Selling Limits for Categories must end.

[designpro75]

I'll start by saying that I have run 2 Ebay accounts since July (they are not my first).  One is a regular sort of account selling pre-owned items and the other is an account I created to experiment with print on demand (Printful, Printify).  In both cases I had monthly selling limits.  In both cases I had called customer service who kindly increased those limits.  In both cases I listed freely within my limits often listing similar items in the same category.  In neither case did I ever encounter a category limit.  I had moved and didn't recently and wasn't paying much attention to my print on demand account because there wasn't any action there yet.  My account became restricted because I owed $14 in fees.  I recently had my first sale from that account and I was thrilled to have sold a product I designed and was eager to see how the fulfillment process would go on Printul's end.  I was also settling in and paid the $14 to reinstate my account.  All was good.  So, I began designing some new products.  My designs were getting better and I was eager to move forward with the print on demand experiment.  I started by revising some of my better listings and then relisting them (I had zero active at the time).  I listed a canvas print, a trucker hat, a raglan shirt and then attempted list another hat.

Here is where the fun begins.  When attempting to list the second hat I got the "I reached the selling limit for that category" message that everyone is talking about.  At first I thought it was something to do with with my account having been on hold.  When I called customer service they explained to me that because I was a new seller that I was subjected to these limits per their policy and something about how they want Ebay sellers to "start off slowly".  I explained to them that I am not a new seller and this is not a new account.  It is over 90 days old and I have freely listed in the same category up until I moved in late September.  I also explained that I have another active and successful account and have also been doing listings for a family member's account where we also list items in the same category over and over with no apparent restriction (as it should be).  I furthermore explained to them that this policy does not make sense being that on this account all I am selling is apparel which will be listed in the same categories.  I pointed out that Ebay has a contract with these print on demand companies (customer service has no idea what print of demand is), and questioned how this is supposed to work if I have category limitations.  I offered the hypothetical scenario that if I owned a brick and mortar with 1000 square feet and sold only two hats and two t shirts in the whole shop that would be ridiculous.  If I was selling only stamps and had a sizable inventory I would be barred from listing all together with the exception of a few measly listings.  However, if I had an inventory of 1000 distinctly different items I could list one in every different category and never be subjected to such limitation outside of monthly limits.

Eventually I began to lose patience after the cs person who kept addressing me as a new seller.  I told them over and over and over again that I am not a new seller, my account is not new and that prior to this I had listed freely.  They could not answer the question when I asked why I was able to list freely before.  And that is besides the point that this policy is completely ridiculous in the first place.  I was able to speak to an alleged supervisor who continued to address me as a new seller who needed their training wheels on for the next 90 days.  I was told I could list one more thing in that category if I sold one within the next 30 days.  I again explained that I am selling apparel that only fits into a narrow range of categories.  I'm supposed to sit back and wait for one of my ten listings to sell so I can list one more and do this for 90 days?  Everybody knows that sometimes things don's sell no matter how good the listing or description is. 

It was astounding to me how utterly condescending they were.  I asked them to please stop referring to me as a new seller.  They just kept telling me that they "totally understand", and that "as a new seller. . . .".  How is Ebay making money off of this?  If they want to prevent the site from getting flooded with **bleep** there must be a more intelligent and nuanced way to do this.  But the thing I really don't understand is that I never encountered this before even with my other accounts.  They swore up and down this was a long standing policy and then came my favorite part.  I asked this supervisor point blank "Why was I able to list freely without a category limit for three months and now all of the sudden I am limited and being told it was policy?".  I asked this person to answer that question and that question only.  The response was "You uhhh, must have slipped through the system".  Does anyone reading this really believe that I slipped through the system?   So, in short I have an account that I can't list on.  Then I started a new account and I'm again being called a new seller and given a 10 item per month limit which they will not increase for 90 days.  Now I have two accounts that I cannot list on.  Yet, I have never encountered this with my other accounts.  

So, in effect, if you start a new Ebay account you can't use it.  Everyone knows how Ebay works.  The more you list the more you sell.  Take good photos, write good descriptions, follow through on shipping, communicate and you get good reviews.  You can't do any of that with a 10 item limit and a category limit to boot for 90 days.  This is an outrageous decision by Ebay to implement something like this.  I don't really even care to hear a response from anyone saying that it has always been policy.  It is stupid, it is ludicrous, it doesn't make anyone any money including Ebay and it forces customer service reps to repeat the same **bleep** over and over and over and over.  

Selling Limits For Categories must end or be implemented in a more intelligent manner.

Also, while I'm here.  How much interest is generated while peoples' Paypal payments are put on hold for days and weeks at a time and who gets that money?

[gamersbaystore]

90 days old is a new account as far as ebay is concerned. I encountered category limits for years, they do go up with successful sales and happy customers. When I first started listings DVD's years ago, my limits were just 25 listings.

Eventually the limits for the categories you sell in often will just disappear entirely. I have 500 games listed for sale right now, but I wasn't always allowed to list that many.

You just need a few successful sales and the limits will go up after you get evaluated each month, it seriously doesn't take that long. The more good feedback you get, the more the limits will be eased.

I do understand its hard to get traffic with so few listings. What you can do to speed things up is share your listings on social media, where Google will crawl and index them better.

As for the paypal holds, ebay instructs them to hold payments for newer accounts to ensure sellers are following through with their obligations to buyers. The problem that arises here is that sellers often end up with no funds to purchase shipping labels with. You'd think ebay would at least release enough funds to ship something. 

As for the statements from ebay's CS, they were correct, these have always in fact been their policies.

[designpro75]

Thanks dj,

My gripe was not that they viewed my account as new in the relative sense.  They were behaving as if I had opened the account that day.  This particular account has a 1,000 item per month selling limit which is modest and appropriate for someone who is relatively new and dealing with variations.  One t shirt with variations of S, M and L with 3 color variants and 5 available for each variant is 45 items right there.  I had been listing primarily in the same categories for months usually never even reaching the limit.  It wasn't until after I paid my fees of $14 that the limits when into effect.  No one could explain to me why this was the case.   

As far as putting funds on hold, I am happy you mentioned what you did.  Ebay must release the funds for shipping and hold only the funds paid for the item.  They must do this.  It cannot be expected that you will be paying for shipping out of your personal bank account when you have a Paypal account connected and designated as your primary payment method.  My mother was on workman's comp after a fall she had.  She used to have a consignment shop and generally has an eagle eye for salable items so I started an Ebay account for her to make a little extra money.  I did all the listings and took care of all the shipping, created a logo for her which we include on every package with thank you notes.  I am communicating with buyers and putting the full weight of my experience into it.  We ended up being even more successful that we had anticipated and Ebay was holding the funds for all her sales.  From the first sale the money for shipping was coming out of her bank account and she started bouncing checks for bills.  She had very little money in her account to begin with.  Each time funds were released we would sell a bunch more items and the shipping cost would diminish the PayPal balance once again.  We are making money for her but this is extremely problematic.  She doesn't want her personal funds to be involved with shipping packages.  That's what the shipping funds are for.  Ebay must release the shipping funds immediately.  For everyone.  They don't have a choice here.  get vocal about it people!

Back to print on demand, I explained to one CS agent that if a print on demand seller had a shirt that hit, and it could and does happen, if that person sold 100 shirts for $20 in a short time span (print on demand companies will automatically extract the funds from your PayPal to fulfill the orders and shipping leaving you with only several dollars profit which is the model), an individual would have to dip into their personal funds to the tune of $2000  to fulfill the order while Ebay is busy holding the money that is supposed to go to the POD company so that the order can be fulfilled.  So, holding funds on a successful POD account during this 90 day period  would result in the seller paying the FULL PRICE of the item plus shipping just to fulfill the order or the order would simply not get fulfilled.  Ebay needs to catch up in terms of what they are actually doing with companies that sellers are working with.  Ebay has bad policy all across the board.  That's it.

[fashunu4eeuh]

Hi, please don't shoot me, I'm just a messenger, but I think I can shed some light on what is happening with your eBay situation. (Sometimes customer service cannot answer the questions. If you come to the forum, you will often find more accurate information.)

@designpro75 wrote:

"As far as putting funds on hold, I am happy you mentioned what you did.  Ebay must release the funds for shipping and hold only the funds paid for the item.  They must do this.  It cannot be expected that you will be paying for shipping out of your personal bank account when you have a Paypal account connected and designated as your primary payment method." 

Hi,  eBay will release funds out of your held payments to cover shipping when you use eBay shipping labels. The policy reads as this:

If you print labels on eBay for USPS shipping (domestic or First Class international), up to $15 of your buyer's funds will be available immediately to cover shipping costs for any order less than $50. For any order with a total cost that exceeds $50, up to 30% of the funds from you buyer will be available immediately to cover shipping costs. If you use PayPal for USPS, UPS or Canada Post, you'll need to pay for shipping when you print the label but the reimbursement will be deposited back to your PayPal account within 24 hours.

https://pages.ebay.com/seller-center/service-and-payments/funds-availability.html#m22_tb_a1__2

You got yourself into a real jam when your account got restricted. There is practically no worse violation in eBay's eyes than failure to render fee payment. Like the other poster said (altho you know you have some solid experience) eBay still considers you a new seller, and now a new seller who failed to pay his fees, which makes you a risk, and that alone could lengthen the time you must spend with these limits. It's as if all the good work you put in is lost, and now you may have to start over with another 90 day "probationary" period.  The policy states as follows:

"...There may be other [eBay and] PayPal policies that impact the availability of funds if a higher than normal level of risk is associated with your account--for example a sudden spike in eBay Money Back Guarantee cases, PayPal disputes or claims, unusual selling activity, items with an exceptionally high selling price, or sales in a new category or a category such as tickets, travel, or gift certificates."  (This quote is from the same link as above.)

Also, holds and limits are sometimes placed on established sellers who have been away from the platform for a time, and then upon return, find themselves with new seller restrictions. Generally, once 90 days have passed, and you acquire 25 transactions, and sales of more than $250, you are no longer considered a new seller and the limits are lifted. Unless you violate policy, etc. and once again your privileges could be restricted. 

To get through all this successfully, being up to date on the myriad of policies and procedures is critical. Without it, you are at a disadvantage. For now, it's your time to prove your merit. Once you've met their criteria, you can put this behind you and go on to reach the potential you have already shown to be there.

Wishing you the best of luck and smoother sailing in the fourth quarter. With warm regards.

[reallynicestamps]

My account became restricted because I owed $14 in fees.

EBay is not in this business for giggles.  No pay, no play.

I asked this supervisor point blank "Why was I able to list freely without a category limit for three months and now all of the sudden I am limited and being told it was policy?".

The CS person was trying to be polite.

You were restricted because you didn't pay your bills promptly.

Then I started a new account and I'm again being called a new seller and given a 10 item per month limit which they will not increase for 90 days.

You can ask after 30 days.

If you are polite the CS might okay more listings.

And of course, if you pay your bills promptly.

Now I have two accounts that I cannot list on.

You have two accounts that you can only list a few items on.

Because you didn't pay your bills.

If you want to rent space in eBay's mall, you have to pay the rent.

[gamersbaystore]

Yeah, I remember back in 2012 calling ebay begging them to release enough funds just to ship items. At the time, they were withholding all my funds for a month at a time. They continued doing that for the entire first 6 months or so that I sold here. It was super annoying.

From what Fashun stated above, it looks like ebay will allow you to access enough funds for shipping. Though, that didn't used to be the case.

[gamersbaystore]

So true, it seems ebay is often unforgiving when it comes to lack of payment over sellers fees. Only a few times was I unable to pay, and the first time they deleted all my listings as a result.

[1tuna]

that is a good reason to pay your fees right to the card.I was helping my son sell a few years back and signed him up for a store,he quit selling and kept getting billed for the store subscription.He was $40 behind for a while,

ebay sent it to collections.I do not blame them at all, I told my son how stupid it is to let a $40 bill get to collections

vintaevixen ftl™

[gamersbaystore]

I'm surprised ebay never sent my unpaid fees to collections in the past. I owed them like over $300 for close to 3 years. Once I paid it they let me come right back and sell again.

And I agree, it doesn't make sense to let such a small bill like $40 head to collections. But sometimes people just don't have the money, that was what happened to me with the fees I owed ebay as well.

[designpro75]

Hi, thank you for this response but I must say it is not entirely helpful.

"EBay is not in this business for giggles.  No pay, no play."

I am also not in the business for giggles.  As I mentioned in my original post I was moving, many states over.  I had a lot on my plate including work and all that moving entails.  My account was inactive during that time right after invoicing.  Just shy of a month.  The idea that a multi billion dollar corporation is going to play hardball with a seller that owes a whopping $14 on an account when his other accounts perform very well is just silly.  Your remark is rather snarky.  I wasn't sitting around eating Doritos and playing video games while piling up Ebay fees.  No one expects to continue to sell without paying their fees.

"The CS person was trying to be polite.

You were restricted because you didn't pay your bills promptly"

If lying in a business scenario is being polite then we live in two different worlds.  I didn't ask the cs person "do I look nice today?", in which case they were "polite" with their response.  I asked a direct question which they could not answer.  I did in fact ask them if these restrictions were a kind of punishment for my account being restricted.  They just kept repeating that the account was new which it isn't.  If you read my original post I mentioned that the only explanation offered for the lack of restriction when I originally created the account in question was "You must have slipped past the system".  This is dishonesty.  It is bad business on their end.  I know when to bring on the sugar and honey and when to keep it in reserve, thank you.

"You can ask after 30 days.

If you are polite the CS might okay more listings.

And of course, if you pay your bills promptly."

"You have two accounts that you can only list a few items on.

Because you didn't pay your bills."

I'll address these two together because they are redundant.  I'm not a "don't pay my bills" guy.  We are also talking about one small bill associated with one account.  My other accounts do very well but apparently that didn't hold any weight in my situation.  Your insinuation that I was not polite in seeking answers is again snarky at best.  Nobody likes a "I'm a play by the rules type of person and you're not!", type of person.  Do a little more reading around and you will find their are a lot of people that would agree with me.  And, as we are free to criticize politician and public officials in this country we are free to criticize Ebay.

[designpro75]

Thank you, I appreciate your response.  However, in the case of my mother's account we are indeed printing labels from Ebay but from the first sale no funds were released for shipping.  So, I'm wondering if there is some further action needed to facilitate this.

Thank you, I certainly intend to prove my merit as you suggest.

[pajen6793]

In eBay's eyes (and most other businesses) $14 is the same as $1400, you don't pay, you get in trouble.

Now, you need to rebuild your reputation with them by taking it slow and following every policy to a T.

[fashunu4eeuh]

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@gamersbaystore wrote:

So true, it seems ebay is often unforgiving when it comes to lack of payment over sellers fees. Only a few times was I unable to pay, and the first time they deleted all my listings as a result.

---

Whoa, @gamersbaystore , that is a harsh response for a first time violation. Let alone it being disheartening. But you hung in there, and that is commendable.

[fashunu4eeuh]

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@designpro75 wrote:

Thank you, I appreciate your response.  However, in the case of my mother's account we are indeed printing labels from Ebay but from the first sale no funds were released for shipping.  So, I'm wondering if there is some further action needed to facilitate this.

Thank you, I certainly intend to prove my merit as you suggest.

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Hi, @designpro75 Well, that is very frustrating to say the least that the funds were not released automatically. I will do a little more digging into the policy info to see if some further action is necessary. Let me see what i find, and i'll report back. Perhaps another board participant knows and will chime in.