Extinction Looming I Need a Human with Clout

[auctionsco]

     I have been selling on eBay for over 23 years.  Until recently I had never been below standard and have been a top seller or a power seller for a lot of my career on eBay. Any of you been sent a power seller card holder case? In the past year I unsuccessfully took on the challenge of running my own on line auction company which distracted me from my eBay roots. Because of that I have been saddled with 4 defects for selling an item out of stock. I know eBay cracked down on sellers who were selling items they didn't possess, they would purchased them elsewhere to fill an order.  I have Never Sold an Item Out of Stock in my 23 years here.  A few times I have not been able to find the item I sold in a timely manner. Without photo collaboration, imagine owning over 10,000 eBay worthy items that range from tiny to a 100 with a 5+ sq ft footprint all stored within my living space of 400 sq ft and a carport.

There were 4 items that I failed to find quickly and told my clients such.  Now if I had just told eBay "I am having trouble with the clients' address" none of those would have been deemed defective transactions and I wouldn't be banned from eBay in January 2025.  Diving further into those defective transactions two of those four were found and shipped to the clients. The other two I continued to stay in touch with as is my policy to maintained excellent relations with all my clients.. At least one that earned me a defect left positive feedback.

       GUILTY. I didn't contact eBay within the required time frame. I didn't realize the consequences  and my clients didn't leave eBay for my actions I guarantee you. When suddenly this fall I realized that these overlooked transactions last spring had deemed me a below standard seller and subject to additional financial penalties and life long suspension.  A recent sale for around $1,000 resulted in being charged almost $250 in fees.

     I contacted eBay and a employee bless her heart went through all my defective transactions including the customer who didn't get a resolve on his transaction (my fifth defect) in spite keeping the damaged item, receiving a full refund, sending me a message boasting that he had repaired the item to new condition and sorry for your problem.  The eBay staffer spend over two hours doing a deep dive into each and deemed 4 of 5 were eligible and should be removed. She wrote a long statement of her findings and submitted it for review. I told here thank you so much for your efforts but I already knew. The promised letter never arrived and her efforts not fruitful.  What eBay employee is capable of going against the mighty algorithm and having reason prevail. Not me any more, I use to be able to contact eBay and get quality service and answers to my questions. Each call was initiated with a thank you for your 23 years of service we really appreciate you. It really is difficult to sell anything now knowing my ads are  buried under 1,000's of others and if an item manages to reach a buyer I will pay 50% in fees than my peers. I don't have the heart to sell a consigned item knowing it is costing them over a hundred dollars more because of dealing with such a scoundrel such as me.

      I have hatched a plan. I am going to selling hundreds of items for a dollar open bid using a 7 day auction format. I would need to sell 75 items, all shipped quickly and then beg those people for positive feedback to dilute the defects percentage in 30 days. Not an easy task with my item's placement and realizing I am about to gift  thousands of dollars in items value for possible less than $100 in return. The plan is flawed. This effort and commitment to show my loyalty and my gratitude to eBay not to mention over a quarter million in sales won't influence an algorithm.

        Go ahead and lecture me, make yourselves feel good I just need a single human at eBay with some clout.

[bonjourami]

Well I see you have your dollar items listed, I do wish you good luck, so obviously you dont have a 'lifelong suspension'.

[robbie31415]

I don't get why you need an employee.

You messed up.

Now you wait until they fall off or dilute with cheap transactions. 

[tobaccocardyahoo · Accepted solution]

No one has enough clout to override a bot on Ebay or Amazon.

You had a run of bad luck. I have been known to have them myself, but my sales volume is, although modest, high enough that I have not reached Below Standard.

I would lecture you, but I am not permitted to throw stones.

You clearly care because you are listing those dollar auctions. I don't think that under the same circumstances I would. I think I would stop shoveling before I took that risk.

Good luck to you

[buyselljack2016]

You are on the right track to sell items to dilute the "cancellations"

Feedback being left by the buyers will have no effect on the "below standard".

As other posted, you do not need to communicate with an eBay employee. The sales #'s will resolve the issue, and it will automatically get you out of the penalty box.

Are you sure 75 sales will get your head above water. Apparently, you have done the math but keep in mind as you dilute, and perhaps a "bad" transaction falls off, so do good transactions fall off.

As long as a seller shows improvements eBay will generally let the account to continue for many months until resolved.

Buy it now BIN, crispy $2 bills for $1 with free shipping (stamped envelope or may qualify for ESE) would assist you in rising to the surface more rapidly that auctions. Same for some of the current low dollar items that can ship with ESE. 

[auctionsco]

Thank you for your responses. Sadly I don't share you optimism. My plan will likely run short on time.

eBay has written me telling me they will terminate me on January 20th, 2025.

I am nearing my shut down point.

On the upside I will be a member on my 72nd birthday.  Whee.

BTW take a look at my ads.

There will be some great deals the next few days if you act fast.

[buyselljack2016]

@auctionsco 

And sell those $2 bills(or item of your choosing) one at a time using the out of stock (OOS) option. Sell one and then replenish the stock with one more. OOS allows the same listing to be used over and over without ending the current one and using up a listing. 

Do not list as "multiple available". Just keep it at one, so that each "one" sold is a transaction, moving you up the penalty ladder %age wise until "above" prevails.

[uniquebargains3]

It’s disheartening to hear about your struggles after such a long and successful eBay career. Falling below standard for reasons that feel disproportionate to the situation is a challenge many veteran sellers empathize with.

First, it’s crucial to document everything clearly. Gather all evidence related to your defects, including communications with buyers, shipping confirmations, and the detailed analysis the eBay staff member conducted. If you have proof that you resolved the issues with your buyers and maintained positive relationships, this could be invaluable in future discussions with eBay.

Second, consider appealing again but with a focus on presenting your history as a seller. Highlight your 23 years of service, your positive feedback, and your overall contribution to the eBay marketplace. Request to speak with a higher-level representative or supervisor. If possible, escalate the issue to a team specializing in seller performance. While the algorithm plays a significant role, human intervention might still be possible with persistence and clear, documented evidence.

Regarding your plan to run auctions, it’s worth considering how much effort and financial loss this strategy may entail. Instead of deep discounting, focus on listings with fast-moving inventory or items that you know will sell quickly. Combine this with excellent customer service and follow-up to encourage positive feedback organically. It’s essential to weigh whether the potential return from this plan justifies the cost.

Lastly, explore eBay forums and seller communities for advice from others who’ve faced similar challenges. Sometimes, connecting with others in the same situation can provide additional insights or avenues for resolution. Above all, remember your long-standing reputation and expertise—these are assets that extend beyond eBay and can serve you well as you navigate this difficult period.

[brightlightbookseller]

Totally worthless AI nonsense again.  Please stop.

[auctionsco]

You got to love this "helpful" advice from a friendly fellow  eBay member I received.

Your Inventory

Hi, since your eBay seller account is getting closed on January 25, I may be interested in buying the rest of your inventory.

I know my next review would be Jan. 20th. How does he know my termination date will Jan.25th. Is that common knowledge? Is this already predetermined? Does he have some role in making sure it happens?

[auctionsco]

Thank you for your insights and honest attempt to be helpful. On the other end of that spectrum read below a letter I recently got from a different member.

[auctionsco]

This is in reply to tobacocardyahoo,

thanks for your reply

you made an reference about he'd stop shoveling before I took that risk.

what did you mean? the hopelessness of it?

THE MATH

I have 5 "defects" on 60 transactions.  5 Divided by 60 =8.3%  my rating

to get to 2%  if I added 160 transactions in 33 days that would be 5 divided by 220= 2%

To get 160 registered transactions in that time factoring in the placement given to my listings now is near astronomical odds. 

I would need to list 2,000 items in 33 days and that would probable fall short

Even greater odds is finding a single eBay employee who in 5 minutes could find I HAVEN'T had a single OUT OF STOCK defect in 23 years on eBay until these.  He would also know all I had to do a month following these demerits was to state I had a problem with their addresses and they would all drop off and I would be fine. Don't feel much like typing about the 5th one which I was told was totally wrong.  A eBay rep wrote a long appeal to have it removed as she did with three others. She claimed I would get a great letter in a few days and all would be fine. eBay never even bothered to write. Drop your guard and there isn't a single human that can resolve it. 

So I need to stop shoveling I guess but I refuse to give up.

I got it I will sell everything for 1 cent each with free shipping.

[auctionsco]

Hello

Thanks you for your help. You are a far cry from another member who offered to buy all my inventory most likely for a discounted price.

Am I doing my listings properly?

I meet some definition as to the out of stock option (OOS). I didn't see that defined when I listed these which require me to check, see the item sold and then follow the sell a similar item process.

Really appreciate your help.

[buyselljack2016]

@auctionsco 

To use the OOS option hover on your ID on the upper left on your selling page.

In the dropdown click on account settings>

Scroll down to selling>

Click on selling preferences>

On the page that opens toggle the "multiple quantity listings" to on>

Once you do that if you list an item with a quantity of (1) after it sells it will go to (0). You will see it, but it will not be seen by others searching. You can then edit to add one more over and over as they sell. If you have 5 of something and want to be credited with a transaction for each sale you need to keep the quantity set at (1) Each sale will be a transaction. Sell another, goes to (0) again. The listing will stay active until ended, and renew every month.

OOS is not an individual listing selection. Once selected it applies to all, so you will need to end any listing that goes to (0) that you have no more of as it will renew monthly.

I use it on a regular basis for items that I have more than one of, or may be replenishing the stock on.

This may get you there. There is a "learn more" to click on.

Selling preferences (ebay.com)

[ryry-jj]

Have you tried contacting any of the eBay reps via social media?