eBay Restrictions - Please help

NC241121

Free Member
Jan 25, 2023
1
0
Hi there. I'm hoping someone can help and provide some guidance.

Within the last few months I've had some concerning issues being caused by eBay. This all started with restrictions and selling bans. First of all I listed a foot cream which I was advised was a prescription drug despite me listing this only in the UK and this is available over the counter, this resulted in my being banned from selling for 3 days. A few weeks later I was working my way through listing all of my inventory and I listed mouthwash and again I was restricted but this time for 7 days, advising that this was a prescription drug again. Despite appealing both of these bans/restrictions nobody ever contacted me back which left me chasing call backs for hours each day and having to wait out the restrictions.

In the middle of all of the issues with Royal Mail, and Packlink generating labels, I had an email to say that eBay had added a delivery date extension for all of my customers based on item not received cases, none of which were my fault, I had provided shipping evidence etc I was told this could be appealed. After days of formatting and collating all of this information, I spoke with somebody who told me that there was no option to appeal this and nobody had the power to remove these delivery date extensions from my account. They are still active on my account which has seriously impacted the number of sales I have been having compared to sales previous to the delivery date extensions.

Since this I decided that I was going to be extra sensitive and alert when listing to prevent any of these bans/restrictions being imposed again. Since then I listed a hair bleach product and I was then banned from selling this time for 10 days advising that this was a tooth whitening product. Again I was quick to call up and appeal this decision speaking to numerous people to get this resolved. I was promised that the adviser would follow up and call back and would also arrange a separate manager call back however both never happened. Despite raising this appeal nobody contacted back and I had no option but to sit and wait out this 10 day selling ban which has had awful consequences on my business and my personal financial life.

Despite being banned for 10 days on the latest ban, I was told that eBay had removed those products because it breaches policies; however, when my account was reinstated after the 10 day ban nobody had removed these products and they were live in my store! I have had to end these myself now, in fear of being banned again but for 30 days this time. I have also had over 30 listings of household cleaning products taken down because I was told these are pesticides or fertilisers. They are household disinfectant cleaning products, it really feels like there is a technical error causing issues on my account.

On the 16th January I received an email to advise that my payouts are on hold and this review would take up to 5 days. Today marks the 7th working day (10th non working day) and I still don't have any payout. There thousands of pounds sat in my pending balance which is my profit and more importantly needed to ship my buyers orders. I have no idea what to now as eBay advisers have suggested refunding all 166 orders and allowing the back office team to review my account once all outstanding sales have been delivered or refunded. As I haven't had a payout for nearly 10 days and I'm thousands of pounds down. Through the help section of eBay it states that I have a payout tomorrow however on the payout section it says no upcoming payouts. I also spoke to an adviser on live chat that promised the restrictions would be removed and my payout in my account the next day as the money had already left and been processed by eBay. I have since spoken to a different adviser who advised that I have a shill bidding restriction on my account, however I have never used eBay for auctions and all of my listings are buy it now. None of this makes any sense at all.

Please can somebody help and shine some light? I've been told this is not a MC011 restriction if that helps?! Any help would be greatly appreciated, I'm just an honest guy trying to make a self employed living after getting made redundant.

Thank you in advance
Nathan
 

MBE2017

Free Member
  • Feb 16, 2017
    4,735
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    You unfortunately are discovering the terrible world of eBay, where neither hand knows, or cares what the other is saying or doing.

    I can’t be of much help, maybe others can offer some hope, but what you are experiencing is exactly why I ditched eBay many years ago. They don’t know you, they don’t care about you, your business is to small to worry them, and eventually they might even end up banning your account with little or no warning.

    I hope I’m wrong for your sake, but they do not seem to like your products very much. I would be working on a Plan B as soon as you are able, just in case. In the meantime I think you will just have to wait it out, as you have found, no one seems able to resolve such issues easily.
     
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    OMGVape

    Free Member
    Jan 21, 2018
    749
    109
    I’m thinking maybe there are some trigger words/phrases in your listings that eBay doesn’t like, or maybe your products are banned in other countries?

    Make sure all of your listings are U.K. shipping only (for now) and search your products from other sellers to see if their titles/descriptions are worded differently.

    EBay is terrible for customer care and dumping it was the best move I ever made, but I remember they did have a members forum which was great for advice on all kinds of EBay issues.

    Just a thought but are you listing as a business seller or personal?
     
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    m4hmo

    Free Member
  • Dec 11, 2022
    145
    46
    London & Bristol
    If you screwed your account up because of your own mistakes I would have told you to change your name by deed poll, get a new address, and start again. That's what I did back in 2005. But this sounds different.

    Are there not other sellers selling the same product/s you're trying to sell?

    eBay/payal will forever be in the buyers favour, never the sellers.
     
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    Mr D

    Free Member
    Feb 12, 2017
    28,915
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    If you screwed your account up because of your own mistakes I would have told you to change your name by deed poll, get a new address, and start again. That's what I did back in 2005. But this sounds different.

    Are there not other sellers selling the same product/s you're trying to sell?

    eBay/payal will forever be in the buyers favour, never the sellers.

    Except when ebay are in the sellers favour.
    You can win an item not received claim even when the buyer hasn't received the item. Just prove delivery.
     
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    vivente

    Free Member
    Jul 20, 2013
    321
    22
    Except when ebay are in the sellers favour.
    You can win an item not received claim even when the buyer hasn't received the item. Just prove delivery.
    Actually not that simple. The buyer can counter by saying they received x of no value in the parcel that weighed around the same as the seller product and that the seller clearly tried to scam them. If they present anything to that effect it is likely the buyer will win. Ebay is biased to the buyer. If in doubt refund is their policy from our experience.
     
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    DoolallyTap

    Business Member
  • Jan 20, 2023
    363
    87
    Southampton
    Selling restrictions created by unacceptable items (even if they should be accepted) is impossible to overturn. The eBay people who create the restriction cannot be talked to. No amount of discussion with anyone you can talk to will change the restriction. It is also almost impossible to discover why the restriction has been imposed. It may be the product, the title words or even something in the description. Once you have 1 restriction you seem to be on a hot list and constantly checked for any other infringement.
     
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    Mr D

    Free Member
    Feb 12, 2017
    28,915
    3,627
    Stirling
    Actually not that simple. The buyer can counter by saying they received x of no value in the parcel that weighed around the same as the seller product and that the seller clearly tried to scam them. If they present anything to that effect it is likely the buyer will win. Ebay is biased to the buyer. If in doubt refund is their policy from our experience.

    However the item not received claim is dealt with automatically and proof of delivery means case gets closed in sellers favour.

    Ebay, like any site, applies relevant laws. The laws are rigged in favour of the buyer - as they should be.
    Otherwise no one would dare buy online.
     
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    m4hmo

    Free Member
  • Dec 11, 2022
    145
    46
    London & Bristol
    I once bought an ounce of gold off eBay, I know stupid, the seller sent me an ounce of silver. It was £750 approx back then.

    I got my money back through PayPal. I also abused the shit out of the seller by email (which eBay could see), and on the phone.

    Sometimes it's best to stick to items under £80 and below 2kg. Minimum loss if a buyer scams you.
     
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    Picture Bute

    Free Member
    Apr 27, 2021
    210
    73
    Selling restrictions created by unacceptable items (even if they should be accepted) is impossible to overturn. The eBay people who create the restriction cannot be talked to. No amount of discussion with anyone you can talk to will change the restriction. It is also almost impossible to discover why the restriction has been imposed. It may be the product, the title words or even something in the description. Once you have 1 restriction you seem to be on a hot list and constantly checked for any other infringement.

    I once got a listing taken down and a 30 day ban for breaking their 'policy on firearms' for selling Hot Glue Guns. There were literally hundreds of similarly named listing live on the site (and probably still are). I stupidly spent hours trying to get this overturned but ended up giving up and pretty much stopping using ebay as a sales platform. I've also had listings removed for breaching other policies that they didn't breach, like silicone grease being considered as fireworks etc. Nightmare of a platform.
     
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