Suspensions / Violations / Limitations + Getting Reinstated
Since you are reading this, you have no doubt been suspended for at least one of the following reasons. Listed below are the top reasons why your account may have been suspended and how you can fix it.
Types of suspensions and how to be reinstated: Though suspensions of this nature can easily be fixed by following the appeals process; specific suspensions call for different approaches.
- Seller Non-Performance: If you have buyer complaints or a low feedback score, you might be hit with Seller Non-Performance. Settling disputes and working to increase your positive feedback will help restore your account. Read the Feedback FAQ section above for more information on building your feedback.
- Non-Payment: If you forget to pay your balance and your account is limited because of it, you can simply pay your balance and they’ll reinstate you. Easy no?
- Shill Bidding: If you were caught shill bidding and eBay gives you a temporary suspension; it will usually be lifted after a certain period of time or after you submit required forms. Don’t shill bid ok?
Listing Violations
- Competitor flagged your listing: If you are selling in a competitive niche then it’s quite possible that a greedy competitor is flagging your listings. Other than trying to get that member banned there is not much more you can do. If you don’t know who it is, well… then your items might be getting taken down for other reasons ->
- VeRO: This is when the actual company whose trade-marked products you are selling sent eBay a notice to take down your auction(s). This is the harshest violation since repeated (1-3 times) VeRO violations will get you suspended forever.
If you are actually selling real authentic items, try to contact the VeRO company themselves because some items are not even allowed to be sold; for example limited release items, boxes from the item, dust bags, certificates, receipts, and other things. Also if your item is authentic try to include as much proof that it is indeed real in your auction listing; supplier documents, receipts, serial numbers, lots of close-up pictures, statements from stores/businesses that verified your item.
If your items are fake (along with the other 99% of eBay itemsJ), well then you will just have to stop listing this specific item on this account for at least a couple weeks (this is where having multiple eBay accounts comes in handy). So what you would do is move on to another eBay account and lists the item there, making sure to follow the “staying under the radar” section above.
- Trademark Violation: These types of violations are pretty tame. The more feedback your account has, the more violations it can take. I know of someone who was a level one Powerseller account and got 12 trademark violations in one month and is still working fine. New accounts can take one or two of these before getting a 7 day suspension. Usually you will instantly get a 7 day suspension for a trademark violation, so if you got 1-2 and you aren’t suspended yet, take that as a sign and lay off selling that item on that account for a month. A trademark violation happens because eBay’s crack squad is surfing the web and finds something they don’t like, or you got reported by another eBayer with nothing better to do.
Suspensions: Getting suspended sucks! If you receive a 7 or 14 day suspension, your best bet is to leave your account alone for the duration of the suspension and to use an UNLINKED backup account. After 7/14 days you will have to fax in a reinstatement form. If you don’t have a fax machine at home, you can use FaxZero.com as mentioned above.
EBay sometimes limits accounts because of Non-Payment, Seller Non-Performance, VeRO or just because they feel you’re a high risk seller. They’ll ask for your driver’s license, receipts of items you’re selling, copy of a credit card bills, they’ll want you to take VeRO test and even sign and fax documents! The good news is, if you do what eBay asks you stand a good chance of getting reinstated.
Tips to a better reinstatement: Giving eBay the information they request will usually lift any limitations you may have. But you must remember eBay is like an old man. If you try to rush things, threaten them without teeth, or by pass them all together (the wrong way) you’ll lose the chance you have to get your account back. The better you follow the tips below, the greater chance you’ll have at getting your account back. The fact that eBay is giving you a chance to reinstatement is a good sign.
- Do not spam eBay by spending your fax to them over and over again. This can have adverse affects. Remember it can take up to two weeks for reinstatement. If after two weeks eBay hasn’t responded it’s okay to resend your documents.
- Make sure your documents are clearly legible. Sending documents that are not legible will delay the reinstatement process.
- Do not send angry letters demanding reinstatement. It’s up to the eBay if they want to release your account or not. The best thing you can do is be as nice and go above and beyond what eBay asks of you. You’re not guaranteed your account back though.
PayPal 180 day Suspension — Don’t want to send PayPal Documents? If you don’t want to supply requested documents, don’t just let your account sit there. It’s in your best interest to notify PayPal that you will NOT be supplying the requested documents and that you want to part ways. This will guarantee the 180 days time-limit for withdraw will start and you money will be available sooner rather than later. This is good for those who don’t mind the 180-days, who can’t supply documents and who just wants to part ways with PayPal and start a new account. I do not recommend leaving your account otherwise you may wait 360 days instead of simply 180 days.
