Account permentaly suspended but cant get any help/answers

[grantoboy]

Unsure where to turn for help with this one.

I have a main eBay account that I have had for almost 20 years now. Nothing special, mostly buying but some selling. I have 100% feedback and never any issue with my sales.

Created a 2nd eBay account to start selling virtual items from a game my son plays as I saw others selling the same on eBay. Did my research and found eBay allows more than 1 account and actually encourages it if selling items different to your main account. Also search that the items I wanted to sell were allowed and found that the items I wanted to sell could be sold on eBay with no issues.

Create new account, use my real details, verify my ID and bank (all details used are the same as my main account)

Create my listings make 23 sales (sell 55 items) and receive only positive feedback. Have a feedback rating of 15 (more but had return buyers)

I thought all was going well until I received a notification saying my account had been permanently suspended. Email below

We wanted to let you know that your eBay account has been permanently suspended because of activity that we believe was putting the eBay community at risk. We understand that this must be frustrating, but this decision was not made lightly and it’s important that we keep our marketplace safe for everyone. Learn more about how and why accounts can be suspended.

Here’s what you need to know

• You will no longer be able to use your account to buy or sell items and any new accounts you set up may also be suspended.
• Any listings have been removed and they can be viewed below.
• We’ve credited all associated fees except for the final value fee for your listings.
• Any outstanding selling fees are due and will be charged to your payment method on file. If you’ve already opened any dispute claims for these fees, they won’t be charged until the claims have been resolved.

If you have any questions or concerns, or think we’ve made a mistake, please get in touch. We’re here to help.

Confused, I contacted support as suggested only to be told they cannot tell me why I was suspended. I request to speak with a supervisor and am told one will call me in 24hrs. I waited 24hrs and received no call. Contact support again and explain my situation and ask to speak with a supervisor only to have the operator hang up on me. 

I do a quick search and find this appears to be normal practice that they just hang up on you, call again get another person kind of happy to help until they read my file and they go cold stone. I ask to speak with a supervisor and am told one would get back to me in 48hrs.

Knowing this is a tactic they have used on me before I agree and proceed to make contact via email only to get an instant response, email below

Thanks for contacting us about the suspension notification we sent you.

We wanted to let you know that your eBay account has been permanently suspended because of activity that we believe was putting the eBay community at risk. We understand that this must be frustrating, but this decision was not made lightly and it’s important that we keep our marketplace safe for everyone. Learn more about how and why accounts can be suspended. 

You will no longer be able to use your account to buy or sell items and any new accounts you set up may also be suspended.

If you have any questions or concerns, or think we’ve made a mistake, please get in touch. We’re here to help. 

Regards,

eBay

I have tried 2 further times with email only to get the same instant response. Appears they have just black listed me.

Now I sold only a small number of items (total $450) and have a payout owing to me of about $330. All items sold were delivered and no one lodged any complaints. I had it set to take all fees before payout also.

How do I go about obtaining these funds?

My account says "Your payouts are currently on hold because your eBay account is suspended. You'll start getting paid again when your account is reinstated" but since my account is permanently suspended, I am not sure this "reinstated" stage will ever happen.

No one at eBay support will help, I have no idea what it was I did to get suspended nor will anyone even respond to any of my questions, even tho the base of every email the send me says "If you have any questions or concerns, or think we’ve made a mistake, please get in touch. We’re here to help."

Any help with where I should go from here? This experience has really left a very poor taste in my mouth, not the experience I expected from such a company. Unsure if it makes any difference but I am located in Australia

[padi*0409]

Nothin' like puttin' your hand into a fire to see if it'll burn you GP.............sheesh.

[grantoboy]

Thanks for the reply.

If this is in fact the case, should eBay not be in a position to at least inform me that this is a possible route?

My intentions have never been to breach any policy eBay may have (I like to think I did my homework prior to creating the listing) but am not getting any assistance as to what to do next with them. Even their own email states if I believe they have made a mistake to contact to for help, only to receive the complete opposite.

[grantoboy]

While I appreciate your reply, unfortunately it holds little help with the questions I have raised.

I forgot to mention when I spoke with the 3rd phone assistant I informed them of my original account so they are already aware of this as they checked it. (I have nothing to hide from eBay and have been open with them the entire time) I was informed my account was in good standing and they were the ones who informed me of my almost 20 years of account ownership.

I also asked if I were to start selling the same items on my original account if that would cause another suspension. (as I did not want to end up in unknown hot water again) The response I received was I would be fine creating and selling the same listing on my original account without any dramas. So going from the advice from this employee I did a complete copy/paste and added the line in my listing about the 100 items restriction my account has as my 2nd account did not have that restriction.

I have tried to find out all I can about my issue and this was the last place I wanted to ask for help as comments like yours are all too common on all the other threads I read.

Besides the “they wont be here to long so no point helping” replies, are you able to even help with any reason why my listing would not even be allowed?

[grantoboy]

While this may be true, what other option do I have as no one at eBay even wants to help me with my issue.

I am happy to follow advice, but when I am openly asking for help from eBay (numerous times and channels) and receive a brick wall what options do I have left.

[gutterpunkz05]

Check terms and conditions (TOS) of the item you are selling,  not my thing but had a quick look and would appear you are in breach of those terms, so don't sell them.

Sorry but no point sugar coating it.

[grantoboy]

This is something I did already prior to even creating the new account. The information I found states I can sell them (possible confirmed by my conversation with the 3rd operator also)

Electronically delivered items need to be listed in the Everything Else > Information Products category in the classified ad format

• If the classified format isn't available on the seller's eBay site, electronically delivered items are not allowed
• Exceptions to this policy include electronically delivered:
  • Tickets
  • Domain names
  • Digital trading cards
  • Online gaming virtual items

This is a copy/paste from their own site about the items I am selling.  Clearly an exception as stated. 

I am happy to not have it sugar coated, what I am not happy about is the lack of assitance eBay is giving me with my problem. I do not want to cause a problem but no one will tell me what the problem is so I can not cause it.

[springyzone]

I agree it is very poor of ebay not to give you some clear help as to what is going to happen with the money already paid into the new account or whether it will even be credited to you eventually, or how.

It is possible they can't tell you why you were suspended, although it is hardly helpful. If you don't know why, then how can you avoind making the same mistakes?

From everything I have ever read on here, once an account is permanently suspended, that's it, they never change their mind.

So what i personally would do is in your original account, which you say is still fine, I would not list anything that was on the suspended account.  I just would not go there. No matter how you may interpret the ebay rules, something obviously went very wrong. Who knows. Maybe ebay decided the items were in breach of their rules, maybe someone complained. But just drop those items or you risk the same permanent suspension happening to your present account.

Try another selling venue, maybe gumtree or marketplace.

[grantoboy]

I agree there appears no hope for the return of the account. I have no issue with this.

My issue is the no information on anything, not even a warning for what it was that I have done. The one that loses out here is my son as it was items he had earnt/bought in game. 

In regard to still listing the items, I am only going off the advice I read and was told by their own staff. If they wish to suspend my original account for that then I personally do not want anything to do with such a company.  I understand I am only a little fish and the income they make off me is next to zero, so they have no need to care for me. It is just frustration when I feel I did all the correct things (researched before even creating the 2nd account etc) and they do not even have the time to help with some simple questions.

Gumtree is owned by eBay so I do not think I will support that branch of their business if it came to it.

I read the US support is great and helpful. Would contacting them directly be a possibility? If so how would I go about it?

[*sons_n_daughters*]

Given one account is suspended, the likely hood of this account being suspended is very high, especially as you have listed an item that got you suspended. The fact the ebay told you that you could list those items means nothing. Most of them don't even know what day it is, let alone give you the correct information. 

If you create a new account, it will be suspended because you have created it to get around a suspension. Also, you need to be aware, if your accounts all get permanently suspended, meaning you are also blocked from buying, anyone in your household will have their accounts suspended too.

There is a way to be able to sell again, but I'm not going to put that info into a public forum. 

For now, as already mentioned, remove that listing or you'll be toast. It was suggested to try Market Place or Gumtree (which I don't think ebay own anymore.......happy to be corrected if that's not the case). I don't think those types of items would sell very well there. If you have facebook, there are bound to be groups for those types of games, where people would be interested in buy them.

[padi*0409]

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@*sons_n_daughters* wrote:

...................Gumtree (which I don't think ebay own anymore.......happy to be corrected if that's not the case).

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You are correct SnD, eBay sold it off over 3 years ago.

https://insideretail.com.au/news/ebay-sells-gumtree-as-part-of-us9bn-classifieds-deal-202007