So over the past week I've been going back and fourth with ebay regarding them putting my payments on hold and later on receiving a permanent selling restriction.
The craziest thing about this suspension and a few things that I want to make public regarding eBay's conduct as a financial services provider in the UK (eBay commerce UK LTD):
1. They held my payments since the 12th of November, at the time of writing this it is the 26th of November), I received the suspension email on the 25th and was told there would be a 190 day hold from the date of the email being sent to me, not from the date of the payment hold. (Stange because those 13 days that they were 'investigating' my account should've been included)
2. eBay constantly shifted the goal post for my appeal rather than providing transparent steps in order for me to do so in violation of FCA handbook CONC 3.3.
3. In my selling restriction email I was told that the account had been initially suspended due to a violation of eBay's policy, therefore they made me go through this appeal process already knowing they were going to suspend me which is again in violation of FCA handbook CONC 3.3.
4. They are holding my payments from selling due to a violation but are still allowing me to purchase items. So if they needed documentation to verify my identity and if they couldn't verify it (I provided them with ID, bank statements, utility bills, invoices and all) why would they let me purchase?
5. You are at the mercy of either their automated system or the representative who received your email that day, their job is not to look into your appeal but to come up with a vague reason to ban you from doing something. My last request from them was to resolve all of my returns (I had 5 at the time), I told them that these returns had not been sent and that the customers had until the next month to return the item, no arguing or disputes and all cases had already been previously solved.
6. After they close your account, even if the item shows as being delivered they will grant the buyer a refund and still put down the reason as 'we did not receive valid tracking information from you'. I called in to appeal this and was told that because my account was restricted from selling, they could not deal with the situation. This is not only a violation of the FCA conduct guide but also contract law which is causing unjust enrichment to eBay.
7. They are holding all of my transactions regardless of how old they are in my funds that are being held, its not proportionate nor is it fair for sellers to have to face this hold.
8. Their official page to raise a formal complaint against eBay forces you to use their live chat. When I told them that I am a vulnerable customer as I am suffering a mental health crisis and financial hardship, they couldn't give a toss. I have the transcript and have forwarded this to the financial ombudsman services. I also asked them for a complaints reference number or a formal acknowledgement of the complaint and was denied one. Major violation of FCA conduct guidance, there should be an audit into how these companies are governed and run as well as their over reliance on non domestic customer service reps.
We do not have the ability to request a justified review of our account, we were at the mercy of one agents decision, what happened to them that day is going to effect what decision they make on your entire business.
Proceed with caution everyone, and never forget that there is never a day that eBay won't feel like turning off your account because they feel like it.
Take a look at the financial ombudsman's website and you'll see the decisions that were ordered by the FOS against eBay. A clear pattern of inconsistent and unjustified holds
