Account blocked / VAT ID
Summary: A participant opened a discussion about issues related to account suspension and VAT ID. Several participants, including galerie-nordstern and voli-maus, exchanged messages on this topic, though the content is unspecified.
today I received the notification that my business account has been blocked from listing and selling items. Apparently, something is said not to match the stored data. For me, this is not understandable.
I ask for a review or a message as to what the reason is. Since all active listings have now been removed, the question arises as to what happens when the items are relisted after clarification - do I then have to pay the listing fee again?
I ask for feedback on what I can/should do so that sales can continue.
Kind regards,
Benjamin
58 comments
selina_b@ebay
@tora1961 Your email has arrived. I’m checking with the relevant department here.
We’ll let you know as soon as we’ve heard back.
Best regards
Selina
tora1961
·2 months agoThank you so much, dear Selina.
Warm regards
nina@ebay
·2 months ago@tora1961 Hey. 🙂 I'm stepping in here for my colleague @selina_b@ebay . You'll receive another email with more information in the next few minutes. That should clear things up.
Best regards,
Nina
tora1961
·2 months agoThanks, Nina. I've adjusted everything and replied to you in the support message.
Best regards and have a nice weekend
selina_b@ebay
@tora1961 If you go to "Hallo tora1961" - Personal data - Company details - Company address, is it also stored that way with the BZSt?
Best regards
Selina
tora1961
·2 months agoyes, this is recorded with the BZSt under postal code 66957.
I have a photo of the latest assessment from 2023, but I don't want to upload it here at this point 🙂
selina_b@ebay
@tora1961 That's no problem.
I'll send you an email. Please reply to it from your private email inbox; there you can then attach files.
Best regards
Selina
selina_b@ebay
Good morning @tora1961,
according to the system, the postal code, city, and street do not match the BZSt.
Best regards
Selina
tora1961
·2 months agoBut at what point? I went through all the positions where an address is entered
tora1961
·2 months agoIs everything working again for you?
We currently have the same problem, or something similar, restricted because the data doesn’t match, since our company address does not correspond to the private address of the company owner and that is what’s on the letter from the Federal Central Tax Office. I’ve compared and adjusted everything, but we’re still restricted. And we’ve already been on Ebay for what feels like 100 years and now this. I don’t even want to mention how much work time this costs.
Maybe someone from Ebay could take a look at ours too. @nina@ebay @anna_s@ebay
Many thanks.
Best regards
tora1961
·2 months agoCan you help us too. I saw that you've already helped other members a lot.
Best regards
@selina_b@ebay
retourenschnapper
·9 months agois done, thanks
alena@ebay
·1 year agoHello @tomdebeck-26 in your private account you have stored a VAT ID, which automatically restricted you. Please remove the VAT ID from your private account, then everything should be normal again.
Best regards
retourenschnapper
·9 months agoHey everyone, I hope I can just reply to this solved issue here.
I have the same problem that my data doesn't match.
could someone take a look at this ? or do I need to open a new topic somewhere ?
I have a small business and no registered name, but since the system tells me I should enter something, I entered my own name there.
I only just moved, have updated my business registration and everything, but since something doesn't match I assume that Mühlenberg is still stored there.. can someone check that or tell me how I can get help.
thanks in advance
wokonmedia
·1 year agoit's taken care of. sorry.
hmh-profi-gmbh
·1 year agoHi!
A few weeks ago, we also received an email saying that we absolutely had to check our data, otherwise a restriction/block would be imposed within 7 days.
Of course, we checked everything right away, but couldn’t find any error.
Two days later, another email followed, giving the all-clear and saying that this had only been a technical error. I’ve attached both emails.
So at first we were relieved again and had put the whole thing out of our minds.
Then came the shock at the end of last week: restriction or block due to incorrect data (VAT ID no.)
We contacted support immediately and went through all the data together. No errors. Then support more or less experimented with us to get to the bottom of the error.
"GmbH" included in the name, then taken out again, leave out GmbH and use only the company name instead - back and forth. Then suddenly the info: "Yes, now we’ve got it. You are being marked as matching again on our end." So after just a few minutes we were released again.
But then the real big chaos started:
Due to the brief suspension, ALL listings were ended.
This means: when relisting, all sales history is deleted. All items are now listed under new auction numbers.
So years of work on Ebay have simply been destroyed. The damage for us is not even really measurable yet.
Support is offering no help here at all, and our written complaints have not been answered to this day.
For us sellers, the stored sales number on listings is one of the most important references we have and one that we worked hard to build up. How can they just DELETE this???
Not to mention that deleting these items, i.e. restricting the account, was also wrong in our case!
Is there any way to resolve the problem? I mean, our "old" items with all the stats?
If not, then Ebay has not only lost us but many other sellers as well, because as we read here in the forum, we are by no means the only sellers with this fate.
Regards
Marlon Bachmair
creativ-schreibwaren
·1 year agoHello everyone,
unfortunately I am having the same problems with Ebay, and they still haven’t been resolved. Because of the small-business regulation, I was blocked from further selling on Ebay.
I find it unprofessional and incompetent of Ebay – to exclude me from selling after 17 years, and to continue charging monthly fees – for an Ebay shop I can no longer use. And then to threaten me with a collection agency on top of that.
I contacted Ebay employees several times – they were overwhelmed by the situation and simply hung up the phone – without solving the problem.
I sent emails and attached proof from the tax office and my tax advisor that I am a small business owner under Section 19 of the German VAT Act and therefore exempt from VAT liability. Nothing helped.
My tax ID number has remained the same.
I don’t even get a reply to my emails.
Very sad – that a company like Ebay does not comply with the law. And that after 17 years of membership and a 100% top rating it has to end like this.
Kind regards
Irina Schaubert
Creativ Schreibwaren
sunrise1605
·1 year agoHello @creativ-schreibwaren
You need a VAT ID to be able to sell on platforms, not just your tax ID.
Your tax advisor should actually know that.
This VAT ID is independent of being liable for VAT and does not automatically mean that you become liable for VAT.
Unfortunately many tax officials still don't know that, so be careful here and point it out explicitly.
Therefore apply for a VAT ID, either directly at your tax office or at the BZSt.
sunrise1605
·1 year ago@creativ-schreibwaren
And please make sure that all details about you, your address, company name, etc. match exactly on Ebay and with the BZSt., including the spelling.
That is very important, otherwise Ebay will cause trouble again.
creativ-schreibwaren
·1 year agoI entered the tax ID number, not the tax number... The tax office and tax advisor have checked it, the number is correct... I also sent the proof to Ebay.... I also stated that in the message... the employees tried to help me... and persuaded me to keep the Ebay shop registered.... after a few days the suspension was supposed to be lifted... I remain blocked... still have to pay shop fees... my messages are no longer being answered. MFG I.Schaubert
sunrise1605
·1 year agoAgain @creativ-schreibwaren
You need a VAT ID, not just the tax ID.
There are 3 tax numbers:
the tax number (changes with every move, private)
the tax ID (never changes, private)
the VAT ID (only for companies, business)
And I’m writing again in case you did mean the VAT ID, that everything has to match exactly, including the spelling.
So not Str. Straße, Strasse, first names abbreviated K. Meyer and then Karl Meyer again, not giving the middle name sometimes and sometimes not, sometimes abbreviated, sometimes not, street names abbreviated, sometimes written out, etc.
Even after a move, the data has to be changed and synchronized, especially at the BZSt..
As soon as even one letter is different or there’s a comma somewhere, the alarm bells go off at Ebay.
gebraucht-ist-gut
·1 year agoHello,
So in the (completed) offers I can see a stored VAT ID, so it must probably be related to the stored data for it.
Maybe @samantha@ebay can see more there and say what exactly is wrong.
galerie-nordstern
OP1 year agoOk, thanks very much for the tips. In the company settings, my first and last name were listed under "Street+House no." and the street was under "Address line 2". I have now corrected this.
How do I know that eBay is satisfied now and that I can sell again?
Best regards,
Benjamin
miriam@ebay
Hello @galerie-nordstern and thanks for updating your details! I can confirm that everything is now correct again in your eBay account. You should also have already received the email "The restrictions on your eBay account have been lifted" from us 🙂.
Kind regards
Miriam
rh-foto-und-3d-design
·1 year agoHello Miriam,
the same thing happened to me with my account too. I accidentally entered my tax number instead of my tax ID. But that has been corrected. Unfortunately, I can't view the processing status or status of the problem anywhere, let alone let you know that I changed it.
Can you say when and how my profile will be reactivated?
Best regards
Ronny
patrick@ebay
Hello @rh-foto-und-3d-design ,
I still don't see any VAT ID on file. Are you sure you entered it via this page?
https://www.ebay.de/vat
Best regards
Patrick
rh-foto-und-3d-design
·1 year agoHi Patrick,
The sales tax number is now on file. Could you please check this and give me feedback?
Many thanks!
modellautos-hessen
·1 year agoHi
Here is a possible solution to this problem:
Ebay has changed the pages to company details, the error is that in both columns, for username and company name, the Ebay name is entered.
it must now say under company details:
Username: ...( the Ebay name )
Company name: ...( the name registered for the company )
simply correct the company name and the problem should be solved.
have fun correcting it.
-----------------------------------------
Addendum:
it has to be exactly in the company name, what was entered during registration with the(VAT ID)!
Even one letter different or a period, etc. or a line break, and it won't work.
if everything is correct, then this email comes from Ebay:
Your eBay account is now up to date!
Hello modellbahn-hessen,
Thank you for confirming your personal data.
By regularly updating your information, you help protect your eBay account. Learn more about how to protect your eBay account.
If that wasn't you, please contact us. We'll be happy to help you.
figuren-und-mehr
·1 year agoI also received that email, right on the first day of my vacation in Egypt.
Of course, it’s extremely difficult to sort out tax matters from there, especially since my VAT ID has been on file for years. After I compared the ID stored on Ebay with the one I have now, its validity is shown to me. It’s obviously an extremely great time to bring up such things during the Easter holidays 😡 Though I just came across an article that raises questions: "Small businesses also do not need a VAT ID number. And therefore do not need to apply for a VAT ID number."
Is that correct? @verena@ebay
modellautos-hessen
·1 year agoOn Ebay, every business seller needs this VAT ID number; otherwise, just read my previous post
sunrise1605
·1 year ago@figuren-und-mehr
"Small businesses also do not need a VAT ID no. And therefore do not need to apply for a VAT ID."
That is correct to that extent, but it is not very detailed and perhaps information that is no longer up to date, outdated.
Because if you sell via a platform, which is what most small businesses probably do, you do in fact need a VAT ID:
https://www.it-recht-kanzlei.de/ust-idnr-pflicht-verkauf-ebay-marktplaetze.html
You just have to make sure that you don't also become liable for VAT at the same time. Many tax offices still don't get that.
btw.
And since we don't have enough tax numbers already, there's now another new one, the KU ID no. :
https://sevdesk.de/ratgeber/buchhaltung-finanzen/steuern/kleinunternehmer-identifikationsnummer/
sunrise1605
·1 year ago"Ebay has changed the pages in company details,the mistake is that in both columns, the Ebay name is listed under username and company name."
To be honest, I think what Ebay has pulled here again is outrageous.
Rows and rows of sellers are being put into a panic, bans are being threatened and not just that, they’re even being carried out over holidays and weekends, and no one at Ebay thinks it’s necessary to apologize.
verena@ebay
·1 year agoHello @galerie-nordstern,
thanks for your post!
Your eBay account has been restricted because the information stored in your eBay account does not match the data at the Federal Central Tax Office (BZSt).
The relisting of the items after the suspension is lifted must be initiated manually by you.
Fees may also apply again.
Kind regards
Verena
galerie-nordstern
OP1 year agoThis info is also in the email. I dug out the letter from the BZSt in which my VAT ID was communicated to me. It also states which contact details of mine were stored. After comparing them with the data at eBay, these are identical. Last name, first name, street + no., ZIP code and city match.
It would therefore be very helpful if one knew what is supposedly not matching.
Kind regards,
Benjamin
verena@ebay
·1 year agoDiscrepancies were reported in part of the address.
It’s best to compare them again. The data must be identical in order to pass the verification.
Best regards
Verena
galerie-nordstern
OP1 year agogalerie-nordstern
OP1 year agoCan I talk to someone on the phone?
sunrise1605
·1 year ago@galerie-nordstern
Unfortunately, those affected keep repeating over and over that all the data would match.
When an eBay employee looks into the details, it turns out 100% that this is not the case after all.
By “match” is meant that the spelling must also match. Not one time Straße, another time Strasse or Str., and different abbreviations for street names that are too long also create discrepancies.
Not to mention variations in the names themselves (sometimes M. Musterman, sometimes Max Mustermann, sometimes Max K. Mustermann) and the company name (sometimes Blitz Versand, sometimes Blitz Versand GmbH).
ddr-fundgrube
·4 months agoMy account was also just blocked this morning. However, my stored details were completely fine. That was also shown in a data comparison. These were legally perfectly fine, just as stated with the Federal Central Tax Office and on my business license. I also stored these details on eBay years ago. And now just a block! My articles still aren’t visible yet! I can’t put it any other way, but this whole "**bleep**" is absolutely no longer recommendable. Spent almost an hour dealing with it to sort the whole thing out.
selina_b@ebay
Hello @ddr-fundgrube,
I checked your account and everything is in order. You also received an email this morning saying that the restrictions have been lifted.
Best regards
Selina
tomdebeck-26
·1 year agoIs this the same account suspension:
Since your eBay account has still not been switched to a business account, we had to restrict your selling activities. If you had active listings, we ended them.
What you need to do now:
In order for this restriction to be lifted again, you must now switch your eBay account to a business eBay account and enter your valid VAT identification number. As soon as this is completed, you can list items again within 24 hours.
sunrise1605
·1 year ago@tomdebeck-26
Your sales activities do not appear to be on a commercial scale.
There are quite different candidates where it would be high time for action.
Have you contacted customer service to ask whether this might be a mistake?
voli-maus
·1 year agoWhen was the last time you sold something, @galerie-nordstern ?
galerie-nordstern
OP1 year agovoli-maus
·1 year agoThe sale was made with the account you're writing from here? @galerie-nordstern ?
galerie-nordstern
OP1 year agovoli-maus
·1 year ago@verena@ebay is aware of the issue and can definitely help you.
voli-maus
·1 year agoHere too, @verena@ebay has an answer for you, @galerie-nordstern.