eBay

amberwoodottawa · ‎10-29-2003

I receiveD an automated email from eBay advising me that someone interested in one of my items had received my personal information including home phone number from eBay.

I didnt think that this information would be given freely by eBay unless there was a dispute or at least the party had actually completed the purchase of an item I had listed.

I dont even know if this person bid on my item that was just listed this morning yet eBay has turned over personal contact information to him.

I am sure that for most of us, we have strictly an e-commerce business. I can handle responding to e-mail inquiries but I certainly cannot handle phone calls as well from anybody around the world that gets my info from eBay.

Any suggestions?

your-chic-shopper · ‎10-29-2003

They would have had too won an auction , within the email it will state the auction and the user's ID

amberwoodottawa · ‎10-29-2003

I just checked and they hit my reserve so they bid but the auction doesnt end for another 6 1/2 days I just listed it this morning.

I read the eBay policy concerning this and with respect to release of personal information it is to resolve disputes or assist in completing a transaction should the
parties not be able to email each other.

I verified that I had an email from this guy yesterday and I responded on another item.

I am just concerned at the release to people who (a) have not completed a transaction (this guy could be easily outbid over the next 7 days as I just sold anoth one of these instruments for 50% more earier this morning)(b) that unless there is a dispute, I dont want the give 35+ million people access to my home number for business-related transactions.

It appears that there is a loophole in eBay's system in assuming that because a person has reached the reserve, they have purchased the item. Secondly to so quickly release personal information when, according to their rules, releaseo fo phone numbers is only done when emails fail to assist in the completion of a transaction.

catseye* · ‎10-29-2003

I've been led to believe that once you're 'IN' a transaction, (which includes placing a bid), you can request contact information.

*JMHO* - to be taken with a grain of salt!

amberwoodottawa · ‎10-29-2003

Here is what eBay tells buyers (copied and pasted from their help section): "If you can't reach your seller via email, learn how to request your seller's contact information"

I just dont think it is right to allow anyone who places a $0.01 bid, to be able to access personal information and contact information when I am running an e-commerce business providing excellent email response to 99.9% of all questions emailed to me.

jaymor8 · ‎10-29-2003

I am curious as to 'why' someone would need your info when the auction hasn't even finished yet. I find that very suspicious indeed.

Jackie...

amberwoodottawa · ‎10-29-2003

Get a load of this. This guy that got my personal ID somehow located the business I buy from and called them long distance directly to see if he could get a better deal from them.

They told him that he must deal through me as I handle all international sales and then told me about the call.

I then nicely emailed himn and confirmed our position with respect to the distribution rights although I told him if he wanted to drive 8 hours to my contact, he may be able to negotiate a better deal that way but nothing would be shipped to him.

This is why I think eBay should be more protective about releasing information to people who are not yet customers and have access to reach us as a vendor by way of emails. We and eBay are e-commerce businesses.

As a result of their giving him my details, 2 businesses have been disrupted over a $100 item and someone wanting to use eBay to buy outside of eBay and save $10.

I dont think eBay would want all eBay members to have all their phone numbers.

amberwoodottawa · ‎10-29-2003

I've read further into the eBay Help area and have copied and pasted the following instructions for Buyers/Bidders concening requesting and obtaining my personal data which is pretty clear to me:
"For privacy reasons eBay limits the use of this feature to those members who have completed a previous transaction with the member whose User ID is being requested."

The person in question has never purchased from me yet with the flick of a switch or the hitting of a button on his keyboard, eBay has turned over confidential information.

I am not interested in reporting this individual to eBay, it is the eBay system that failed in allowing the release of information. When he attempted to obtain my information and entered an item number, eBay should have identified that the item has not yet been sold and simply allowed him to send me a message or give him my business email address.

In this day of weirdos I think it is totally irresponsible to allow the release of personal information in business transactions.

I guess I may be the only one feeling this way but the day some crackpot pulls up to my house in the middle of the night because he didnt like the colour of an instrument I had listed and pulls a gun on me is the day I suppose eBay may examine their policy related to their practise of giving out persoanl info.

This is especially true as I would have no record of the bum that drives up as he would not have had to purchase anything from me.

chrispenner · ‎10-29-2003

I know of a few people who have had this issue with ebay, and the only thing that they could do to feel safer, is use a P.O. box as the mailing address and a cell phone as the number, not sure if that is "allowed" but it stopped a few arising calls. she had to change her ID and her contact info due to a stalker, so I do feel that we as sellers should be ASKED each time a buyer requests the info and then allow it on a case by case basis.
just my opinion.
Kathleen

amberwoodottawa · ‎10-29-2003

Kathleen
You hit the nail on the head.

You know that eBay should exercise better caution concerning the release of personal information to anyone, as they assure us they do, or they could be held liable for some unfortunate incident should someone get injured (physically or financially) or worse.

This guy used my information to do more than try to contact me and by going directly to my supplier so I must admit that I am sitting on pins and needles wondering what he may do next.

I am not frightened but I am upset at the ease that eBay permits anyone access to personal information.

chrispenner · ‎10-29-2003

Do you feel comfortable in retracting his bid and blocking him? this way no feedback can be left or do you think it will anger the beast? lol
I can understand what you are going through, you SHOULD feel that your privacy has been invaded because it has, thanks to ebay!

Thinking of you!
Kathleen

amberwoodottawa · ‎10-29-2003

Kathleen
While the bidder has gone out of his way to try to purchase our item from our supplier and has obtained personal information, I dont believe that he is the problem here, it is eBay in releasing the information contrary to their own rules.

I dont want to anger the beast, who may be a very nice person and a potentially good customer, but I think that eBay should close the floodgates in releasing our personal information that we entrusted them to guard.

At the very least, eBay should email us and ask our permission!

acurael · ‎10-29-2003

From this page: http://cgi3.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?MemberSearchShow

"Bidders can request contact information for a seller during an active transaction and in a successful, closed transaction if they are the winning bidder."

Looking at it from a bidder's perspective - what if you couldn't reach a seller by email - the auction closes soon and you need to find something out - well, now you can call them to inquire about an item.

ebay gives out your name, city, state/prov and phone number, but not the street address. It also gives you the info of the person who requested it.

FYI: With your domain listed in the auction it's easy to get that and more info with a quick whois lookup on cira.ca... and you don't even need to be an ebay member or reveal your own info to do that!

amberwoodottawa · ‎10-29-2003

acurael
I agree and am fully aware that there are a number of ways that people can get my address and phone number.

Some of those resources I give permission to, some I dont.

eBay clearly states in their policy: "For privacy reasons eBay limits the use of this feature to those members who have completed a previous transaction with the member whose User ID is being requested."

For those with brains and very industrious, the work in obtaining personal information takes greater effort than simply asking ebay for it and my gripe is the ease that someone can obtain it from eBay.

There are days I receive over 200 emails as a result of posting instruments on eBay. I would hate to have those 200 emails turn into 200 phone calls.

I will probably post a different phone number with eBay as a result of this incident.

We had email stalkers for about 5 months. People who spammed us with upwards of 250 spams per day. People who sent viruse, trojans etc etc etc. These werent the same ones passed via emails, these were targeted to our email address obtained from our eBay ads.

Thanks for your comments. I appreciate them.

deltone · ‎10-29-2003

I personally find the whole matter creepy. For ebay to give that information, is just plain wrong, and for this guy to go to your supplier is disgusting.

I've had several people email me asking me who my supplier is, so that they can buy the dvd's and also sell them on ebay. The nerve of some people is just mind boggling. I ignore those emails, but if some day they start phoning me, I will be furious.

amberwoodottawa · ‎10-29-2003

Its a good thing that I have a good relationship with my supplier. The point is he has no interest in doing what I do and enjoys that I am moving his branded products around the world. After his 40 years in the business, he get excited at some of his brands slowly becoming know in countries like Australia, and the UK, not to mention the US etc.

But the audacity of someone trying to save $10 on a $100 item by going thru what he did is deplorable and to think that eBay assisted him so readily and easily is what p*%ses me off.

deltone · ‎10-29-2003

Don't blame you one bit Amber, as it's pathetic. What a loser, and yes, for ebay to readily give out your information is so wrong!

catseye* · ‎10-30-2003

I have my cell phone on file as my phone #. Since I rarely answer it, I screen the messages.

I've only received ONE eBay related phone call, and that was an invitation to Voices.

*JMHO* - to be taken with a grain of salt!

amberwoodottawa · ‎10-30-2003

I am going to use a line that I reserve for sending and receiving faxes that has no answering / voice mail system attached.

While I can answer it, it wont cause me the same concerns as having the other line publicly available for eBay to freely give out to whoever in the world wants it.

treasure-pot · ‎10-30-2003

Amber, that will likely get you suspended if a buyer tries to make a legitimate call to you and finds that it is a fax machine and reports it.

Just so you are aware.

Like catseye, I use my cell phone number and check for messages daily. It provides security while meeting contact registration criteria.

Bill

Bill