How I fixed the deadly Stripe ban

Summary

In this video, Eddie shares his experience dealing with Stripe's unexpected account closures and refund policies. He details the steps he took to successfully appeal and restore his account, despite Stripe's initial automatic rejection. Eddie emphasizes the importance of creating public pressure on social media and provides a detailed strategy for gathering and submitting evidence to convince Stripe of a legitimate business. He also offers additional tips on managing disputes and transitioning to safer payment processors to avoid future issues.

Takeaways

• 😨 Eddie experienced a stressful situation where Stripe closed his account and he feared losing all his money.
• 🤔 He advises against filling out Stripe's appeal form as it is often automatically declined without review.
• 📢 Eddie suggests creating a public scene on social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook to draw attention to the issue.
• 💌 He recommends directly messaging Stripe on various platforms and sending emails to their support addresses.
• 📝 In messages, Eddie emphasizes the need to sound dramatic and mention the possibility of legal action or contacting the Better Business Bureau.
• 📦 When asked for more information, providing detailed documentation like inventory pictures, invoices, and tracking numbers is crucial.
• 📷 Photos should show branded packaging, inventory, and handwritten notes with the date and store name to appear legitimate.
• 🔍 Eddie advises avoiding mentioning China in tracking information and to use 'Last Mile' tracking numbers instead.
• 💻 He suggests providing screenshots of fulfilled orders from Shopify and other proof of business legitimacy.
• 🏦 Offer additional documentation like bank statements and screenshots of low dispute rates from other accounts.
• 🙏 Finally, express passion for the business, a history of low chargeback rates, and a plea for account reactivation, mentioning the possibility of legal action if necessary.

Q & A

What issue did Eddie face with Stripe?

Eddie faced the issue of Stripe closing his account and wanting to refund all his customers without a clear reason.

How did Eddie initially react to Stripe's actions?

Eddie initially panicked, fearing that Stripe would take all his money.

What was Eddie's strategy to convince Stripe to give him another chance?

Eddie's strategy involved arguing with Stripe, causing drama on social media, and messaging them on various platforms.

Why should one avoid filling out the appeal form on Stripe according to Eddie?

Eddie suggests avoiding the appeal form because it is often automatically declined by Stripe's algorithm without actual review.

What social media platforms did Eddie recommend using to create awareness about the issue?

Eddie recommended using Twitter and Facebook to comment on Stripe's posts and create a public outcry.

What should one include in the direct messages to Stripe according to Eddie?

In the direct messages, one should explain the situation dramatically, mention the possibility of legal action, and highlight the potential for an algorithmic mistake.

What kind of evidence did Eddie suggest providing to Stripe to prove the legitimacy of the business?

Eddie suggested providing pictures of inventory, invoices, tracking numbers, company documents, and screenshots of fulfilled orders on Shopify.

Why is it important to show Last Mile tracking numbers instead of Chinese tracking numbers to Stripe?

Last Mile tracking numbers are more credible as they show up on official carrier websites like USPS, indicating actual delivery, whereas Chinese tracking numbers might not be as reliable.

What is the significance of providing a screenshot of fulfilled orders from Shopify?

The screenshot serves as proof of the business's legitimacy and shows that the business has a history of fulfilling orders.

What advice does Eddie give regarding the use of Shopify Payments as an alternative to Stripe?

Eddie advises processing a significant amount of money through Stripe first before switching to Shopify Payments to reduce the risk of account suspension.

What is the final step Eddie suggests after sending all the requested information to Stripe?

Eddie suggests sending a passionate message explaining the business's history, low dispute rates, and a plea for account reactivation, mentioning the possibility of legal action if necessary.

Outlines

00:00

😓 Struggling with Stripe Account Closures and Refunds

Eddie discusses the challenges faced by many users dealing with Stripe account closures and forced refunds for customers. He recounts his own experience with a similar situation, where he feared losing all his money. Eddie managed to resolve the issue by arguing and negotiating with Stripe, and he offers to share his approach. He warns that success is not guaranteed, but his method has worked for others. He advises against using Stripe's automatic appeal process, which he believes is ineffective due to algorithmic rejections, and instead suggests creating a public outcry on social media to draw attention to the issue.

05:03

📢 Leveraging Social Media and Direct Messaging for Stripe Account Issues

The speaker outlines a strategy to address Stripe account issues by creating a public scene on social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook. He recommends commenting on Stripe's posts and messaging them directly through various channels, including email and direct messages on social media. The goal is to convey the urgency and impact of the account closure on the business. The speaker suggests crafting dramatic messages that may prompt Stripe to investigate the issue further. He provides specific email addresses and social media handles to contact and hints at sharing a template message for consistency.

10:05

📦 Proving Legitimacy with Inventory Photos and Documentation

The paragraph details the process of providing evidence to Stripe to prove the legitimacy of a business and refute claims of unauthorized charges. It suggests taking and submitting photos of inventory with a visible date and business name, along with supporting documents like invoices and tracking numbers. The advice includes going beyond the basic requirements to show seriousness and legitimacy. The speaker emphasizes the importance of using branded packaging, thank you cards, and handwritten notes on boxes to enhance the credibility of the submission. He also discusses the necessity of providing an invoice for the stock, suggesting that even if one doesn't own the inventory, creating an invoice may be necessary to save the account.

15:06

🚫 Avoiding Common Mistakes and Providing Comprehensive Evidence

This section warns against common mistakes when dealing with Stripe, such as providing only the minimal required information or using Chinese tracking numbers. It stresses the importance of waiting until orders have legitimate tracking information before submitting them to Stripe. The advice includes providing screenshots of fulfilled orders from Shopify, showcasing a history of successful transactions, and offering additional evidence like tracking numbers for past deliveries. The speaker also suggests demonstrating a history of low dispute rates across multiple accounts and providing a bank statement to establish the business's legitimacy.

🙏 Final Plea and Recommendation for Future Payment Processing

In the final paragraph, the speaker makes a heartfelt plea to Stripe to reactivate the account, emphasizing the passion and history in the business, and the low chargeback rate. He hints at the possibility of legal action if necessary and provides a template for a final message to Stripe. The advice concludes with a suggestion to process a significant amount through Stripe initially before switching to Shopify Payments to avoid initial account bans and benefit from lower transaction fees. The speaker encourages continued learning and engagement within the e-commerce community.

Keywords

💡Stripe

Stripe is an online payment processing platform that enables businesses to accept and manage both online and in-person payments and transactions. In the video's context, it is portrayed as a service that has caused distress to the speaker due to account closures and refunds, highlighting the reliance businesses have on such platforms for financial transactions.

💡Account Closure

Account closure refers to the termination of a business or individual's access to an account, often due to violations of terms or suspicious activities. The video discusses the negative impact of Stripe closing accounts on businesses, emphasizing the urgency and importance of resolving such issues to maintain business operations.

💡Refund

A refund is the process of returning money to a customer due to a cancellation, return, or dissatisfaction with a product or service. The script mentions Stripe initiating refunds for customers, which is a critical issue for the business owner as it can lead to financial loss and customer service challenges.

💡Appeal

An appeal in this context is a formal request to reconsider a decision, such as the closure of a Stripe account. The video suggests that the automatic appeal process through Stripe may not be effective, indicating the need for a more assertive approach to resolve account issues.

💡Social Media

Social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook are mentioned as tools to create awareness and pressure on Stripe by publicly commenting on their posts. This strategy is suggested as a way to draw attention to the issue and potentially influence a resolution.

💡Drama

In the script, 'drama' is used metaphorically to describe the intentional creation of a public stir or commotion on social media to bring attention to the issue at hand. It is portrayed as a tactic to prompt a response from Stripe regarding the account closure.

💡Algorithm

An algorithm is a set of rules or processes used by computers to perform tasks. The video mentions that Stripe's algorithm may be automatically declining appeals, suggesting a lack of human oversight and the potential for errors in the decision-making process.

💡High-Risk Payments

High-risk payments refer to transactions that are considered more likely to result in fraud, chargebacks, or other issues. The speaker argues against being categorized as high-risk, providing evidence of legitimate business operations to counteract this label.

💡Inventory

Inventory in a business context refers to the goods or products held for sale in the normal course of business. The video emphasizes the importance of providing evidence of inventory as proof of legitimate business operations, including photos with dates and business names.

💡Tracking Numbers

Tracking numbers are unique identifiers used by shipping carriers to track the delivery of packages. The script advises providing last mile tracking numbers as evidence of fulfilled orders, which is crucial in demonstrating the legitimacy of the business to Stripe.

💡Dispute Rate

The dispute rate is the percentage of transactions that result in a customer dispute, often due to unauthorized charges or other issues. The video suggests that a low dispute rate is an indicator of a trustworthy and legitimate business, which can be used to argue for the reactivation of a Stripe account.

💡Legal Action

Legal action refers to the process of seeking a resolution through the court system. The speaker mentions the possibility of seeking legal help if Stripe does not restore the account, indicating the severity of the situation and the potential for financial loss.

💡Shopify Payments

Shopify Payments is a payment service provided by Shopify, allowing merchants to accept payments directly through their Shopify store. The video suggests transitioning to Shopify Payments after processing a significant amount of money through other payment processors as a safer alternative to Stripe.

Highlights

Eddie shares personal experience with Stripe account closure and refund issues.

Provides a strategy to convince Stripe to reconsider account closure.

Advises against filling out Stripe's appeal form due to its automatic decline.

Suggests creating social media drama to draw Stripe's attention to the issue.

Recommends direct messaging and emailing Stripe support across various platforms.

Details a dramatic message template to send to Stripe to emphasize the urgency.

Explains the importance of proving that the business is legitimate and not high-risk.

Instructs on providing evidence such as inventory pictures and purchase orders.

Stresses the need for Last Mile tracking numbers to show order fulfillment.

Advises on the urgency of shipping specific orders to provide timely tracking info.

Suggests providing screenshots of fulfilled orders from Shopify as proof of business legitimacy.

Recommends showing a history of low dispute rates across multiple payment platforms.

Encourages sharing bank statements to demonstrate business activity.

Ends with a passionate plea to Stripe, emphasizing the impact on the business.

Warns about the unpredictability of Stripe's actions and the potential need for legal action.

Advocates for using Shopify Payments as a safer alternative to Stripe.

Provides a strategy to transition to Shopify Payments after initial sales through another processor.

Invites the audience to join Maven for Discord for further e-commerce insights and community support.

Transcripts

hey what's up everyone this is Eddie I

see that a lot of you are dealing with

um stri problems and them closing your

account and wanting to refund all your

customers which is absolutely crazy and

unfortunately a little while back I also

ran into that and I really really

freaked out and um I thought it was

actually going to happen I thought they

were actually going to take all my money

but I really really pushed and argued

with them and everything and I did fix

it

and I'll let you know exactly what I did

um to convince them to give me another

chance basically give me another chance

although this is completely unfair uh so

I'll let you know exactly what I did but

understand that it doesn't mean it will

100% work for you as well um they could

just not cooperate at all but I shared

this with multiple people and it worked

for them so I'll just share with you and

and you just give it a shot as well and

try your best and make it work so uh let

me tell you what worked for me I wrote

some notes in here I'll probably uh

share them in Discord somewhere too but

um the first thing is uh they'll give

you the chance to file an appeal like

fill in a form or something on your

stripe account and uh you shouldn't do

that if you did it it is what it is but

the point is um this appeal will

immediately be declined automatically

they don't actually care I think it's

just their algorithm just declining your

appeal so ideally don't fill it in if

you filled it in um it is what it is it

might complicate things a little bit uh

I filled it in and it was declined so I

think I had to fight a little more than

necessary but anyway after that after

you ignore that um you need to um cause

some drama on social media so you go and

comment on uh Twitter under Stripes last

post just comment um as well on Facebook

and say that oh strip's about to ruin my

business they're just uh going to refund

my customers for no reason I ship my

orders out I don't understand what's

going on it just cause a lot of drama um

it's a bit annoying and awkward to have

to post like that but you just got

to do what you got to do to save your

account and save your money and that's

what I did and uh it worked out so first

just comment under their posts uh tag

them say no one cares about you from

there no no one helps you um on strip

side and stuff like that it's even

better if you get some friends to like

like your post and stuff um and the

comment say oh me too and then um what

you have to do is message them like

pretty much on all their accounts the

ones that I messaged them on our on

Facebook and on Twitter as well like

directly message them I also sent them

emails and I'll tell you what to say in

those messages but um I send them emails

to [email protected] and account

stripe.com it might not your email might

not get through but just try anyway and

then on their Facebook page at stripe HQ

and on Twitter uh @ Stripes support

again I'll uh find a place to leave some

notes on what I'm saying right now so

you can follow through with it a little

easier and what I said in those messages

and I'll give you a copy paste message

for this but what I said was basically

hey um strive just um ruined my business

something like that like you got to

sound a bit dramatic and say that you

need help or otherwise you will be

forced to get a lawyer and uh get in

touched with the

BBB uh Better Business Bureau that is

and explain to them you got an email

that there are unauthorized charges or

payments on your account but that's

impossible and you have to explain this

say that this must be an algorithm

mistake because you're using Shopify to

process payment so customers just have

to come to your store manually to put in

their information credit card numbers

CVV uh ZIP code all of that they have to

put all that in there manually so

there's no risk that's what you say and

um it's impossible to have unauthorized

payments when that's what the customer

has to go through so it must be an

algorithm error that your account got

suspended for that and explain you don't

have highrisk payments you don't have

chargebacks blah blah maybe you do but

just say you

don't and um explain you shipped all of

these orders and that this is not legal

you own stock maybe you don't but say

you own stock you ship your own products

you own uh a company like an LLC

whatever and uh explain that you can

provide tracking numbers inventory

pictures invoices uh purchase orders

company documents blah blah blah anyway

I'll give you a message that says this

that you can just copy paste to them and

and um you have to keep fighting with

them until they ask you to provide more

information that's what you're looking

for that's your way out as soon as they

ask you to provide more

information that's your second chance to

get your account back and generally the

information that they ask for is um a

picture of your inventory with a sheet

of paper somewhere in the picture

showing today's date and then also

supporting documents for some orders

that you process through stripe like

invoices tracking numbers stuff like

that the thing is you don't want to give

them just this because if you give them

just this they might look at it and it's

you know just some superficial janitor

that works as strip's going to look at

that and be like Oh yeah this guy's a

scammer or something and uh you know not

help you you need to go above and beyond

and provide a lot more information that

they requested so they see they're

really serious and you actually um have

a legitimate business right and I'll

tell you what I provided them with so

that you can replicate it and just give

yourself the best chance to fix this I

gave them um a few pictures of my

inventory now my inventory is branded uh

it's it's not like you know it doesn't

look like a random Drop Shipping product

um it comes in branded packaging it has

thank you cards maybe you're not in that

situation either way ask your agent from

China if you're shipping from China or

whoever is dealing with your inventory

to take some pictures where you can see

a lot of boxes and your product should

be shown like kind of you know visible

that it's in the Box you just got to get

the right angle so ask your agent to

like take multiple pictures from

multiple angles and if you have branded

packaging make sure some products are in

the packaging some products are out and

um if you have thank you cards make sure

they're showing as well and if you don't

don't have thank you cards you can just

ask your agent or who whoever is dealing

with your inventory to just print out

some like fake thank you cards with your

logo on them saying thank you for your

order something like that just simple

piece of paper they can do that all of

them have printers and stuff uh it just

makes you picture look more legit and

make sure that that's visible in the

picture and then make sure that on the

big carton boxes that your inventory is

in um your agent writes like handwrites

as to be handwritten your

name um today's date and the name of

your store so all of that should be

visible there and that will make

everything look very legit but make sure

it's handwritten for for this part uh

use a piece of paper if you don't have

big carpon boxes I don't know but uh get

that done and um then you

need you need to get um an invoice for

your stock so basically like a purchase

order to show them that you own this

inventory so you bought it from China uh

or wherever you bought it from a factory

that's basically what you have to tell

them now maybe you don't actually own

your inventory I don't really know if

you do or you don't but you have to

somehow get this invoice now I'm not

telling you to fake invoices or whatever

but if you don't have an invoice uh for

it you might want to go the extra mile

in order to save your account and just

put together an invoice where you bought

I don't know 9,000

units um on X date whatever a month ago

let's say and you paid this much blah

blah

blah um have a stamp on there from like

a Chinese Factory your company name on

there as it is written on

stripe um and give them that and say

that you designed

manufactured this stock that you bought

and you already have it you own it it's

made specifically for you and no one

else is selling this product you say

that okay maybe that's not the case but

you say that then U make sure to give

Last Mile tracking numbers to the orders

that they requested information about so

um what do I mean by Last Mile tracking

numbers you all should know what that

means but I don't mean give them Chinese

tracking numbers never do that don't

make sure to stay away from mentioning

China as much as possible besides on the

invoice everyone's ordering stock from

China but don't give them Chinese

tracking numbers like un Express get the

last mile tracking number um from your

orders ask your agent if you don't know

how and give them that now the problem

is that generally when they ask you for

information for some orders on your

stripe account it generally orders that

you receive like literally 7 hours ago

something it's impossible for you to

have shipped

them

so before you reply to that stripe

message

entirely you need to you know ideally

put together all this information in a

document or something you need to ship

those specific orders cuz in my case I

didn't even get to ship them because I

my stripe account got locked like during

the weekend and I received those orders

that they asked about literally that day

or something so it's hard for me to it

was impossible for me to ship them in

time although I Shi most of the orders

so what I did is I talked to my agent

and this is what you should do as well

and I told her we need those orders

delivered as fast as possible like

especially those that stri P about and

there's a way to ship from China using a

Last Mile track number like that

directly like straight the first

tracking number that you get be USPS or

Australian AA post or Royal Mail or

whatever there is a way to ship like

that from China I'm I'm not sure exactly

how but if you tell your agent they

should know so tell them ship directly

with USBS from China it's going to be

more expensive but it doesn't matter

right because you really need to get

this

information and um don't send them this

information though until your orders

have tracking info

on um your carrier

um website like USBS right make sure to

check every few hours the USPS received

the package or whatever and they there

must be some type of tracking

information in there I think in my case

there wasn't much tracking information

but he said the USPS received

um information about my package or

something like that but the point is it

it needs to be clear

that um these are not fake tracking

numbers and they show up on usps's

website so um what as soon as you get

the information it might take a day

maybe two hopefully this didn't happen

to you during the weekend but it might

take one or two business days but only

then you give them that information

because otherwise they they'll use those

tracking numbers and check them and

they're not going to be on usps's

website or Australia Post or wherever

you

shipped and they're going to think

you're scamming or something and um then

obviously you would think that that's

enough but not so like I said go above

and beyond after this you want to give

them a screenshot of a full page or

fulfilled orders on Shopify so go on

Shopify click on orders scroll until you

find all of them that are fulfilled and

just take a a full screenshot of that

including the URL so your your store

name should be visible in the URL and

then just a massive list of fulfilled

orders straight from your Shopify store

basically you give them that and you

tell them look these are so you just

list all of the the stuff that I'm

telling you so uh what whatever it was

number one invoice number two pictures

number one number three tracking numbers

and you make it clear like just give

them a whole like document or something

or at least just list them very nicely

and say these are the tracking numbers

these are blah blah blah I Shi them just

now blah okay and uh so tell them look

these are a lot of other ores that I

fulfilled on my store I've been running

the store for a long time and then um

another piece of information is you want

to get give them more orders like

specific orders so so like five to six

extra orders where you say you give them

the order number from Shopify you give

them the last Mount Trucking number

again only last Mount Trucking numbers

but those have to be like from the past

that are already delivered and say

listen look these are five or six other

orders that I've already delivered um

because I've been running this business

for a while and you give them last M

tracking numbers you give them a

screenshot of the order in Shopify uh

which is show The Last Mile tracking

number then make make sure you edit the

order with the last M tracking number

and a screenshot of the carrier's

website with your tracking number in

there and it has to say delivered so you

give them that and say I can literally

give you information this information

for thousands of orders that I've

delivered but if if you really want to

and then move on and say um something

like if you think that my business is

high risk it's not let me show you I've

run uh a lot of my companies with stripe

and PayPal for six years just say a big

number of years and I had a tiny dispute

rate and then show pictures of different

stripe accounts of yours and a PayPal

account um where you can see the dispute

rate if you don't know how to find them

Google it whatever I'm not going to tell

you how to find find them but show them

that and uh they need to see like you

Pro that you processed a lot of money

through other accounts and you have

small dispute rates like 0.1 or whatever

if you need to

those screenshots are easy to

manipulate um you just need to log into

a different strap account and use like

inspect element you know like uh those

uh scammy Drop Shipping gurus do when

they show you big numbers uh you inspect

element and you just change the

information like make the dispute rate

really low change the name of the store

or whatever inside that stripe account

and take a screenshot and like put an

arrow and point it that at the small

dispute rate if will help your case

basically so do that for stripe and for

PayPal and then give them a screenshot

of uh your of the last month's bank

statement from your company bank account

if you don't have a company bank account

I don't know what to tell you but this

would help you a

lot um and say hey look this is

also last mon last month's bank

statement for my company it just helps

them see okay this this is a business

that's active that's you know actually

legitimate and then just like a last um

statement uh where you explain I'm

passionate about this business I've been

doing it for the past however many years

I never had um I never had a business

with stripe that had more than a 0.5

charge back rate say something like that

0.4 which I know significantly better

than the average and I'm asking you very

nicely to uh reactivate my account

otherwise I'll really be forced to get a

lawyer and try to go the legal way

because this is money that I deserve and

blah blah so a message like that at the

end I'll give you a copy paste of what I

said too just uh to make it easier for

you and once you send that over to them

they'll say okay thank you please wait

something like that and if you sent all

the information there's a high chance

that they'll uh restore your account any

will take a day or two um and they'll

they're likely to give your money back I

cannot obviously guarantee it

because um they might not but I've done

this and multiple other people um in

Maven for Discord have done this after

taking my advice and they got their

money back so it's possible but don't

get all your hopes up because it's

stripe and they're scumbags so it's

possible that they won't actually save

your account but give it a shot if it

doesn't work out and you have a lot of

money on there I guess get a lawyer and

try to get your money back because

obviously I would think this is illegal

for them to just take all this money

from you um just last piece of

advice process like 50 to 100K through

stripe and then switch to Shopify

payments shy payments is a lot less

likely to do this to you uh and to

refund the money to your customers so

you're safer with them and they have

lower transaction fees uh but don't

start with Shopify payments I would say

because they're more likely to just ban

your account anyway and you don't want

that but if you first process like 50 to

$100,000 or so on your store through a

different payment processor and then

switch to stripe uh sorry then switch to

Shopify payments then you're way more

likely to work with shop five payments

long term without them messing up your

account uh just piece of advice works

really well for me um that way so uh try

to try to do the same but hopefully this

was helpful and uh yeah make sure to uh

be active in Maven for Discord and learn

as much as possible about e-commerce

from me and the community we're massive

here we're doing amazing numbers so many

success posts so many success stories so

many life Chang