eBay suspended, PayPal limited

[Jamesesesess]

A couple weeks ago I was selling my broken Beats Studio headphones (wish I knew how many people get wrongfully suspended even though they're selling authentic headphones...) and a few days after I listed them (February 29th), I got hit with a listing removal AND suspension. Then a couple days later (March 2nd), I got an email from PayPal telling me that my account has now been limited and that I can't do anything until 180 days, which is when I can get my $100 out of my account. I would just make a new stealth eBay and PayPal but I need my $100--I was going to use it to buy some new clothes.

Here was the first message I got:

MC067 NOTICE: eBay Listing(s) Removed

Hello -- (--),

The following listing(s) have been removed because of concerns with your account:

300670827276 - Monster Beats By Dr. Dre Studio Headphones Used / Not Working / For Parts


All associated fees have been credited to your account. We'll send you a separate notice about your account status.

To help improve your listings, consider the following tips:




Learn more about our rules for listings:
http://pages.ebay.com/help/policies/listing-ov.html

We appreciate your cooperation and understanding.

Thanks,

eBay


H62884

Then...

MC021 FPA NOTICE: eBay Registration Suspension - User Agreement - --

Hello -- (--),

We're sorry to tell you that your eBay account was 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 -- however unintentionally -- to the eBay Community.

You can appeal this suspension. If, after reviewing your appeal, we're confident that this activity poses no risk to the Community, we'll be happy to reinstate your account. For information about how to appeal this suspension, please go to:

http://pages.ebay.com/help/account/s...-accounts.html

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

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

We apologize for the inconvenience and thank you for your understanding.

Sincerely,

eBay Trust & Safety team


H62711

My next email was from PayPal about my now limited account

Dear --,

We are hereby notifying you that, after a recent review of your account
activity, it has been determined that you are in violation of PayPal's
Acceptable Use Policy as a result of your sales on eBay. Therefore, your
account has been permanently limited.

You will need to remove all references to PayPal from your website(s)
and/or auction(s). This includes not only removing PayPal as a payment
option, but also the PayPal logo and/or shopping cart.

The PayPal User Agreement states that PayPal, at its sole discretion,
reserves the right to limit an account for any violation of the User
Agreement, including the Acceptable Use Policy. Under the Acceptable Use
Policy, PayPal may not be used to send or receive payments for items that
infringe or violate any copyright, trademark, right of publicity or
privacy, or any other proprietary right under the laws of any jurisdiction.
This includes transactions for counterfeit items or unauthorized replicas
or copies of items.

The complete Acceptable Use Policy can be found at the following URL:
https://cms.paypal.com/us/cgi-bin/?c...locale.x=en_US

To learn more about the Acceptable Use Policy, please refer to our Help
Center page here: https://www.paypal.com/us/cgi-bin/helpweb?cmd=_help

Per the User Agreement, when PayPal permanently limits an account due to an
Acceptable Use Policy violation, we may hold your funds up to 180 days.
Once the 180-day timeframe has elapsed, PayPal will release any remaining
balance either via bank transfer or issuance of a check.

The relevant section of the User Agreement (10.4) can be found at the
following URL:
https://cms.paypal.com/us/cgi-bin/?c...locale.x=en_US

We thank you in advance for your cooperation. If you have any questions,
please contact the PayPal Brand Risk Management Department at
aup@paypal.com.

Sincerely,
PayPal Brand Risk Management Department
PayPal, an eBay Company

And lastly, here's the message I get when logging into PayPal

We recently noticed an issue with your account. To see what you can and can't do while your account is limited, go to the Resolution Center.

Why is my account access limited?

Your account access has been limited for the following reason(s):

Mar 2, 2012: When you signed up for your PayPal account, you agreed to our User Agreement and Acceptable Use Policy. Because some of your recent transactions violated this policy, we've had to permanently limit your account.

Please remove any references to PayPal from your website.

You'll be able to withdraw any money in your account 180 days after your last transaction. We'll email you when it's ready to be withdrawn.

(Your case ID for this reason is PP-001-685-472-411.)

This limitation cannot be appealed.

"--" indicates removed personal info.

I went to the Resolution Center and nothing showed up there besides telling me the obvious fact that my account is limited.

So immediately I knew that it was because of the Beats. Someone must've reported them as ⊗⊗⊗⊗. I even put a picture of the serial code in the listing! How could eBay overlook something like that and allow me to get suspended for it?

My first reaction was to email PayPal. I didn't get a reply until today, and they basically said that they can't reverse it unless I get my eBay account reinstated. Easy, right? Well, not really...

My PayPal is actually my mom's. She made it years ago when we both wanted to start using eBay. Then she stopped using it and said I could keep using it, so I did. Because it's under her name, it's all good. However, my eBay account was under MY name. We used to have a family account under her name but that one got suspended for something I don't even remember. I don't have a license for identification purposes, nor could I use my social security card or any other form of ID .
If I called eBay, would they actually need identification? I'm pretty sure that my identity has nothing to do with my eBay being suspended, it's because of the Beats. Couldn't I just explain to them the situation, email them photo proof that the Beats are authentic, then get my account back?

I already tried emailing and live chatting eBay, but they replied to my email saying I should call them, and the live chat is only ever available for Listing Tools and they always tell me to call too.

Oh, also, I owe about $8 in fees, but I can't pay them because my PayPal account is limited. Shouldn't have linked my damn PayPal with that eBay account in the first place. Most of the time I didn't have them linked anyway--I was late on fees a lot lol.

Help?

[Jamesesesess]

Any advice guys?

[Thankful]

Your in quite a pickle by the sounds of it, being hit with that amount of mc's and warnings - I think you should call them to pay the fees & discuss your headphones were legit it's worth a try sounds like it's your first time, you must have had other warnings on the accounts too? strange they just hit you with a 180 day hold over just broken headphones (it's always risky with vero items legit or not all it takes is one person to report you)

If you have got other warnings previously on the account i would suggest you leave this account behind then and move on.

You may aswell start your stealth journey in the meantime.

[Jamesesesess]

Originally Posted by tanxful

Your in quite a pickle by the sounds of it, being hit with that amount of mc's and warnings - I think you should call them to pay the fees & discuss your headphones were legit it's worth a try sounds like it's your first time, you must have had other warnings on the accounts too? strange they just hit you with a 180 day hold over just broken headphones (it's always risky with vero items legit or not all it takes is one person to report you)

If you have got other warnings previously on the account i would suggest you leave this account behind then and move on.

You may aswell start your stealth journey in the meantime.

Yeah, I had 2 other disputes, but I gave both their money back and it was a very mutual ending to both. But never did I have a listing removed or any other violation of sorts.

I had another idea but it's sort of risky. I recently sold a CD box set that got me about $87. I could email them and tell them about my predicament. We're both fans of the artist that the box set was by so I feel like that's sort of some ground for being acquaintances. I could refund them the amounts in PayPal, then have them send the funds to my other PayPal account. I'd still be missing about $11 but that's not too big of a deal. Like I said, it's risky, but having to wait 180 days to get my money, it'll be useless to me by then anyway.

I don't even care about the eBay account. I've been through multiple of those. I just want my PayPal account back, or my money at least. I've been using it for years and use it for my Netflix and Spotify subscriptions so it kinda sucks.

I'm going to think about calling eBay. I wanted to do it over my 3 day break but I'm nervous that they're going to get way into my account. Plus I really don't like being on the phone for so long.

[Jamesesesess]

Anyone else have some advice?

[rsot]

Advice? You have to wait 180 days - not much else.

[Callidus]

You wont get your money out of the account for 180 days!

The other thing is that BEATS HEADPHONES are probably the worst things to sell on eBay and I could guarantee they will end up with EVERYONE getting banned

[Sneakee]

Originally Posted by hdavey10

You wont get your money out of the account for 180 days!

The other thing is that BEATS HEADPHONES are probably the worst things to sell on eBay and I could guarantee they will end up with EVERYONE getting banned

I never even heard of "Beats" headphones. So weird that a brand name I never heard of is so vigilant about protecting it.

[Jamesesesess]

Just called them... this was basically our conversation:

eBay rep: Hi! For security purposes may I ask for your date of birth and phone number linked with the account?
Me: *********
eBay rep: Great, just give me a minute or two so I can look at your records and see why you were suspended.
Me: Great, take you time please.
eBay rep: *minute later* Okay! Well it appears that there has been raised suspicion about items that you've sold.
Me: And I know exactly what that's about. You see, I was selling a pair of Beats headphones and they must've been reported for being ⊗⊗⊗⊗. But they have a serial number on them and the person I bought them from is a top rated seller with over 4,000 feedbacks. They aren't ⊗⊗⊗⊗. Also, my PayPal account was limited with almost $100 in it, and now I can't pay eBay the fees that I owe.
eBay rep: Yeah... I'm sorry... unfortunately there's nothing we can do about it.
Me: I don't understand? Why? If I wasn't selling ⊗⊗⊗⊗ items, how can you suspend me?
eBay rep: I'm sorry... unfortunately I can't do anything. We have a special investigating team that looks over these things and they have found sufficient evidence to have your account suspended.
Me: But I've never sold a ⊗⊗⊗⊗ item.
eBay rep: There's nothing that I can do about it... the investigative team's information I can't discuss with you, and if they believe they have sufficient evidence to have your account suspended, they have the final say.
Me: Umm... okay... I really don't know what they could've found if I never sold anything ⊗⊗⊗⊗. But okay.
eBay rep: Yeah, I'm very sorry but you won't be able to be a part of the eBay community anymore.
Me: K
eBay rep: Yeah...
Me: Well if there's nothing I or you can do then I guess I'll just go.
eBay rep: Okay, I'm sorry and you have a good night!
Me: Bye.


Literally can't believe how ignorant these people are. They can't even tell me WHY my account was suspended. Some 'investigative team' only knows the truth, which I don't think even exists. Isn't the point of eBay's 'Account Restriction and Suspension' customer service branch to help get accounts un-suspended? Jesus...

Well now that I'm screwed, I'm going to email the person I mentioned that I could refund then have them send me my money to my other PayPal. It's risky but by the time I can get the money, it'll be useless anyway.

Looks like it's time to go stealth!

[newjerseymax]

"the person I bought them from is a top rated seller with over 4,000 feedbacks"

This never flies with ebay or paypal... If you would have said you have a receipt from genuine store, then I would have suggested filing counter notice. However if you bought them on ebay then in all likelihood they are ⊗⊗⊗⊗... There are also ones with ⊗⊗⊗⊗ serial numbers...

[rsot]

What a waste of your time. I would have ask the agent for his ID number and date of birth at the end for filing purposes...

[Jamesesesess]

Originally Posted by newjerseymax

"the person I bought them from is a top rated seller with over 4,000 feedbacks"

This never flies with ebay or paypal... If you would have said you have a receipt from genuine store, then I would have suggested filing counter notice. However if you bought them on ebay then in all likelihood they are ⊗⊗⊗⊗... There are also ones with ⊗⊗⊗⊗ serial numbers...

They were definitely not ⊗⊗⊗⊗.

Originally Posted by rsot

What a waste of your time. I would have ask the agent for his ID number and date of birth at the end for filing purposes...

I know, they were useless. I might call them again tonight just so I can see what another rep will say, but I'm sure they're all following some sort of script.

[Omgoozle]

The thing that always threw me off the handle was when, after having that conversation they say, "Is there anything else I can help you with?"

Seriously. This absolutely flips me out.

I usually tell them they can take a picture of them f'ing themselves with a broomstick to make me feel better about the situation.