Permanent Suspension for returns!

Cookoospite

Hello,

I've been permanently suspended from eBay after 10 years. I have no negative feedback and a positive rating of 249. I'll post my correspondence with eBay below and will be grateful for any help or advice. My info and any links have been removed per the rules of this forum. eBay's reply is first, my email to them is below. I could understand a temporary suspension or a restriction of some kind but I was given one warning, which I was told not to worry about, see below.

Hello ,

My name is Jelly from eBay Trust and Safety department. I am writing to you regarding the email you've sent to us about the status of your account. I understand you'd like clarification on this matter, so let me look into this for you.

I've carefully reviewed your account and I can confirm that it has been suspended indefinitely due to the unusually high rate of cases you've opened.

eBay is concerned about the case being filed on the site as majority of the buyers on our site find most of their items are to their satisfaction. That is why, if a member encounter problems with a transaction, we encourage them to try and work things out with their seller before filing a claim. If a significant amount of your transactions end in a claim it is possible that you may be misusing the buyer protection program.

Let me inform you that we look at multiple transactions before making our decision. We do not take action based on a single transaction or interaction with a single seller. We look for patterns of behaviour across multiple transactions with multiple sellers.

Please understand that eBay reserves the right to restrict or suspend accounts that severely breach our policies. You'll find more detail on this under the 'Abusing eBay' heading of the eBay User Agreement. To read this, please open a new window on your browser and copy this link into it:

I know how distressing this action must be for you unfortunately, the suspension on your account is permanent and final. I can assure you that this decision was taken after a detailed review of your account.

I trust I've professionally communicated things clearly and we greatly appreciate your understanding.

Kind regards,

Jelly F.
eBay Customer Service

[THREAD ID: 1-4V4787OG]

Sent: 9/11/2021 12:05:52 PM
To:
CC:
Subject: Account holds, restrictions, and suspensions

Enter your question/concern

Hello,

on Sunday 5th September 2021 I had a message that my account had been suspended due to my account not following the abusive buyer policy. I have been a member of eBay for 10 years and have always paid on time and sold things with accurate descriptions. I have the buyer policy in front of me and will go through it point by point if you will be kind enough to read it.

Don t demand something not offered in the original listing: I have never done this.

Don t make false claims: Never made false claims.

Don t misuse returns: There have been a lot of returns lately but every one of those was a scam, which eBay refunded me for. Except the last one where the seller admitted a mistake, (I was sent an iPhone 11 instead of 12.) If the first phone I brought was as described I wouldn t have returned it or brought any of the others. I wanted and still would like a working, iPhone 12 which is what I was trying to purchase. Two of the phones I brought never turned up, ironically those were two I brought together but that was because both bids won and I don t believe in not paying. I'll put a detailed list of my eBay activity over the last few months at the end of this email.

On the 14th August, I contacted eBay live chat as I was concerned I d received a misuse message and was told not to worry about it. I have the whole conversation and every conversation with eBay from the last year saved if you would like me to send them to you. See messages copied below:

02:33:43 UTC
No specific item I’ve received an email saying I’m misusing eBay returns

02:34:44 UTC
Totally of 4 three ongoing but beyond my control

02:35:51 UTC Tanvi
I have checked the email for your help and please do not worry this is just a small warning message for multiple cases for return or did not receive the item. Please do not worry your account is in perfect standing.

02:36:40 UTC Ok so it is automatic?

02:38:02 UTC Tanvi
This is sent just as a small indication for the cases raised or filed by the system.

02:38:56 UTC Tanvi
This is sent because sometimes the policy is misused and so to make this platform safe the
message is generated.

Because I d been told the above and eBay were refunding me and telling me that serious action would be made against the sellers I didn t think anything of it. Since everything was documented and I had pictures of the phones, as proof they weren't as described, I thought I d done everything correctly. I received a seller offer on the 3rd of September, which apparently, I wouldn't get if my account wasn't to a high standard. All I was trying to do was buy items I wanted to keep. When they weren't genuine or useable I went through the correct process and looked for a replacement.

I m willing to be educated on how to avoid scams. Please assist me.

Don t misuse eBay messaging or bidding - I haven't.

Don t abuse eBay s buyer protection programmes or your payment service provider s dispute processes - If I have unintentionally done this I apologise. Please tell me how I should have handled things. Going forward could you give me a list of things to check so I can avoid non-genuine buyers. I've always gone by feedback and this has proven effective for the past 10 years apart from the last 4 months.

Pay for items you win or commit to buy Additional information

Pay for items you win or commit to buy Additional information

Acceptable buying practices include adherence to the following policies. - I always have. I did ask two sellers to cancel items as I recently had to replace my boiler. But that was before the returns.

• Communications: Your communications with sellers via email, My eBay Messages or Community discussion boards should comply with our member-to-member contact policy. • Customs declarations: Asking a seller to falsely declare an item as a gift on a customs

form is considered to be encouraging illegal activity.
• Unwelcome and malicious buying: We consider bidding on or buying an item when you have no intention of completing the transaction, or circumventing a seller s buyer requirements, to be unwelcome and malicious buying.
• Contact information: All eBay members must keep their account details up to date. We take action when we know that a member has false or missing contact information.

My communications with buyers, sellers and eBay staff has always been polite. I have never bid on an item I haven’t been willing to pay for.

My info is up to date and if I won duplicate items I would pay and sell them on. I just want to buy and, occasionally, sell genuine products. I appreciate eBay, have always tried to be a productive member of the community. Please educate me and give me a chance to be a member again. I have all recent chat transcripts if you want them. These I conducted about each return to make sure I was doing things correctly. My shopping list for the last 4 months has been one iPhone 12. Over the last few days I ve also been wanting a MacBook as MusicMagpie are offering a good trade in on my old model. These items are for my use. I have no interest in buying multiples.

I am disabled, I use a wheelchair and especially with COVID, have relied on eBay more than ever for my purchases. Please be so kind as to read my transactions list below.

Kind regards,

My eBay transactions over the past 4 months and the reasons behind the returns:

May 6th, Apple iPhone 12 - 256GB White Unlocked - it never turned up so was refunded by eBay.

May 24th, iPhone 12, this is removed so can t remember specs. This was refunded by Paypal and was never posted.

May 27th, iPhone 12 - 128GB - Gold Unlocked, Never posted, refunded by eBay

In between these returns I brought two items, one an expensive iPad. These were as described so I kept them.

11th June - Apple iPhone 12 - 128GB - Blue Locked. This was delivered but the carrier the seller said it was locked to didn t have a record of the phone. I paid for an unlocking service to try and keep the phone but even the professional unlocking service couldn t help. eBay agreed to my return and refunded me.

On the 15th June. I won an auction on the latest iPad, it was as described, transaction

On the 15th June. I won an auction on the latest iPad, it was as described, transaction

completed, no problems and I sold the one I brought in May through eBay as a seller. Again a smooth a trouble free transaction.

On the 25th June I brought a textbook and was refunded by the seller as they had lost the item, no issues.

On the 3rd July I brought some earphones which were found to be a scam so eBay refunded me.

On the 4th July I tried to buy the same earphones from somebody who had good feedback but when they came I thought they were fakes. I contacted Jabra who, after asking questions, confirmed this. eBay refunded me.

On the 14th July I tried again to buy earphones. This also turned out to be a scam. At this point I gave up and brought them from John Lewis for £10 more. eBay refunded me for the fakes.

On the 14th July I also won an auction for an iPhone 12 pro - 128GB - Pacific Blue (Unlocked.) Ironically if I d have brought this phone chances are I wouldn t be in this position but my boiler broke that week! I emailed the seller explaining my circumstances, short on money, and asked to cancel, saying I was prepared to pay if cancelling was difficult for them.. They kindly agreed to the cancellation.

On the 30th July, I once again tried to buy an iPhone 12, as my current phone is suffering from battery problems. When I received the phone, I discovered it was blacklisted. I discussed this with eBay and got refunded.

On the 5th August, I brought some software for my Mac but later discovered that it wasn t compatible. I did request a refund but accepted that it wasn t possible when the seller refused so I kept the item, planning to sell it on at a later date.

On the 6th August, I checked out a Buy it Now iPhone but due to the previous problems I emailed the seller asking a lot of questions, explaining that I had been the victim of scams and to please not waste my time. I must ve put him off because the seller refunded me in a couple of hours.

On the 9th of August I won two auctions both iPhone 12’s. I paid for both and if they both were genuine I would ve sold one on. One was never posted and for the other item I received an empty box. eBay refunded both.

On the 27th August I brought another iPhone 12, unfortunately when it came the iPhone was an iPhone 11. The seller apologised and refunded me herself as soon as she received her phone back. She offered to send me the iPhone 12 but because of the way eBay works we had to do the return of the iPhone 11 first. She was due to contact me when she was listing the phone so I had a good chance of buying it but obviously since my suspension I haven t been in contact.

On September 3rd I brought an Apple watch strap as mine had broken. I emailed the seller with my size but was refunded by them hours later so I guess they were out of stock.

On the 4th September I brought a MacBook but this was cancelled within minutes by the seller who emailed me saying there was a problem with his listing. I then received the message that my account had been suspended.

This is my eBay activity since May 2021. I always took pictures of the items, where possible, to validate my returns and contacted eBay support about each one

straightaway. If I had been told there was a limit on returns I wouldn t have brought so

straightaway. If I had been told there was a limit on returns I wouldn t have brought so much or so quickly. eBay made me feel secure as a buyer and as long as I had good reasons for returning I didn t see any abuse of the process that was there to protect me. I know I have returned a lot in the past 4 months but I have also brought things. My activity over the last 10 years has been trouble free up to this point. Please reconsider my suspension and contact me if you have any questions.

theonlywayisup

Is there a short version? 

Cookoospite

Hi, I returned items that were not as described, would get refunded by eBay, buy what I assumed was a genuine phone and it wouldn't be. Top email is just eBay's standard reply, I think. The bottom is mine. I thought people would want details if I'm asking for advice. Thanks for taking the time to reply. My transactions are in a list at the bottom if you want to skim. I included everything to make the point that I do/did buy and keep. No difference.

theoretica

theonlywayisup said:

Is there a short version? 

Buyer keeps buying expensive electronics on ebay and getting refunds for scam listings etc.  Ebay no longer want buyer who is so very bad at spotting scams and expensive for them as a company.

Cookoospite

theoretica said:

theonlywayisup said:

Is there a short version? 

Buyer keeps buying expensive electronics on ebay and getting refunds for scam listings etc.  Ebay no longer want buyer who is so very bad at spotting scams and expensive for them as a company.

Harsh but accurate. Everybody I brought from had good feedback and pictures. I've been pretty good at it up till now. What else should I have done?

steviebabes

The lesson here is don't buy Apple products from eBay. They just tend to attracts scammers and dodgy sellers.

Cookoospite

steviebabes said:

The lesson here is don't buy Apple products from eBay. They just tend to attracts scammers and dodgy sellers.

Agreed but is there anything I can do. I’ve seen forums where scammers only get a month or even a week? Feels like I’m being treated by a criminal! I rely on eBay for other things as well.

theoretica

Cookoospite said:

theoretica said:

theonlywayisup said:

Is there a short version? 

Buyer keeps buying expensive electronics on ebay and getting refunds for scam listings etc.  Ebay no longer want buyer who is so very bad at spotting scams and expensive for them as a company.

Harsh but accurate. Everybody I brought from had good feedback and pictures. I've been pretty good at it up till now. What else should I have done?

I last bought expensive electronics from ebay about 10 years ago - was no longer confident I would spot increasingly sophisticated scams.  For all but trivial ebay purchases I check that the seller adds up - what are the other listings, including completed ones. Have they suddenly increased or changed their listings and does the pattern 'feel' right.  What are the dates on the feedback history and is it for the same sort of thing they are now selling? If they should be a business seller are they?

Cookoospite

theoretica said:

Cookoospite said:

theoretica said:

theonlywayisup said:

Is there a short version? 

Buyer keeps buying expensive electronics on ebay and getting refunds for scam listings etc.  Ebay no longer want buyer who is so very bad at spotting scams and expensive for them as a company.

Harsh but accurate. Everybody I brought from had good feedback and pictures. I've been pretty good at it up till now. What else should I have done?

I last bought expensive electronics from ebay about 10 years ago - was no longer confident I would spot increasingly sophisticated scams.  For all but trivial ebay purchases I check that the seller adds up - what are the other listings, including completed ones. Have they suddenly increased or changed their listings and does the pattern 'feel' right.  What are the dates on the feedback history and is it for the same sort of thing they are now selling? If they should be a business seller are they?

Thanks, any ideas where I go from here? My most pressing thing is wheelchair batteries, lot cheaper on eBay and I rely on my chair. I have a friend who can order them but it’s not really a long term solution. Can I ask to speak to a supervisor/manager. I tried on the online chats but was stonewalled by all but two who were sympathetic the last gave me the email address. I wonder if they even read it or if I’m just a red X on the system 😪 

k3lvc

Cookoospite said:

theoretica said:

theonlywayisup said:

Is there a short version? 

Buyer keeps buying expensive electronics on ebay and getting refunds for scam listings etc.  Ebay no longer want buyer who is so very bad at spotting scams and expensive for them as a company.

Harsh but accurate. Everybody I brought from had good feedback and pictures. I've been pretty good at it up till now. What else should I have done?

Not continued to try and purchase repeatedly after the first bad experience - it's the repeats that have caused the issue and any retailer/platform would be likely to treat you in the same way. 'Bargains' of Apple products are few and far between - the cost, as you've found, is the time/energy/risk needed to find them

Not sure you'll recover your eBay account/status but others may be able to come up with suggestions to help - even if you do it'll be last chance saloon though 

steviebabes

I think the problem with Apple products is they are rarely discounted so people see them on eBay at cheaper prices and have a blinkered view. Even sellers with 100% feedback can be dodgy as feedback is easily earned from buying tack and you can't leave negative feedback for seven days. By this time they are long gone. This leaves eBay to clear up the mess of items not received and items not as described.