eBay account suspended (MC999): what it means and what to do first
An eBay MC999 suspension means the account is indefinitely suspended: selling stops, usually buying too, and money already collected sits in a hold eBay controls. Open orders still have to be completed or refunded. What you do in the first 48 hours shapes how the appeal reads.
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eBay account suspended: what an MC999 notice means
MC999 is the reference eBay attaches to messages about account suspension, most often the notice that an account has been indefinitely suspended. It is a conclusion, not a request. Selling is stopped and usually buying too. Open orders still have to be completed or refunded. Funds already collected sit in a hold eBay controls. Any other account eBay associates with you by identity, payment method, address, device or contact details is suspended with it.
It is different from MC011, which is a restriction pending documents. If your notice says MC011, you are on the restricted account path, which is a documents problem rather than an appeal.
When an eBay account is suspended for performance, the rules that apply are eBay's seller performance policy; for other reasons, the policy named in the notice.
Why eBay suspends accounts indefinitely
- Performance below standard
Defects or cases closed without resolution crossed the threshold at one or more monthly evaluations, or fell sharply. eBay evaluates on the 20th; the limits are 2% defects and 0.3% cases.
- Policy or prohibited items
Repeated VeRO or listing-policy removals, counterfeit or restricted items, or a category eBay treats as high risk.
- Unpaid seller fees
A balance left unpaid past the notices. The simplest case: pay, then appeal.
- Identity or address concerns
Details eBay could not verify, or a mismatch between the account, the documents and the payout account.
- Linked to a suspended account
Shared identity, payment, address, device or cookies with an account that was already suspended.
Before you reply, review these
- The notice itself: the code, the stated reason, any deadline, and the exact channel eBay names for a response
- Every open order: shipped with tracking, or refunded. Buyers who open cases during a suspension are still counted
- Seller Hub performance dashboard: defect rate, cases, late shipments, and which orders generated them
- Policy notices in the last 90 days: VeRO, listing removals, warnings
- Any other eBay account you, a family member or a business partner operates from the same address, bank, phone or device
- Supplier invoices, ID, proof of address and business registration, in case the reason needs them
Want us to read your notice?
Send it for a free review. We tell you which route applies and what to do first, within 24 hours.
How Slayva handles an MC999 case
We read the notice and the account history the way eBay's risk team does, tell you honestly whether the case is likely to succeed, and if it is, we build the evidence pack for the stated reason and write one structured appeal: reason understood, actions completed with dates, permanent change. We submit it through the channel eBay named and handle any follow-up request with exactly what was asked, nothing more.
- Free case review within 24 hours
- Evidence matched to the reason group, not a generic bundle
- Appeal written and reviewed with you before submission
- Linked-account exposure checked first
- Post-reinstatement plan for defects, cases and listings
- Hour 0: save the notice as PDF. Do not reply.
- Hours 1–6: ship every paid order, upload tracking, refund what cannot ship.
- Hours 6–24: pull Seller Hub history: defects, cases, policy notices, linked accounts.
- Hours 24–48: gather the documents that answer the stated reason.
- After 48 hours: the three-part appeal, sent once.
eBay Suspension & Restriction Recovery: diagnosis, evidence, appeal and follow-up, handled end to end.
Questions suspended sellers ask first
Is an indefinitely suspended eBay account permanent?
Indefinite means no end date has been set, not that the decision is final. Many indefinitely suspended accounts are reinstated after an appeal that resolves the stated reason. Some are not, particularly repeat policy cases and linked-account cases without new evidence.
Should I reply to the MC999 email straight away?
No. The reply sent before the reason is understood becomes the first document in your file, and every later appeal is read against it. Save the notice, ship every paid order, then diagnose.
Can I open a new eBay account?
No. eBay links accounts by identity, payment, address and device signals, and the new account is normally suspended as a linked account. It also weakens the appeal for the original.
Will eBay release my funds?
eBay is able to hold funds while it assesses exposure from open orders, returns and cases. Releases follow when that exposure closes. Completing every open order shortens the period in practice.
What does Slayva charge for a suspended account?
The case review is free. We only quote once we have read the notice and the history, and only if we believe the case is worth pursuing.
Read next
How to Get a Suspended eBay Account Reinstated
The full six-step sequence, the evidence table by reason, and the mistakes that make it permanent.
Read the guideeBay account restricted (MC011)
If your notice is MC011, the process is documents, not an appeal.
See the solutioneBay Account Warning: Steps Before Suspension
For the stage before this one.
Read the guideSend us the notice
Reference code, what happened, and when. We reply within 24 hours with an honest assessment.
Need more than this fix? See all our eBay seller services, from recovery to account management.
Do not reply to eBay yet. Talk to us first.
A free case review from the people who write the appeals. If it is unlikely to succeed, we tell you before you spend anything.