Buying account suspended, no longer a registered user

justwondering25

Help and advice please, I have had my buying account suspended, currently showing as no longer a registered user.

The account has only been used for buying for the past few years, I spend thousands every month buying used games, computer parts... I don't return many items, only if they are faulty, or open a non received item, unless something does not arrive.

I currently cannot contact ebay through their website (ebay.co.uk) due to my account been "no longer registered"

I have tried to call them, but due to covid 19 issues their phone lines for customer services is just a recorded message, explaining there customer service number is currently not in use....

The account did have the option to sell with, but I have not sold on the account for maybe two years.

I received the message as detailed below.
Help and advice please

Your eBay account was suspended because recent account activity has raised serious security concerns. We've taken this precaution to protect our members while we make sure that the activity doesn't cause harm -- however unintentionally -- to the eBay Community.

You won't be able to use eBay in any way. This includes using another existing account or registering a new account.

theonlywayisup

What are you asking?   

soolin

That message is usually where they suspect fraud, could there have been any hidden activity on the account, could anyone else have had access to it and your emails (to delete eBay messages)?

My first thought was too many claims , but in that instance you usually get at least 2 warnings first, usually a basic warning about losing buyer protection, then a message to say that you can continue to buy but will have no buyer protection. They’ve gone straight to the standard fraud warning. Did you lose any SNAD or INR claims at all?

ebay were still available early last week via live chat or phone , I called them myself , it might be worth trying at different times of the day to see if there is any skeleton support at all. 

Obviously until this is sorted don’t try and open a new account or use anyone elses. 

justwondering25

soolin said:

That message is usually where they suspect fraud, could there have been any hidden activity on the account, could anyone else have had access to it and your emails (to delete eBay messages)?

My first thought was too many claims , but in that instance you usually get at least 2 warnings first, usually a basic warning about losing buyer protection, then a message to say that you can continue to buy but will have no buyer protection. They’ve gone straight to the standard fraud warning. Did you lose any SNAD or INR claims at all?

ebay were still available early last week via live chat or phone , I called them myself , it might be worth trying at different times of the day to see if there is any skeleton support at all. 

Obviously until this is sorted don’t try and open a new account or use anyone elses. 

Thank you for your reply, the option to chat via web chat appeared at 8am this morning, I contacted eBay, they refused to turn my buying account back on, so I am now suspended, they basically said the decision was final... 

I spend a lot of money each month on ebay around £4000, so there are times when things do not arrive or when things are faulty, those things are beyond my control......

But I did have a particular bad seller, they sold me some ram, it arrived, I tested it , it turned out to be faulty , so I opened a resolution case, seller accepted the return, but did not pay for eBays own return shipping and they refused to upload a label or send me money via paypal to cover return shipping costs, they called me in various messages a moron and a cheap skate for me not wanting to pay for the return postage costs, I was polite at all times and just tried to reason with the seller, but they where pretty awful.

Any way, I could not contact ebay for a while due to their systems, no phone calls, chat online not working, finally messaged them via "visually impaired / hard of hearing " option....hey presto, ebay sorted me out a prepaid returns label, sent the item back, yesterday morning, I get a message, saying ebay could see the item had returned to the seller and they would issue a refund, this I assume happened rather than letting the seller click the refund, is because I had to dispute the need for a returns label.........I therefore think the seller has got extra spiteful, contacted eBay and made me out to be a very bad guy, perhaps lied about the condition of the item , perhaps lied saying I had included a nasty letter.

So the day my return arrived, later that same day, booom account suspended.

That is me simply speculating, but I cannot think of any other reason to ban me at all, other than been lied about.

I agree upon reading the email message, it does appear that I was banned for selling reasons, but I have sold nothing on that account for either a few years or not at all...I must admit I cannot remember if I had ever used it for selling, as it was used as my main buying account.

I have a few selling accounts, excellent feedback, sell lots of stuff on them, high value-ish items too, mostly used.

Currently, panicking about the potential domino effect, buying and selling on ebay is pretty much my main source of income.

One other thing, I have a load of stuff that I have purchased on eBay, so unsure if that will arrive...but I guess I will just claim via Paypal for that.

All very stressful and all a bit uncalled for and unfair !!!

justwondering25

The option to call them is just a answering message at the moment, I had ebays number, called them, long message explaining call center closed due to Covid19.
I feel that perhaps if I could of spoken with them in person over the phone, then I could of had a better chance of working out any issues, but via Web chat it was all very clinical, cut and paste from their side. 

soolin

If the problem related to your selling account they would have suspended that not the buying one first, although of course when one is suspended they all are. Just remember that until you get this sorted you can’t sell on eBay using the other accounts .

Are you sure you have never received any messages about your level of returns as this feels like a possible scenario especially if opening a case for SNAD didn’t get you an automatic return label. Or did you retaliate at all to the name calling or insults perhaps out of anger, as that’s another possible scenario. 

As I said above it is very rare to be suspended on a buying account and while you wait to contact them just have a look back through your emails and spam folders to see if you have missed any messages from eBay.

soolin

I just went onto eBay and tried live chat and my waiting time to ‘talk’ to someone is 1 minute , I can also request that they call me if I prefer. 

justwondering25

soolin said:

I just went onto eBay and tried live chat and my waiting time to ‘talk’ to someone is 1 minute , I can also request that they call me if I prefer. 

Hi, thank you for your help and replies, I did not retaliate with the name calling, I tend to feel that is the fastest way to lose any debate, I have had no past messages with regards to buyer protection concerns or with me in regards to sending back items as faulty or items that have not been received. 

The automatic return label did not happen because the seller choose to add their own label, but never added it, which left the return in limbo, as the only options was to click to confirm I had sent the return. 

That is what lead me to need to contact ebay for the return label, my messages with the seller does show, that they say they had clicked the wrong button, I had asked if they would send me the return costs via PayPal, to quickly resolve the issue of the return costs. 
I think the seller has got pretty spiteful, maybe made up a story about me putting in a insulting letter with the return or perhaps saying I return it smashed up... I can only speculate as ebay won't tell me any more, so I cannot defend my position. 

The call me option, I find I click it, it won't go through to the call part sadly. 

bris

To many returns, they see you as a business, which you obviously are and are returning too many items. 
Despite them being genuine returns as you say there is just to many of them. This flagged your account and it became obvious to them what you are doing.

justwondering25

bris said:

To many returns, they see you as a business, which you obviously are and are returning too many items. 
Despite them being genuine returns as you say there is just to many of them. This flagged your account and it became obvious to them what you are doing.

If I buy the item or if someone else buys the item, if it never arrives, or arrives faulty, a claim is going to be made. 

Ebay should consider a sale, a sale, what is wrong with buying from eBay for business purposes? Perhaps they should add a term and condition that states, buyers can only buy for personal use. 

As plenty of businesses, buy spares, parts, items to use for their needs...