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New account suspended with items already purchased
 

I am quite desperate regarding this matter and hope you can help.
I have signed up for a ebay account only recently, in January. Last night I made several purchases, mainly camera equipment, as I live in Kenya I can't get it in any store and ebay is the only way. Everything went well, I paid for everything immediately from my paypal account (the money is gone!). this morning I still replied some confirmations for shipping from the sellers and did a bit of 'window shopping' when all of a sudden I got this message:

Dear eBay Community Member,
The bid that you entered for the item (36027.......) has been cancelled. You can view the reason provided for the cancellation by selecting the (bid history) link from the individual item page.

For all the items I bought! I tried to find the reason on the so called bid history link (no link with exactly that name was to be found) but to no avail... than I got the following email:

Hello,

Your eBay account has been 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--even unintentionally--to the eBay community.

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

Any outstanding fees are due immediately, and any amounts that you haven't previously disputed will be charged to the billing method currently on file.

We appreciate your understanding.

Thanks,

eBay

Please don't reply to this message. It was sent from an address that doesn't accept incoming email.


H12490

What on earth could I have done to recall this reaction??? I tried to find a contact on ebay US, there is only some 800something number with Easter pacific operating hours, way out of our timezone and by my experience it is mostly even impossible to dial this sort of service numbers. In an attempt of getting support in at least approximately my timezone I logged on Ebay Germany (I am a German citizen) , there only email support is accepted:doh:. I wrote an email with my problem and was advised that it will take 3 days to get a reply!
I have purchased over 1000$ worth in items, now I can not even contact the sellers anymore to get to know if the items will be delivered, I don't know how I should understand the message 'your bid has been cancelled', does it mean I will not be supplied? But I have been charged for everything! One of the sellers even left a positive feedback on my profile! Quite frankly I am desperate, I have a small production company and I need this equipment for a gig in two weeks, I don't have the budget to get it elsewhere again, this can ruin me!
I'd appreciate any help you can provide!

Best regards from Kenya

Welcome to the forum.

Quick bit of help: you could look at paypal for the email addresses of your sellers. That info should be there. Get in touch with the sellers that way. Use your company letterhead.

Please note that what I say next is not directed at you in any personal way.

You have simply been a victim of ebay protecting themselves. A new account making purchases such as yours have raises flags.

Was your paypal verified and confirmed? How ebay reacted is pretty much standard for them. They suspend first on the presumption you are guilty.:smash:

welcome to the forums bud

hope you get it sorted

You come from a part of the world that is, unfortunately, known as being a scammers paradise.

There are hundreds of stories of people being asked to send high value items out to Africa and then losing their money due to chargebacks, item not received claims etc.

Ebay hate one thing more than anything else and that is scammers.

It would appear that while you may be honest you fit the profile of what Ebay perceives to be a scammer

To be honest, I sell one particular electronic item that I send all over the world - but I will not send to Africa under any terms

Dear GrannyT,

Sorry but your comment is not acceptable, policies can not be made under such assumptions, it is as if I'd take you for an alcoholic just because the union jack is waving under your profile picture and people in the UK drink more in average. If this is truly the case there should be an official warning to members saying: do not order more the 4 items in one day or you will be banned, especially if you are an African, or why not even say in the case you are black (just to play out that card ones we are on this sort of level).
Best is when you state that you send items all over the world but exclude Africa, that is an entire continent and there is only 7 of those!
I'd file this under discrimination and racism, altogether it would go into the ignorance department, dangerously ignorant for a multinational trading giant like ebay.

@GreenBean,

This has been extremely helpful, all except of one seller have replied me and confirmed that everything is in order.
Thanks a ton for your help!

Cheers!