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Calling To Raise Selling Limits
 

I don't like ever calling eBay, PayPal or Amazon as I feel it just gives them the opportunity to Sherlock Holmes your account. I have 4 stealth eBay accounts all at 5/500. I'm glad to have them, but $2K/month isn't going to cut it.

How much do they scrutinize you when you call in? I haven't asked for selling limits since my first account (which was suspended) so it's been a while.

One issue I see that I'm sure I will be asked about is I didn't register with a person's name. It looks more like a business name. I'm not going to say what it is but it's similar to registering with a name like Flashy Shoes.

Do I need to change this to a real name before calling, or just have stealth info. made up beforehand in case they ask?

Re: Calling To Raise Selling Limits
 

If they cannot find you on the database, depending on the rep, they would ask for ID or documents or they would just lift your limits if it has been a month with selling history. How old are your accounts?

Re: Calling To Raise Selling Limits
 

they are all from march - early april. They are all over 30 days old and they all have selling history. As in I've listed several items on each. I don't think every account has sold something, but they've all had several items listed on them.

Re: Calling To Raise Selling Limits
 

In all honestly I've only had one rep really dig deep into my account when I called in.

It really depeneds on how your able to speak (i.e confidently answering questions). Knowing what they will ask ahead of time is a huge bonus but you obviously have to call in to know what they will ask.

Its never wise to as it opens up the possibility to ahve your account scrutinized. I myself call in for raises frequently but am more than confident in all my responses (i know what they will ask me everytime) I also keep a notebook near so if they ask something I don't already know like "whats your birthday" you HAVE to write it down.

This is where you can get caught because when they ask questions like this its stored in their system so if you call in again and you "forget your birthday" your accounts history.

Usually after after 4-5 months of selling with good feedback and sales you can call in and have no issue.

What happens if they ask for database questions still ??......

All I say is when I opened the account the rep told me she couldn't intially find me in the database since I recently moved apartments and haven't had a permanant living situation for a couple years now. 6 months is the general rule for your address repopulating in the database.

Once you get one raise you can just piggy back your response if they ever ask for database questions as you can say well I already got the limit raise before so there shouldn't be a problem etc..

Again this is all still risky because your not me and what works for me might not for you.

Good luck :)

Re: Calling To Raise Selling Limits
 

gotta ask ghost he is the king of this.

Re: Calling To Raise Selling Limits
 

so what kind of stuff do they ask?

i called in several times with my now-suspended account, but that was years ago and I wasn't worried about anything they asked so I didn't bother to remember any of it.

also for my address I am using the physical address of a post office and my pox number instead of just po box #

so

123 ⊗⊗⊗⊗ st #100

instead of PO BOX 100. This is fine for the post office. Will eBay get suspicious of this?

Re: Calling To Raise Selling Limits
 

Do you recall in summer when you were on vacation & did something REALLY bad at the park? Your Mom questioned you like you were a crim?

ebay can do that. It's a choice to ponder most carefully.

Your other issue is changing info on an account. That flags it so be careful of what you do there.

May I suggest selling to your limits for say 3 months & seeing if increases occur without the dread of a call in.

Good Luck.

:ranger:

Re: Calling To Raise Selling Limits
 

Thank you for the vote of confidence, but it looks like solefoodbk beat me to it. :)


Emphasis mine:

Great advice all around. I'm glad I'm not the only one around here who's realized calling eBay is NOT the end of the world. The only additional piece of advice I would add is to have some low-risk product stock prepped for the rep. I usually call in on day 1 and when they ask about my inventory I tell them I'm about to move and I'm getting rid of my personal collection of (books, old comics, baby clothes, etc). Doesn't matter what it is, but the bottom line is this:

I'm basically giving the rep the impression that I'm just a newbie trying to get rid of some stuff lying around my house. Also important to note is that I have A LOT of stuff I need to get rid of in a certain time period---because of my large library of books that I want to sell before I move---this enables the rep to feel empathy
"Hey, this guy is just trying to get some extra room and cash before he moves. He needs the limit increase, I'm going to help him out!"

eBay reps are just people like you and me. They have a job to do, and they're trying to make a living so they can pay rent and put food on the table for themselves and their family, just like the rest of us. They aren't some all-knowing evil monster hell-bent on destroying your business----they are simply doing their jobs as best they can. As long as you seem like a regular joe just trying to do a little business on eBay, you'll be fine. :thumb:

Re: Calling To Raise Selling Limits
 

Another thing to always remember is if you have a bad feeling about a rep you NEED to get off the call before you ask for a limit increase. Its all about feeling out the rep, some are in good moods, some are in bad moods, some are just normal (like ghost said their human lol).

This is important because if they are having a bad day they might just "feel like" answering you questions that aren't typically asked.

Another BIG difference when calling in is the India reps follow a script, the reps from the USA don't. This is a pretty big factor that can either play in your favor or end your account :)

Re: Calling To Raise Selling Limits
 

Great point. To add a little detail, my personal experience has been as follows:

The rep answers the phone and asks who they are speaking to, I respond "John Doe", and then ask them how their day is....the response is crucial. If they seem to answer in a light-hearted way and say their day is going well, much like you'd expect a friend to respond, you're in the clear. But if they seem curt and abrupt in their response, GTFO. Drop your phone and then yell at it from 2 feet away to make it sound like you have a bad connection, then hang up.

DO NOT just hang up without any warning---this will tip them off.

Like sole said: if they are having a bad day, they can make your day bad too. In my personal experience, this is rare---usually, the worst I'll get is a low-limit increase (20% or so) and once in while a denial for an increase (just call in later). Only once have I been requested for documents, and this was AFTER he raised my limits 500%. (Documents required for future increases)

Re: Calling To Raise Selling Limits
 

How long are the waits on the phone? That is what bugs me. THE LONG WAIT for someone to answer.

Re: Calling To Raise Selling Limits
 

Typically 5 to 10 minutes, on average, for me.

What I do is just put my phone on speaker and continue working on my laptop while I wait.

There are probably times during the day eBay is less busy, solefood might have info on that, but I'm not sure myself.

Re: Calling To Raise Selling Limits
 

Also if your going to call then remember to note down some personal info on your stealth identity, like if your not prepared a simple question like how old are you can stump you

Not only have the birth date ready but calculate your actual age lol

I remember I called one time back in the day and the rep asked how old I was and I was like ummmm.... :D

Re: Calling To Raise Selling Limits
 

Ever since I went past 18, I've had trouble answering this in real life.
I'm like .... 22? 24? Oh ****, no, that was couple of years ago! Sometimes I don't even know how old my gf is, for real.

Re: Calling To Raise Selling Limits
 

Yes, as solefoodbk stated previously:

If you sound confident, and answer their questions (and they WILL ask for your birthday) you'll get a limit increase 90% of the time, ASSUMING your seller account is in order (good DSR ratings, good feedback, no claims, etc).

Re: Calling To Raise Selling Limits
 

Calling in to raise limits is super easy doable.

Re: Calling To Raise Selling Limits
 

Agreed.

Do you have any specific tips to share with other members? This is becoming our "How To Call For Increased Selling Limits on eBay" thread.

Re: Calling To Raise Selling Limits
 

You guys should also include how you created you ebay accounts ie business or personal.

Re: Calling To Raise Selling Limits
 

Calling gives the best results and i've never had a problem increasing selling limits. They are much more generous over the phone. They've never asked me anything that made me lose my cool or anything to suggest they were in anyway interested in the nature of my account. Called 10+ times over many accounts

Re: Calling To Raise Selling Limits
 

Thats not 100% accurate.

Getting a limit increase "naturally" from a bot can triple/quadruple your account limits.

Calling in to get a raise you will only ever see a doubled increase IF you hitting your limits. Now say if you have 1000/20,000 limits, yes a doubled increase is huge but a natural bump could be something like 3,500/60,000 instead of 2000/20000

Re: Calling To Raise Selling Limits
 

To add to what solefoodbk has stated, the BIGGEST advantage to calling is the time.

I'd rather have a 75% increase today than a 300% increase in 3 months. Keep in mind you can call and request limit increases every 25 days, NOT once a month, as is the common myth. So while I may get a lower increase, I keep getting these "low" increases every 25 days, and the limit increases compound, resulting in larger and larger selling limits.

Yes, Rep increases are typically less than the "automatic" ones, but when you call and request increases, you can get an increase that day, instead of waiting an indefinite amount of time. That's the biggest advantage.

Re: Calling To Raise Selling Limits
 

I call in and it does depend on the Rep.. I feel like anyone overseas will NOT give you a raise, but Ive had luck with someone that is American.. Usually in my case I can get a male to give me limits before the female reps ;)..

Re: Calling To Raise Selling Limits
 

Interesting...typically I get American reps when I use the "calling for limit increase" option. And I've actually had better luck with female reps....lol. Then again, I kind of flirt with them a bit. If you can make them laugh/smile and make their otherwise abysmal and boring day a little bit brighter, I've found that they are much less likely to ask questions AND give better increases, in general.


Note: Please no one ask me how to be charming on the phone. I get PM's essentially asking for a script every other day now....if I gave you a script, it wouldn't work, because there are only so many limit increase reps.

Re: Calling To Raise Selling Limits
 

There is no such thing as a script when you call in.

If you have ever called eBay you would know they use scripts (oversea reps). It is VERY obvious. If you even need to ask someone for a "script"....

You need to work on your communication skills.

The whole point of this thread should be how to sound exactly the opposite of a script :boink:

Re: Calling To Raise Selling Limits
 

You would think this would be obvious, but as I said, I get a PM every other day asking "what do I say when I call?". My response: :doh:

Re: Calling To Raise Selling Limits
 

Just a note, most female reps are ****s. It's always the female reps that are snoopy(no offense to any females on this forum).

Re: Calling To Raise Selling Limits
 

Sexist drop kick



It is your stinking approach that let's you down

And you proved THAT by making this sexist remark.

Serves you right that you miss out. You need to learn how to handle the talk.

Talk the talk and walk the walk.

:brick:

Re: Calling To Raise Selling Limits
 

I actually rather enjoy talking with eBay reps because they are nearly all the same, practically drones working for the hive. I've done plenty of social engineering over the years and my past customer service experience has given me the confidence to talk the talk. I've never had any issues with getting increases. Like everyone has said, just be mentally prepared, write answers down prior to getting on the phone, and be and sound confident.

Re: Calling To Raise Selling Limits
 

Social engineering ....sounds intriguing...

Re: Calling To Raise Selling Limits
 

Damn, that's some proper ignorant bull**** right there.

Re: Calling To Raise Selling Limits
 

I have always called in or contacted them via live chat and if it was possible my limits were raised. They never checked anything beyond my eligibility to raise limits.

Re: Calling To Raise Selling Limits
 

Hello,

Yes, in the EU (UK, etc) chat is an option to increase limits. Unfortunately, all US eBay members must request this via phone.

Re: Calling To Raise Selling Limits
 

Usually Green Bean and I don't see eye to eye, but this time I am in 100% agreement.

I've actually had the HIGHEST average increases from female reps. I am just playful, ask them how their day is going, and flirt (very subtly, and APPROPRIATELY). They are so used to getting boring, nervous, and otherwise uninteresting people on the phone that they are relieved to talk to someone who actually makes the day go by a little faster. Reps LOVE talking to me, and that's why the love giving me increases. (Not bragging, I'm simply saying: If you make them like you, they will WANT to help you!)

Re: Calling To Raise Selling Limits
 

Usually I don't call in or deal with reps (and never to raise limits), but every once in blue moon, ebay may request a call.

Female reps are people. Each one of them is different, it sounds like you had a bad experience. That is no excuse for your remark. I've talked to female reps before, some have been very sweet and helpful.....which is rare for any ebay employee, regardless of gender.

Re: Calling To Raise Selling Limits
 

It must be a blue moon tonight...I find myself agreeing with my "mortal enemies". (Jokes)

I've had the same experience. Female reps at eBay are nicer AND more willing to deviate from the script ON AVERAGE. Note that ALL eBay employees are HUMAN BEINGS, and thus, by nature, unpredictable. HOWEVER, I've called dozens upon dozens of times, and my general conclusion is that female reps are more pleasant to talk to all around. BUT, male reps are usually pretty friendly too!

Re: Calling To Raise Selling Limits
 

All I do is social engineer.

Re: Calling To Raise Selling Limits
 

If you're friendly, socially "on key" and don't reek of nervousness or shiftiness, you shouldn't have any issues talking with eBay reps, male, female, tranny, whatever....

If you have had issues with more than 1/10 reps, the problem isn't the rep, it's YOU.

Re: Calling To Raise Selling Limits
 

I don't have any issues talking with reps. I was stoned when I said what I said. :-(

Re: Calling To Raise Selling Limits
 

I have 10 accounts and I got limit increased by calling to all of them .. 100%

Re: Calling To Raise Selling Limits
 

I called many times to increase my limits and never had a problem. They just ask you the name, address and something related to your account to make sure you are the owner of it. Then they will ask for the reason why you want to increase the limit. I told them I plan to buy more inventory to sell and need higher limit to list and sell my items. I said I want to grow my business. The questions are pro forma and the rep are usually friendly. Nothing to worry about, as long as your account performance is good, you will get it.