Ebay Seized $700 Of My Gift Card Balance. I Provided Handwritten Proof And Invoices, But They Closed The Investigation Saying They 'can't Verify Ownership

I am writing this out of pure desperation and anger. I am a 23-year-old engineering student and I run a tiny footwear start-up back home. I saved for months to buy a high-end laptop I desperately need for my university projects and to manage my business.

Because I’m international, I used $700 in eBay Gift Cards (purchased legitimately through CoinGate) to fund my purchase. Everything seemed fine until I added my shipping address in Doral, FL. Immediately, my account was flagged and my balance "disappeared".

I spent hours on chat with agents who acted like they wanted to help. They sent me an email asking for very specific proof: photos of the gift cards, invoices, and a handwritten note with my username and today's date.

I did exactly what they asked.

• I included the handwritten note with my username and the date.
• I provided the official CoinGate invoices showing the $700 purchase.

Today, I received a cold, automated email saying: "eBay is unable to make a final determination on the ownership of the gift cards and unable to recover any funds... this concludes our investigation".

They are literally stealing $700 from a student. They admit they received my documents but claim they "can't determine ownership" despite me holding a handwritten sign in the photos. They closed the case and told me they won't respond to further requests.

How is this legal? A company can just decide to keep a customer's property because their "automated system" says so? I have no laptop, no money, and no way to appeal to a human who actually listens.

I'm beyond desperate and don't know where else to turn. This $700 was a big part of my savings. If anyone has any advice or knows how to reach a human with actual authority to review my case, please help me.

Location: Argentina and US