posted on November 27, 2013 05:15:06 AM new
I've been following this story on the Power Seller Board in horror. Of course we don't know eBay's side of the story and perhaps there is more to it, but on the surface, the tale is very scary for all sellers. My feeling is that a real person with any sort of knowledge at eBay has not even reviewed the case.
posted on November 27, 2013 08:47:06 AM new
I read the first page,but it seems the seller 'Charlie' is selling merchandise which irks the manufacturer (for pricing it below MAP),although he claims he is not a dealer registered with the manufacturer but he bought them legally,aka from a legit dealer,which makes me wonder what is the relationship between this dealer and Charlie?
Could it be one and the same person?
Another issue which was brought up is the use of the name 'oilslick' and there is another seller who owns the name on Ebay selling cannabalis? so is Charlie selling hash??
Also Charlie 's buyer filed a complaint that Charlie is selling counterfeit paper?
How can paper be counterfeit,just wonder what kind of paper is he selling?
He made enough to build a dome shaped house on 5000 acres land,and boasted on EBAY FORUM?
Just wonder what is grown on 5000 acres and what is growing inside a dome shaped home?
Ebay does not have to disclose all its findings to him or to us,there must be more we dont know.
Then the thread said more sellers are reporting they have been suspended?wonder if they are all selling goods violating vero or oilslick or below MAP?
[ edited by lostmymojo on Nov 27, 2013 08:49 AM ]
[ edited by lostmymojo on Nov 27, 2013 09:58 AM ]
posted on November 27, 2013 08:52:15 AM new
Remember Fluffy?
She was suspended numerous times by Ebay and she has to beg to get back to selling on Ebay,once she has to hold a large sign outside Ebay headquarter for days and finally reinstated.
And she is just selling silver trinklets!
[ edited by lostmymojo on Nov 27, 2013 08:52 AM ]
posted on November 27, 2013 11:08:46 AM new
I think we all need to realize and understand that eBay is a private corporation who can do business with whomever they please, meaning they control everything.
They cannot violate Federal Law and even then, they have a wall of attorneys at their disposal to shield them with "creative interpretations of the law" from just about everything and anything.
The only thing sellers can do to affect eBay is to quit listing and go elsewhere... but where is the question. Power Sellers specializing in retail truly have little opportunities outside of heading to Amazon or their own website. Vintage sellers and artisans have Etsy. There are other sites, but their sales volume is not good.
I have listed 3 items on Etsy so far, as I am also preparing for the holiday rush locally and making items locally as well. My plate is full, so it will be slow... but this story is making me move a bit faster for sure.
One thing I like about Etsy is the ability to market yourself. I am already considering how to integrate Etsy into our website and how to market ourselves accordingly. One thing I am considering is changing our business name as we migrate to a broader market of items we sell. I have been doing more salvage, repurposed in house creations rather than just the mid-century stuff.
Is Etsy perfect? No, but it is a viable alternative to eBay and is far more affordable. I will keep everyone up to date, especially once I get my first sale there.
posted on November 27, 2013 11:31:12 AM new
I read the second page of Charlie,and I looked up his Ebay ID,his profile and feedback.
He said he sells error coins and other coins from his own 30 years collection and flea markets and auctions,he also sell incense sticks and papers for smoking.
From his feedback file,the item the buyers bought are kept private but it appears they are not buying coins !
If he indeed built a dome shaped house with acres of land in Louisville with his Ebay sales ,I would like to know what kind of paper and incense sticks is he selling so we can all build a dome shaped house .
He is not suspended,he just does not have anything for sale now.
I dont think any of us have to worry sharing the same fate as we are not selling paper and incense sticks,at least I am not !
[ edited by lostmymojo on Nov 27, 2013 11:33 AM ]
posted on November 27, 2013 11:34:58 AM new
Shag,
based on his years on Ebay and his feedback file,he could easily set up his own website and invite his Ebay buyers to come and buy on his site,he may have already amassed a huge list of Ebay buyer email addresses !
posted on November 27, 2013 12:19:28 PM new
eBay investigates complaints from customers and sellers and in this case one can assume there were many over several years and this Charlie had been warned many times.
There is good chance his biz is shipping stuff today under a new id and IP address.
posted on November 27, 2013 02:49:57 PM new
The problem could be accepting Paypal,any marijuana related/drig related transactions is NO NO.
Websites which sell seeds do not accept credit card or paypal,just money transfer or 'cash in envelope'.
if you read his profile,he said if you dont see what you are looking for,just let me know and I may have it and I can list it for you to buy.
And why are the item listing kept private in his feedback file,why do folks who buy paper and incense sticks need to have their purchases kept private?
Everyone feels sorry for Charlie,but they dont read,Ebay has closed the thread.
[ edited by lostmymojo on Nov 27, 2013 02:54 PM ]
posted on November 27, 2013 04:06:51 PM new
Supposedly it isn't WHAT he sold, it's that he had some groundless VERO complaints, tried to resolve them with the companies but didn't keep eBay in the loop. He thought the matter was resolved and relisted the items. He has one buyer complain that he sold counterfeit rolling papers but paper was not counterfeit. He refunded their payment and buyer went NARU. Charlie assumed they had tried the SNAD trick one too many times to get booted off eBay, never dreaming that it would come back to bite him.
Lost - his items were taken down, one by one (8000 listings)without notice. Only afterwards did he receive a notice from eBay suspending him indefinitely.
He does not and will not use another selling ID as it is against the rules. Ironically, he has always been an eBay cheerleader insisting that things be done the right way. He truly did build his dome home over the years and reported on his progress on the PS board.
-------------------------------------
posted on November 27, 2013 05:15:39 PM new
With the sheer number of Sellers suspended in the last few months, my sixth sense tells me that 'Something is rotten in the state of Denmark'.
There is obviously a long term plan being enacted and while we are all speculating on the various reason for each individual action by eBay they are sitting back and watching the 'BIG picture' evolve.
It is their sandbox however Corporations that alienate so many people worldwide do eventually pay some price.
It is a very sad time as we watch the demise of eBay as we knew it and yes, I do feel emotional about it even though it is.....only business.
posted on November 27, 2013 06:57:58 PM new
It is hard to imagine a shooting star TRS powerseller since 1999 cannot resolve a few Vero complaints,he is not suspended,he just cant list any more,you can still contact him but he has another ID for buying,Ebay welcomes all buyers.
I searched for sites which sell seeds and cant find anyone which accept Paypal.
posted on November 27, 2013 07:04:01 PM new
here is the last words of the shooting star TRS
////////////
oucoins wrote:
OK BOYS and GIRLS......
First off I want to say THANK YOU to each and every one of you for your support, the kind words, the outreach, the well wishes, prayers, messages, phone calls, thoughts and emails that have come my way through this ordeal. I especially want to commend everyone that has posted here in this thread for sharing A LOT of knowledge not only for me, but for all of the others that have been, and will be exposed to this thread for however long it should it remain on the PSDB!
Unfortunately it seems the restriction stands. After a tiring amount of time waiting and an excruciating amount of time being nice, professional, tempered and kind all the while holding back my frustration(s) while speaking to so many Ebay CS reps, Trust and Safety Reps, policy makers and employees of Ebay I have not gotten anywhere. After i received the following email today, any further calls just referred me to the following:
Hello loucoins (loucoins@ this was removed by me),
Thanks for contacting eBay about the suspension of your account.
In reviewing your account, we've found that the appropriate action was taken when making the decision to suspend your eBay activities and we will not be overturning the suspension.
In reviewing your account, we've noted the following concerns:
Removals due to Vero Listing
removals for concerns of authenticity
These concerns cause negative buying experiences and are unfair to other sellers who are following our policies and providing great customer service.
The eBay User Agreement states that we may suspend or terminate user accounts if we believe a user is creating problems, possible legal liabilities, or acting inconsistently with the letter or spirit of our policies.
While we understand that you may not agree with the decision to suspend your account, based on an additional review, we've decided that your account will remain suspended indefinitely. This decision is final and we may not respond to future inquires regarding this matter.
To read eBay's User Agreement, go to: http://pages.ebay.com/help/policies/user-agreement.html
I know this isn't the answer you were hoping for but I hope I've explained things clearly.
So.......there we have it! Am I bitter? No, I am not nearly as bitter as I am simply confused, bewildered, amazed and flat out SHOCKED that Ebay would treat any customer of theirs the way that i have been treated. I understand policy and I understand the need for policy. What I DO NOT understand is the LACK of CLARITY, THE LACK OF TRANSPARENCY, THE LACK OF GOODWILL, THE LACK OF MY ABILITY TO TALK WITH A CUSTOMER SERVICE REP that can understand the FACTS PRESENTED (not opinions- facts!), THE LACK OF RESPECT FOR MY TIME WASTED TRYING TO EXPLAIN the exact same facts to way over the top too many CUSTOMER SERVICE REPS!! THE LACK OF SIMPLY EXPLAINING TO ME WHAT THE HECK was/or had occurred without me having to practically interrogate every person that I had the opportunity to speak while WHEN NOT ON HOLD!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I did not keep track of my time on the phone precisely, but it has been in excess of WELL OVER 14 HOURS and possibly approaching as much as 18 hours of my time ON THE PHONE!!!!!!!. I understand that the people I talked with (most of the time) were simply trying to do their jobs AS DESCRIBED TO THEM by NO DOUBT a person that has NEVER tried to call Ebay customer support over any issue other than possibly the MUNDANE DAY TO DAY NOISE that sellers MOST LIKELY may take up their time with.
In reference to the NOT SO ON TARGET VeROs and the bogus counterfeit product (WHICH BY THE WAY WAS NOT ONLY AUTHENTIC, BUT THE LISTING WAS NOT EVER REMOVED!!!!!! The buyer that made that claim is NOW NARU (not restricted), but Flat Out NO LONGER A REGISTERED MEMBER - BANNED FOR GOOD for theft? scamming? cheating? whatever? - I have explained these circumstances above in this thread with FACTS!!
IF ANY UPPER ECHELON EBAY EMPLOYEE or POLICY MAKER IS READING THIS THREAD (OR THIS POST) I WOULD GREATLY APPRECIATE THEM TO EMAIL ME OR CALL ME ON THE TELEPHONE ANY TIME OF THE DAY OR NIGHT OR ANY DAY OF THE WEEK OR WEEKEND OR HOLIDAY!
So, there it is folks......Ebay loves us indeed!
MY ADVICE: Spread your wings folks - build those websites - diversify your income - stay out of debt ESPECIALLY FOR buying any materials/equipment/inventory that is slated for sole purpose of using for/ or to be sold using Ebay as the sole venue.
Please do not use my experience to hate Ebay or to spread bad vibes about Ebay Just stick to the fact that Ebay is what Ebay is - Nothing more - nothing less - it is a tool - use it wisely - use it for what it is meant to be used for.
I am very Thankful actually that I was able to use Ebay for as long as I have been able to. Ebay brought a lot of enjoyment into my life. Ebay also provided a lot of opportunities for me as well. Right now, as I write this, at this particular moment - that enjoyment seems far off in a distant place. It feels a lot like a divorce - the marriage is over I guess. Or....well that is how i feel at the moment. Of course tomorrow is a new day and as long as the sun comes up then we never know what it may bring with it!
Again, Thanks so much to everyone for the support! I am humbled at the outpouring that this thread has brought my way! I REALLY do mean that from the bottom of my heart as a tear trickles down my cheek across my unshaven face only to drop upon my beer belly! : )
Speaking of beer! Who wants to join me in one? Cheers!"
_____________________________________________________
funkyfrieda wrote: The CS agent told me simply "I can't do my job here as this makes no sense".
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posted on November 27, 2013 10:29:57 PM new
Lost - Charlie's account was restored tonight. His latest post:
"
Please pardon me if I stumble over words here because I am typing with great emotion right now......
First Off, I want to announce to this group FIRST......to the MEMBERS of the PSDB,...... that I have had my account (selling privileges) restored on Ebay! This is such wonderful news for me, and on, of all nights, the eve of Thanksgiving.
However, I feel I DID NOT accomplish this with just my own efforts. I am absolutely certain that with the ground swell of support that THIS GROUP and those of SEVERAL OTHER GROUPS and MANY INDIVIDUALS that have participated in the spreading of my "tale of woe" contributed immensely to this outcome!
I have been very very humbled these past 7 days with not only the support from people here, from not only people that are shooting star powersellers, from not only fellow sellers that I have known for many years, from not only my affiliations with private groups, from not only my emails and numerous calls to anyone who would listen, BUT ALSO to just the INDIVIDUALS that came to my rescue in time of need for no other reason than to lend a helping hand - because I asked, YOU asked, WE asked......amazing!
This shows that the Ebay selling community is indeed a community that does truly exist and that does truly care about each other. I have often said that the combined knowledge of the Ebay community is overwhelming and that has been proven to me ten fold - twenty fold - 100 fold over the past 7 days! For this I want to personally THANK EACH AND EVERYONE OF YOU that has contributed the slightest bit of thought, the slightest bit of support..... all the way up to those that have gone far and above what could ever have been expected of them! Many have taken time away from their businesses, and no doubt personal time as well, to reach out and lend a hand to me. I am truly Thankful.
With that having been said, the situation still exists for many others that have found themselves in the situation I found myself in 7 days ago with my selling account - an "indefinte restriction". As much as I, and others have garnered attention to my situation, there are still others out there that need this same support and help that so many afforded me.
Having my account restored does not make me an authority or even qualified to help each of the people that still need the help that I received to get their accounts restored - BUT - it DOES make the Ebay community of sellers qualified to continue what was focused on my situation to try and help others in our world. Let us try and forget the "Charlie" factor of this effort and let it become helping the other guys and gals out there that may be less fortunate by trying to share the knowledge, the contacts, the perserverance, the dedication and the willingness to simply help fellow members of our community with a hand up.
Many have written to me, called me, and come to help me with many of their thoughts, strategies, ideas, contacts, phone numbers and nothing more than but a simple kind word when believe it or not - I really needed i really bad at the time. Lets try to extend this same courtesy to all members going forward. It makes our Ebay community a better cohesive group that really can make a difference in each and every one of our lives.
posted on November 27, 2013 11:11:40 PM new
I am so pleased for Charlie.
I would have liked to have seen the communication that he received from eBay restoring his account.
I wonder if it happened because of the huge amount of support that he received?
posted on November 28, 2013 03:54:08 PM new
'something rotten in Denmark?'
Back in August,Ebay suspended,restricted 35,000 sellers,many are for not shipping promptly!
Smart phones/cell phones seem to be one category which account for a lot of problems.
Around the same time period,Etsy sees a surge of new sellers ,some listed fake gold,some never ship,causing a huge backlog of complaints for their customer service.
posted on November 29, 2013 07:07:14 AM new
which may be what happened to that person I know. As I said previously, he was suspended for not shipping quickly enough and is now on etsy.
all i can say to his reputation from my experience is that he always tells me he has something I would want and how great it is... and it never is great. I don't think I have ever purchased something from him and I wonder how many repeat buyers he has online. I can only assume he embellishes his descriptions and doesn't have many repeat buyers.
posted on November 29, 2013 08:46:42 AM new
Back in the early days of EBAY,many sellers were using drop shippers to sell camera,scanners,laptop,PC etc ,when dropshippers ran out of stock , shipping is delayed.
Like all mail order business and business which accept credit cards,merchants have to ship the goods within 24 hours,when the buyers do not receive their goods in 7-10 days,they start filing item not received with Paypal and get their full refund,then days later the goods arrived from the dropshippers !
Buyers end up getting free merchandise !
posted on November 29, 2013 12:08:13 PM new
I thought I would click on the Black Friday Super deals on the eBay home page.
After following the stories of some good Sellers who were suspended this week it really upset me to see that eBay are promoting a Seller who just this month alone has received 115 Neutrals & 149 Negatives.
He has 1439 Neutrals & 1108 Negatives in the past 12 months however he has 190468 Sales over 12 months so the 'numbers game' has him at 99.5%.
EBay SAY they are concerned about Buyer Satisfaction...they need to get rid of Sellers like this one and the famous Big Toy Store and many more before they trounce the middle of the road Sellers who give great Customer Service, excellent product and just don't have high enough Sales numbers to negate the Feedback from a few disgruntled or dishonest buyers.
posted on November 29, 2013 03:10:27 PM new
lost, I do not know where you get the information about having to ship within 24 hours of purchasing with a credit card. I buy books from Amazon & they do not ship within 24 hours & I have checked, my CC has been billed.
Zulilly which sells children's clothing among other things does not ship many times until 3-4 weeks after order is received. My CC was charged right after placing order. They do not accept returns. They are now listed on the stock exchange and are doing well. I won't buy from them again.
posted on November 29, 2013 05:15:36 PM new
when I applied for a merchant account years ago to accept credit card,this is what the banker told me,MC,VISA and other would agree,these are the terms,it goes back to the days when stores accept credit cards,they charge your card and you walk out with the merchandise.
Mail order business cannot charge your credit card until they are ready to ship,if you do custom work,you can charge a desposit and charge the rest when the work is ready to be shipped.
I ordered a PC tower recently from HP,and it requires some custom tinkering,they emphasized they dont charge my card until it is ready to ship and they ship from Mexico.
[ edited by lostmymojo on Nov 29, 2013 05:37 PM ]
posted on November 29, 2013 05:26:04 PM new
ok,this is what I found on the web-
FTC said mail order must be shipped within 30 days.
and as far as credit card is concerned,here is from another site
Is it legal to charge a credit card before shipping the product?
In: Law & Legal Issues, Credit and Debit Cards, Credit, Accounts Receivable [Edit categories]
Answer:
It is technically legal, but it isn't good business!! Most companies only charge when they ship. It is against VISA and MasterCard's regulations for a merchant to bill their cards prior to shipping.
Contrary to what some sources indicate, the Fair Credit Billing Act does not address if it is legal for a company to charge you before shipping the product. Instead, it makes it illegal to not ship within advertised time period (or 30 days if no expected shipping date is mentioned in the agreement). If a merchant says "this item takes 90 days to ship", then they may bill right away and not have a legal problem if they ship before the 90 day window.
posted on November 29, 2013 05:35:07 PM new
Merrie.
1)The merchant should only charge your credit card when he is ready to ship,most merchants do have the item in stock so it makes it easier to charge your card when you place the order in person ,online or on the phone so if the card does not go thru,they can have it resolved right then.
2)Some merchants may have to order for you from wholesaler or factory and they may want to protect themselves -what if your card is no good when the item arrived?
3)Ditto with custom order,if the seller is crocheting a dress for you and then by the time it is done,your card is no good or you dont want it anymore?
But the second and third case is really business risk,if he is willing to accept your order,he should be aware there are risks involved.
From another site,I found someone said AMZN does not precharge your card,it only charges when it is ready to ship,if it takes a few days,then it could be the way they process your order,they could have routed your order from Seatle which takes the order and charge your card and route your order to AZ which does the packing and shipping only.
Of course there are some merchants who play this free cashflow game,charge your card,get paid ,ask the supplier to ship promptly and then drag their heels paying their supplier,then they get 30 days free cashflow.
[ edited by lostmymojo on Nov 29, 2013 05:41 PM ]
posted on December 2, 2013 07:24:09 AM new
I am glad for Charlie too.
I once had a 21 day hold on my paypal account. No one could explain it to me.
The only thing I could figure out was that my assistant had voided too many shipping labels. Why can't ebay/paypal be more up front with their sellers?
posted on December 3, 2013 01:59:45 PM new
It was because of the support from fellow sellers eBay responded and gave him his power seller rating bacj to boot .
