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Blocking Negative Feedback Bidders = Indefinite Selling Restriction ?
 

One of my matured accounts has just received an indefinite selling restriction only a day after I discovered and blocked a negative feedback bidder (very high probability he was a scammer too, abusing eBay Buyer Protection). Thankfully, he did not win the item and I blocked his ID. This buyer had an extensive history of leaving multiple negative feedback(s) for sellers, and I was not comfortable accepting his bid..

After he started complaining through the eBay messaging system, I explained to him that I as a seller was not comfortable accepting his bid due to negatives. He pretty much messaged me with the exact words, "Is that the reason of this non-sense? You know if you push too much, I might finally get pissed... I CAN REPORT YOU RIGHT NOW to the FBI for fraud... and then we'll see..." After I'd already replied to him with my reason, I ignored this and later on he stated, "You are being reported! I'm going to give you a very hard time.." A day later, the account was selling limited and all my active listings were cancelled. These are his exact quotes and are already documented.

I've handled all this professionally with my replies, so nothing is really out of the ordinary on my eBay account; they just claim that I was "high risk." Yeah right. The buyer was clearly high risk, and I've still maintained 100% feedback and 4.8+ DSRs. Is this seriously even legitimate practice? This account is quite matured, and I don't really want to lose it.. Is there any way I could possibly contest this or pursue this legally?

I doubt that the buyer directly had anything to do with your account suspension. Probably just coincidence.

Or if you were selling "questionable" items and the buyer complained to eBay, one of the eBay monkeys took a closer look at your account and ...there you go.

So really.. All it takes is just one nasty bidder to end your days?

So many things are known as "questionable" on eBay, it's really hard to tell what their aim is.. This account has been selling the same thing straight for a couple years.

If you were selling those kind of items, all it takes is 1 look from an eBay employee who then decides if he closes your account or not. And it's entirely plausible that the angry buyer contacted eBay, they looked at your account and did exactly that.

But we'll never know for sure, it's just a guess based on the information that you gave us.

My first question would be, why did the 'buyer' reply "I CAN REPORT YOU RIGHT NOW to the FBI for fraud..."

I don't understand this comment.

Personally I don't think you would get very far trying to pursue legally. I would suggest you call up eBay and TRY to find out What has happened seen as the account is of age and your feedback.

Don't talk to the silly people that answer the calls but instead try to talk to someone higher and explain that this is your business and you don't have a clue why you're account has been indefinite restriction.

Also, say that you have kept full records of this account.

I know that it's nearly impossible to get you're account back but it's worth a try. I have heard of some cases which accounts have been restored.

if you are selling what we think you are selling...... as stated above, there you go.

Oh, if the above statement is true. Then your account is toast.

Shouldn't of listed these items on an aged account with such good feedback :doh:

Yes, I do have full records of everything. This is a legitimate business.

That's why I didn't accept his bid. He's just using scare tactics.. He's just upset I didn't accept his bid; after all, we are the exclusive and premiere seller on eBay for these items. We make sure our feedback stays clean.

The account also had $2000+ in fees that I was going to intend to pay soon that are now going to be unpaid if the situation isn't rectified. Honestly, this is just dumb. I have backup accounts, but honestly, this is probably any sellers worse nightmare. I'm willing to accept that I sold an item on eBay's Watchlist, but I'm not willing to accept this type of abuse from a buyer. He has a history of leaving feedback like this under negatives; 200+ feedback buyer and each page has regular negatives he's left and scattered across. I always research my buyers.

On a legitimate account, you should have gone straight to ebay.

You allowed this buyer to control you.

No words you exchange would have defused the situation.

You never correspond with types with this sort of history.

Your CORRECT behavior as a professional seller was to report to ebay his threats.

:nono:

Consider it a lesson learned. He's still going at it; I've decided to let the chips fall as they may and move on. I didn't view his emails until today anyway, but I will consider reporting his threats.

Also, all of this happened a bit quickly, so I'm not really certain I would've been able to submit these reports before everything went down. I'm confident things would've turned out the same way if I replied or not. He was looking for an "explanation" when he already got one under his bid cancellation.

I understand that you are really angry at this person for making you lose you're account, but if you was selling vero or illegal goods on eBay then you will not be able to retrieve you're account back.

BUT if you believe you have not done anything wrong then do try everything you can to reactivate you're account.

As you know eBay does suck at times and they can pretty much do as they like, but some of them are good guys with some brain cells. So give them a call, talk to someone that CAN reactivate you're account. 9/10 you will lose, but if you don't try then you will never know.

Make sure you have all the docs with you to defend you're side.

I don't have high hopes for the account; I just don't want this happening again to any of my other accounts right afterwards or to anyone else through the same bidder. I value my chess pieces.

If this is as widespread as I think, then really anyone can get shut down instantaneously. It's not just VERO or Illegal items; I deal mostly in electronics.

If you regard these accounts, as chess pieces, then you need to change your method.

Even a rook should not be lost.

:nono:

Point made. That is why I am making this an issue and warning.

I will make an effort to get this corrected or, if not corrected, make sure the buyer pays eventually for what they're doing. However, if eBay doesn't rectify this situation soon, that $2000+ in fees is only going to stay in my pocket. I can always rebuild another account slowly and use my backups in the meantime. I don't plan on paying for anything unless this situation is rectified in some manner..

So true! Each account that has good feedback and has been aged is worth saving.

Also review what has happened with this account and make sure you do not make the same mistakes.

:juggle:

I'm not exactly sure if there were any mistakes.. The account has been handled pretty well up until now; it was actually becoming my favorite account.

The only mistake I can see is that I was trying to avoid a problem buyer, just like any other seller would be concerned about. If that isn't realistic, I don't know what is.

The mistake was dealing with them.

They are/were a weak link. ( all those negatives etc).

The line is so fine.

Reconsider your methods for the future.

Good Luck

:peace:

Yep. This just keeps getting better and better..

This guy is just extremely aggressive. Now he's going after buyers under my positive feedback, insisting that they are "feedback scams" and that he will report their accounts as well. I have to say just WOW, WHAT AN IDIOT!!!

Weakest link is right. If eBay is actually taking this seriously, this is really just a big joke. There was no better way to even handle this; most likely would've lead to the same result as he would've demanded answers or action.

And that`s why you can never consider yourself truly saFe...eB can go back in the past, reviewed stuff up to 90 days - pulling listings, message buyers, open up claims FOR them (literally)....what works for years can go down in an instant.

Rotate sales through several stealth accounts moving forward

I HAVE A STRICT POLICY OF NEVER NEGOTIATING WITH TERRORISTS!!! IF YOU BLOCK THEM AND THEY CONTACT YOU NEVER RESPOND.

Honestly one buyer shouldn't be able to take you down. But having a record on eBay sending messages back and forth is always something they can use against you if something is taken out of context. They are blocked even talking to them you have nothing to gain. Best policy is if you block somebody and they start bitching just don't respond.

Responding only adds fuel to the fire. Never respond to any of these type of buyers if they haven't purchased anything from you. If they send nasty messages, as GreenBeaN said above it might be time depending on the situation to send to eBay. But responding to somebody you blocked is a stupid move to begin with.

Even in the situation of a buyer going irate that actually bought something. I always keep it simple. Just a message saying please return the item and you will receive a full refund. Some people just get off on arguing and all this. Keeping it simple I have found over the years is the way to go.

If you are on eBay you are going to deal with crazy people like this. You did good by blocking them, you should have just left it at that.

Terrorist; good one! Problem is I had to cancel their bid and then block them. Things were already stirred up by then; they were always going to give me a hard time due to this (demanded a reply otherwise report; judging from eBay's response time, it was most likely issued the same day before I even replied). It's too bad that I couldn't have just blindly blocked him before bidding. Don't have time to deal with this nonsense, but I'm shocked at how easily and how fast this can occur. THIS CAN HAPPEN TO ANYONE FOLKS; DOESN'T REALLY MATTER WHAT YOU'RE SELLING!

I will be calling eBay up this morning to see if we can stop this abuse from continuing with other sellers. They really need to look into him otherwise they'll be guilty of hiding fraud; it's almost scary how much he is actually getting away with it. I'm not replying any further now that the account is useless, but I'm pretty sure it's just this guy that's the cause of everything (probably used the IP4 internet complaint form or something of the sort). He's claiming I have a "network" of some sort since I had so much positive feedback (even if they were all from legitimate buyers). Little does he know huh.. ?

I have had a few times where I just canceled an auction completely to get some moron from stop bidding.

I have also on occasion when dealing with somebody suspect. Print the shipping label, then void it. When they ask were the item is say it must be lost in the mail. Then go through the process of apologizing and refunding them.

Making sure to block them from any future transactions.

Over the years I have learned what battles to pick and which ones not to.

Anyone who I think is going to go crazy trying to take my account down I try to proceed with caution. It is unfortunate but some buyers are just toxic you have to find a way to avoid dealing with them.

That is why I always suggest screening your buyers if they ask lots of questions. To look through their feedback received and what they have left for others. If they have hardly any it is a gut decision.

Forgot about this tactic vogeltron - very true - cancel all bids and force the auction closed. Remember that this cant be done within 1 hour of the auction ending (there may be some other caveats that need to be looked at also - havent cancelled one in quite sometime).

Moron continues path of destruction..
 

Yet, the story continues.. I decided to lay low for a week and now he's back.

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Yep, he's back...

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He's already blocked on all of my other accounts; sort of like he was added to a blacklist. Although, I still worry. Cancelling my auctions and listings is counterproductive and will not lead to sales, but rather will flag the account as well. Cancelling / voiding package tracking will most likely lead to negative feedback, and he'll just be back for more anyway. I've always screened all my buyers, but I can tell this guy is not going to be let down easily. If he's going to keep pressing this, I'm going to run out of options. When another seller account did not respond to him within' a day or two, he got agitated yet again for another reason. This is a slight excerpt from his message, the rest doesn't really make sense since it doesn't relate to me at all..

"I have to assume you have something to hide and your auctions are probably illegal. If that is the case you are also going to be reported to Fed authorities. Have a nice day."

Of course, I never had anything to hide; I sell pretty well. He's just a nutjob; keeps using the same wording over and over. I shall continue to ignore him and will see what happens with my account(s), hoping the first case was just a coincidence. He's needlessly reporting people over and over if they do not give up their sourcing information or let him bid at the ranges he's specified. This is out of control, getting on my nerves and I DO NOT HAVE TIME FOR THIS BULL****. I'm trying not to let it get the best of me as I have real customers to attend to, but this is just insane. There's not much I can do, so what should I REALLY do??? Ebay still has not taken my buyer report seriously, even though I've done it about twice so far. This is just plain extortion and abuse!

At this point, I honestly don't see him stopping or giving this up, regardless if I've replied or not. The first feedback he ever left on eBay was a negative and I feel like nothing is going to stop him from continuing to be a major pain in the ass. He is now harassing everyone who is selling similar items on eBay, threatening to report them to the "Fed authorities" if they do not give up their sourcing info or let him bid on their items. Giving up my market is not an option; I know this because I'm still running my other accounts and he's just sending messages everywhere..

My OP account remains restricted, my other accounts remain fine for the time being. I'm about to report him a third time.

My listings just got all removed :(

So is this person using 1 account to do all this damage?

Yes, he is. Different excuses every time.

I haven't had any problems until he keeps popping up. Doesn't even matter what I sell.

Just curious, is the item a high value item?

The only reason I can see this person doing this is, is if they are a competitor.

Honestly, some people have nothing better to do than stick their nose were it doesn't belong. They think they are all-mighty and get off on this kind of stuff.

It could be a competitor though. But be careful what you stick your nose into.

Back in 07-08 a certain seller on eBay reported a bunch of people to Vero and a certain law firm representing the company. Several hundred sellers had accounts kicked off cease and desist orders sent out asking them to pay fines. Long story short one of these people a big player actually had to go to court with the company. Had the case thrown out.

His lawyer brought up all the info for him. Forwarded the persons info who reported everyone to all those who had been affected. I can not comment any further about what may have happened to this persons property and business due to this.

Be careful you mess with. This goes for everyone.

Even with Vero stuff you have no clue who is behind it and who lives and families you may be affecting.

I have always kept a mind my own business policy.

it is obviously a competitor or someone who works for the owner of the products....

lay low, and start some new accounts, maybe sell different products for a while....

do you know someone that sells same products, who it could be?

There are some really badly deluded persons on ebay who just make life miserable for a seller.

I'm not buying into the idea this is a competitor.

The style reminds me of a story I have heard before.

:spy:

Considers what you mean by high value. Is $400 max ending price high value? I usually start off all my auctions at $0.01..

Good thing is that I was able to grab his info from one of the sellers he left negative feedback for. I now have a lot of ammunition etc.

If you have the energy and the means, go for it - if your item isnt a knockoff or can be considered problematic, "firefight" it out - if it is in the phake category, I would be weary of intense escalation no matter what the profit margin.

I will be proceeding with the account procedures today before he can do any more damage to anyone else. I really hope this works, he's keeps getting all my listings taken down. From my experience in watching him and his activities, sounds like he doesn't want to pay either..

I have an eBay messaging correspondence with him and one of my sellers threatening to report them to the FBI if they do not send him the item first before payment. Right after declining payment This is obvious fraud and I now have a message of him admitting to it. This was, of course, a very stupid move by him. Where do I send this message?

Go to the eBay customer support, then search report a buyer. You should be able to find a thread.

Just read the thread, trying to work out why you blocked his bid in the first place?
If he won the auction what would happen?
Would he not pay or then say send me item first or I will report you to FBI?
Or would he not pay then leave neg feedback?
Or would he pay then leave neg feedback?

What made you become worried about the buyer?

Only asking to learn and adapt myself not criticising

The FBI excuse is a weak and overused one by buyers

FBI: FeedBack Investigation...

You are wrong. I have lost my main 12,000/240,000 for the person who called in. And when some piece of **** calls in you ARE BEING MANUALLY REVIEWED AT THAT TIME. My account was not kicked because of ⊗⊗⊗⊗ of problem with items but rather about other thing.

When they look at your account they can check everything - what is your return rate, what is your shipping time, how do you handle refunds etc. If rep does not not like AT LEAST one parameter, you might be in trouble. I'm not saying you will be but theres always a chance.
And this all is triggered by ******** ers calling in. And believe me ! At that time the bot of ebay didnt't catch that figure which I was suspended from selling as it was within the allowed numbers

Re: Blocking Negative Feedback Bidders = Indefinite Selling Restriction ?
 

Last post was by me.....2013, 4yrs ago....memories.