posted on November 30, 2000 12:38:47 PM
Just something to think about...
Last night a employee's eBay account was suspended.
Seconds latter, my account was suspended, tons of auction listings killed, and nasty-gram emails sent to all bidders.
My offense? Having an email address in the same domain, and being guilty of being an "associate"...
It dosen't matter to eBay that the two accounts are two different people, located over 1100 miles apart, only that the email addresses reside in the same domain. I guess they extend "household" to mean the whole world...
"To protect the integrity of its trading rules and procedures, eBay does
not permit suspended users to register with eBay, or use eBay's services
under any name. eBay may extend that prohibition to accounts opened in
the same household of a suspended user, or other associates of a
suspended user."
What if he'd been on AOL, would they have suspened every AOL users account? There appears to be a double standard here...
posted on November 30, 2000 01:07:41 PM
Ebay could have very legitimate reasons for suspending an entire domain.
For example, if the suspended user owns the domain, it certainly might be reasonable to suspend the entire domain -- particularly if the user has used that domain to open known bogus accounts.
posted on November 30, 2000 01:13:18 PM
According to the information you have given us in this thread and the other thread that you have posted, http://www.auctionwatch.com/mesg/read.html?num=43&id=130&thread=112 sounds like they use the same tactic as the IRS. Whenever a person is linked to another person's bank account, their bank account is frozen and/or siezed.
posted on November 30, 2000 01:45:10 PM
mustbme - Yep that sounds like ebay all right. Partial enforcement of rules invented clauses and sub clauses. In short we say so mentality. Your account will be suspended along with everyone who we think know you. Why because we say so...........
Unless you got a few extra thousand lying around just register a new account from a different email and go start all over. But before doing that give them one shot at clearing the matter and offer to move your account to an email not associated with the domain in question. That way you make an effort to appease them and they get a chance to back off without looking stupid.
Trust me on this one depending on which safeharbor/support person you get don't be surprised if they take the we say so and there's nothing you can do about it approach. Then proceed to the first suggestion in this post.
Heck if they applied that attitude toall domains half of ebay's buyer/seller problems would be gone because the AOL users would be gone.
posted on November 30, 2000 02:33:11 PM
amalgamated - There is always more to the story. However given the FACT that ebay acts the same regardless of the allied facts. Nothing more to the story will change the answer.
posted on November 30, 2000 02:36:59 PM
Amalgamated..I wonder if the fact that this was his EMPLOYEE who's email was at HIS domain might have a whole lot to do with this.
posted on November 30, 2000 03:01:41 PM
The domain in question belongs to a third party. The ebay account that was initially suspended appears all but inactive (I don't see recent purchase or sales history when searching completed transactions, but know he doesn't sell items), just three positives for purchase related transactions.
The employee has never posted items for me, or for himself.
There's almost one hundred user accounts (mostly email) on the domain, his and mine are the only ones (that I know of - I don't monitor email) linked to ebay accounts. I'm in MA, and he works out of AL, 1100+ miles away.
His "offense": statements critical of eBay, Billpoint, and some of the real losers that eBay seemingly supports no matter what, in a venue similar to this...
We've paid ebay thousands in commissions and listing fees. The user's account, which brought on the suspension, doesn't sell, so he's paid them nothing, ever.
The worst part of the entire situation is having to lay-off 4 employees Monday, just a few days before Christmas, because of the unwarranted suspension
posted on November 30, 2000 03:10:56 PM
Sounds like ebay support is still protecting those pitiful chat rooms. Well I guess that should tell the ebay user where those priorities are as far as support and safeharbor goes.
posted on November 30, 2000 03:23:40 PMThe worst part of the entire situation is having to lay-off 4 employees Monday, just a few days before Christmas, because of the unwarranted suspension
You have at least 4 employees dependent on this and you don't have another account that you can use???
Moreover, why not just open a new account? Takes five minutes. Sure maybe your sales would be hurt a bit -- maybe as much as 25%, but I doubt it. But if so, you lay off 1 person instead of 4.
But if the offense really is being in the same domain, this would solve the problem.
Of course, I can't imagine anyone with the acumen to manage a business with 4+ employees who can't figure this out for themselves...
posted on November 30, 2000 03:31:03 PM
amalgamated - see what I mean no matter what the additional facts are. The answer is the same give ebay 48 hours to correct it and if they don't register another account and back to business. And I agree with the last part of your last post.
posted on November 30, 2000 05:13:38 PM
amalgamated2000: Apparently you think like the guy that got me into this...
I play by the rules, suspended is suspended. I DO have other accounts, created long ago in order to simplify accounting for brokered deals. I have yet to violate the terms of eBay's agreement, no matter what I think of it, and don't plan to start now.
Actually 5 employees dealt with the ebay items. One is already gone, as he created the current problem.
I have learned that the user who created the problems was notified, in advance, but I was not, nor was the owner of the domain - while both email addresses were readily available on the site.
Thread ends here, this is of no value to me or anyone else. I'm going back to the B2B sites, they are much less of an ordeal than eBay -and THEY provide customer support.
posted on November 30, 2000 05:32:52 PM
mustbme - No need in getting upset at amlagamated. It is unfortunate that an employee got you into this but that changes nothing that ebay has no grounds or premise to suspend the entire domian.
If you have this deep love of laws and rules that aren't fairly enforced, have no fair arena to resolve disputes, and allows for the suspension of users for activity of others beyond their control well enjoy that suspension and hopefully ebay support didn't make it permanaent so you can return later.
But if the suspension had nothing to do with buying and selling you have just made yet another case for chat forum only suspensions at ebay. But ebay management is TOO STUPID TO FIGURE THAT ONE OUT.
posted on November 30, 2000 06:09:42 PMWhat if he'd been on AOL, would they have suspened every AOL users account?
Big difference between a domain email account and an ISP.
It dosen't matter to eBay that the two accounts are two different people, located over 1100 miles apart, only that the email addresses reside in the same domain. I guess they extend "household" to mean the whole world...
The person who did the misdeed was an employee of yours, as you stated in your last post. This does put him/her into the "associate" category, especially since the domain seems to be a actual 'hosted'/business email account rather than an ISP.
Where I don't agree that ebay should suspend entire domains (ie: ISP's) .. I can see, and understand why they would suspend the accounts of the typical 'hosted' domain, if there were justification.
posted on November 30, 2000 06:32:42 PM
David ...
The harsh truth is that a company OFTEN pays the price when an employee mouths off in public. That the employee didn't tell you he was in trouble is not eBay's problem it's yours.
And if you had several employees all handling the Ebay stuff, it's reasonable that every account associated with the business would be suspended.
posted on December 1, 2000 02:51:58 AM
The eBay account in question, belonging to an employee, was not ever used on my behalf. From what I can tell, nothing was ever sold, and little was purchased.
My account has been active for about a year, during which time I've paid eBay and Billpoint thousands of dollars in listing fees and commissions.
My account, the only account with current activity, was given no warning as to being in jeopardy.
This issue is moot, as there will be no future effort on my part that will generate revenue for the eBay regime.
posted on December 1, 2000 07:20:23 AM
mustbe fishy. I sell a small bit on ebay but if I were a professional and trying to make payroll on ebay sales I'd already have set a relationship with ebay so they know who I am and avoid such a situation. They are after their profits and if you in fact ahve paid "Thousands" To Ebay they will jump to your demands. They are in fact a business and I think oyu are wasting our time here either with lies or with your ineptness as a businessman (person?). I think this will be resolved before lunch if what you have said is in fact true. Stop spreading rumors.!!
posted on December 1, 2000 09:56:10 AM
Hello Mustbme,
"I have learned that the user who created the problems was notified, in advance, but I was not, nor was the owner of the domain - while both email addresses were readily available on the site."
I take it that you are upset that eBay did not notify you about the activities of your employees on their site?
What reason did eBay give you for your own account's suspension?
And how sure are you that your employee's account was suspended solely for critical comments on eBay's boards?
Even when folks have been suspended for improper postings on eBay's boards it is generally a temporary suspension.
I suspect that there was more to your employee's suspension than mere criticism of eBay.
