After three years of work on my Ebay store I had finally reached about two thousand dollars week in sales.

Then without warning in March 2006 Ebay suspended my account. On the same day they sent 397 Emails to me telling me that my account was paid up, totally swamping my Email account (I knew that, I have the fees automatically deducted from my Paypal card.) Apparently just for fun. My dear friends at Eblah sent emails to my customers saying that my account was suspended. Oh by the way, they locked me out of my account which made it impossible to check my records to determine which orders had been shipped, canceled or pending.

By march 30 I was receiving emails and phone calls from customers all over the world wanting to know what was going on. I attempted to communicate with Ebay via phone, email and live help. No one could or would tell me what the problem was or how to address it. I did however receive another blast of Emails which of course hosed up my email account again. Thank you very much!

I then started emailing Bill Cobb's office and actually got a message from a real person. This person was called Reg apparently very few people at Ebay have last names. He of course did not tell me what was wrong or how to address the problem. He did admit that the hundreds of emails I had received were in error. But it looked like I was getting somewhere.

On April 10 I was told that I had to verify my Identity by faxing a copy of my driver's License. I did so. Please keep in mind that damn near every drivers license issued in the US is designed so that you cannot make a clear electronic copy in order to foil counterfeiting.

Around April 15 I started receiving emails with no one's name on them saying that they had reviewed my case and decided that my account could not be reinstated "due to the violation of our site policy stated below: PSU joeblow123

What the hell is PSU joeblow123? I ask myself. ( By now I'm talking to myself) God knows talking to Ebay doesn't work!

I then got another email saying that my account could not be reinstated because my faxed copy driver's license was illegible. No shit!

By now I'm working day and night to build a Yahoo store offering the same goods at a reduced price because they do not charge a fee for sales. By the way, Yahoo actually has people that will talk to you on the telephone! What a novel idea!

Finally I hear from good old Bill's office again and I'm told that they believe my account was linked to a previous account of my son's and that his account was closed and owes about $75.00. I was given the choice of paying the seventy five dollars or providing proof that we were two different people. I did both. In an incredible burst of insight it becomes clear to me. They want $75 to reinstate me. Why the hell someone didn't say that in the first place is beyond me. I strongly suspect that no one at Ebay really knew why I had been suspended. It just took this long to figure it out. By now I figure I've lost about $6000 in sales. Seventy five bucks is nothing compared to the loss this is causing me.

About April 20 I received an email from Ebay's accounting people saying that they owe me money instead of my owing them money. Apparently this was just a follow up on the 700 plus emails I have received from them so far saying that I don't owe them any money.

On April 22 I received another email saying that one of the documents I sent was illegible.

By this time I am concentrating on the new Yahoo store and orders are trickling in.

On April 30 I received an email out of the blue saying I was reinstated.

I estimate that Ebay cost me close to $10,000 in sales and a huge dose of aggravation over their screw-up which could have been solved in a couple of minutes with a clearly written Email or (god help us) a phone call.

If you are looking for great deals on motorcycle gear check out my YAHOO store At http://donscycleware.com/

Two years later I am still doing business with eBay. Unfortunately that is where the traffic is. I am sincerely looking forward to the day I tell eBay to stuff it!

Fast forward to August 2009.

Things have gone relatively smooth for three years. A few listings taken down due to eBay screw ups. Unfortunately this is all part of doing business on eBay. eBay sales have dropped off significantly. eBay's traffic is about 20% of what I was seeing in 2003 fees are about triple. Happily the Yahoo store is doing well.

Out of the blue PayPal ties up a few thousand in funds, refuses to process PayPal or credit card transactions on eBay. For all intents and purposes I'm out of business. It is worth noting that I had made the mistake of signing up for PayPal's Website Payment Pro to handle my credit card processing. eBay uses the backup funding source for their monthly fee payment, checks bounce and I can't pay for a large order as promised.

Apparently eBay had added an additional $15.06 to the $75 they claimed I owed from 2003. Keep in mind that the $75 bill wasn't mine to begin with. As a result PayPal shut both of my accounts.

After about 40 phone calls I was able to get my accounts unblocked. I paid the $15.06 that I didn't owe and I'm back in business.

My projected date for shutting down the eBay operation: Late 2010. Unfortunately I'll probably stop taking PayPal payments at the Yahoo store as well. Sadly PayPal can't be trusted.

My advice: use eBay / PayPal as an incubator for your on-line business. Open an on-line store. If and when your business looks like it will take off. Drop eBay & PayPal as soon as possible.

My Yahoo store is still doing well. Check out: http://DonsCycleWare.com