Ebay is protecting fraudulent seller jan1227 fres creative by suspending my account Ebay suspended my account permanently without warning and without explanation, and now I am unable to get recourse on a fraudulent sale.

I have had my Ebay account since 1998, with 277 ratings and 100% positive. I’m not a store or a merchant, just a person who sometimes buys, and rarely sells anything there anymore. However, recently I have purchased a camera, and a jigsaw. No problems – great transactions, and I left the sellers positive feedback.

In early January I was seeking another lens for the Nikon 1 J5 camera I’d just bought on Ebay recently. The lens I wanted is now discontinued, so I looked on Ebay for a replacement, and found dozens of copies of this item. One listing caught my eye – a seller in Hong Kong, "jan1226" (the PayPal invoice says “fres creative - jan1226”) had 3 units NEW (unsold, unopened, in factory packaging) and the price was reasonable for a new lens. While used copies vary in price from $65 to about $100, this one was listed for a Buy it Now price $135.99, with a “best offer” option.

After placing an offer for $120 which was auto-rejected, I tried offering $125 – again, auto-rejected. I tried $129, and $130, again, auto-rejected. This should have been the red flag telling me to move on from this buyer, but I still figured that the $136 price for a new lens was still fair, so I went ahead and hit “buy it now" and paid right away with PayPal.

I got a notification the next day that the item was being prepared for shipment.

Meanwhile, I decided to sell my older broken version of this same lens I’ve had since 2012, and also the other lens that came with the camera I recently bought, that worked fine but I found I couldn't use for videography.  I placed listings on Ebay for these two items, using original photos I took of the lenses, and accurate descriptions of them. I created these listings on Thursday, the 7th of January.

On Friday the 8th, I looked at yet another lens on Ebay, that was listed for $75, and a “best offer” option. I mis-read the listing as being “buy it now” for $75, and made an offer of $70. Later, I realized that $75 was the opening bid price for an auction, and so my offer of $70 was a low-ball offer, and so I retracted it – not wanting to insult the seller!

Later that day I received an email from Ebay that they had permanently suspended my account. I thought it was one of those scam emails, so I ignored it at first. Later, I tried logging in to my account to check on activity for my listings, and found that indeed, my account was suspended! Thus began the very frustrating process of trying to figure out why this had happened. Because of the suspension, I had no way to contact Ebay. Their phone number doesn’t work any more, and to be able to contact them via chat, I had to be logged in. But my account was suspended! All the information I could find indicated that they would tell me the reason for the suspension, so I could rectify it (payment method expired, etc.) but no such communication ever came.

I figured out the only option I had was to contact them via chat through my work account, which I did.

Here is the transcript:

08:18:21 UTC Cedric Errol

Upon reviewing, I can confirm that your account was suspended because it causes concern for us and our community. From time to time, we find accounts that have a risk that no longer justifies a continuing relationship with us.

08:18:41 UTC Cedric Errol

Your account will remain suspended as the suspension placed on it was permanent. This means that you can no longer use your account to buy and sell items on eBay.

08:19:59 UTC Me

Can you explain what happened? I've had that account since 1998, and haven't used it much in the past few years, other than to purchase the occasional item. Then, for the first time in several years, I listed two camera lenses for sale. The next thing I knew, the account was suspended.

08:20:22 UTC Me

Do you mind letting me know what I did? I honestly have no idea.

08:20:42 UTC Cedric Errol

I understand that you wish to know more specific information about what the issue is but due to eBay policy, I will not be able to share more specific information. This is to protect our guidelines from being circumvented or manipulated.

08:21:13 UTC Cedric Errol

What I can only share is that after carefully reviewing our records, your account was suspended due to risk it exhibits to the eBay community. Due to the risk involved, we have decided to take an appropriate action on your account.

08:22:12 UTC Me

I understand not being able to share info that would possibly be used to circumvent the rules. Certainly not my intention.

08:23:39 UTC Cedric Errol

I understand where you are coming from in this situation as well however, we really are unable to share more information to our members. I appreciate your understanding on this matter, Karl.

08:23:49 UTC Cedric Errol

I know this isn't the answer you were hoping to receive but I trust that I’ve already given you all the information available to address your concern.

08:23:58 UTC Cedric Errol

Aside from your account status, is there anything else that I may assist you with?

08:26:02 UTC Cedric Errol

I can see that you're in the middle of typing. Please send your messages in parts to confirm that were still connected.

08:26:12 UTC Me

It is very disappointing that I'm not given an opportunity to explain myself. All I can say is that I feel that this has happened in error. It definitely leaves a very bad taste for me towards Ebay - after all these years. I've never listed or tried to purchase anything illegal, always paid right away, given feedback to buyers and sellers alike, and have 100% positive feedback. You are correct that this isn't the answer I was hoping to receive. Not at all. To go from using your platform normally to permanently suspended without even a warning, and I don't have any idea why?

08:26:56 UTC Me

I appreciate your help, though, Cedric, and understand that you are doing your job. Thank you for your time.

08:27:50 UTC Me

I would like to get a transcript of this chat, please. How do I do that? Or can you email it to me?

08:28:38 UTC Cedric Errol

I appreciate your understanding on this matter, Karl. Rest assured that you will receive a copy of this chat transcript into your eBay messages and registered email address after this chat ended.

08:29:05 UTC Cedric Errol

While we understand that you may not agree with our decision, please understand that it is already final and will not be reversed.

08:29:06 UTC Cedric Errol

Thank you for using eBay.

So, they would not tell me what I’d done, after 22 years, to cause a permanent suspension of my account. No warning, no explanation.

On January 22, I received the lens I’d ordered from jan1226 arrived. Only it wasn’t as described – it was a used lens. No factory packaging, and light but clear signs of use including marks on the lens and evidence on the mounting bayonet that the lens had been mounted on a camera before. It was clean, and it appears to work properly, but I paid a premium to get a new lens and this is not what arrived.

I attempted to contact the seller but since my account was suspended, I had no way to do that. I also could not request a return, or leave feedback on the sale.

So, I contacted Ebay again via my work account, and here is the transcript:

08:20:41 UTC Soumya

I checked your account thoroughly and I really regret to inform you that the suspension on your account is valid and indefinite..

08:21:06 UTC Soumya

I'm sorry that we won't be able to help you with the removal of this suspension from your account.

08:21:19 UTC Me

Yes, I have been told that already. But as I said, today I received an item I purchased and it is not as described.

08:21:32 UTC Soumya

However, you can open a return request for the item you received today directly from paypal.

08:22:23 UTC Me

It is my belief that I have been scammed by this seller, and I want recourse. I do not want to return the item. I believe this seller may have had something to do with my suspension. If true, I want this case re-visited.

08:22:25 UTC Me

Order number: XXXX Item ID: 133091869421 Seller: jan1226

08:23:02 UTC Me

And, if you aren't able to help me with this, then I would like to chat with someone who can.

08:24:02 UTC Soumya

Karl, we do not take any action based on someone else's report, we do a proper investigation from our end first.

08:24:33 UTC Soumya

As in this situation, I've re checked your account twice and was able to find that the decision made was valid and indefinite.

08:24:44 UTC Soumya

While we know this is not the response you wished to receive, there is no further opportunity for appeal on this decision.

08:24:50 UTC Me

OK, that's a start. I would like to know what I did, or what you think I did to get my account suspended after 22 years, 100% positive feedback, 277 ratings.

08:25:42 UTC Me

I have tried to imagine what action/s I took that would have caused that, and I can't think of anything.

08:25:53 UTC Soumya

Karl, that I'm sorry we won't be able to be specific with that.

08:26:07 UTC Me

At least tell me if it had to do with my recent listings of the two camera lenses.

08:27:35 UTC Soumya

There are many factors that we look into before taking such decisions, and we won't be able to be specific with that to you.

08:28:16 UTC Me

That is not acceptable. If I am supposed to learn from this, what am I supposed to learn? Was my account hacked?

08:29:07 UTC Soumya

Karl, your account isn't hacked a there are no such suspicious activities on your account.

08:29:22 UTC Me

I would like to chat with your supervisor, please.

08:29:53 UTC Soumya

Karl, the decision we have taken is the final and the resolution would remain the same that I provided  you.

08:30:07 UTC Me

Not acceptable.

08:30:21 UTC Me

Supervisor, please.

08:31:09 UTC Soumya

Please wait I'll try searching for them for you.

08:31:16 UTC Me

Thank you.

08:33:05 UTC Soumya

Thank you for staying connected with me.

08:33:41 UTC Soumya

Karl, as right now, our supervisor are not available, they will get back to you via email within an hour.

I did receive an email a few hours later, and all it said was:

Greetings from eBay!

We understand that you would like to appeal the suspension of your account.

Please note that we have forwarded your account details to the concerned department for the review again and you may receive a response from us within 72 business hours.

We apologize for any inconvenience caused and appreciate your patience.

Regards,

eBay Team

I also tried again to use PayPal to request a return for the item, but it just brought me back to Ebay, where I was able to fill out a return request, but it never went through. I tried again to leave feedback on the sale, but received the message "this transaction is no longer eligible for feedback".

Now it has been a week and I have not heard anything further.

My theory is that the seller, jan1226 “fres creative” submitted a report on me so that I would be suspended, and thus would not have recourse for the fraudulent listing. There’s no other explanation that makes any sense to me.

Ebay – if you are reading this, this is unacceptable, and not the way you treat a 22-year member in good standing. I’m happy to explain anything you consider “weird” on my account activity, but you won’t give me the chance to do this. Meanwhile, jan1226 is still active, and since I can't provide feedback on that fraudulent sale, potential buyers won't know. So, THAT is a risk to your community, not me. You have it backward.