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I am so much... So angry... So Sad... So Helpless and So Aggravated...

I sign up for eBay. I subscribe to Auctiva, Hammer Tap, Market Research, Turbo Lister, SellaThon, Sellpower, Selling Manager Pro and an eBay store. I take a week off of work to get this things going. I spend uptine dollars and list 33 auctions, completely set up my store to look like my site. About 70 hours worth of working includung all the learning.

Then it hits. BAMMMMMMMMMMMM.. Bommmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.. Whackkkkkkkkkkkk

All money lost.... all time lost... I am SUSPENDED. NO warning! NO Reason!.

WTF??? I get an email from the famous Safe Harbor stating: We regret to inform you that your eBay account has been suspended because it violates the site policy outlined in the User Agreement:

eBay's services are not available to members who are currently suspended.

Our records indicate that your account is associated with the following suspended account: jeff1089XXXX

Ok... I do slightly remember joining eBay many years ago under that name. Matter of fact it was 2001... yes 2001. 5 years ago and I did 2 transactions with that account. That’s it.

Do not remember any trouble though. Must be an error.

Ok... no biggie. I will just email them.

3 DAYS LATER...After they strip my accounts of everything I built.. Including feedbacks left, and any orders I did not mark "shipped".

Now I have many people that are angry and thinking I am a scammer and want to know what is going on. (BTW. I had a 100% positive feedback of 15 and was working hard to keep it that way).

3 More days later the famous Safe Harbor emails me back stating that all monies are due. So I do the right thing and pay them immediately.

3 days later I get an email from eBay: “Thank you for writing to eBay concerning the suspension you have received. My name is XXXXX and I would like to explain this information a little further regarding your suspension appeal.
Our records indicate that either you were allowing the previously suspended user to access our site through your account or you, yourself, owned the previously suspended account.

Your account was suspended from eBay due to the violation of our site policy stated below:

<Linked to a Previously Suspended User>

The linked account must be resolved before we can consider your account
for reinstatement.

Linked Suspended Account: 42ocXXXX

42ocXXXX I think??? Who the heck is that I think? I advanced search it. It is some person from my state who buys bikes from CA. Not me.. Great… it is a case of mistaken identity. I can fix this fast…

So I email them back:
“Hi XXXX,
This is starting to make some sense. This is mistaken identity. In the email below you state that I am linked to 42ocXXXX. I am positive that this is not me. This person sold bikes. I never ever sold bikes.

Please check and advise.

Jeff.”

Great I think… the next email from eBay will be an apology and I am back in.

NOT!!!!

They now tell me:
“Hello Jeff,

Thank you for taking the time to write back to eBay regarding the suspension of your account. My name is XXXaDifferntPerson and I am happy to assist you.

I have reviewed your case and found that your account was actually suspended from eBay due to your association with the previously
suspended users, rebecca-royXXXX.com and jeffXXXX, for NonPayment.

Your account was found to have the same or similar contact information as the accounts that you were found to be associated with. Due to privacy concerns, we cannot give out the actual address, phone number, name, etc. that was found to be the same or similar.

In order for this account to be considered for reinstatement, all issues must first be addressed with the <rebecca-royXXXX.com and jeffXXXX> accounts by contacting us from the eBay registered email address of the previously suspended accounts to address the unresolved issue. Please understand that this suspension extends to all members of the same household and to any associates of the suspended user due to the nature of the policy violation.

2 NEW DIFFERENT PEOPLE!?!?!?. WTF…

I have no clue who these people are. How the hell am I going to log into their accounts and fix their problems? It is freaking impossible.

This is such bull. I did nothing wrong and no one can help. If your name is Jim James be careful…. If James Jim does something wrong then you get suspended.

How can this happen in a land that was built on free enterprise? Is eBay bigger than the law? Bigger than the government? Bigger than McDonald’s or Coke… I am afraid so… They make so much money so fast that a few thousand people means ziltch.

I did nothing wrong but reside in Rhode Island and be born with the name Jeff Roy.

I was a model eBayer who worked very hard giving the best service, price and customer service.

Anyone else experience this crap???

Jeff Roy
Original Post

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That's awful!

The sad part is, it's typical ebay logic...

Maybe if you keep writing, you'll finally get someone who makes some sense. Tell them that you think you did open an account many years ago and no longer have access to that email account. The account was barely used and if there is a small balance on the account you'd be happy to pay it. The other account is one that you have no knowledge of whatsoever and there is no way you can possibly resolve things about that account, any more than you could another stranger's account.


...side note: What part of RI are you from? My husband is from there and misses it a lot. We don't see too many Rhode Islanders in Ohio Wink (Or maybe we just don't get too many anywhere outside New England since it's a small state...I dunno..)
I'm SO sorry!
Have you tried calling them?
I found that when I was on the phone with an actual person I got ALOT further than by emailing eBay. Or sitting with Live Chat.

If you need a phone number, get with me via email or contact member.

I'll do the best I can to help you.

I'm so sorry..very sorry for you.

This is typical of eBay though...no warning, just wham, bam, thank you m'am email.

The Powersellers Board and eBay Stores Board have some major horror stories.

The Stores Board is going crazy as of late with all the disasters going on with the bugs and non-fixes.

Take care, Donna
Hi Suthrnjewl,
I have a number for eBay but I haven't been able to get through. Silly me left a message for them on Monday and actually expected a return call.
Is it me or does their customer support really lack basic skills. If I ran my business like that I would be in the welfare line fast.
How can this company flourish with practices like this? Is it the Monopoly factor?
Sorry... still venting.. Any ways how do I send you an email? I cannot seem to locate a way to contact you on this site. I want to see if we have the same number.
Other readers.. Please if you know of an alternative site to eBay please share. I listed a couple of items on Sell.com but have very few visitors.
Thanks.

Jeff
quote:
Originally posted by RoycoSurpluscom:
Hi Suthrnjewl,
I have a number for eBay but I haven't been able to get through. Silly me left a message for them on Monday and actually expected a return call.
Is it me or does their customer support really lack basic skills. If I ran my business like that I would be in the welfare line fast.
How can this company flourish with practices like this? Is it the Monopoly factor?
Sorry... still venting.. Any ways how do I send you an email? I cannot seem to locate a way to contact you on this site. I want to see if we have the same number.
Other readers.. Please if you know of an alternative site to eBay please share. I listed a couple of items on Sell.com but have very few visitors.
Thanks.

Jeff

Jeff,
You have a right to vent.

Try this number..it's for stores but they can be helpful and get you to another warm body when given the complete specs of a situation. If I had not had the persons in the eBay stores to keep me from going insane this past fall when my account was being hit maliciously I'd have probably closed up with eBay and tucked tail after a LONG time selling.

Or by calling our customer support number at 866-322-9103, 6am-6pm PDT, Monday through Friday

I use my free stores with ecrater.com and I use blujay/bidville and working on my own website.

I'm so sorry this happened to you.
Suthrnjewl @ Suthrnjewl dot com


Hope this helps!
Donna
quote:
Originally posted by RoycoSurpluscom:
Thank you for your sympathy wahm922. I have read many of your replies throughout this forum. Guess I am kind of a fan. WOW!!! you have a following. Smile

Story is not over...

I will keep you posted on this forum.


A fan or a stalker Razz

~LOL~

Just kidding of course Wink

Isn't it amazing how ebay has this power over our businesses? The sad part is that they can do these things and get away with it!

Do as Donna suggests and just keep calling over and over and over again until you get someone who will actually listen. They are rare but they do exist.

I'm confident that you can overcome this and move forward Smile
Donna,
You are a warm and caring person. Your sympathy and help has made me feel better and I appreciate it. eBay should hire you as head of customer service for like $500k a year. I am sure that you can teach them more in 15 minutes then the company has learned in all of its years.

Funny how eBay is in the people business and yet they really suck at communication and customer service.

I will call them just to see what they have to say but I am not so sure I want to be a member anymore. I have ZERO confidence in them. Who is to say that they won’t suspend me again? What if I make eBay my main source of income and then one day I am suspended again? I have a home and 3 children to support and I need some kind of security.

After reading all the horror stories on powersellersunite.com I cannot understand how any eBay seller can sleep. Most of us work so hard building a reputable business and it can be taken away in the blink of an eye. I cannot work like that. I don’t think I can put any of my eggs in Ebay’s basket.

Funny how you mentioned Bidville.com. I just signed up a few minutes ago and I listed my first item. I really think this site will give eBay some competition.

Rome, Russia, Enron, Wool Worths and countless other things have fallen and so will eBay if they continue. You cannot treat people like this in today’s world.

I wish you all the happiness, health and wealth in the world Donna.

Jeff
Hi Jeff-
You should try ebay radio live on Sundays 3:00PM - 5:00PM PST). They have a 2 hour session where people call and ask questions. I have heard before where someone is suspended and Griff has helped them look into it. At least you can try to talk to someone. Here is the link:

http://www.wsradio.com/internet-talk-radio.cfm/shows/eBay-Radio.html

"Call in with your questions or comments during the live show toll free at 877-Griff02 (877-474-3302)"

Good luck,
Zypies
GREAT IDEA Zypies!!
I will do that.

I had no idea so many people are having the same trouble as me with eGay. (no typo)

I been looking at all kinds of forums and this is a widespread problem.

Do you realize how easy you could get someone suspended? All you really need is their name, city and state and you can cause them instant grief.

This has to be addressed. None of use are safe.

Procedures need to be in place. Like when you are suspected of being someone else or breaking some rule you will be assigned and eBay represenative who will actually work with you to resolve issues. I am sure eBay has the money to do this.

Jeff
Thanks for checking in wahm922 .

To be honest. I do not want to do business with eBay any more. That's right I am going to bite my nose to spite my face.

I refuse to support a company that has our needs, feelings, concerns and so forth on the bottom of their list.

I have never in all my 38 years been treated like this from a company in which I was considered a model citizen and spent hundreds of dollars so early in our realationship. A model citizen one day… a criminal the next, with NO explanation. Not even a courtesy email or phone call before the suspension. I cannot believe their success. Again, I for one will not support them.

Bull crap pre-formatted emails from different people with conflicting stories, wrongful accusations, and no phone number readily available is enough for me to call it quits.

I want to wish all eBay members all the success in the world on eBay. I just hope you never get into the range of their target because all will be lost. Do yourselves a favor and keep every single email address of your buyers in a file. You may want to notify them of your new auction site someday.

After searching and reading for days, I have found so many web sites of wrongly charged people. Powersellersuntite.com for one. Their stories, some much like mine, are very concerning and all sellers, especially the ones who make 100% of their living on eBay, should be worried.

Right now I am building my business on my own site (RoycoSurplus.com), Amazon.com, Bidville.com, Google Adwords, Craigs List and OnlineAuctions.com.

Between the five I can do better than I did on eBay. It is better to have 5 small streams of income rather than one. If one dries up it is no big deal. It is more work but hey… I love what I do. It is eBay that takes the fun out of it.

I will remain on this forum because I love the people and I would like to see Auctiva adapt to other sites.

EBay members if you have the opportunity please tell eBay that:

Have a Coke and a smile
Have it your way, right away.
We love to see you smile.
We love to fly and it shows.

Are all good things.

Google, McDonalds, Burger King, Delta, Coke all have their phone numbers listed on their sites. It is just good business practice.

If eBay wasn’t the first and the largest they would be doomed. Time to change.

Sorry for the long reply but I am in such dismay that I need to vent and I want everyone to know that you are not safe.

I am willing to respond to any posts.

Jeff

PS. I may get re-instated just to clear my name for my own sanity, but I will immediately cancel my account
Jeff, I'm sorry to hear you are giving up on your fight!

I agree that are alternatives and I hope that someday we can all walk away from ebay. I'm there because that's where the sales are for me. I have tried other sites without much luck but to be honest ebay isn't the happening place it used to be either.

Sellers are leaving and taking customers with them as well. I would love to have my own website someday but I just don't have the "know how" to pull it off.

Luckly this is not my only income. My DH works a FT job and that pays the bills. What I do online is for life's little extra's. It allows me to stay at home with the kids.

For those that rely on ebay for your sole income I have a great deal of respect for because its not an easy job!

Remember, EVERYTHING happens for a reason Wink

I think you'll do great without ebay, most of us just feel comfortable there and I know for me there is a great fear of moving forward and leaving it behind. So I guess in a way you are lucky to not have to get drawn into ebay and are able to start out on your own!
Hi Dgoodin.
I use ShopSite8. It is the best I have seen yet.

You can get a free demo at http://shopsite.com.

If you like it and want it then you need to find an autorized re-seller. I use BizLand.com. I am extremely happy with them as well.

You will need to sign up under their commerce plan to get ShopSite. Expect to pay $35.95 per month. http://www.bizland.com/bizland/commerce.bml

Contact me if you have any questions. I have been using them for months and know the ropes pretty good.

I am not plugging these 2 companies for gain. I make nothing to refer you. I am just very happy with both companies product and service and want to pass it along.

Jeff
quote:
Originally posted by RoycoSurpluscom:
Hi Dgoodin.
I use ShopSite8. It is the best I have seen yet.

You can get a free demo at http://shopsite.com.

If you like it and want it then you need to find an autorized re-seller. I use BizLand.com. I am extremely happy with them as well.

You will need to sign up under their commerce plan to get ShopSite. Expect to pay $35.95 per month. http://www.bizland.com/bizland/commerce.bml

Contact me if you have any questions. I have been using them for months and know the ropes pretty good.

I am not plugging these 2 companies for gain. I make nothing to refer you. I am just very happy with both companies product and service and want to pass it along.

Jeff

Ok...I'm going for the obvious here..

Why don't you have a free ecrater store also?
http://www.ecrater.com

It's too pretty a day in Florida to be staying inside. I've got more to say (DUH! HA) but will hold it over until I have time to say it...proper!
<smile>

Peace,
Donna
quote:
Originally posted by Auctiva David:
Eventually we hope to have an Auctiva Store where you can sell stuff independant of eBay with a shopping cart Smile with no listing fees, final value fees, listing enhancement fees, etc! Razz

YEAHHHHHHH DAVID!

Keep us apprised. I know that it was mentioned back in the late fall. And I think it was noted that ya'll were shooting for it around Phase II of Auctiva time.

Thanks for the good news!
Sending beer and wings your way for a job well done!
Donna
Good morning Jeff,

Here's a link to one of several stores that I have.

http://makeyourownandsave.ecrater.com/

If you have a domain name, then you could redirect to your ecrater.

Granted you can't change the HTML and a few more "little things" that might bother some. But they allow 10 pictures on each item and more.

http://www.ecrater.com/community/

This will answer ALOT of your questions.

Ecrater stores are in Froogle/Google well within 48 hours if you submit them to the search engines. (which links are on your administrative site) ECRATER Stores your pics and more.

It's another avenue of selling.

With Auctiva having already offered me first class service with customer service, templates, scheduling and more. I can't wait to see how well this new selling tool independent of eBay will be.

Needless to say...I'm VERY Excited for the launching of their own stores just like I'm using with ecrater. (which is like ecraters stores)

I make sales from ALL of my ecrater stores.

Need me?
Find me.
Suthrnjewl @ Suthrnjewl dot com

It's too pretty a day to stay inside..I'm heading offline.

Take care, Donna
The same thing just happened to me and i'm haveing the same problesm with ebay, no responses to my inquieries. I don't know why I was suspended. I just got started myself, I put a lot of time and money into starting up this business and ebay shuts me down with no explanation. I reported a fraudulant email from a ebay member, forwarded to me by ebay and the next morning I'm suspended. Do they not realize that many of thier members depend on thier businesses that they have large investments on the line!
I read thru the first page and all I can say..
"WOW"
We had about 900 auctions up and some Dumb A@@ (Seller in our category).
Said we were using there pictures, and another Dumb A@@ from eBay took there word (should have read our listing Hmm.. Maybe contact us to get more info from us) Well they shut down all our auctions and SUSPENDED us.
A little background.
We are one of the FEW lic. Dealers to SELL on eBay (and the seller that said those were there’s was not, and they are not selling any more). We went to all of our manufactures and told them we wanted to sell on eBay, they had us make a test listing with there item, then they looked at it and made a couple changes then approved us to sell there.
And the manufacture provided all the pictures (copyrighted and owned by the manufacture) NOT some dumb a@@.
And we have letters to support this.
But did eBay ask NO, did eBay even talk to us first NOPE.
BUT when this happened we try the email BS.. That didn't work.
So we “found” (LOL) the phone number to ONE CEO, well within 24 hours our items were back up (done by eBay).
So I hope that this is not to late and maybe will help someone.
CEO Number 408-558-7412 (There name starts with "W")
Here is the number for the head guy for Safe Harbor 801-545-2586
And I have many other numbers for head people and dept.
Well good luck!
Smile

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