eBay Account Suspension

An eBay account can be suspended and its owner branded as NARU (Not A Registered User) for committing an infraction of eBay's regulations. Here's how to reduce your risk of becoming NARU yourself, and what to do when conducting a transaction with someone whose account is suspended.

Being a Victim of Fraud Can Cause Your Account to Be Suspended:
A very common cause for eBay account suspension is responding to a fraudulent email from a scammer, who gains the information they need to hijack your account.

The thief then goes into your account, changing the name and email address. Often they list auctions for some fraudulent merchandise, for which eBay will suspend your account when they discover it.

When you log into your account . . . surprise!! Your account has been shut down, even if you are innocent, usually for 30-day period while eBay deals with the problem.

Protect yourself by not responding to any emails from eBay or anyone else asking you to click on their link to log into your eBay account to update or verify your information and password.

If you do receive such an email, forward it immediately to spoof@ebay.com so eBay can trace the fraud artist and take action against them.

Expert con artists make these emails look very genuinely as though they came from eBay, but eBay will never ask you for your account information via email.

Your account could also be suspended for something as simple as not keeping your account finances current, or not updating your phone number and someone reporting it when they couldn't contact you.

What to Do if Your eBay Account is Suspended:
If you are an innocent victim of fraud and find your account suspended, you feel helpless. Whom do you contact, and what should you do?

Going to eBay Live Help will most likely give you a better feel for this problem and the method of resolution. To reach eBay directly your best method is to use this Live Help link. Most times, your problem or at least an explanation of what went wrong can be found out by going directly to eBay's Live Help link. eBay's Help Boards are full of questions from people who find themselves NARU without knowing why.

Transactions with a NARU Member:
If you have a current transaction with another eBayer whom you discover has become NARU, know that eBay NEVER WILL reveals the reason or length of the suspension to anyone but that individual. You won't know why they were suspended, but you are not obligated to complete any transaction with a member whose account has been NARU or suspended.

Keep Your eBay Account Safe!
Protect yourself by keeping your username and password confidential, and NEVER respond to an email asking for that sensitive information.