In the ongoing saga of eBay unfairly suspending my buyer account, I decided to go ahead and send them the paperwork they want from me, wherein I promise not to be naughty and I prove to them that I am who I say I am. I'm not sure why I'm bothering. Mostly, I keep getting emails from eBay about various things and I have no way to turn them off. It's annoying.

So I filled out the form and ticked the boxes and I printed it out and signed it. And then I photocopied my drivers license (both sides). And then I wrote them a letter. Mind you, they may well take exception to my attitude and refuse to reinstate my account, but I wasn't willing to just meekly accept that I was in the wrong, because I wasn't. Not this time. (I fully accept, as I've mentioned before, the suspension from eBay's discussion boards, and I have honoured that by not posting there since 2006).

Here's what I wrote:

To whom it may concern:

I have filled out and signed the required form and photocopied my Victoria Drivers License. Note that I have copied both sides, as we've moved and my address has changed. The address on the back is the current one, and is the one registered with eBay.

I am familiar with the rule under which my account was suspended, but I would like to note that I did not actually violate this rule. Back in 2006, I was suspended from the eBay boards (but NOT from eBay trading). I chose not to appeal and I have abided by the restriction and have not posted to the boards since then.

However, several months ago, my husband's brother was visiting our home and he used our internet service in order to connect to eBay (he is a buyer and a seller; I am a buyer ONLY). Apparently, he posted to the eBay boards. Ebay, in their wisdom, decided to suspend his account and mine, as well. Until the day my account was suspended, I didn't even know what his username was. I only worked out what had actually happened by piecing it together for myself; eBay's customer support was no help whatsoever in helping me to find out what had happened and why I was suspended!

So, yes, I certainly promise not to violate a rule that I didn't violate already and I won't let my brother-in-law use my internet service to post to eBay any more. I hope this is satisfactory.

By the way, my account has been in effect since 2000. I have spent literally thousands of dollars on eBay, and I frequently pay with PayPal, giving eBay even more money (at the sellers' expense, of course, but still, eBay pockets it). I have 100% feedback on my account.

Suspending me for something I didn't do, refusing to help me work out what actually happened and why I was being suspended, and now requiring me to promise I won't do it again (without even telling me what "it" was that I supposedly did; I'm fortunate that I was clever enough to figure it out, otherwise I'd still be wondering!) and send you copies of my personal documents isn't really what I call improving the buyer experience.

Please reinstate my account. I apologise for allowing my brother-in-law to use my internet service to post to eBay boards (though I didn't know he did it, nor did I think it would be a problem, given that he's not suspended from the boards and I haven't posted to them since my suspension from them in 2006).

While I'm at it, perhaps you might lift my board suspension to prevent this from ever happening again. I don't want to post on the boards (when I was suspended, I accepted it fully and was somewhat relieved, as a matter of fact), but I don't like the idea that if my husband were to log on from our shared internet service and post there (not that he does or would, but it's within the realm of possibility at some point), we'll have to go through this song and dance again.

I want you to know that this experience has left a bitter taste in my mouth. I am a good and regular buyer. I didn't deserve this treatment, nor did my brother-in-law. I don't know if you've also suspended my father-in-law and/or mother-in-law; they used the same internet service (I doubt they posted to the boards, though).

Thank you for your time. It is my hope that eBay will, for once, do the right thing.