Account locked/restrictions/can't do anything

[lascaustefan]

So, where to begin?

This is my first interaction with Ebay, being on a search for a RTX3090. I made this account earlier this month or last month (don't remember the exact date). I finally receive the funds needed and I go to Ebay looking for a GPU. I see one, but until I manage to translate all the terms and conditions someone else snatches it. Then, I find a "or Best Offer" listing, I send an offer and log off. That happened yesterday evening. This morning I wake up and I find a Buy Now listing that fits my budget. Can't purchase it because eBay warns me about the offer I made yesterday. Farewell, I go and cancel the offer I did, it does gets cancelled but I receive no message that it was cancelled (when I sent the offer I did get a message that said the offer went through). Then I tried again to get the "Buy Now" offer and my account got locked/restricted. Now, I can't even message sellers or anyone because eBay says my account has been accessed by a third party or something. It was me, accessing ebay through my pc browser, the Ebay app and later through my phone browser. Could anyone offer me an explanation of why is this happening? Why am I getting restricted ? 

Thank you for your time!

[whattheactualfox]

You would need to contact ebay to get the account unrestricted I assume. 

https://www.ebay.com/help/call_us?type=ContactUs&initFrom=HOME&topicId=4000

From what I researched, they may ask for proof that you own the account, but I am not 100% sure, so I will bump this for now

[lascaustefan]

I tried that with no luck for the moment. With every minute that passes I'm losing chances , I could've gotten 2 items up until now if it weren't for this "magnificent" implementation of this system and there is no one you can reach. Everything is a dead end. I got a response from ebay.uk on Facebook that they don't see my account as locked and that was it.

I've activated pretty much everything (in terms of security), reset password and now I'm sitting and waiting , seeing how my chances of getting the one item I actually need go away.

What I can't understand is where are the emails?! I get emails from ebay if my cat farts, but no emails when my whole account is locked (even though it says in the help section that if your account gets locked, you will receive an email with the necessary steps to be taken)

[eburtonlab]

If you have not received any messages from eBay, what makes you think your account is locked or restricted?

You may just be running into your open transaction limit if you have an outstanding offer pending.

https://www.ebay.com/help/buying/buying-limits/buying-restrictions?id=4012

[lascaustefan]

Well, mainly because of the image below:

I believe what you said would've applied earlier, when indeed I sent a "Best Offer" and next morning I cancelled it because I had found a better "Buy Now" option. Few things I find weird:

1. I had selected 12 hours for the best offer to be active, the message I got from it said 1 day so 24 hours.

2. The listing has ended. It said last time I check "Unsold". Just checked:

 

[eburtonlab]

You should be able to use the link in your message to contact eBay and find out what info you need to provide.

If you are unable to use the link or to copy and paste it into a browser, try using a desktop browser to place a bid and see if that gives you the same message with a usable link.

If you are unable to contact eBay due to your location, try contacting eBay through this page:

https://www.ebay.com/help/account/protecting-account/get-help-hacked-account?id=4196

That should allow you to contact eBay's Trust & Safety department -- let them know that you have received that message and you need help to get your account working again.

[lascaustefan]

Thank you very much!

I will try all the suggestions you mentioned and let you know what happened!

[lascaustefan]

Nope, nothing works. This is actually a joke from ebay's side. There is no way you can contact one single alive person from their support , every so called "help" page is a dead end or you just run in circles, of course the "Call us" doesn't work, neither does "Chat with us" and I'm stuck here, with nothing left but to express my frustration. Sorry guys, I know it's not your fault (meaning you guys from the forums) but not being able to contact ebay's support team is unbelievable. I mean even the public sector in my country moves faster. Rant over. Looks like there is no solution for my account so thank you all for the help!

[lascaustefan]

So here is how things work:

And then there's this email I got:

And whenever I click the link it says:

And by mistake, while trying to talk it with someone and show him I can't send messages, I actually sent a message (actually 2):

But NOW, if I try to do the same, I get this message:

How does this even work!?

[dariudaudery_0]

0 feedback account buying GPU... Number of threads about GPU empty box scammers has been quite high, are you sure that you have not tried this kind of thing from another account?

Be it you or someone else in your house? 

[lascaustefan]

I have no interest in scamming people. Yes, it is a fresh account. I did it because this is the only way I can get a Founders Edition card which in my opinion are the best looking ones and they work fantastic (from a thermal/workstation point of view). Last 2 months I have been working non-stop, 9 am to 11-12 PM, everyday, including weekends. I gathered everything I could because I was hoping on building a pc that could help me in my activities. I do 3D modelling , rendering and animation in Blender. I can even link a youtube channel which has my work or an ArtStation profile. I currently have to do all the mentioned above from a laptop with a GTX 1060 Max Q. Anyone that has done some rendering knows how painful that would be. That's why this is so frustrating for me.

And no, I live only with another person which has 0 interest in GPU's . I just need one GPU in a certain budget and I keep on missing them because my account is locked. 

[lascaustefan]

One last question, since I really don't wanna annoy you guys: I have placed an offer yesterday evening , which Ebay tells me has ended. Since I am not sure what's happening with my account and I never bought before from Ebay, is it truelly ended? Is there a chance I would have to pay for the item? Here are some prints:

Also this morning, I found a better "Buy Now" listing and I tried buying it but eBay didn't allow me to, so I went and cancelled the offer I did in the evening and then tried again to purchase the "Buy Now" listing and it still didn't allow me to do so. I read (when trying to purchase) that if you click "Buy" or Send Offer, you are legally binded. Both the of the listings have ended. Would it be safe for me to assume that I don't have to pay anything, since I haven't got any messages related to this?

[eburtonlab]

Sorry to hear that you are having problems getting in touch with eBay and resolving your account issue.

I realize you tried to contact eBay UK via Facebook and had no satisfaction, but if you have no other way to contact eBay, I would try again via Facebook or Twitter -- at least you can connect that way, then you just have to find the right person who understands your issue and can do something about it.

https://twitter.com/askebay

https://www.facebook.com/eBay/

The chat option should be working, though -- that should not depend on your location. What happens when you use the chat assistant? Do you see a chat window open? If not, try another browser.

It is possible that a browser or network issue could complicate things and lead to error messages. Make sure you are using a recent browser and that you have a good SSL/TLS client:

https://www.howsmyssl.com/

Other things like using a VPN can cause problems and might lead eBay to think your account has been compromised.

[lascaustefan]

Thank you Eburtonlab!

I just have received a message from Ebay UK, they said they found my tickets and I suppose at some point I will get an answer so I'll just wait. 

I have one request, if you can help: what do you think about my last message right before yours, where I ask if is there any chance I might have to pay anything, even if the listings have ended and I haven't got any messages regarding them.

Thank you in advance!

[eburtonlab · Accepted solution]

You are most welcome -- good luck with eBay UK! I hope they are able to help.

From the listing you showed, it appears that the seller ended the listing due to an error; if that is the case there is no sale and any outstanding offers would be terminated as well, and you should have no obligation. However, I am not very familiar with all the details of how offers work, so I hesitate to say more than that.