eBay

itolduandso · ‎03-17-2022

I sell home improvement hardware and recently I asked to increase the monthly selling limit. The customer service rep on the chat started to ask me to provide a proof where I am sourcing my items before she would be able to increase my limits. I am on ebay for over 20 years so not exactly a newbie.

This is a novelty to me. Is Ebay becoming like a bad version of Amazon?

I hung up on the CSR and a few days later started another chat with another CSR and this time there wasn't any issue and increased the limit without a problem.

It's still unnerving to see Ebay asking wrong questions from the wrong seller. If I was selling iphones or rolex watches or non-ethically sourced toilet paper, I would understand and should expect perhaps the types of questions.

dbfolks166mt · ‎03-17-2022

I just wish eBay exercised some of the same scrutiny over the buyers as they do the sellers maybe the non payments and scam attempts would be reduced a bit.

luckythewinner · ‎03-17-2022

@itolduandso wrote:
Ebay asking me to provide proof where I source my items. Is it normal?

I do not know what you mean by "normal" or why you think this question is "wrong".

But this is definitely something that eBay does, it is not unusual for a seller to post here saying that it has happened, and they seem to be doing it more frequently.

mybigsale · ‎03-17-2022

eBay does many things that I would not classify as normal. I will take the liberty of changing your question from "Is it normal?" to "Is it done?"

Yes, it is done. It was done to me once long ago when increasing my limits.

I believe the purpose is to verify that the items you sell are from a legitimate (legal) source. They don't want you to be a clerk at a hardware store who "finds" store owned merchandise to sell on eBay.

redmodelt · ‎03-17-2022

Or drop shipping items you don't own.

simply-the-best-for-you · ‎03-17-2022

Same as the others. Not sure what you mean by "normal" & I haven't had it happen to me, but it happens quite a bit.

This one goes to Eleven - Nigel Tufnel

Simply-the-best-for-you Volunteer Community Mentor
eBay Seller since 1996

coolections · ‎03-17-2022

We would need to know what it is you are trying to sell. We will also need to know if you actually have those items in hand. Yes, a person who Ebay is suspicious of will be asked those questions. Ebay expects answers from you before they will increase your selling limit.

femmefan1946 · ‎03-17-2022

@redmodelt

Dropshipping is allowed. The reseller here has a contract with her supplier to use his photos and description and he will package and ship her sales.

What is NOT allowed is "retail arbitrage" where the reseller advertises a product but only buys it (often from AZ or Wally World) when she gets an order then has it shipped to the final buyer.

Not only is this fraud (you should not sell what you do not own) but that final buyer is annoyed/furious when the purchase arrives from a different company, sometimes with a packing slip indicating the supplier's lower price.

This is makes eBay look bad.

katzrul15 · ‎03-17-2022

@itolduandso wrote:
I sell home improvement hardware and recently I asked to increase the monthly selling limit. The customer service rep on the chat started to ask me to provide a proof where I am sourcing my items before she would be able to increase my limits. I am on ebay for over 20 years so not exactly a newbie.

This is a novelty to me. Is Ebay becoming like a bad version of Amazon?

I hung up on the CSR and a few days later started another chat with another CSR and this time there wasn't any issue and increased the limit without a problem.

It's still unnerving to see Ebay asking wrong questions from the wrong seller. If I was selling iphones or rolex watches or non-ethically sourced toilet paper, I would understand and should expect perhaps the types of questions.

Yes, it is normal. We were asked a few years back when our selling limits exceeded $100k. We wanted an increase. E-Bay wanted more info.

We gave them as asked -they, in kind, raised our selling limits.

Quite a few post that is it fairly mainstream for them to request. Likely a huge *red* flag if a Seller does not wish to comply/entertain......

....... "The Ranger isn't gonna like it Yogi"......... Boo-Boo knew what he was talking about!

Posting ID Only.......
Yes, I have no Bananas, only Flamethrowers.......

theteamsetguy · ‎03-17-2022

The reason they are doing it more frequently is the amount of professional shoplifting going on. I've seen reports on CNBC and 60 Minutes within the last couple of years on the millions of dollars of power tools that are walking out the door of Home Depot stores each year.

https://www.tampabay.com/news/publicsafety/crime/Fences-sold-stolen-Home-Depot-power-tools-through-w...

https://www.charlottestories.com/charlotte-man-arrested-for-selling-3-million-in-stolen-power-tools-...

theteamsetguy · ‎03-17-2022

The reason they are doing it is because of all of the professional shoplifters out there.

downunder-61 · ‎03-17-2022

It is funny how different things stand out to different people.

Now to me, what stood out was : I hung up on the CSR and a few days later started another chat with another CSR and this time there wasn't any issue and increased the limit without a problem.

You would at least think eBay could get their CS reps trained to an extent where they can agree with each other on actual policy, or is the lesson here that we all just contact CS time and time again until we get an outcome we are happy with?

Not to mention the loss in potential sales had the OP just taken what was told to them in first place as gospel - it really is pretty poor

********************************************************************
I have been imported from Australia and this is my posting ID

espresso_warehouse · ‎03-18-2022

@downunder-61 wrote:
It is funny how different things stand out to different people.

Now to me, what stood out was : I hung up on the CSR and a few days later started another chat with another CSR and this time there wasn't any issue and increased the limit without a problem.

You would at least think eBay could get their CS reps trained to an extent where they can agree with each other on actual policy, or is the lesson here that we all just contact CS time and time again until we get an outcome we are happy with?

Not to mention the loss in potential sales had the OP just taken what was told to them in first place as gospel - it really is pretty poor

At least you guys are finally starting to understand the impact of poor management. It has been defended here for years as it has continued to get worse.

CS can't explain anything to new users, they come here and get made fun of. I guess we will see what happens.

femmefan1946 · ‎03-18-2022

The lowly phone reps are poorly trained, working in veal-fattening pens* for a sub-contractor somewhere in Utah.
Workers in that industry notoriously burn out fast.

Be kind to them.

But it seems that the REAL eBay employees are those on social media. They rarely talk on the phone, mostly you will be typing back and forth. But they are trained, they can speak for eBay, and they have a little authority to correct the problem.

Always providing that the caller is actually correct.

Posters here know that it is not unusual for the real problem to be exposed on the third or fourth post from an OP.

One advantage for the member is that she can write out her problem, edit for clarity (and spelling) then copy/paste it as a question.

And she gets a transcript of the discussion which allows her to review and learn if what the rep told her is what she thought the rep told her.

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

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

  https://community.ebay.com/t5/Selling/How-do-I-contact-Customer-Support/m-p/32016431#M1783851

*Douglas Coupland who invented GenX