Suspended account, no explanation

[gtechzone]

I own this eBay account as a private person. Recently I decided to sell on eBay via my company, so I created a new acount for my company. I (maybe stupidly) did 1 USD test order - listed 1 USD item on new account, bought it via old account, paid and left feedback saying that new account has limited selling history and that people should verify my history on the old account. No intention to manipulate feedback, just wanted to provide some anchor for my buyers because, even it is new account with no history, people can verify my history on this account.

Then I asked eBay to raise listing/selling limit, they raised it. I listed 3 items (exactly like I list it on my old account) and after several hours, I got an email from eBay, that my account is suspended permanently. No prior warning, no explanation why. I contacted eBay support what is the reason and their answer was "please understand that we can not disclose any further details in regards to your suspension due to security and privacy concerns on eBay." Then I asked whether and when I will be allowed to create eBay account for my company, they ignored it and stopped communicating.

Even though they wrote in one email "In addition, any other accounts you own, or that are associated with this account, will also be suspended." my old account is still living. I asked them about suspension of my old account, they replied with "As of now it is in good standing".

Any idea why this happened? I find it really really bad they can close accounts without any warning and without any explanation.

[byrd69er]

Oops.....not a smart move.

[byrd69er]

People get suspended all the time. Do you think eBay is going to write detailed explanations to every seller who gets the axe? They chop and move on.

[byrd69er]

Your opinion doesn't matter.  It's eBay's sandbox.

[wastingtime101]

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@gtechzone wrote:

FYI, I again tried to register a new selling account for my company. After 2 days, without any activity on this account (no buying, no listings, no selling), I got suspended again because of the same stupid security concerns. Customer support again is not able to tell me the exact reason.

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Your solution was to break additional policies?

https://www.ebay.com/help/policies/identity-policies/multiple-accounts-policy?id=4232

Not allowed: Registering new accounts or using other existing accounts to avoid buying and selling restrictions or limits or other policy consequences.

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@gtechzone wrote:

I own this eBay account as a private person. Recently I decided to sell on eBay via my company, so I created a new acount for my company. I (maybe stupidly) did 1 USD test order - listed 1 USD item on new account, bought it via old account, paid and left feedback saying that new account has limited selling history and that people should verify my history on the old account. No intention to manipulate feedback, just wanted to provide some anchor for my buyers because, even it is new account with no history, people can verify my history on this account.

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The way to handle that without violating policies would have been to add a line at the end of the item description on your listings. Something along the lines of: I am an established eBay seller under the ID [link to gtechzone profile] - check that account's feedback history! Created this new account to sell a new line of products.

[joliztoyco]

Off on a tangent:
Oh wait! I thought feedback was obsolete and "meaningless"?
Seems odd that eBay takes it so serious:

"Why does eBay have this policy?

This policy helps protect the integrity of the eBay feedback system, and builds trust between buyers and sellers."

[wastingtime101]

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@gtechzone wrote:

 wrote:
You broke numerous rules.

Numerous rules? Name them then.

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The most serious rule off the bat:

https://www.ebay.com/help/policies/selling-policies/selling-practices-policy/shill-bidding-policy?id...

In addition, members cannot bid on or buy items in order to artificially increase a seller's feedback or to improve the item's search standing.

Restricted

Buying an item from someone you know, as long as you don't intend to artificially increase its price or desirability or violate our feedback manipulation or search and browse manipulation policies.

 Not allowed

• Bidding on your own items with another account

Then there's this one:

https://www.ebay.com/help/policies/feedback-policies/feedback-manipulation-policy?id=4231

Any attempt to manipulate feedback is not allowed. This includes:

• Registering multiple accounts or working with others to exchange feedback with the purpose of artificially increasing a feedback score
• Conducting transactions with the purpose of increasing a feedback score, or to obtain Top Rated Seller status or site privileges

Activity that doesn't follow eBay policy could result in a range of actions including for example: administratively ending or canceling listings, hiding or demoting all listings from search results, lowering seller rating, buying or selling restrictions, and account suspension.

[albertabrightalberta]

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@ebooksdiva wrote:

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Ebay was within their rights to suspend the OP for clearly not following rules.

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Actually, @gtechzone , ebay can suspend for NO reason, even if you did obey all the rules! 

If you find another site on which to sell, read the policies first. 

[fashunu4eeuh]

I am so very sorry this happened to you, @gtechzone .

Afraid that were caught in eBay’s dragnet to remove accounts that may engage in fraud, or other criminal intent. The government is putting pressure on e-commerce platforms to clean up their sites. Your actions, while having no intent to defraud, broke some cardinal rules—these are not minor violations. That is why your account was restricted permanently without warning.

And then you still attempted to open another account, breaking the rules again, ensuring that there is little hope in resurrecting your ability to sell here in the future. Sadly, you are done on eBay, and that is permanent. (In the User Agreement, eBay reserves the right to close any account at any time for any reason.) 

Couldn’t be sorrier this happened to you. But glad you posted. It may be little comfort, but sharing your experience may help others avoid the same fate. Good luck to you.

[chapeau-noir]

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@gtechzone wrote:

Guys, you all really think that it is right to permanently suspend an account because of unintentional minor policy violation? Like really? Without any warning, without providing any explanation? Only explanation I have "it was suspended because it exhibits risk to eBay and to its community. I won’t be able to disclose any further information due to privacy reasons". No, I don't think I can accept that. Just answer with "it is right to permanently suspend an account because of unintentional minor policy violation, without prior warning, without providing an explanation". I will then think I live in a different reality...

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@gtechzone  Look at the big picture. It's not minor, that's the problem.  What you did is behaviour used by shills and money launderers, and it corrupts the entire trust basis of the platform.  Yes, ANY platform is going to come down hard on this kind of shill behaviour and quickly. eBay has tens of millions of users - there aren't the resources to comb through every single violation to try to determine if a single account's intentional violation of a basic policy was...uh intentional, which yours was, even if you had no bad intentions.  I actually can't believe you did this given your cited experience on this platform. 

[gtechzone]

LOL, if I'm such a big security risk for eBay community (these are their words), why don't they suspend other two personal accounts I have?

I just wanted some explanation from eBay which I think in a world where people are polite to each other should be normal. Not in eBay's world.

I perfectly understand that there is no right to have an eBay account. What I don't understand  is their way of communication.

[stlwtn4u]

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@gtechzone wrote:

I own this eBay account as a private person. Recently I decided to sell on eBay via my company, so I created a new acount for my company. I (maybe stupidly) did 1 USD test order - listed 1 USD item on new account, bought it via old account, paid and left feedback saying that new account has limited selling history and that people should verify my history on the old account. No intention to manipulate feedback, just wanted to provide some anchor for my buyers because, even it is new account with no history, people can verify my history on this account.

Then I asked eBay to raise listing/selling limit, they raised it. I listed 3 items (exactly like I list it on my old account) and after several hours, I got an email from eBay, that my account is suspended permanently. No prior warning, no explanation why. I contacted eBay support what is the reason and their answer was "please understand that we can not disclose any further details in regards to your suspension due to security and privacy concerns on eBay." Then I asked whether and when I will be allowed to create eBay account for my company, they ignored it and stopped communicating.

Even though they wrote in one email "In addition, any other accounts you own, or that are associated with this account, will also be suspended." my old account is still living. I asked them about suspension of my old account, they replied with "As of now it is in good standing".

Any idea why this happened? I find it really really bad they can close accounts without any warning and without any explanation.

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They have no good communication outlet to offer clients. I can no longer deal with it as I am literally becoming ill. They unempower you and WILL take your money. What U did  surely made them suspicious with no resolve. Be careful with the open account. I would not trust my financial vehicles in their hands to take as they wish. Complicated 

[wastingtime101]

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@gtechzone wrote:

I perfectly understand that there is no right to have an eBay account. What I don't understand  is their way of communication.

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I hear you on that. eBay is often tight-lipped when it comes to suspensions with little to no recourse for appeal. They say the reason is to avoid providing details that people can use to abuse and circumvent their policies.

In this case you have the reason (or at least part of the reason), provided by the community here based on the information you shared. It's not always easy to pinpoint what happened and many sellers often end up with no idea why they were suspended.

[chapeau-noir]

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@gtechzone wrote:

LOL, if I'm such a big security risk for eBay community (these are their words), why don't they suspend other two personal accounts I have?

I just wanted some explanation from eBay which I think in a world where people are polite to each other should be normal. Not in eBay's world.

I perfectly understand that there is no right to have an eBay account. What I don't understand  is their way of communication.

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Agree - they're not good on that.  You were suspended for an easily tracked and valid reason, but there are people kicked off this platform for no discernible reason at all - eBay just never says and gives the reason that someone might circumvent the restrictions.  It's really pretty dumb, but that's the corporate mentality. I wouldn't expect politeness, though - it's a sanction.

[gtechzone]

The mistake I made was minor and unintentional, not harming anyone, guaranteed not to be repeated by me. In the end it is just stupid from them to behave like that. Suspending my account causes only they will not get my fees which should be their ultimate intention I guess. That's the ony conclusion I see here. They have enough probably...

Also, maybe the reason is they don't have enough capacity to communicate with users. Lately I communicate with eBay customer support approx once every 2 weeks and I find it rather difficult to get proper answers. Maybe they have enough staff but the quality of their responses is very often questionable.

[coolections]

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@gtechzone wrote:

I did 1 USD test order - listed 1 USD item on new account, bought it via old account, paid and left feedback .

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Am I reading this correctly? I hope not. You bought something from one of your accounts using a second account. WOW... sorry to say but if you have been suspended Ebay will most likely not reinstate you.