Thread by @CassieCeleste

THREAD: eBay completely destroyed my life.

I just lost my full-time job, and the only career that has ever made me happy, selling on @eBay. I had a six figure business, and they banned me for life for selling this:

PLEASE SIGNAL BOOST. I NEED HELP. PLEASE.

I'm sure many of you are already saying, "surely there must be more to this story! Surely you did something else!"

There's nothing else. I've had my account for TWENTY YEARS. I follow the rules. I don't sell dodgy things. I sell cool vintage stuff I find at yard sales.

The item in question is a piece of cast iron from the 1880s. It was used for patent medicine 140 years ago. I didn't think it could have any elicit use today because why would I? It's an antique shelf sitter. It doesn't even work. I didn't give listing it a second thought.

I listed it in July and it sold in August. A few days later, I got a message from eBay telling me that it wasn't okay to list and not to list it again because it violated their pill press and mold policy. I made a note never to buy or list anything like that again.

In late August, they suspended my account for 7 days for the same listing. Not a new listing. I never listed it again. I called up and was told I should have been punished the first time, and I could not appeal the suspension. So I sat it out for 7 days and then moved on.

Then, in September, they permanently banned my account for the same listing. Again, I had never listed it or anything like it again. It's a piece of broken cast iron from the 1880s. I spent the past three weeks in call center appeal hell, only to be told my appeal was denied.

I have tens of thousands of dollars of eBay inventory. Thousands of hours of work. 1,500 active listings. $900 in funds in my account. All gone.

A lifetime ban.

I've made so much money for them over the years. It's my hobby. It's my dream job. They stole it, forever.

Hell, eBay OWNS @TCGplayer, the website I've given the past several years of my life to. They know me. They know I'm honest. They're still sending me paychecks for the last of my articles there.

But I'm too dangerous to ever sell on their platform again. Because I sold THAT.

@TCGplayer I'm at a loss. Please signal boost this. Please reach out to anyone at eBay you know. Send reporters my way. Yell at them on my behalf. I need my livelihood back.

My next step after this is to drive to eBay and show up at their office until someone is willing to listen.

I know this isn't the fault of any one customer service rep, but I cannot tell you how exhausting it is to read a form response like this where it's so clear that they never even read the original tweets I made.

https://x.com/AskeBay/status/1843725580400738415

I had to fight through dozens of useless calls with frontline CSR before finally getting an appeal sent to the back office, where it was denied. They never even called me or sent an email. Nothing.

Maybe @EcommerceBytes or @doctorow would be interested in this story.

@EcommerceBytes @doctorow For those wondering: why yes, AI *was* used to flag the listing THREE DIFFERENT TIMES even though it was already sold & delisted before I received the FIRST warning.

eBay's AI algorithm stole my business, and the humans in charge won't give it back.

@EcommerceBytes @doctorow This is certainly part of what's going on here, and I don't want drug manufacturing equipment in the hands of the wrong people!

But lord, this was so obviously an honest mistake and also NOT something that can be used to make drugs in 2024.

https://x.com/matt_mcfadden/status/1843751541699903876

Also, if you're going to give someone a lifetime ban for some keywords that AI picks up in a listing title, GIVE YOUR USERS A RED TEXT WARNING BEFORE THEY LIST IT TO ENSURE COMPLIANCE!

They do that for BB guns and other items with WAY fewer consequences if you mess up!!

I spent 3 weeks trying to resolve this within the system before writing this thread. Hours on the phone. Legit panic attacks. So many crying fits and sleepless nights. I'm gutted. I loved my store so much.

I'll keep y'all updated with where things head. I'm not done fighting.

I have a masters degree.

I run my little online shop because it makes me happy.

https://x.com/HappyToHelpYa/status/1843762671969284572

To everyone scolding me for selling something "obviously against policy," I legit didn't even THINK about a potential illegal use case for a 140 year old item. I made a mistake. It happens. Usually there's a warning. Instead, I got a permanent ban. I don't think that's fair.

DAY TWO

32k likes on my original post. Tons of engagement from other eBay customers and sellers showing solidarity and telling @eBay they will not shop there until this is resolved.

Still nothing from eBay. No DMs. No emails. Nothing beyond the form reply I got at the start.

@eBay A lot of you suggested I make my own store, but that doesn't work for my business model. I thrive in finding niche items that need niche buyers. That requires A LOT of traffic, which you can only get on eBay. The internet is all walled gardens now, and I need to be inside.

@eBay The truth is, my business was dependent on eBay because I loved selling on eBay. I built a life for myself where I was my own boss, I could support my family, and I loved what I did. That's the dream, right? I didn't think they'd take it all away from me without a warning.

@eBay UPDATES:

This morning, I received TWO emails from eBay saying that my appeal has been approved and my account has been restored!

*BUT MY ACCOUNT HASN'T BEEN RESTORED*

Also, I got two MORE policy violation emails for the exact same ENDED listing. I can't even log in right now!

@eBay I am hopeful that my appeal has actually been granted and they will restore my account. It hasn't happened yet, though.

Now that I have these appeal approval messages, I am hopeful I can reach SOMEONE at eBay who will let me back in. I'll keep y'all updated.

@eBay Thank you to EVERYONE who has helped me out so far! Rest assured, I will keep updating this thread until there is a satisfactory resolution.

@eBay UPDATE: AS OF 5 PM EASTERN, MY STORE IS BACK ONLINE!!! EBAY DID IT!!!

Thank you all so so SO much for your help. It means so much to me. Whoever made this happen, I owe you so much of my future happiness.

This would not have happened without engagement here on X. THANK YOU!!