Complaint Review: EBay

I was suspended due to "authenticity concerns" for seven days. All eBay asked of me was that I fax over a signed sworn statement saying I would not sell replicas or counterfeits along with a copy of my driver's license to prove my identity.

Two weeks later, I get a phone call from the Trust and Safety Dept. (funny how I can't get them to call me now and they have no phone # to call them) The rep tells me this is a "courtesy call" and is to inform me that my account is to be suspended. She seemed to have no knowledge that my account had already been suspended and reinstated. It was my understanding that the situation was resolved.

She asked me then to fax over proof of authenticity. She didn't have any specific auctions that were being questioned - she just mentioned a few brand names randomly as she saw them in my inventory. Most of my items come directly from wholesalers. So, she calls them demanding to know where they receive their goods and refuses to tell them who she is, what company she represents or why she is calling.

In fact, she made herself out to be a single disgruntled customer of mine. As if I would tell an unhappy customer to call my wholesale source!? As if the wholesale source is going to freely disclose their sources to some anonymous caller!? So, naturally they write me back saying my wholesaler was "unwilling or unable" to prove authenticity of the items I am offering on eBay. She implied that IF I was purchasing "directly from the manufacturer", this would give eBay 100% certainty of the authenticity. I'm sorry - but do you know of ANY ebay seller who has the buying power to go directly to the major manufacturers and buy their items at wholesale so they can resell them on eBay!? The manufacturers would have a good laugh over this one!!

Furthermore, there were a few name brand items that I purchased from a discount retail store when they had their winter clearance. To this they responded, that a "Nordstrom Rack would have been more convincing" They removed the items that I bought from the retail store and caused the 2nd suspension on my account. This cost me precious time, potential customers, and at least $1,000.00 in pending bids, pending payments and listing fees. The actual monetary loss is indeterminable because I'm sure that potential customers have been turned away AND it's like I've been given a 2-week vacation with no pay! Not to mention the week it would take me to get auctions posted and wait for them to end again. Now, you tell me WHERE in eBay's rules & regulations it says you can not purchase items from a retail establishment for resale on eBay!!!

In fact, many stay at home moms and other ebay sellers, scrounge garage sales and second hand stores for items to resell on eBay. Not that there is anything wrong with that as long as the items are in good condition - but IF eBay were to put a policy in effect that said, "Items purchased at discount stores, garage sales, or not directly from the manufacturer are not allowed on eBay", they know they would lose 99% of their listings. So instead, they target a percentage of their sellers offering brand names so they can take this info back to the companies like Tiffany & Co. that are already suing them and say, "We're doing our part to fight fraud. See?"

eBay is like a lazy police officer who sits at a corner, waits for a sports car to drive up and then says, "Hey Buddy - I need to revoke your license today. I don't know if you were speeding or not... really can't be 100% sure, really don't care. But, you DO own a sports car that MAY go over the speed limit! And, besides, the boss is on my case for not doing my job so I gotta at least LOOK like I'm doing something. Here's your suspension notice. Oh, and we'll tow your car today too so you won't be able to work or have any income over the next 7-14 days." Absolutely ridiculous!

Here's another really interesting article for those of you who were wrongfully suspended for POSSIBLY infringing on a trademark: "Just because an item happens to be listed, it doesn't mean it's fake because there have been similar items on the site that were," Durzy (EBay spokesman) said. "We can't make that kind of assumption and maintain an open and free marketplace, and we won't."

They won't make that assumption!? Pretty funny since they did exactly that to my account - they assumed it MAY have been a fake since it didn't come directly from the manufacturer!

eBay has an extremely unfair, inconsistent and discriminatory method of "patrolling" the community. "We value your membership in our community and your feedback is very important to us." PAH!! All they give us is canned responses and a very real impression of indifference. I plan to seek legal counsel on the matter. With all the wrongful suspensions cropping up, its obvious they won't listen to us as individuals... maybe they'll listen to our lawyers.

One last note, eBay's stock has fallen by about 50% since the end of last year. Do you think its any coincidence that they initiated an automatic listing removal system at the beginning of this year?! Sellers are getting fed up with how they are being treated. I paid over $5000.00 this year alone in fees - only to be suspended to incur even more loss just because I purchased items at a discount store and not directly from the manufacturer?! Other auction sites are available and becoming increasingly popular as eBay continues to shun their members who have made eBay who they are today and put an unGodly amount of money in their pockets. I think its time to move on and show eBay that they are NOTHING without its members!


Cathy
Hudson, Illinois
U.S.A.

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