Account holds, restrictions, and suspensions | eBay
We may occasionally restrict or suspend accounts to protect our community. If you’re a seller, your payouts will be placed on hold until your restriction or suspension is lifted. If your eBay account is restricted or suspended, we’ll email you with the steps you need to take to have your account we believe your account has been accessed by a third party, we’ll place a temporary block on your account for your safety. For more information on what to do next, see how to get help with a hacked account
If we’ve placed a hold, restriction, or suspension on your account, we’ll send you an email explaining what happened and what you need to do to get your account back. You’ll find a copy of this message in your Messages.
Why your account was suspended or restricted
Holds, restrictions, or suspensions are usually placed on accounts for one of the following reasons:
You have eBay selling costs to pay
You need to reimburse eBay for a refund or a claim paid to your buyer
You have violated one of our rules or policies
We couldn’t verify your account information
How to have your account reinstated
Getting your account reinstated may be as simple as waiting for a temporary suspension to finish, making changes to your listings, or sending us some more information-it depends on the reason we suspended your account. The full details will be in the message we’ve sent you.
If your account was restricted or suspended because of outstanding seller costs or a refund reimbursement, you can make a one-time payment to resolve the issue. When we receive your payment, your account will be reinstated.
To make a one-time payment:
Go to Payments – opens in new window or tab in My eBay or Seller Hub.
Select One-time payment to make a payment
Aternatively you can add a new payment method
If eBay doesn’t currently manage your payments, you may also need to complete seller registration before your account will become fully reinstated.
Tip
Most account restrictions or suspensions can be resolved by making a one-time payment or by following the steps we gave you in the email in your Messages.
What happens while an account is suspended
When your eBay account is suspended, you won’t be able to:
bid, buy, or sell
leave feedback
create new listings or revise existing listings
contact bidders
reply to your eBay messages
receive payouts
If you’re a seller, your payouts will be placed on hold until the hold, restriction or suspension on your account is lifted.
Any bidders on your existing listings can retract their bids. When your account is reinstated, you’ll be able to leave feedback for any transactions you completed in the previous 30 days.
Depending on why your account was suspended, we may end listings early. If we remove listings because of a policy violation, eligibility for a fee credit will depend on the situation and any previous policy violations will be taken into account. These credits can be viewed by going to Payments within My eBay or Seller Hub. Keep in mind that listing fees can be forfeited too, depending on the reason for suspension.
Account verification holds
When you start selling on eBay, we need to confirm your identity and checking account details so you can receive your payouts. We may place a temporary hold on your account until we can verify your details. Once verification is complete, we’ll email you to let you know has been lifted and you can start selling.
Fake account hold and suspension notices
Watch out for spoof (fake) emails about account holds or suspensions. To confirm that an email was sent from eBay, check your eBay Messages – opens in new window or tab. If you can’t find a copy of the email there, then it wasn’t from eBay. Learn how to recognize spoof emails.
Buying limits and restrictions | eBay
To make sure buyers don’t buy or bid more than they’re comfortable with, we occasionally place limits on a member’s buying activity. We may also restrict buying if we believe a member has violated an eBay time to time, we may place a buying limit or restriction on an account. This is to encourage responsible buying, and to keep our marketplace safe for buyers and sellers.
What are buying limits?
A buying limit means you won’t be able to buy any more items until you complete your current purchases and orders.
If your buying activities have been limited, it may be because:
You’re new to the site, and are making a lot of purchases or buying expensive items
You’ve suddenly and significantly increased your bidding or buying activity
You have an excessive number of unpaid items or canceled orders because you didn’t pay on your account
You’re the highest bidder on a number of auctions, but haven’t paid for any items yet
Tip
The best way to avoid buyer restrictions is to familiarize yourself with eBay’s buying policies.
Removing buying limits
If your buying activities have been limited, we’ll send you an email explaining why, and what you need to do to have the limits removed. For example, we may need you to confirm that you’re completing purchases that you’ve bid on or we may need to verify your identity.
Avoiding buying limits
Buying limits are very rarely applied, but these tips can help you avoid them:
Only bid on or buy items you plan to pay for
Pay for items as soon as possible
Improve your feedback profile by paying promptly and leaving feedback for sellers
Verify your identity by adding a credit card as a payment method to your account
To add a credit card to your account:
Select Personal information – opens in new window or tab.
Select Edit under Financial Information.
Enter your credit card details and select Continue.
You may be charged a small amount to authorize the account, but this will be refunded within 10 days.
What are buying restrictions?
A buying restriction means you won’t be able to make any purchases on eBay. It is usually placed on an account due to a possible policy violation.
If you have a buying restriction on your account, you won’t be able to buy items or bid on auctions until the issue is resolved.
Why are buying restrictions applied?
Generally, restrictions are applied when it appears you might be violating our site policies. Buying restrictions can be applied to your account if:
You have multiple accounts, and one or more has a buying restriction already placed on it
Your account is under review for other policy violations
Removing buying restrictions
If you receive a restriction, you’ll receive an email as well as a message in My eBay – opens in new window or tab explaining why it was applied, and what you need to do to have it removed.
Rules for bidding $15, 000 or more
To place a bid of $15, 000 or more, you need to provide a valid credit card – opens in new window or tab (your card won’t be charged). This requirement helps make sure that members making large purchases are of legal age and serious about completing the transaction.
For bids on eBay Motors, you need to provide a valid credit card to place bids of $25, 000 or more.
You only need to provide this information once. We encourage you to take these steps before bidding on an item that might go above this price.
How to Unblock My eBay Account – ItStillWorks
i warenkorb-button1 image by pdesign from There are various reasons why a particular eBay account becomes blocked. For accounts marked as “Suspended, ” common reasons include a suspected account takeover or limiting the account due to repeated policy violations. There are instances however, that an account may not be in a “Suspended” status, but due to certain a restriction that a seller has made, bids or purchases from buyers are shown as “Blocked. ” Depending on the reason why an account was blocked, account owners can take active steps to recover their accounts or unblock them. Account Suspended Due to an Account TakoverGo to the eBay website and click on “Help. ” Click on the “Contact Us” button. Click on the link “I think someone used my account. ” Click on the “Chat with Us” button and follow the prompts to speak to a live customer support agent who will assist you in recovering your account. Account Suspended for Other ReasonsLog in to your eBay account and click on “Help. ” Click on the “Contact Us” button and enter “Suspended” in the “Ask” field. Click on the “Email Us” button and send a message to eBay Customer Support regarding the issue on your account. Wait for eBay’s reply. Their response will detail the steps you need to follow to clear your account. Account Blocked Message when Buying or BiddingClick on the “Ask a question” link at the bottom of the item’s page. Scroll down on the page and click on “Contact Seller. ” Type in a message to the seller that details the “blocked” error that you got when bidding or attempting to purchase their item. Wait for the seller’s reply. Sellers will place certain blocks that restrict certain buyers from bidding or buying their item. They can let you know if these blocks have been lifted for your account and you can proceed to buy. They may also give you the specific reason why your account cannot purchase the item (i. e. you live in a country they do not ship to). Tips For suspended accounts, eBay will usually let you know upon logging in what steps you need to take to recover your account. Encountering a message that your bid is blocked does not mean your account is compromised or restricted due to policy violations. This means that the seller has set up rules on his listing to only allow particular members to bid, such as only allowing members who have a PayPal account on file. Writer Bio Cristina Puno started writing in 2007 as a freelance web content manager and technical writer. She writes regularly for several online publications, including her own music website, The Indie Music Database. Puno holds a Master of Science in information management from Ateneo de Manila University.
Frequently Asked Questions about ebay your account has been restricted
What does a restricted eBay account mean?
A buying restriction means you won’t be able to make any purchases on eBay. It is usually placed on an account due to a possible policy violation. If you have a buying restriction on your account, you won’t be able to buy items or bid on auctions until the issue is resolved.
How do I Unrestrict my eBay account?
Account Suspended for Other Reasons Log in to your eBay account and click on “Help.” Click on the “Contact Us” button and enter “Suspended” in the “Ask” field. Click on the “Email Us” button and send a message to eBay Customer Support regarding the issue on your account. Wait for eBay’s reply.
How long will my eBay account be restricted?
eBay may implement account suspensions for seven, ten or 30 days – or even indefinitely! A full suspension is usually the outcome of a serious violation of eBay’s rules and policies. This can also happen if you consistently under-perform. Most often, eBay takes this step after issuing a few warnings.