Upgrade your account to avoid selling restrictions

[terribletoll]

I sell a few things a month and buy lots of little things on eBay. 

EBay is now sending me these threatening emails saying I am a business which is ridiculous. I don’t buy stuff for reselling. But I do sometimes sell things that are ‘as new’. 

Mostly secondhand. 

There is no way to contact anyone on eBay about this so I can get no help.

I won’t upgrade and if eBay restricts my account I will simply go elsewhere. But this is a pity as I have used eBay for years. 

[papso22]

Ebay's upgrade notifications seem totally random and often entirely wrong, but we don't know the criteria and I have never heard of them backing down.

You can contact them through the normal help and contact route when they open.

[tressygirl]

Your items for sale certainly do not show as the usual Business signs,  that is selling all New items,  perhaps the few New items you have has triggered this?  Who knows,  but maybe worth contacting Customer Services to explain if this really does apply to your account.

This is the easiest and quickest way to contact eBay Customer Services, for a Call Back option.

 https://www.ebay.co.uk/help/eua?id=5275&mkevt=1&mkpid

Lines open between 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. on weekdays.

9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekends.

I recommend contacting CS very first thing in the morning, when the lines first open,  as there's more chance of Dublin answering.

Good luck and please do come back to us with their answer,  as it may help us to help others, thank you.

@terribletoll 

[terribletoll]

I have now had my selling account closed. eBay customer service quoted:

"Upon checking, based on your selling activity, it appears that you are operating as a business seller. In order to comply with government consumer protection legislation outlined in our Business seller policy, we ask that you upgrade your eBay account to a business account.

As you have a history as a business seller on site we believe that your track record (Feedback & DSR History) from trading as a business, may not represent the same experience as trading as a private account.

Kindly understand when an account or linked accounts have higher trading history than normal private accounts, or indicators that they are operating as a business, we must request that they register as a business. "

I refuse to upgrade to a Business account. I am clearly not a business as I don't buy stuff to sell and don't make a profit. My sales are genuinely 'private' sales. HMRC would class it as a hobby - I sell a few things a month at most and everything is sold for less than I bought it for, so how it could be construed as business, I have no idea?

I guess that eBay is moving towards an Amazon marketplace model and has now decided to leave the private sellers behind. 746 sales in 23 years - but now it is end of an era. Goodbye eBay!

[tressygirl]

I still don't see any obvious evidence that your items show a Business seller's account, but as Papso says and I agree,  eBay Customer Services can get it wrong.

I might be barking up the wrong tree totally here,  but I remember a few days ago a similar distressed poster asking why they are asking to upgrade to a Business Account, and the one thing that was similar to your account was the selling of an Apple product.

Apple is protected by Vero,  a verified  rights owner program , whereby high brands forbid their items being sold on eBay, Apple is quite tenacious for not allowing their items to be listed.  Could a bot have picked up that ' clue' and wrongly surmised  this result ?

I would still contact CS with the link I gave above,  but Only, very first thing in the mornings when the lines first open at 8 a.m. on Monday there's more chance of Dublin answering.  Bring to their attention could it be the one Apple product causing this?  That it was the only one you had, it's used , and an unwanted item as are all the other personal items you're selling on your Private account.

May not be the answer,  may not work, but nothing to lose and worth a shot.

Please come back and tell us what they say,  Good Luck !

@terribletoll