ebay has mixed my account up with someone else's and is unresponsive

[inigo_xt]

Hello, 

I recently received an email notification that my account is restricted and incorrectly citing a linkage to another account.

This was my reply to ebay:

Restrictions have been placed on my account with ebay citing a link to account "***".

This error occurred previously, 24/4/17, and following my complaint to ebay Trust & Security it was acknowledged that there was no link between my account and the other. That account belonged to my sister, *: it was her business account connected to her high street store selling ladies clothing and jewellery. Her ebay platform closed in April last year. However, I am unable to confirm whether she was in dispute with ebay or if she simply walked away from it as a result of the uproar.

My own and only account is a personal one registered in 2004. I list personal items of men's clothing, books and music. To date this year I've had 3 sales on ebay. So I hope you can appreciate how upset I am that there is again confusion.

I also need to say that after my account was reinstated the last time this occured I was left with sellling limits on my account. I had to go through a process which only partially lifted them. Ebay is in breach of contract here because, as I understand it, selling limits apply to new account owners establishing a reputation. I am a long term customer and my account has always been in good order and with no unresolved buying or selling issues - ever. But looking through the help topics today I am told that my account is new (incorrect) and that it is linked to another account (incorrect). This appears to be a systemic problem and that Ebay does not know which account belongs to who until there is concern!

I am disappointed that ebay has got my account mixed-up with someone else's, albeit defunct, now twice in 12 months and I feel that Ebay will need to work hard to restore my confidence that it can safely and reliably manage my information.

This is a formal complaint and which I shall escalate to the Information Commissioner if Ebay continues to make errors on my account.

I shall update with their reply.  Regards...

[inigo_xt]

Within hours I recieved a reply from "Henry N" and riddled with mistakes.

1 - He refers to my "other link account" although I'd explained, and which should be clear from ebay's records, I do not have another account, linked (whatever that means) or otherwise.
2 - He thanks me for "starting my business on ebay" although I've been on ebay for 14 years with a personal account and am not a business.
3 - He provides a link to information on "help with multiple account ownership" but I do not have multiple accounts.
4 - He refers to helping me "resolve issues on both accounts" but there are no issues on my own account and the other is not my concern.
5 - He claims that I said "the linkage belonged to your sister and connected to her store for selling items on eBay in April last year" I said no such thing - the other account belonged to my sister connected to her high street shop and she used it up to April last year.
6 - He states that "similar trading practices" may be used to establish a link between accounts but I am an occaisonal personal seller while her business account is closed and was never connected to me.
7 - He says that I mentioned wanting "to formally complain" whilst, in fact, replying to my complaint but ignoring all its content.

What seems clear from this is that my data has been compromised: ebay has incorrect info about me/my account.  When I contacted them about it they simply repeated the incorrect info at me rather than engaging with my concerns.  Is this still an internal matter for ebay to sort even if the will and the machinery were there?  They've mixed my account up with someone else's, failed to acknowledge or rectify the error when given the opportunity and refused me the details they currently hold on me/my account.  Ebay's response has done nothing to restore my confidence that it can reliably and safely manage my information.  I thinking about approaching the Information Commissioner and the Financial Conduct Authority.  I don't want my account back after this but I do want reassurance that my info is safe and to give ebay the run-around as they've done me.

This episode has shown me ebay's chaotic account management and how casually it treats its customers in a poor way. It feels like psychlogical abuse.  My account could be in someone else's name but, unsurprisingly, ebay won't tell me.  So their solution is to block my account and hope I'll disappear.

Thanks for reading.  Suggestions welcome.  Regards, ... 

[right-then-petal]

Hope You Get It Sorted One Day

[inigo_xt]

Thanks for that, right-then-petal.

I bounced that response straight back to ebay and quickly had a reply from Rosanna V.  She apologised for the confusion caused by her colleague and acknowledged that I do not own multiple accounts. Success?

However, she went on in a long and detailed email in badly broken English to say that ebay will not reinstate my account until I settle outstanding issues on the other account - an account which I don't own, have no access to and no understanding of.

I want to raise else something here - seeing that ebay's responses to me are illogical.  I recently made changes to my account removing the GSP postal option for international buyers after seeing how much more the service costs than my simply posting direct to buyer.  After discovering a buyer had paid ebay £12.80 postage to use GSP I looked-up on Royal Mail and found I could have posted direct (large letter, value under £20, standard del., Europe) for £3.odd.  Well, within hours of my removing GSP from my listings ebay had blocked my account and all I can get out of them is nonsense about multiple accounts (which makes no sense to me) and that I must resolve issues on someone else's account (impossible) to get my own back.

So has anyone else tampered with GSP and received a punitive strike from ebay?

Regards... 

[inigo_xt]

I've added the following statement to my listings.

STATEMENT

Regretfully, after 14 years, it looks like I'll be leaving eBay.  You can still buy from me at present but I will not be relisting any items when their current run ends on 13th May.

Ebay has frozen my account insisting that I have multiple business accounts (which I do not) and demanding that in order to regain my account I first settle any business on those account(s).  This is impossible since I've owned only this account, since 2004, and have access to no other account than my own.  But someone with broken English in a Philippine call centre has told me that I'm a "severe risk".  Clearly, my personal data has been compromised by eBay - and I shall not be returning!  I will, however, be submitting a complaint to the Information Commissioner.

You can see from my feedback that I'm reputable (even if eBay cannot) so rest assured that any purchase you make will be spot-on and delivered promptly and safely.

My thanks to the people who've bought from me and to those I've bought from.  By the way, try removing the GSP postal option from your listings and see what happens.

arc-en-eau

[mikes*corvettes]

If your account is frozen..How comes you have active listings ?

[vamo48]

I opted out from GSP with no ill effects, after seeing what a customer in Eire had to pay in postage.  He was happy with his purchase but I felt it was unfair to charge so much.  I don't understand what has gone wrong in this case.

[inigo_xt]

My account is "restricted" and I'm not be able to list anything else or to relist my live items once their current run is over.  But, at least in the meantime, it's transparent that my account is used for selling personal items and not the business use of ladies clothing and jewellery that ebay staff continue to insist even after having "fully reviewed" my account numerous times.

[inigo_xt]

Thanks for your input.  I was thinking I'd been pushed out because I removed GSP and what with having seen how lucrative it is for ebay and their having been unable to satisfactorily explain their actions on my account.  So perhaps they have mixed-up my personal data with someone else's after all.

[inigo_xt]

Breaking news.  Ebay has backed down stating that it acknowledges I have no connection to the other account it names and that I have done nothing wrong.  The actually happened some days ago but I couldn't face opening another of their emails.

However, listing limits have now been set on my account and I've been told I have to prove my reliability as a seller, through DSR feedback and the like, before they are lifted.  Why?  The whole thing was ebay's mistake it's up to them to make amends.  My only setback in terms of my current DSR ratings dates from a couple of years ago when some numpty gave me 3/5 stars for dispatch on an item I'd posted within 2 working days, listing stated upto three.

I don't feel I have any faith in ebay going forward and I don't think I could ever feel confident using the site again.

[vamo48]

You could try a phone call, People do say keep trying until you get the Dublin customer services, but I found the Philippines one to be helpful the only time I needed assistance.

[inigo_xt]

Ebay Trust & Safety is now blocking messages from me!  On May 11, I sent the following points to ebay and I'm still waiting for a reply a month later.  Mail is simply bounced back to me as a non-existant address.  It appears that ebay cannot answer these points so it is ignoring me.  This is just abusive.  I cannot honestly believe that any reputable company would treat its customers this poorly and expect them to remain customers.

Dear Henry,

Thank you for your reply.

Here is the complete inventory of current live items listed on my account, as at Friday 11th May.

26 unique items men's pre-owned clothing.  Mostly my own.

16 unique items pre-owned books and magazines, my own.

14 unique items pre-owned music, principally my own but a few given to me that I'm trying to rehome.

1 multi-listing comprising 8 packets of different vegetable seeds

1 packet vitamins

1 pre-rocorded VHS cassette

1 collectable pig

1 decorative box

In total 61 items relisted on 13th April to run for 30 days.  These items are currently live and available for anyone to view which I believe makes my case entirely transparent.  There are also 3 unique items of men's clothing currently inactive on the unsold list.  Sold items in 2018 comprise 1 coat bought for myself on ebay but an unsuitable fit so relisted, 1 new pair men's slippers and 1 craft kit.

I am confused that despite having "fully reviewed" my account 4 times now ebay staff are unable to see any of this!  Your claim still appears to be that my account has been used for business purposes related to my sister's defunct account, closed April 2017.

Please now show me where her items are listed on my account.  Please also show me a single example of ladies clothing or jewellery listed on my account in the past year to support your claim.  It is not acceptable that you have now partially restored my account with a punitive listings limit, I do not understand your advise on not cross-trading with her (former) account and I should expect you to be able see that my account is in good standing so I should not now be asked to prove that I am a reliable and trustworthy seller before restrictions are lifted.

I have checked with her and she confirms that she used multiple listings on her account offering different sizes and colour options of her new clothing items.  The only multi-listing I have relates to vegetable seeds and it is transparent that the rest of my inventory is a miscellany of pre-owned personal items.  There are also the purchases I have made which again are a miscellany of items clearly for personal use.  Total feedback score since 2004, 392.

Consequently, I do not believe that ebay staff have examined my account at all and despite making serious and unfounded claims of misuse and insisting on those claims - and which I have found deeply upsetting.  I am disappointed that after 14 years my account, and its good reputation, has been lost due to ebay's negligence and obstruction.

[inigo_xt]

Following a completely sane chat session with ebay my account was restored to normal.  No communication problems and no long winded irrelevant 'explanations'.  To my great relief! 

I was assured that the erroneous account will no longer trouble me nor impact on my own account.  I don't know why the 3 previous ebay staff couldn't have been this straight forward or see what was in front of them.    The contacts options for ebay support has changed recently and which might explain why I never received a response to my email.  About time ebay changed some of their staff, too.

I'm thrilled to have my account back but cannot help feeling a little apprehensive after this experience.  It should never have come to this.