Account indefinitely restricted from selling and almost $80k payout pending. Help!

[usminershop]

I got my eBay seller account permanently banned on eBay. They didn't even give me a reason and I really believe this is unfair. 

My company is a legit US based company. We meet with all local and federal laws. I have a very good personal credit. We just started selling on eBay in about 3 month ago, and our sales number sky-rocked due to the crypto getting popular (We sell ASIC miners for bitcoin). Average order amount is about $9000, and we sold over $100k in the past 30 days. I shipped all our orders on time with only 1 exception, and that case, the buyer agreed to wait for our delayed inventory to arrive. For all sold orders in the past 30 days, we have no dispute, no refund or return request from our buyers. In fact, my account is above average in seller rating. 

We are already an established business outside of eBay. There is no fraud or any suspicious activity. As requested by eBay, we did provide all invoices from our supplier. Including manufacture contracts. But eBay still restricted my account permanently without giving me a reason.

To make it worse, I  have almost $80,000 pending payout from eBay for the past orders. eBay won't release the fund to me until my account restriction got lifted. But my account got indefinitely restricted. How can I get my $80k back? My company is counting on the money for new inventories.

It's really frustrating and devastating. Please help! 

[katzrul15]

The email you received outlining the perm restriction - what does it say?

[usminershop]

That's the perm restriction email. I don't know what I did wrong. They didn't give me any warning before.

My seller account is still "above average" and no dispute or refund request ever. 

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We are committed to reducing both fraud and negative buying experiences on eBay. To maintain a safe marketplace, we sometimes restrict selling activity, end active items, or suspend accounts until an additional review can be completed. We have completed an additional review of your account and show that your account was originally restricted because it was in violation of eBay policy and your behavior posed a risk to the eBay community.

Because of this, we have decided that your account will remain indefinitely restricted from selling. We have taken this action out of concern for the safety and integrity of the eBay Community. Due to eBay policy, we cannot provide you with more specific information.

We understand that this situation may be frustrating; however, although future emails from you will be read, we will be unable to respond to any further requests to reinstate your selling privileges.

[fab_finds4u]

Did you have tracking uploaded by your handling time showing  you shipped within your handling time using signature delivery?

[px_455]

This problem of suddenly being permanently suspended doesn't just happen.

There exists a reason.

It is usually contained in that message from eaby.

It is not very long winded, it is easy to miss but it's in there, probably in just a few words.

Also, unless you committed a particularly egregious violation...

Permanent restrictions are normally the result of several previous violations, which you should have received warnings and even temporary selling restrictions... A permanent restriction is usually the culmination of these events when a seller does not adjust their behaviors to meet the requirements as set forth in the user agreement.

[usminershop]

Hi,

Yes all past orders are showing delivered.

I even insured each package to $4000 using FedEx 2nd Day Air.

[usminershop]

Hi,

I didn't receive any warnings before. My business is very legit. I don't believe I committed any particularly egregious violation.

I did received a restriction a week ago. eBay asked me to provide my proof of identity and invoice from my supplier. I did submitted these info and got my suspension lifted. I contacted eBay support multiple times and they ensured that this is just a random check that could happen to anyone and I did nothing wrong. 

[7606dennis]

I noticed a mention of Bitcoins in feedback that you have left in the past, what were you selling?

[usminershop]

Hi,  I sell brand new ASIC miners for bitcoin. Each miner is $8000+. That's why I sold over $100k in the past 30 days. And how I ended up with eBay holding $80k of my payout.... 

[fashunu4eeuh]

There is no mystery as to why you were suspended. From the message from eBay: 

“…your account was originally restricted because it was in violation of eBay policy and your behavior posed a risk to the eBay community.”

The message does not say which policy, but i found several issues in your listings.

I took a look at all your Completed listings, and found the following problems, though it is hard to say if any info in the listings triggered your restriction, or something to do with the info you sent, or both.

1) There is a policy violation in the blurb in some descriptions that states that only one unit will be sent, not all units showed in the photos. From the description:

“By default, you will get ONE (1) miner if you didn’t change the quantity to a number other than 1. You will not get all miners in the picture if you only buy 1 in this listing. It’s very obvious but I still have to make it clear so there won’t be any misunderstanding.”

If you showed more units in the picture than what the buyer will receive, that is considered to be misleading the buyer and is a SNAD waiting to happen. (Btw, did you have any Not As Described cases opened against you?)

All the info in a listing must match and be consistent. The photos, title and description must not contradict each other. Otherwise, it is a violation.

2) Your terms of sale written in your descriptions are unenforceable and directly in contradiction to eBay’s Money Back Guarantee. Sellers cannot stipulate anything that conflicts with the MBG. On eBay, there is no such thing as No Refunds or Final Sale. This phrase can get a listing pulled, 

“If you want to claim “item not working” as the reason to return it, all Tamper Evident Security Seals on machine MUST be intact.”

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3) Photographs cannot contain text, even for attribution.

To help shed more light on the situation, the policy below gives a little bit of info on restrictions.

https://www.ebay.com/help/account/account-holds-restrictions-suspensions/account-holds-restrictions-...

This next policy link is related to holds. To find out the status of your payment holds, scroll all the way to the bottom of the linked page to the box marked Check Payment Holds Status. Then click on it. I am hoping there may be something there to say when and how the payments will be transferred. (But do you still have access to your account at all?)

https://www.ebay.com/help/selling/getting-paid/getting-paid-items-youve-sold/payments-hold?id=4155

I could not find further information regarding held payments when a seller is restricted. I wish there was more i could do to help, very sorry this happened to you. Hope you are able to find another venue and continue your successful selling.

[usminershop]

Hi,

Thanks for these insights. I wish I knew them before the permanently ban. 

(1) For the quantity. I am a wholesaler, so I have an inventory or more than 20 available units. That’s why I put a picture of all my inventories. I thought it could help with the credibility. But unfortunately it worked the opposite way. 

(2) I did put a security seal on my miners to prevent fraudulent return. Sometime people swap faulty parts from new miners. I know it’s not very enforceable. But I wish it could at least turning some fraudulent buyers away.

(3) Yes I total agree with you. I shouldn’t have text on pictures. I saw many listings on eBay that have text overlays. So I thought it’s fine.

To me, these are really honest mistakes. Nothing should be considered a serious violation to eBay’s policy, or a serious security concerns. I wish eBay let me know the reason so I can fix it. I didn’t have any bad intentions or trying to scam people. 

[kensgiftshop]

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@usminershop wrote:

I shipped all our orders on time with only 1 exception, and that case, the buyer agreed to wait for our delayed inventory to arrive. 

---

That could be part of the problem.

Selling an expensive item you don't have, doesn't look good.

[chapeau-noir]

Text on photos (endemic on this site), unenforceable return policies and confusing photos will not lead to account suspension, or half the accounts on eBay would have been suspended.  Holds will not do it.  Something else happened.  I think the amount of money OP was making in a short period of time selling these mining setups triggered the suspension.  I'm also sorry this happened, but I think it's entirely down to eBay's sloppy, cavalier attitude towards suspensions.

[farmalljr]

One thing most here don't know and one DID elude to, is your sales. A drastic increase in sales will and does lead to a suspension. 

IOW's if you normally sell 10K a month, but suddenly jump to 100K, it will trigger the system to suspend you. The system thinks their is likely something bad going on and eBay does not want to be on the hook to a scammer walking away with 100K and eBay is left holding the bag. 

This is likely the reason you got suspended. Let this be a warning to anyone or any business that wants to sell here. Build your sales slowly, or you could very well get suspended. Just like selling limits, you need to build your sales (and the trust eBay puts in you as a seller). 

[maxine*j]

Some people have found they at least got a good hearing by contacting eBay through FaceBook, eBay for Business.   Be sure to be concise, factual, businesslike.   It's worth a try.

I assume you were within this policy:

https://www.ebay.com/help/policies/prohibited-restricted-items/virtual-currency-policy?id=5044

If you do get reinstated, clean up your listings and get them all within policy.  Others have pointed out the things you're doing wrong in that regard.

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