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Need advice on account linking issue with my legit account
 

For personal reasons I would like to maintain a legit account (by this I mean an account under my real name linked to my real bank accounts and delivery address is my real address). This way I have an account to fall back on if I a ever accused of doing anything nefarious on eBay.

Everybody knows that I make money on eBay, so I figured that it would be foolish if I did not have a single account under my name for the sake of at least appearing to have some legitimacy.

I used to have three legit eBay accounts which were in 'good standing'. My primary account had 98.7% positive feedback and was top rated seller, power seller etc.

One day (like so many others on this forum) eBay decided to suspend my account and take away my selling privileges without any reason whatsoever.

Anyway, to cut a long story short I owed listing fees to eBay and PayPal fees to the amount of about $1600. Since eBay had just killed my business, I refused to pay them another measly cent. What could they do, sue me? If they dared, I would have had a counter-claim for the disruption of my business.

Now I have set up another legit account in my name but address and all other details are different. I figured that there must be more than one person in the world with the same name as me and that since the name was the only common factor that maybe the accounts wouldn't link. I was wrong, of course.

Everything was going well on this new account until I called asking for a selling increase. The consultant said that my current account was in good standing but that there was an issue because of money owed in regards to the three previous accounts that had been linked. I played dumb and they transferred me to the debt collection department. At this stage, I hung up so that I could plan my next move.

My question is what to do? I want to have an account under my real name. Am I left with no choice but to pay the $1600 or should I call the debt collection division and deny all knowledge of these old accounts? For your information, the debt has been 'archived' and the old accounts were banned back in 2011.

Does anyone have any advice and / or ideas?

Re: Need advice on account linking issue with my legit account
 

If you owe eBay the money because you have used their services then you woudl really be best off paying that

Not paying fees makes it harder for the rest of us

Re: Need advice on account linking issue with my legit account
 

Forum's stance will not support avoision of fee payments.

Re: Need advice on account linking issue with my legit account
 

When I first started out on ebay about 10 years ago, I didn't pay the fees after my first sale, completely forgot. Was about a few quid, I mean that literally, no more than £5. Months later I got a letter from a debt collection agency, who were put their own fees on top. Long story short, I paid.

Point is, if they chased me back then for measly sums of money, they will definitely chase you for $1600 considering your legit details are on file, just like mine was.

Sure you can counter claim etc., but I dont think it would play well. Bottom line is, you sold, you owe them fees. They will say, their user agreement states they can kick you off any time. Case in their favour. Sucks, but true.

Re: Need advice on account linking issue with my legit account
 

Go back over everything.

ebay had a reason. They always do. Suspended sellers have issues understanding them.

BUT see if you can understand why or what they did. Were all three banned together?

Re: Need advice on account linking issue with my legit account
 

Just to be clear, I am not a serial eBay fee dodger...

HOWEVER, when eBay bans an account, is it customary to pay the outstanding fees on that account (which you can never use again)?

Some of the fees 'outstanding' were for listing fees for items that eBay took down for no legitimate reason. Why should I pay for fees for which a service was not provided?

JamesNorth101 or rsot - I just don't believe that if one of your stealth accounts got banned that you would square off the fees with eBay for such accounts. Or am I missing something here?

Re: Need advice on account linking issue with my legit account
 

Yes, you are.

The others have explained their stance.

Although your opinion is the suspensions were unjustified, ebay did not have the same opinion. You need to see of you can relate to what they did to understand why the comments are made regarding fees.

:peace:

Re: Need advice on account linking issue with my legit account
 

I believe that the primary account was banned as a result of a malicious competitor making a ⊗⊗⊗⊗ complaint. This is only a suspicion though, as eBay refused to disclose any reason.

No, only the primary account was banned, followed by the other two shortly afterwards (they were all linked to a single PayPal account).

Re: Need advice on account linking issue with my legit account
 

If eBay always made the right decisions, then only crooks would have a need for eBay stealth.

I think we are all aware that eBay can get it wrong sometimes... and when they do the appeal process (if any) can be time consuming, troublesome and rarely successful for the seller.

I can appreciate that fee dodging may be a contentious issue, but in this case why should I have to pay listing fees for listings that were taken down unfairly? We all agreed to eBay's terms of service true, but each of us has breached those terms of service by making stealth accounts, so who among us can judge?

I don't judge anyone on this forum regardless of what sins they may have committed on eBay. This is an eBay stealth forum after all.

Don't get me wrong, I posted the question seeking advise and all opinions are welcome. So thank you everyone for your input thus far.