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225 Branch Creek Court, Dayton, OH, 45458, US
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eBay - unfair unethical business practice

I am a self-employed small businessman, who is a first generation LEGAL immigrant from China. I have been buying and selling items on eBay since Apr. 2004 with 306 positive feeedbacks(100%). Today is Thanksgiving Day 2011. I am grateful for what I have achieved in USA, which is the greatest country on earth!

I will expose one of the biggest "Scamster", which is eBay itself:
In Aug, 2011, I sold a Nikon 18-70 AF-S zoom lens for $154 with "Free Shipping" and an inspection period for return privilege(Item # [protected]). I received payment and shipped zoom. The buyer decided to return it. I refunded the money and got the zoom back. eBay charged me a $13.95 for a "Final Fee" for the zoom lens. They said if I refund the money to the buyer, I would get a refund on the first "Final Fee".
Then I offered the zoom to the second high bidder of the same auction, eBay changed the "Item number to [protected]", and charged the second "Final Fee" of $13.95. So on record, it looked like I sold two items on eBay when in fact I only sold one item. I guess eBay is "Cooking Their Books" after Bernie Madoff.
I have complaint about 4-5 time whenever there was a survey email, asking them about this type of "Unethical, Unfair business Practice". I have not received any answer from eBay. I filed a complaint with the "Federal Trade Commission-FTC" regarding the above matter.
On Thanksgiving morning at 2:34am EST, I received an email from eBay, with a subject line reads "MC007 EBI NOTICE: Payment method has been removed from your account". For no reason given, they removed my "Payment Method", which means that I would have to pay money into my eBay account in advance for some listings.
I just want to warm the public how "Unethical, Unfair, Arrogant, and Greedy" eBay has become over the years. "Unfair, Unethical Business Practice" hurt all AMERICANS. eBay has team of people sending solicitation emails (offering many kind of great deals for the consumers), and doing seminars every where. But they do not have any manpower to address their ethical issues. I believe in fair trade relationship. Business needs to make profit. But eBay's business practice has gotten more and more Unethical over the years. Many people have taken their business to other websites.

I believe I am not the ONLY one eBay has taken advantage of. But we "the people" will not remain silent about these wrong doings of these corporations and politicians any more!

God bless America! God will punish the Unethical, Unfair people!

Xiao Guang Zhu
Centerville, Ohio

For the public record: the below is the email I received from "eBay Customer Support":

Hello guangzhu88 ([protected]@netscape.net),
We've removed the payment method that you had on file. Please keep in mind that if there is no payment method on file for your account, you'll be subject to a listing limit. Once you have reached this limit, you won't be able to list any new items until after you've made a payment or placed a credit card on file.
One alternative is to make advance payments. These payments are credited to your account and used when you incur fees. To learn about ways to pay your eBay seller fees, including advance payments, please go to:
http://pages.ebay.com/help/account/payfees.html
To learn more about fees, please go to:
http://pages.ebay.com/help/sell/fees.html
Sincerely,
eBay Customer Support
H7476

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Emma Bryant
, US
Jul 23, 2017 1:35 pm EDT

eBay does not care whether you have a business, your on the brink of bankruptcy, you have a family of 4, your dying of cancer, you only have days to live or any other horrible tragedy. They simply don't. They will just outright suspend you without thinking twice and blaming you for the causes.

Not to mention the reps they hire are completely useless. They just give you the runaround and never a definitive answer. Had gone through months of trying to scrape by with the mortgage and paying the business expenses with credit cards because of eBay. Couldn't sell anymore.

Took desperate measures and had to forgo my account and liquidate several assets to pay my employees.

If you are in dire needs of selling again and feel like all hope is lost, I would advise checking out this guide: https://www.slideshare.net/AuctionEssistance/ebay-incognitostealth

It will teach you on how to get back on and avoid getting traced again. It may not be the best option, but when you need to make money and start selling again, it may be the only option.

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AinPortland
Portland, US
Jun 05, 2013 10:07 am EDT

sent the letter included below to eBay in December 2012 with no acknowledgment. I have several emails from eBay and spoke with them as recently as Saturday June 1, 2013- on which date I was told if I paid an outstanding balance of $8.95 my account would be reinstated in 24 hours. I paid it immediately and my account remained suspended. I called again on June 3, 2013 and was told if I enrolled a credit card as an eBay fees backup payment method, then my account would be reinstated immediately. It was not and is not. I called again on June 4, 2013 and was informed that because I had a number of unpaid item cases that I was banned for life on eBay. I asked to speak with someone to appeal that decision based on the fact that I was in a very abusive relationship with a man determined to do everything he could to hurt me emotionally, physically, financially and socially. He had access to all of my passwords, my computer, ipod, phone and phone records, banking, credit cards and he set forth to discredit me and succeeded. Every single bank, credit card company, family member, health care worker has worked with me to restore my credibility and fix the damage done except eBay- the one I depend on to earn a living. They will not allow me to appeal with documentation of the severe abuse he subjected me to and blame me for the damage he did and will not reconsider any legal, physician's statement, letters of support from domestic violence advocates, proof of me changing all my accounts, phone number and because he could access that account on my computer, they have let him do the worst damage imaginable- I have suffered terrible economic losses and uncertainty over being banned from selling on eBay without any consideration for reasons that has ever been fully articulated- I can no longer support myself at all and have had no luck finding work. I am on the verge of becoming homeless and have no way to pay for my room I rent, phone, medicine, bus pass and buy my cat food. My parents are deceased and my siblings cannot or will not help- I have exhausted all help my friends can offer. I can't believe that a company of this size and importance doesn't have any policies regarding victims of domestic violence - of course I cannot be the only person to discover selling on eBay as a way to support oneself and get out- problem is he installed software on my computer and abused all my personal information- he even sent private pictures to my family and friends - can anyone help me with this? How can a company be so capricious and dishonest and outright ruin someone's life when by their own admission my compliance with their rules and policies was always high and my feedback 100% positive? Can someone PLEASE help me? You don't know me. I am not anyone notable. I have been absent from the world at large for years only having just begun to re-emerge after escaping an abusive relationship that continues to threaten to swallow me alive leaving no trace of my existence. I have no money, no list of distinguished accomplishments. My parents are deceased and having grown up in dysfunction, I have no other family, no relatives to whom I can turn to for help. Like most battered women, I have no friends -developing any type of friendship was prohibited by my abuser. After 2 hospitalizations and having nearly succeeded in ending my own life to escape the intolerable conditions in which I was intimidated and coerced to exist- I knew I had to escape which meant I had to have some means with which to support myself - Extricating oneself from domestic violence is near impossible without help -i am afraid to. Seek regular employment because my abuser. Is determined to destroy me because I left. I was able to escape by opening a clandestine eBay account and selling clothing and boxed family heirlooms on eBay... I left in March and have encountered numerous difficulties and sabotage by my former partner - by the grace of God, through eBay, I was able to break free from my abuser and manage to keep a roof over my head and get my basic needs met- and I do mean just barely!- but I am alive, I exist and I am visible again which is worth more than anyone apart from those who share my experience can ever imagine! Today, every hope I dared to have again, my ability to support myself and my freedom - actually my survival were all shattered today when eBay suspended my account because I couldn't always pay for items- which I regret and would gladly forfeit any privilege to buy on eBay if I could just keep my seller account which to me, quite literally is life or death. I have called repeatedly today- been told to stop crying and calm down as calls were lost during transfers, being left on 20 to 30 minute holds only to be told someone would call me back but I had to change my number last week due to harassment from my ex and no one seems to understand when I beg them to update my number so someone CAN call me back nor will anyone explain WHY they did this without telling me that this was about to happen- HOW did this come about? WHY no mention of this I spoke to them earlier this week I was led to believe everything was okay and I was not about to be suspended - and why they feel I had too many "not as described issues" when None have counted against me and there were 3 ever opened...but no one will speak to me and explain what happened or why I wasn't instructed that this was imminent- they restricted my buying privilege for 7 days, reinstated it yesterday and then suspended my account indefinitely today and tell me if I try to open another account they'll suspend it too...I am desperate for information- for an opportunity to right where I have erred and have more guidance - some concrete rules to follow and clear proscribed consequences not things that hit you out of the blue- I am so desperate, I am begging for your help- I know from reading your story that you are on a committee and clearly someone eBay values and is proud to be affiliated with- I have nowhere to turn and no place else to go. If I can't have my seller account restored right away- I will be homeless in 2 weeks - or forced to return to my ex where I cannot even fathom the punishing hell he will subject me to for having left- neither option is livable - that account is literally my life. I never have to be allowed to buy anything on eBay ever again- just someone please, anyone- help me at least have a chance to talk to someone or be granted only selling privileges - or some forgiveness - and FAST! I cannot make rent come January 1 without the account restored- not asking anyone for any money, any support other than to believe in me, honor the fact that while imperfect, I am doing my best to pull myself up and out of darkness ... Please! Amy Portland, OR 97218 Seller account: getexperiencedresale97229

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