily get the tracking numbers other than going back through each order and copy/pasting them? I mean I e sold over 300 items…😮â€ðŸ’¨
monica-sells
·3 years agoI do not know for sure if tracking numbers are on the .csv sheet...
I will look for you on these reports...
"...And to top it off the info they want is all things they already have. They want all tracking from previous orders (which they already have since I use eBay generated labels for all shipped items) and to resolve any disputes I have (I don’t have any)..."
So, we are assuming you did not comply with this?
Also, this is confusing me....
"...More specific details are provided belowâ€. But there are no other details below at all..."
Then how did you know they wanted the tracking numbers (which is routine) requested above?
melindaanne
OP3 years ago They ask for the info before saying more info below. Below where they ask for more info is every listing I had added being removed.
melindaanne
OP3 years ago it says more details below but then just jumps right into this.
monica-sells
·3 years agoHere are the tracking numbers sequence:
Go to:
Seller Hub | Reports financial overview | eBay
Click the little down arrow (to download the .csv report)
open the .csv file in excel and go over to column "AJ" (Reference ID)
Expand and Sort column "AJ" and all your Tracking Numbers will be consolidated on the same line with the product. Delete all the extraneous columns (or copy the relevant columns)
lacemaker3
·3 years ago@melindaanne, to address your eBay problem ...
We hear about eBay putting restrictions on sellers accounts like this fairly often. When we look at the items that were being sold, they are frequently new, retail items, that are being sold at prices that are too low for there to be a viable business model being used. It is not clear how the seller could be operating at a profit, when selling so much merchandise at such low prices.
The listings often use stock photos. That in itself, is not against eBay policy. But it can be seen as a red flag.
Your explanation of how you came by the items is very unusual. I'm not implying that it's not true, but the problem is that most of the time, in this situation, the sellers say that they got the items from "liquidations" or "from the store/manufacturer". Unfortunately, in many cases, the items were actually stolen, and the "liquidation website" was actually fencing stolen property. There have been well-publicized cases where trains or trucks were broken into and the merchandise being transported was stolen. All that stolen merchandise has to be sold somewhere, and what they do it try to pass it off at a great discount to online sellers as "liquidation" or "merchandise returns".
Again, I'm not implying that you were doing this, or that you are not telling the truth. That's why I put a lot of effort into analyzing your situation as you described it, and giving you my best advice earlier.
I'm just saying this now, to explain why eBay has restricted your account. It shows a lot of red flags that your merchandise might be suspect. That doesn't mean that it is, but they are going to do this with any seller who consistently has a lot of merchandise that is being sold at prices that are too low to support making a profit.
I'm afraid that I don't think there is anything you can do to be able to continue selling on eBay at this point. You probably will not be able to provide any information, that eBay can/will accept, that would justify selling so much merchandise at what appears to be a loss.
Your company is not doing you any favors here. They have created this mess by dumping all this merchandise on you, when there isn't really any way that you can dispose of it without losing a lot of money. Your company should work with you to find a better way to deal with this.
fashunu4eeuh
·3 years agoSo sorry you got caught in the eBay dragnet.
New legislation called the INFORM Consumer Act has contributed to eBay’s cracking down on sellers with new branded items being sold for under market prices.
Specifically, the law directs online marketplaces to verify high-volume third-party sellers by authenticating the seller’s government ID, tax ID, bank account information, and contact information.
The purpose of this is to deter online sales of stolen, counterfeit, and unsafe goods to protect consumers. But honest legitimate sellers are also being affected as seen here in the forums. There have been a number of sellers reporting the same experience as the OP.
@melindaanne reach out to the customer service reps that several posters have given you links to. You need to be able to clear your name so you can get reinstated. I am confident that if you do, that eBay will see it has made a mistake in restricting your account. You have all the documentation required to prove your case.
Good luck, and let us know how it goes.
reallynicestamps
·3 years agoAnd to top it off the info they want is all things they already have. They want all tracking from previous orders (which they already have since I use eBay generated labels for all shipped items) and to resolve any disputes I have (I don’t have any).
One way to confirm that the person currently running an account is to ask for information that the questioner already has then compare the answers.
I have had a few returns but I refunded them immediately upon receiving the item, well within the 48 hour time frame.
A "few" is actually high, not just for eBay but for online retailing in general. The "failed transaction " percentage is usually given as one percent.
anyone know why I can’t actually email them back?
Are you getting these emails through eBay Messages?
Not only can you respond to those, you can go back and respond a second time to the same question.
This might be useful:
The phone reps have a terrible reputation for getting you off the phone as soon as possible even if that mean giving you the advice you want to hear instead of the advice you need to have.

https://www.facebook.com/eBayForBusiness/ — Message button in upper right on landing page.

https://twitter.com/askebay?lang=en

https://community.ebay.com/t5/Selling/How-do-I-contact-Customer-Support/m-p/32016431#M1783851 -> Automated Assistant, type AGENT -> enter. You will then get more options.


The social media Chat accounts are covered by trained eBay employees with some authority.
And you get a transcript so you can compare what you heard with what you were told.
melindaanne
OP3 years ago 
Any idea why I can’t reply to the message that they are asking me to reply to? I get these when I try on my eBay account, on all 4 of the browsers I tried, And on my email it will say it went through but then I immediately get a message saying that the address does not receive emails to this address.
 
😕
fashunu4eeuh
·3 years agoHi again. The pop-ups in your screen shots are the kind of notices one gets when there is a temporary glitch in the system. It hasn’t been 24 hours yet. This all just happened today. So try again tomorrow to respond to their message. (Btw, have you tried inputting the eBay address into a “To:†box rather than just hitting the reply button?)
Also, i happened to notice the content of the message you are trying to send, stating that all your tracking is readily available to eBay thru your shipping labels. It states that a customer service rep told you to mention that. Did he also tell you it wasn't necessary to upload all your tracking data into your response to eBay?
I cannot stress this enough—give them exactly what they ask for. Whatever information eBay requested of you, regardless of the fact that some of it is already easily available for eBay to review in your Selling pages, make sure you follow their instructions precisely.
If they want the tracking numbers, upload them into your response and give it to them, despite it seeming redundant. If you fail to provide all the requested documentation, there is a distinct possibility you will suffer a permanent restriction of your selling privileges.
reallynicestamps
·3 years agoOne way to confirm that the person currently running an account is to ask for information that the questioner already has then compare the answers.
My words- and embarrassingly ungrammatical.
One way to confirm that the person currently running an account is the actual owner of that account to ask that person for information the owner has already given.
Which is why you can't say "But eBay already has that information." They do but they need to know that the account operator also has the same information and hasn't just hijacked it and doesn't have the demanded information.
Huh- not sure if that is any better.
Try this.
A robot is asking this question. Robots are stupid. Tell the robot exactly what it asks for. Any other answer will fail.
jathibo-12
·3 years agoEbay in the long run is a giant CON, they gave you increased visibility because your a new account. Then you have good items priced correctly, so you made sales. Ebay does not want ANYONE to grow or make money, you were actually able to make a profit. If you can grow, then you'll this this horrible site; they can't allow this to happen. Also, you sold entirely too much entirely too fast; automatic fraud alert. It will happen on every site.
albertabrightalberta
·3 years agoOh the irony! ^^^^ Those comments are coming from someone who has 1600+ active listings!
stainlessenginecovers
·3 years agoBy the way; if you donate or those items; you only have to 'claim the value' and then you can 'write off that value' with that donation.
Also- why in the world would the company have to send you the 'item' for you to 'approve' the packaging? Why don't they just send you a sample of the package?
melindaanne
OP3 years agoHonestly I have no idea. 😂 It was a part of our contract since I started like 5 years ago ( my guess is it was just an extra incentive for the job). But when the irs started cracking down on influencers who got products for free in exchange for reviews a few years ago what I do fell into the same sort of umbrella and now I end up owing more than half of what I make every year in taxes.
like I said it’s definitely a cool job since I get a lot of stuff that I get to use. But the stuff I can’t use of don’t need it’s been a headache getting rid of it just so that I can basically break even. Here I am trying to just get rid of it and break even after fees and shipping, not even including time, and eBay is like nope! Your prices are just too low. (Or at least that’s what I’m assuming it is since nothing else makes sense)
stuff4divas
·3 years ago@melindaanne well, something else DOES make sense, you came along and suddenly listed a mega amount of items completely out of the ordinary of your previous listing habits
melindaanne
OP3 years agoAlso I have tried donating… it’s more complicated than selling on eBay! Anything over $5000 total and you have to have it appraised by an appraiser and pay for that. I priced them out and they want anywhere from $12-$20 an item. Then you can’t actually claim all of that on your taxes if it’s over a certain amount or %. Plus while I have receipts for all of the products (I can even use them for a warranty claim since there an actual receipt) the actual price paid that is shown on the receipt is $0 making it really hard to donate to negate the taxes I pay on them. And then there are only certain places you can donate too up to the amount of stuff I have (ie non profits only).
all that to say trust me I have tried that route. But I definitely appreciate the suggestion!
stuff4divas
·3 years ago@melindaanne try selling on more platforms
bigjsa-44
·3 years agoHave you had any luck with other platforms? I'm going through the same thing she is my perfect feedback perfect record account just got taken out. The things they want are impossible for me to get I can't just create things that don't exist. So I'm trying to figure out what other platform I can sell from. My items are really for like Amazon or Etsy has been overloaded with Chinese sellers selling counterfeits but if you would try that you would get removed right away it's like some things are ok for some but not others. If you have had any luck with any other platforms for selling I would greatly appreciate it if you could please let me know thanks
stainlessenginecovers
·3 years agoYou can 'gift' up to 5 people up to $14,000 so you can 'gift' that stuff as well.
There is a percentage; but it's higher than you are stating and you do NOT need to get things appraised if you already know that amount that you are being 'given'.
In fact, how would anyone know the value of what you are given? Does it ALL come from 1 place and they give you a 1099 for it?
What's to say you don't just 'authorize' the packaging?
Who says there's an item in the package for you to claim?
Who's to say you don't just throw the item away since all you are doing is authorizing the packaging?
melindaanne
OP3 years agoYeah unfortunately everything is listed and broken down on one 1099 from my job. So I basically get my paycheck and taxes taken out of that, and then a separate 1099 for all of the items I receive. The only plus is that I don’t have to pay the extra self employment tax since I’m not self employed and it’s a part of my job.
I actually tried to donate the stuff last year and was told that anything donated over $5000 had to be appraised (it was
my tax advisor that I have to pay a bunch of money to sort through all this crap, but they are cool and honest with me)
what do you mean by gifting though? Like could I “gift†the item and then write it off on taxes?
Basically I’m not trying to just give it away, I mean I did still have to pay about 30% of the full retail on the stuff. But I’m not trying to really make money on it either. I’m just trying to lessen the insane tax burden on me that the “free†(but not really free) items out on me.
and by the way I appreciate you giving me some ideas! 🥰
pburn
·3 years ago@melindaanne
No. You can't "gift" someone a vacuum cleaner and then write it off on your taxes--especially if you received it free. That advice was inappropriate and should be ignored..
lacemaker3
·3 years agoI think you need to renegotiate your contract.
Basically, your "company" is shipping stuff/merchandise to you, that you don't need or want. They don't want to pay for the return shipping, so they are dumping the stuff on you and making you dispose of it. The problem is that the IRS is viewing this stuff as valuable items provided to you, so you have to report it as additional income; basically, as in-kind payments.
If all of this income is being reported on 1099 forms (2 of them), then you are a contractor, not an employee. If you were an employee, then your wages/salary would be reported on a W-2 form, and only the in-kind payment would be on a 1099 form, if that. I believe that when a company provides merchandise to an employee as a bonus, the value is included on their W-2, not on a separate 1099 form.
You said that you have receipts for the stuff/merchandise you received, but they show a value of zero. How much is being shown on the 1099 form? Given how much you are being charged for income tax, it sounds like they are showing the full retail value for this merchandise.
Talk to your tax advisor about this. Why isn't this stuff being reported at the company's actual cost for the merchandise? Or at the most, at the wholesale value (which would be higher, but much less than retail value)? Is the company required by the rules for the 1099 reporting to show the full retail value? You should talk to your tax advisor and find out what the rules are, and then come up with a plan to renegotiate with your company to find a way to not have to deal with this.
If you have to report the full retail value of all this merchandise that the company dumped on you, then you need to change your work flow, or work process, or renegotiate your contract so that all of this merchandise is not being dumped on you and becoming additional income that you are not able to dispose of at retail prices.
Maybe you can set it up so that you review the products in their packaging and give approval at the company's location, rather than having stuff shipped to you. Either that, or you send the stuff back at the company's expense.
I know this doesn't help you with your eBay issue, but frankly, I think this is a bigger problem. You don't really have a viable business model for an online retail business, which is what you're trying to do. You need to find a way out.
Basically, you're trying to offset the income tax you have to pay because you received all this merchandise by deducting it as a business expense ... and I don't think the IRS allows income tax paid as a business expense. So I don't think you're going to find a way around this problem that complies with the IRS rules.
I think you need to find a way to get rid of the problem at the source - don't receive all the "free" merchandise that isn't free at all.
melindaanne
OP3 years agoI get a W2 for my wages, but then the actual products sent are on a 1099.
but yes either way this is good advice and I appreciate it! There are only two of us that do this job for our company and the other person it’s not an issue for since their husband makes crazy money so they just pay the taxes without issue and give away the stuff they don’t need to friends and family.
It was all great at first, all kinds of cool products that I got to keep. But once the tax laws changed everything became super complicated and I’m just trying to keep afloat. So I have been thinking that myself as I’m over trying to offset my taxes by selling the stuff (and I’ve only been trying to sell it for about a year in the various ways as mentioned). it’s like a second full time job on top of my full time job, and I have kids.
pburn
·3 years agoBe very careful giving this kind of tax advice.
One doesn't need to be concerned about tax laws surrounding "gifting" if one gives their sibling a new vacuum cleaner. The reasoning behind "gifting" is twofold: to reduce the giver's estate for tax purposes or to give the receiver the gift tax free. Neither would apply in the OP's circumstances.
Also, charitable contributions can only be deducted if one itemizes deductions on Schedule A.
@melindaanne
It seems disingenuous to me to receive all this free merchandise and then donate it in order to qualify for a charitable contribution deduction--which it appears you're not considering doing. Selling them somewhere, somehow seems to be more appropriate.
I think it would have been a good idea to have taken your own photos of each item instead of using stock photos. It would have given credence to your claim that the items were in your possession. Little late for that advice, I know.
Good luck with this one. I have a feeling you'll be looking for other selling platforms. 😕
djvp53
·3 years agoMost of this is nonsense. Part of it seems to be advocating tax fraud.
OP, I have no idea what's going on with your eBay account but if you are declaring the value of these items as income on your taxes, you have tax basis in the item. When you sell the items, you should be able to deduct your tax basis as the cost of goods sold. Make sure your accountant understands that the "$0" on the receipt is not your tax basis. Your basis will be a function of the amount of revenue on the 1099 attributable to those items. You may have complicated matters a lot by keeping some of the items for personal use and selling only some of the items but I'll leave that for you and your accountant to hash out.
stainlessenginecovers
·3 years agoIt's not extreme as there are big groups going through stores and stealing things and walking right out and nothing anyone can do. There are people breaking into trains and emptying Millions of $$ worth of product etc.
So, new seller, new items, multiple brands, stock photos (not showing anything in possession) all leads to either someone listing and then buying at Target, Walmart, HD wherever, after the sale, or stolen merch.
They won't 'ask' questions to clue someone in on what they are looking at so you can then just 'change' the ways something is being presented.
They are just 'protecting' themselves and their members.
ckimodog
·3 years ago@melindaanne
Sorry for your situation. From what it looks like to me any way is perhaps you sold a whole lot merchandise in a very short time, that can set off the red flags, especially from a somewhat new seller. Were these items you sold being shipped to the buyer via your Ebay account or another platform that sells similar items? Lots of sellers here lately getting their accounts suspended for drop shipping from retailers, which means you take the order via Ebay and re purchase the item from another source. That's not good.
Did Ebay ask for receipts or anything else? A lot of us are basically guessing but from your stock pictures you provided it appears to be the issue. Your method of drop shipping.
All I can do is wish you well with future career opportunities.
Best of luck.
melindaanne
OP3 years agoI actually don’t dropship, I have all of these items in my possession. I know that’s wild, it’s just a part of my job that on the surface sounds really cool but in reality is a bigger headache than it can be worth. But I can see how you came tO that conclusion.
I design packaging for brands, so when a project is done I am sent that product to approve it usually right before it launches being sold or if it’s a redesign on packaging then before they start selling it in the new packaging.
The items are mine immediately upon receipt to do with as I wish, the only exclusion being if it has not become available for the public to purchase I can not sell it before this. However I then have to pay about 30% of the full retail price in income taxes since it’s technically part of my job.
so basically I make $75,000 a year (about $62,000 after initial taxes) And then owe $30,000 plus on top of that for the taxes of the items I receive. Sure I get a lot of cool stuff, but I also get an insane amount of stuff and am sitting on multiple storage lockers full of brand new stuff that I don’t need (that I also have to pay for the storage lockers). So I started selling the stuff in sitting on because I cannot afford to keep this up for obvious reasons. I’m able to charge much less than retail because I’m only paying 30% for the item when it all comes down to it.
sorry I just wanted to clarify because these are all items I have on hand and I’m not a drop shipper. But I know that’s the obvious conclusion you would come to seeing my page. Hopefully EBay allows me to explain myself and provide the invoices for the items. Fingers crossed!
anasazirose
·3 years agoConsidering that you're selling legal items on ebay for way less than retail, then paying ebay their 15ish%, then will have to pay taxes on the amount you make, why not sell them locally for cash or at a large yard sale, especially since ebay seems to not want your business?
melindaanne
OP3 years agoI’ve tried marketplace, boy is that super not fun! Constantly having people not show up, then there are the people that will ask you a billion questions and spend 3 days messaging you every 20 min and end up not even buying. Then there are the ones that want you to basically give it away. I mean I was offering 14 day returns on all items (which is unheard of on marketplace only because I would feel horrible making someone keep something if it were defective). Most of the items I was selling for 40% retail, the most being 50% retail, and I was still getting people constantly like I’ll take it for $50 (on a $500 item brand new). Sigh. Also have 5 star rating on there too with no negative reviews at all, so that wasn’t an issue.
I tried my local flea market this past fall… never again! Loading it and unloading it all to do it all over again. Bringing easily $100,000 in brand new items and people wanting to buy it for like 10%, and walking out of there with $1,000 but having sold items for less then the 30% I pay for them just to get rid of them.
Anyone live in the Pittsburgh pa area want to start buying my stuff for 35%-40% retail? 😅 only adding the extra 5%-10% for gas.
anasazirose
·3 years agoI'm 26 miles south of Pittsburgh, straight down 51. Do you have any Milwaukee tools? I'm looking for a Hatchet. They and their batteries are more than I want to spend to cut branches.
If you're still on FB MP at all, I'd love to see your items.
Another thought, can you have a yard sale / flea market at the storage unit?
Another venue for you, and a quick one at that, would be an estate sale, Crow's Nest on FB is located in Monongahela. She would come, set up and sell the items in a yard sale type setting. I believe she charges 10-15%.
Even better might be an auction company like Fred Peters from Brownsville. His small crew comes, takes photos, advertises it online. All the bidding is online and I've seen people go bananas for NIB items. I am not sure what he charges the seller, but the buyers all pay a 15% buyer premium. If for some reason you don't want them in your storage unit, they can take the items to their building in Brownsville where the bidders can come for a preview and he keeps it there until pickup. His site is https://fpauctioneers.com/ and you can check out past auctions as well.
With one of these options, you could be free within a month with a couple phone calls and no taking pics, listing, packing, shipping, or having all your work undone in quick second.
m60driver
·3 years agoWhy yes. I just looked up two items you sold, a Black&Decker and a Coleman product, both new name brand items, that you were selling well below Amazon prices. It is not easily explained how you can sell at those prices, especially with Ebay fees in your cost. One of the numerous name brands that you have sold may have contacted Ebay and noted that there was something not quite right here.
melindaanne
OP3 years agoI get that, and it’s because the brand actually sent it to me as part of my job. (I pay about 30% of the full retail price for the items in taxes but I own the products and have receipts for them all (from the manufacturers ironically) 😂
so why wouldn’t they just ask me for the invoices for the items?
I don’t know I’m just confused why they wouldn’t just ask first instead of doing this. I mean I’m an honest seller and my stats prove it. And if the brands don’t want me selling the items then they should specify that in our contracts. Instead our contracts clearly state that once I receive an item it is mine to do with as I please and I am responsible for all income taxes for the item.
m60driver
·3 years agoThat is about what sales folks pay for samples. There are usually restrictions on the reselling of those items when a company provides samples or similar dealings. Sales folks have to be rather discreet when selling such company's items. I use to buy plenty of salesman samples to sell in my store but my store was small and did not advertise. I would guess that a company had no idea who you were or how you got the product and complained to Ebay that something was not right. Regardless of how you see it, I doubt you will get your account reinstated.
12345jamesstamps
·3 years agoLooks like manufacturers don't want stuff being sold from a third party. Just thoughts. eBay prefers you selling items you have in your procession and not in a store. The reason you were able to sell so much thus far is that it does sometimes take awhile before eBay catches up to what one is selling.
Customer service on the phone usually will agree with you but they can't do anything.
It's possible you have gotten emails in the past about your account but didn't get them or they went into trash account instead.
melindaanne
OP3 years agoI have every one of these items in possession. I only am selling them because they are accumulating since I have been doing this job for a few years (see my other post if questions about job or where I get these items). And because I can’t afford to keep paying $30,000-$40,000 in taxes because of the items I’m getting from my job.
but why wouldn’t they just ask for that info upfront instead of restricting my account and removing my listings? I can give them whatever they want (I get invoices for all of the items sent). And also why can’t the eBay reps in this department see why it was actually restricted?
12345jamesstamps
·3 years agoIt might have come from just one company product you are selling. Or someone has been flagging your items that were for sale. It does take a few months before eBay does anything. So it might have started at the very beginning of some items for sale or just one sale.
melindaanne
OP3 years agoGot ya. So what do they do in this instance? Just ask me for more info and I provide it and it’s all good after that? It just seams extreme to not just ask me for what they want before doing that.
also anyone know why I can’t reply to the email at all that they want me to reply to? It legit comes back every time I send it that they can’t receive emails to that email but I’m doing it directly from my eBay messages🤔
krazzykats
·3 years agoAccount restrictions and suspensions | eBay
Scroll all the way down to the bottom of the page and click on:
stuff4divas
·3 years agothis type of situation (restricting, suspending) accounts has been going on heavily for about a year now that i know of, mostly bc online selling platforms are being pressured to better police what is being sold due to outrageous retail theft.
when someone comes along and 'suddenly' has tons of stuff to list or doing something out of their 'usual' selling self, well, it looks 'suspicious' maybe?
for real, i don't know, but it's being done to several sellers every day and they all say the same as you. CS tells them they see nothing wrong with their account, tells them to download all sorts of info, invoices, blah, blah, blah, and that the eBay message just takes them around the great eBay merry go round.
To contact eBay,
Click on > https://www.ebay.com/help/contact_us?id=4002&st=10 to see the various options to contact eBay
If you decide to receive a call back, make sure your phone will not block the call back
AND-OR
Contact eBay via their social media sites with a private message:
https://Facebook.com/ebay
AND-OR
https://Twitter.com/askebay
Great customer service on both
Good Luck
stainlessenginecovers
·3 years agoThey did it because you went from Zero to 150 miles an hour selling 'brand new' things at a record pace. Many of these items being 'brand new'.
Did you have all these items on hand?
Were you using your own live pictures or 'brand' pictures?
Did they ask you for receipts for all these items? (if not, they will)
If you bought these items from a 'liquidator' (looks like it) they are no longer 'brand new' as they are 'returns' etc. that these 'liquidators' get their hands on.
Asking for 'tracking' is just boilerplate, as they ask everyone in this situation.
ps. just looked at your 'sold' listings; they are all 'stock' photos and none are personal so they either think you are just 'listing' things, then buying and reselling; you must have them in possession (real photos help) or a 'deal' in place with a drop shipper, which they may have asked for.
melindaanne
OP3 years agoNo I don’t purchase from a liquidator, I get them directly from the manufacturer. Part of my job is designing packaging for products and I am sent them to sign off of the final packaging. I own them once they are sent and pay income taxes on the full retail value. I’m basically only selling to help pay my tax bill that is more money every year than buying a new freaking SUV.
But back to the initial issue, they have done a few reviews on my account (which I totally get and is totally fine). But to all of a sudden completely remove all of my listings and eBay can’t even tell my why is what is really concerning.
stevemartin60
·3 years agoOf course, they could have called and talked to you, but that would have required a modicum of time and effort. I am so sorry, but welcome to the "new and improved eBay."
I've been here for fifteen years and 95% of the changes made over that time have been negative for sellers and buyers. They've benefitted one party. Guess who that is?
Right...
Stockholders are NOT the only people that matter, especially when short-sighted changes are now proving to be harmful to them as well.
Corporate law needs to be severely adjusted/restricted to put the "greater good of society" back into the equation, like it always was when the first corporations were founded.