Investing.com (
via Yahoo Finance) said the eBay account suspension "follows Cohen's publicity stunt of auctioning approximately 25 personal items on the platform - including GameStop store signs, video games, and a carpet square - in what he described as "selling stuff on eBay to pay for eBay.""
Investing.com noted that an auction for a GameStop mug had reached over $3,000 and reported that each listing included a hand-signed copy of Cohen's takeover proposal letter to eBay management. We observed the eBay account ryan_5050 currently has a GameStop mug with bidding at $3,050.69 (as of Thursday morning), and it includes the following description: "Authentic GameStop mug. Every item on my store includes a hand-signed 'Letter to eBay' as a THANK YOU for your support."
Cohen's tweet included a partial screenshot of the eBay notice that read in part:
"We wanted to let you know that your eBay account has been permanently suspended because of activity that we believe was putting the eBay community at risk. We understand that this must be frustrating, but this decision was not made lightly and it's important that we keep our marketplace safe for everyone."
That resonated with many people who claimed to have run into the same issue. The eBay "
Account restrictions and suspensions" page states some of the reasons why it may restrict or suspend an account:
Why your account was restricted or suspended
We usually place restrictions or suspensions on accounts for the following reasons:
You may have eBay selling costs that you need to pay
You may need to reimburse eBay for a refund we paid to your buyer
You may need to resolve a buyer's issue, or upload tracking information
You may have violated one of our rules or policies
We haven't been able to verify your account information
We suspect your account may have been accessed by a third party
One person responded to Cohen's tweet: "Pretty sure this was an automated suspension that happens when a new or dormant account has sudden unusual high activity which yours absolutely did. It does show that eBay is a bit incompetent that thing couldn't have had the foresight to know this would happen and to put some sort of protection on your account."
Another person tweeted the following response: "Just so you know, after they unsuspend you, they hit you with larger fees because you were previously suspended. With all of the items you're selling, that’s going to add up."
*eBay had acknowledged GameStop's offer on Monday (and advised shareholders "to take no action at this time").
Let us know what your experiences have been with regard to eBay account suspensions.
GameStop CEO Draws Attention to eBay Suspensions
by: Rexford