Permanent Restriction for being linked to an account I have no ties to.

[foy1der]

On the 15th of June I got an email informing me that me that my account had been restricted (no longer allowed to sell, but I can still buy) because somehow my account was linked to another account I have no ties to which had been put on restriction. The first time I contacted customer service I never heard anything back. I contacted them again tonight and told them that I have no ties to this other account and my primary concern is that somehow my account got hacked (which has happened in the past and been resolved without much drama). They tell me I should hear something within the next 24 hours. About an hour later I get the following email:

Thanks for contacting eBay in regards of account restrictions. I understand that this is a frustrating situation for you. We reviewed your account and found that it is linked to an account nsb-motorsports . The account you have been linked to is outlined in the email that you received in relation to this action.

We look at a variety of information to determine a relationship between the accounts. For example, we investigate shared contact, financial, or computer information, and selling behaviors.

If we find a strong enough relationship between the accounts, we may take action on the secondary account to make sure that the owner of that account doesn’t circumvent any unresolved issues by selling on the accounts of others they may know.

Much of this information remains protected by eBay because if we told members how we link accounts, it would provide them with a way to circumvent being linked to other accounts in the future.

While we don’t expect you to personally resolve the issue on the other account(s), we’re not comfortable with you continuing to sell at your previous level until the issue on the linked account is resolved.

You can reach out to said account to have any underlying issues resolved. Depending on the issue and if it can be resolved, we can then look at your own account again.

I am sorry if this is not the answer that you were looking for.

I put in another call and am told that the restriction is permanent, they will not even tell me how I am in any way linked to this other account now will they tell me anyway, that there is literally nothing I can do to resolve this mistake, and that I am not allowed any further appeals on the matter. This is madness. Supposedly, a supervisor is going to call me back at some point in the next 24 hours but based on what the man I spoke to told me they are just going to tell me the same thing.

I have 100% positive feedback. I've been a seller for ages. I don't even sell that much compared to most people on here. I have no ties to this other account and have no idea how my account has in any way been linked to it and nobody at ebay will even tell me because they act like its a trade secret (they did tell me my account wasn't hacked, which only raises more questions), and, apparently, there's nothing I can do about and nothing they want to do about it. This is absolute madness. Am I going to have to get a lawyer?

Has this happened to anyone else? Anyone have any suggestions on who to contact or how to resolve this mess? I have no idea what to do or what to even make of all this. Absolutely infuriating.

Craziest thing is I actually found a post on this message board from 2015 from the nsb-motorsports account themselves complaining of being victims of fraud on ebay.

[tdumonde2014]

You have active listings?

[fashunu4eeuh]

Hi, just checked and i see 7 listings still up under your ID. If eBay restricted your account, they appear to have forgotten to remove your listings? 

[whattheactualfox]

what

@foy1der  you have SEVEN listings

[foy1der]

Another reason why none of this makes sense. I banned from selling yet they left my auctions up. It won't let me put up any new auctions. This whole thing is lunacy.

[foy1der]

Yep. But I cannot list anything else now. Makes no sense.

[foy1der]

Makes no sense, does it? Nothing about this situation makes any sense.

[Anonymous]

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@foy1der wrote:

Craziest thing is I actually found a post on this message board from 2015 from the (redacted name) account themselves complaining of being victims of fraud on ebay.

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Did you look at that ID's feedback? It shows they were a scammer seller and a scammer buyer. I don't think they're going to resolve their issues with eBay.

I found their current business website. Did you ever live in Florida? Was your account ever in anybody else's name? Some investigate work on your end may help you find a connection somewhere.

I know it's an unfair situation, but your inventory does have a market on other venues so you should be able to work that part of it out. That's the route I would take, and maybe at some point you'll figure out the eBay thing and prove that the accounts shouldn't be linked.

[foy1der]

Never lived in Florida and account only in my name. I've already begun trying to do some investigating and have yet a single clue how my account could have gotten linked to theirs. I don't even sell stuff even remotely akin to their products.

The only possibility I can think of is my account did get hacked a few years back and I am wondering if that incident has any ties to this even though Ebay claimed to have resolved the issue.

The most infuriating aspect of this is Ebay won't even give me a clue how they believe I am linked to this account, which if they did I bet I could easily prove otherwise.

[1tuna]

its easy to get accounts mixed up wth a wifi signal without you being aware

perhaps the babysitter signed in with your PC or used the wifi in the back yard

parole agents can forbid you to hang with fellow felons and to stay out of bars

ebay can say you were linked to ripoff ebayers and wants to sever the ties

if you do nt know what ties you had to a bad ebayer it can be frustrating 

I woud keep on digging till a sympatheic CSR lets you know what happened

[whattheactualfox]

Weird....Anyways I was looking around and when ebay bans an account they ban/restrict all other accounts related to it to prevent you from avoiding a ban. Now when it comes to that there are many ways they can determine a user has a secondary account

(same name, address, payment information, IP address, etc...)

I hate to say this OP, but it's very hard for me to believe that is not your account, ebay does not go on a whim banning accounts without a very good reason why. Based off of the email they sent you, it sounds like this is permanent. You can try contacting ebay on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/eBayForBusiness) and they might say something different, but I cannot make promises

[foy1der]

As hard as you might find it to believe, believe it. This is my one and only account and the only account I have ever had. Another reason why I have concerns about having been hacked. I just had my credit card spoofed about two months ago and had to be sent a new card/number. Makes me wonder if that is somehow tied into this mistake? But proving my innocence in this matter is kind of hard when ebay won't even tell me why they're convinced I'm guilty.

[fashunu4eeuh]

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@foy1der wrote:

Makes no sense, does it? Nothing about this situation makes any sense.

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No, it appears completely senseless and also scares me that an upstanding seller could get restricted unfairly. With no appeal. I feel for you. Wish you all the best and hope this will somehow go your way.

[katzrul15]

@foy1der 

As Panda siggested, message them on facebook and plead your case.  

Others have posted about creating an issue using public wifi when on vacation, etc and then having an issue with their account(s).  No idea if this is a viable way it can occur or not.

e-Bay will not usually tell you the inner nuts and bolts of how they arrive at their conclusion your accounts are connected in some way.  

Good luck.  Hope you can find a solution.

P.s.  Do not start a new account.  They will sniff it out and NARU it in record time. 

[donsdetour]

Methods of linking accounts are Financial. photo hosting if not eBay: IP addy you use. Old information on a used computer, a email that may be and old one is also a problem.. Wireless connections that are used by more than one person. Ans so on.

eBay is good at linking accounts and yes the ban is a permanent one.

Simply put the account your are linked to is such that eBay does not want it or any linked to it around.

You might get a judge to issue an court order for eBay to release such information as to exactly how this was linked but even then do not expect them to revise their decision.