Seeking Clarification on Store Suspension and Communication

[djoko_granata]

Hello eBay Community,

I hope you are all doing well. I find myself in a bit of a quandary and am turning to this community for insights and assistance.

Recently, my eBay store faced suspension, and I received a notification mentioning concerns about my selling practices and business model. However, the message didn't provide specific details about the issues that led to this decision. As someone who has always strived to follow eBay's rules and guidelines diligently, I'm genuinely perplexed by the lack of clarity.

To provide a bit more context, my account had a brief hold on funds, which I was informed was a normal procedure for new accounts. The suspension was lifted the following day after my appeal. Afterward, I relisted all of my inventory and sent a message to another eBay user regarding a potential sale of a similar supply. The message I sent was as follows:

"Hi,

My name is Djordje, I am from Serbia. I have a similar supply, really old but in good shape. Do you have an interest in this?

[Link to eBay Listing]

BR"

I mentioned this communication to eBay customer support, explaining that my intention was to sell the item on eBay, but I also wanted to reach out to this particular user. However, they did not provide a positive response to this explanation, suggesting that this might have been the issue. They mentioned that by revealing the cause, I could avoid future detection.

I'd like to emphasize that if my intention was to circumvent eBay policies, I certainly would not have used eBay's message center for this communication.

Additionally, I would like to highlight that I am currently blocked from accessing community.ebay.com from my main account. As a result, I am using this account to communicate with the community, as I believe it is essential for all involved parties to have a clear understanding of the situation.

My question to the community and eBay support is, why was I not warned or provided with guidance regarding this matter before my store's suspension? I genuinely appreciate any insights, advice, or support that members of this community can offer. Thank you for taking the time to read this, and I eagerly await your responses.

Best regards, Djordje

[djoko_granata]

I received insightful responses regarding various critical aspects of this platform, and unfortunately, the conclusion is rather unfavorable.

It appears that sellers on this platform do not have sufficient protection because their success seems to hinge on someone's will rather than concrete facts. This vulnerability can potentially lead to significant setbacks if you are big player.

How can one safely navigate growth within this platform? Perhaps the initial step should involve contacting customer support before taking any action. However, the concern arises: How can we be certain that the support's guidance is accurate? Who serves as the ultimate arbiter in such situations

[djoko_granata]

This is good. Thank you very much.

It's a rather peculiar policy.

Yet, I believe everyone deserves a second chance.

[bonjourami]

 "Who serves as the ultimate arbiter in such situations"

Since Ebay owns this site, obviously they are the ultimate arbiter.

[gone.c-33]

The reason you are not able to access the Community with your other account is most likely because the other account is No Longer a Registered User.

It is against eBay policy to create new accounts to get around restrictions and if they link this new account, it will get suspended as well and this will not look good if you try to get your original account reinstated.

[djoko_granata]

Yes, this pertains to the concept of the 'ultimate arbiter.' 
(This account is older then the suspended one.)

During my previous interaction with eBay's customer service when my suspension occurred, I inquired about the possibility of opening another account and continuing my activities, as at that time, I was provided with limited information, and the decision appeared to be final, which was quite frustrating.

The response I received then was a recommendation against opening a new account for a user who had been suspended. However, recently, when I engaged with eBay's customer support via chat from this current account (since I was blocked from my previous one), the response was different. They informed me that this account is clear for selling, and no policy violations were found. They also acknowledged my previous contact history with them, as my other account had been blocked and suspended.

What I'm particularly grateful for is that the support agent was able to provide clarity regarding the reason for my initial suspension. I explained my actions, and they confirmed that the violation of eBay's policies was the cause. They assured me that this account does not currently violate any policies and encouraged me to continue selling.

[djoko_granata]

This discussion revolves around business ethics and the capacity for individuals to unintentionally make mistakes while having the opportunity to rectify them. My question persists: Does this platform offer stability to users who genuinely have good intentions, seek fair judgment, and are here to generate profit for both themselves and the platform?

It's a fundamental truth that everyone makes mistakes, especially when it's their first time trying something new. As the saying goes, "If you don't fail, you didn't try at all."

[stephenmorgan]

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@djoko_granata wrote:

This is good. Thank you very much.

It's a rather peculiar policy.

Yet, I believe everyone deserves a second chance.

---

You said you were suspended but you did not say it is a permeant suspension?

If it is a temporary suspension then you second chance will be when the suspension is lifted.

Here are some contact policy information.  The two in the smaller print are actually posted in the the eBay message prior to sending a message or when replying to a message.   Not saying you did this but it is good to know for when you are back in business.

Unless it has changed recently, the system will not allow an eMail to be included in a message unless there is a paid transaction involved.  Trying to do it will get you a warning.  There are a few ways to beat this and if you get caught there is not excuse as you deliberately tried to beat the rule.

https://www.ebay.com/help/policies/payment-policies/offering-buy-sell-outside-ebay-policy?id=4272

Offering to buy or sell outside of eBay is not allowed. Buyers and sellers also can't share contact information, including email addresses and phone numbers, prior to completing a transaction on eBay.

Contacting another eBay member to discuss moving a purchase off eBay exposes both the buyer and seller to the risk of fraud. It also means both buyer and seller are not covered by our protection programs.

[djoko_granata]

It is indeed a permanent suspension.

Interestingly, before this permanent suspension, I had faced a temporary suspension due to my new member status and the initiation of my selling activities. However, this suspension was lifted after two days, although my funds remained on hold. Subsequently, I relisted all of my items and attempted to promote my sales by sending a message to another seller. To my surprise, I received another message from eBay, not to reinstate me, but to notify me of a permanent suspension.

Back then, eBay did not provide specific reasons for these actions, aside from describing my business model as unconventional, incorrect, or problematic.

The message I sent to the other seller included my store name and a link to an eBay listing that belonged to me. That was the extent of it; I simply inquired if they were interested.

As many of you have rightfully pointed out, this action undoubtedly violated eBay's rules. This point was also confirmed by Customer Support during my recent interaction with them.