Impossible requirement for lifting restriction

[scotgiesbrech9]

I've been battling eBay for a 2 months now over a restricted account.  They constantly move the target.  Here is the latest requirement (see attached image)

They are requiring proof of purchase documents for items sold.  The items I'm selling are mostly coins collected from years and years ago.  Any record of those purchases are long gone if there ever even was any.  What am I to do?

[ckimodog]

@scotgiesbrech9 

It looks like several of your items weren't received.  Too many INR's and restrictions can happen.  Also, looks like they may want proof of purchase for all those bars of silver.

Selling multiples of high dollar items tends to set off the red flags.

My suggestion?

https://www.facebook.com/eBayForBusiness/

These are credible US cs agents that actually work for Ebay and are more likely help you with your issue.

Many positive outcomes posted here in their ability to be helpful.

Good luck and hope things turn around for you so you can get back to selling. 

[scotgiesbrech9]

Tried that, the bot just pointed me back to https://www.ebay.com/help/home?from=message&domain=social&fbclid=IwAR2n904naxaNIb8kaPs1qOpS5m61yxDZk...

Chat has been sitting there for ~20 minutes and nobody has looked at my reply.

[dhbookds]

If you don't have the documentation, you can't give it to them. Just state that items are from years of collecting..........they either accept that or not....... 

[lacemaker3]

I agree with @dhbookds.

It would be best to go through your records and find some receipts if at all possible, so you can show that you are trying. Then give them what you can find, and explain that the other items were purchased  years ago.

In my experience, many things that I purchased years ago were paid with a check, especially collectibles. And back then, banks returned your checks to you, so you can go through your old records and find some information.

[chapeau-noir]

That might be tough, though - I'm not sure how many people keep records back that far - I keep them for 7 years and that's it, and I'm selling items I've had for 20-30 years, or that someone else has had that long. I could never provide records for this, nor can they. I've cleared small estates that have had no records at all.

eBay seems to be treating everyone as if they're drop shippers or commodity sellers. I would definitely try to get some help from eBay for Business on Facebook - hopefully they'll be more helpful with this situation than they were with mine. 

This problem of lack of receipts is really common in people selling off collections and there really needs to be some provision for this.

[huntfishdie45]

Have I missed something?  You have silver bars for sale on ebay and you can't produce the receipts where you got them?

[scotgiesbrech9]

@dhbookds
I did that now, so we'll see what they say. Gave them drivers license ID and proof of address where I live, and stated that I have no records of the purchases

@lacemaker3
Sorry not everyone keeps records like you do. Like it or not, there are no records, so what now? Is eBay litterally going to keep over $5,000 of funds from sold items just because somebody didn't keep a paper receipt of every time they spent $5 of cash 20 years ago?

@chapeau-noir
Yeah eBay is obviously not understanding what is happening here. I though eBay was a place I could sell anything. Say I have a lawn mower than I inherited from my family 50 years ago. Can't sell it because I can't prove how many of them I bought from what supplier and how much I paid for them...

@huntfishdie45
Have you ever been to an estate sale and paid cash for someone's coin collection? No receipts, not paperwork, perfectly legal. If I swap you a $1 bill for an old one dollar coin do we need to both keep a paper receipt for the next 20 years in case one of use sells that item we swapped on eBay?

And I don't want to hear the facebook options suggested again. I've spent my entire afternoon on there, trying to get help. The only thing they can do is provide a link to this page: https://www.ebay.com/help/home

[huntfishdie45]

I don't believe the problem is the coins, I believe the suspicion is money laundering and fencing stolen property as in the silver bars you sold. Don't get me wrong I'm not saying you did anything wrong but I think you raised someone's suspicions. They want receipts? and info on who you purchased these items from? Put two and two together.

[dhbookds]

Unfortunately, when you deal with high value items in today's world, there is going to be some suspicions.  You aren't the first that has gotten this kind of questioning and frankly, because  you appeared with the tracking number problem,  that probably tripped the wires to ask for id info and "proof".   Most posters have had their "no past records" accepted with no problem, but that doesn't mean that everyone else will.  Most who list single items, bought as you did....and don't have the proof.  You've done what they asked......and now just have to await their decisions. 

It's hard to realize sometimes that ebay has a billion items listed.....and therefore they have to have algorithms that handle problems, nothing against a certain seller, but a step by step process that can uncover potential things that can harm buyers or the site as a whole.......they (and we as sellers) can't become known as a "thieves" site. 

[fashunu4eeuh]

eBay is not a place you can sell anything.

Another poster is correct, this is not about the coins per se.  The request for receipts and whatnot has arisen from the previous issue you had with faulty tracking on 11 of your sales (that you discussed in another thread). Now you are on eBay’s radar and suspicions have been raised. If you cannot provide what they want, i am afraid your selling privileges will be revoked. I believe the funds will remain frozen until eBay makes a determination. Good luck and hope this ends to your benefit.

[albertabrightalberta]

You received much of the same advice 4 days ago. 

https://community.ebay.com/t5/Selling/Account-restricted-USPS-tracking-messed-up-seller-has-item/td-...

[yuzuha]

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@chapeau-noir wrote:

eBay seems to be treating everyone as if they're drop shippers or commodity sellers.

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Eh, I disagree. Whenever we see this sort of thing here, it's almost always the exact same situation: an account with little to no selling history that has suddenly listed and sold a large number of high-dollar/high scam potential items in a very short timeframe. I very much doubt that eBay would bat an eye if an established jewelry seller who usually sells items in the $50-300 price range were to suddenly list a couple of pieces that were $800-1200, for example, because the seller has a track record of selling that sort of thing and so it would be reasonable for them to have made a few lucky finds in their sourcing. But a brand-new seller listing multiple $800-1200 pieces of jewelry all at once? Yeah, that would probably get on their radar for understandable reasons.

[farmalljr]

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@yuzuha wrote:

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@chapeau-noir wrote:

eBay seems to be treating everyone as if they're drop shippers or commodity sellers.

---

Eh, I disagree. Whenever we see this sort of thing here, it's almost always the exact same situation: an account with little to no selling history that has suddenly listed and sold a large number of high-dollar/high scam potential items in a very short timeframe. I very much doubt that eBay would bat an eye if an established jewelry seller who usually sells items in the $50-300 price range were to suddenly list a couple of pieces that were $800-1200, for example, because the seller has a track record of selling that sort of thing and so it would be reasonable for them to have made a few lucky finds in their sourcing. But a brand-new seller listing multiple $800-1200 pieces of jewelry all at once? Yeah, that would probably get on their radar for understandable reasons.

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This.....

You can't go from selling occationally or selling a low dollar amount daily, to selling a huge amount and not get your account hammered. eBay does not like when someone does that, as they MAY be scamming people and they are not going to be on the hook if the seller would HAPPEN to be. 

Ebay has no issues with locking out a seller they think is suspicious. Again, the asking for receipts is just a softball way to telling you, your account is toast, at least for a period of time. The lack of response from facebook, is only backing this up, They are giving a canned response because they have no intentions of "helping" and have locked your account. 

You sold too much, too quick.  Not really your fault. It's just another one of those hidden rules we are never told about and there are no written rules about. You don't know you did anything wrong until they just suspend your account. 

[mam98031]

@scotgiesbrech9 

Is your account on your Seller Dashboard Rated Below Standard?  If you are Below Standard, is it because you have hand too many Returns?  Do you have buyer's opening claims?  INRs can be a problem, but you'd have to have a lot of them.

Ebay Customer Service in Social Media can't help you with Managed Payment issues anymore.  But from what I see here, your problem isn't MP it is Security issues, so they should be able to work with you.

I know you said you gave them your Driver's License.  Just checking, did you give them both the front and back as it is important.

Was there a link in that email to get you to some Customer Service place?