eBay is blocking payouts need advice

[superpalletfinds]

Hello my son and I buy pallets and resell the items that we find In them. We recently bought a pallet of clippers and thought it was a great investment. So we have been selling them no problem and all of a sudden we have been asked for information like my  bank account information, id, as well as receipts for the items! I have since sent in everything they have asked for and still my account is restricted I’m not sure what to do. I have 100% feedback and I haven’t had any issues whatsoever. When I sent the stuff in they said “Unfortunately, after reviewing the submitted documentation we noticed that it was either incomplete or illegible.” I’ve called in every time I have been told by agents everything looks good to the they are going to escalate to a higher up and it will be taken care of within 72 hour. I always give two days of leeway in between calling but it has been 15 days since I’ve called in the first time and about a month of being blocked. I have $3150 dollars just sitting in the account I need some help please! 

[superpalletfinds]

Note* we did make a sale of I believe 35 pair for a couple thousand dollars. I did want to put that out there seeing as though I have read some of the other forums and I would like to be transparent as possible. As well as I know it is a new account but I sent in everything that they asked for! 

[rosachs]

New account.  Large sale.  The request for info is default, the hold on funds is generally applied to all new accounts until a given number of positive feedbacks are received.  If your buyer leaves positive feedback, the funds for that sale should be released.  If your buyers are not leaving feedback, which is starting to become the norm, then it could take as much as 30 days before eBay will release your funds.

It bites, but blame it on the pump-n-dump scammers who would list hot items at tempting prices, make a lot of sales, then empty the bank and never look back.

-Bob.

[albertabrightalberta]

@superpalletfinds 

With all the "smash-and-grab" robberies occurring around the country, ebay wants to verify that all those brand new shavers were purchased legally. They need actual invoices and/or receipts. 

[theteamsetguy]

@superpalletfinds 

Unfortunately, the online selling landscape has changed very rapidly over the last few years. The relative anonymity of the internet has caused illicit activity on the online market places like eBay to skyrocket. This gigantic increase in illicit activity includes selling very popular items then not delivering the merchandise, fencing stolen goods which is another huge problem, or selling counterfeit items, just to name a few. With this in mind our law makers have passed legislation to hold the online market places like eBay more accountable. The Inform Consumer Act was passed and went into effect July of 2023 to serve this purpose.

https://www.cassidy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/cassidy-durbin-inform-consumers-act-goes-into...

These crooks are trying to sell as much as they can as fast as they can before they are caught. It seems like since the Inform Act went into law the number of posts like this on these boards have hit the moon. Also, it is not unusual to find counterfeit merchandise in pallet finds. Especially if the pallets came from Amazon. I'm not saying that the clippers you were selling counterfeit. 

This isn’t just a eBay issue but an issue with all of the other online market places. Unfortunately, the good honest sellers like yourself have to pay the price when ebay has to come up with policies to combat this enormous problem and to comply with the regulations.

Bot 8673509

[fashunu4eeuh]

Hi @superpalletfinds so sorry this happened to you. I can give some reasons why, but have fewer insights on how to combat the problem after-the-fact.

I believe it likely you got inadvertently caught up in the recent crackdown to rid ecommerce platforms of fenced goods, counterfeits, etc..

This is a direct result of new legislation that passed last year, called the INFORM Act. Its purpose is to limit selling venues from being used for criminal endeavors. Not to say that you personally were doing anything illegal, of course, but unfortunately just the appearance of some behaviors is enough to get one’s account flagged. Your selling activity set off the alarms that triggered the review of your account.

Based on your information shared, the documentation you provided to eBay was apparently not adequate to establish business legitimacy.

Sellers today have to carry additional burdens, such as being well-versed in seller protection laws. And I imagine there are many casual sellers unaware that their record-keeping hasn’t kept up with the times or the new requirements of the laws.

 
In your case, being newly established, and selling many multiples of the same pricey item—at under-market prices—, ticked off all the alarm boxes. (The category of goods can also play a role in triggering the bots. For example, small electric appliances, high tech things, designer goods, gaming items, etc.) Sadly, taken altogether, these actions raised suspicions, and by law, online selling venues now must investigate high-dollar sellers who fall into certain parameters. This isn’t eBay’s choice, it is a legal federal responsibility.  

[fashunu4eeuh]

Hi again, my apologies— sorry to repeat some of the very same info shared up-thread. Going to the Very Slow Typist Corner now to do penance in the cross-posting hall of shame!

[reallynicestamps]

Until you've been selling for 90 days and sold 25 items your payments will be held until tracking shows delivered, or in 30 days if there's no tracking.

They can hold the payment for the full 30 days if you're selling in a high risk category. 

You opened this account on Oct 15,2024 and have sold seven items.

While you can ask for fewer restrictions every 30 days, I wouldn't count on it.

I am fascinated by "size Kim Kardashian".  Not a metric I have run into before.

[dnasilver]

There are not that many smash and grab thefts. It is no different than years ago. The only difference is social media and 24/7 cable news. It has been blown out of proportion for some time now. 

[luckythewinner]

You opened this account on Oct 15,2024 and have sold seven items.

If you look at the quantities on those ended listings, I think you will see the OP has sold 50+ Oster clippers. 

[golfingaddict]

You have lots of good answers but I am going to throw out one more thing.

Did you find it unusual that you had an entire pallet of brand new, brand name items that sell for a very good price?

Do you have absolute trust and belief in the place you are buying these pallets?

 It just raises red flags to have a new seller suddenly selling these types of products.  

[superpalletfinds]

Hello all, 

Thank you guys for your responses and I totally understand everyone’s replies. I bought the clippers from a reputable auction website in my area. I was given a receipt as well as an invoice, I also sent everything that was asked of me. I am not a thief or criminal I am a retired police officer and now a 911 dispatcher for a school district this is just a way to make money for me and my family! I believe eBay is trying to railroad me. I have nothing but time at this point hopefully they reach out soon. Thank you again for the response's.

[a_c_green]

---

@superpalletfinds wrote:

Hello all, 

Thank you guys for your responses and I totally understand everyone’s replies. I bought the clippers from a reputable auction website in my area. I was given a receipt as well as an invoice, I also sent everything that was asked of me. I am not a thief or criminal I am a retired police officer and now a 911 dispatcher for a school district this is just a way to make money for me and my family! I believe eBay is trying to railroad me.

---

Why would they "railroad" you?

I've spent the last year mentoring a new seller in our area, and he had the expected hold on his first sales (which occurred within the first month of listings). We didn't bother trying to get an answer from eBay on exactly when the hold would be lifted, but they did not tell us voluntarily either; one day the first "We're sending your payment" message simply showed up, and he's been selling ever since.

My point is that if you've provided everything that's been asked of you, the Customer Service droids will be of no further use. I think you will just need to wait this out, and the money will eventually be released.

[robbie31415]

Sounds like counterfiets to me.

Ebay wants to see receipts from an authorized seller.

Auction receipts won't be accepted, doesn't prove your items are legitimate.

[golfingaddict]

---

@superpalletfinds wrote:

Hello all, 

Thank you guys for your responses and I totally understand everyone’s replies. I bought the clippers from a reputable auction website in my area. I was given a receipt as well as an invoice, I also sent everything that was asked of me. I am not a thief or criminal I am a retired police officer and now a 911 dispatcher for a school district this is just a way to make money for me and my family! I believe eBay is trying to railroad me. I have nothing but time at this point hopefully they reach out soon. Thank you again for the response's.

---

As a retired police officer I would have to believe that you have some sense of "suspicious" thinking when you see the details and facts of what you have told us.

One of your listings, for a Cordless classic 76, has sold 46 times at a price that is well below the average price sold on eBay.  Well below retail price.

Did you find it a bit odd that this "auction house" had an entire pallet of brand new razors?

I'm sorry, but that is the information that eBay sees and is probably questioning your reputable auction website, as they should.

Add to it that you opened this account in October and suddenly had $3500 sales on a very popular, new in box item with no UPC codes shown or listed.

I'm sorry, I'm not accusing you of being dishonest, I'm just telling you that it does not pass the sniff test.  If I were you, I would go back to your reputable website and ask a few more questions about the origin of these pallets.

If it is too good to be true......