Account Unfairly Restricted

[malvernusedgardenmachinery]

Our business account has been restricted for something I don't think we've done. eBay have alleged that we've been trading outside of eBay (which is factually incorrect). We've been told that we've passed contact details via messages. eBay have sent me 3 item numbers that they allege are involved. I've reviewed all the messages in our inbox, sent items and recycle bin and can find no message sent from us that contained our contact details. Someone made an enquiry about an item and asked us for a contact number. We did not give our our number in our response to them but we did tell them that our contact details our on eBay shop page. I can't find any record that we have done what eBay alleges we have and now we're restricted! 

[malvernusedgardenmachinery]

Update, I've now spoken with eBay. They have agreed that in two of these cases we DID NOT give out our contact information. In the third we gave the landline number for our shop. This is the same number listed under our business seller information which anyone can see anyway. So eBay have restricted us for doing something, that we haven't done in two out of the three examples of 'evidence'. They won't lift the restriction, and there is apparently no appeal. I did cheekily ask if I can get a partial refund on our eBay store subscription, no luck there either! To summarise, eBay (or more likely an algorithm) suspects that we have done something (dealing outside of eBay) which we have not done and have restricted our account based on that suspicion. If the items were sold or ended I'd be inclined to agree that it looks dodgy. However, two of those items are still on sale. They haven't sold yet, so how have I dealt outside of eBay if they've not sold?

[18704d]

"In the third we gave the landline number for our shop. This is the same number listed under our business seller information which anyone can see anyway."

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I thought that was a violation of eBay policy:

Offers to buy or sell outside of eBay
http://pages.ebay.com/help/policies/rfe-spam-non-ebay-sale.html

Not allowed
"Posting or displaying contact information in a listing, including email, phone number, and mailing address, without the permission of eBay or except as required by law"

fwiw,

Lynn

[readabouthorses]

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@18704d wrote:

"In the third we gave the landline number for our shop. This is the same number listed under our business seller information which anyone can see anyway."

---------

I thought that was a violation of eBay policy:

Offers to buy or sell outside of eBay
http://pages.ebay.com/help/policies/rfe-spam-non-ebay-sale.html

Not allowed
"Posting or displaying contact information in a listing, including email, phone number, and mailing address, without the permission of eBay or except as required by law"

fwiw,

Lynn

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Is the policy the same in the UK?

[southern*sweet*tea]

OP is in the UK registered as a business seller. They are required to have their contact info in their listings.

[18704d]

"We've been told that we've passed contact details via messages.
...
Someone made an enquiry about an item and asked us for a contact number. We did not give our our number in our response to them but we did tell them that our contact details our on eBay shop page.

 They have agreed that in two of these cases we DID NOT give out our contact information. In the third we gave the landline number for our shop."

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So, for 2 of them, you said in messages that your contact info is in the listing. (listing violation)

And in the 3rd, you directly messaged them your phone number.

I'm ignoring that a CSR said you were "ok" in two of them...

But I can see why eBay apparently feels you violated policy in all 3 instances.

I'm not sure why we see so many listings on eBay which do include a seller's phone number, unless they've gotten the appopriate permission in advance to include it?  Or because that phone number doesn't point to a business which sells the same items off-eBay?

?

Lynn

[18704d]

"OP is in the UK registered as a business seller. They are required to have their contact info in their listings.

----------

Slow typing corner here,

I was going to look that up, next.

Thanks

Lynn

[chrysylys]

Which is also apparently a violation.

Only on this company's sites, could it be both required and a violation.

[18704d]

OP's Business seller information (from their last positive fb sale)"

(personal contact info editted out)

mobilemowerfix(this is their Email) Mobile contact: (this is their Phone Number)

Opening Hours: Mon - 0900 to 1700 Tue - 0900 to 1700 Wed - 0900 to 1600 Thu - 0900 to 1700 Fri - 0900 to 1700 Sat - By appointment, please contact us. Sun - By appointment, please contact us.


eBay UK policy:

eBay Policy: Contact information in listings
http://pages.ebay.co.uk/help/policies/contact-information.html


"In general, members are permitted to include contact information for the purpose of offering customer support in a listing,"
...

However, members are not permitted to:
"Include contact information for the purpose of soliciting sales outside of normal eBay processes"

So, does eBay feel the OP needs to have their brick and mortar business hours listed?

Along with the invitations to contact them for brick and mortar store appointments?

Thanks again,

Lynn

[scentsational_you]

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@chrysylys wrote:
Which is also apparently a violation.

Only on this company's sites, could it be both required and a violation.

---

Another example of ebays "thought police" tactics.

Why humans in a capacity of authority can simply imagine you're doing something without proof, then punish you makes for a very creepy existence in this world!

[sharingtheland]

I'm not going to pile on OP about violations (because frankly I didn't take the time to look at any listings).

I'm just going to say we are suddenly seeing too many threads about restrictions/violations/hand slappings for bots catching numbers or words about supposed communication concerning off-ebay sales.

[wylieleatherwyo]

Same problem. Someone sent me their contact info all on their own!

[fab_finds4u]

I clicked on your store.   I saw the url www.mobile-mower-fix.co.uk which is your personal website.  Services available included buying and selling used equipment.   According to eBay that's not allowed.

Not allowed

• You can't refer to or promote your personal website (including links to home page web addresses that promote websites outside of eBay), sales outside of eBay, or other businesses.

[moondogblues]

This is now getting scary...I got a warning about this (as a BUYER) today after inquiring about combined shipping. There was NO info shared. If sellers start getting suspended for nothing then maybe it's really time to stop using this site.

The conundrum is...where to go. I am soooo glad I stopped selling about 2 months ago, and I had no idea it would get this weird. I am a huge buyer, lots of collectibles, but there are other places to buy from.

[moondogblues]

Rules are different in the UK.