eBay Alarms Sellers with Warning about Contact Info

by: Vegasannie

Yep...also received it. We have zero outside contact information and no "barcodes" within our listings.

by: toolguy

OK, who wants to rat me out?

Under my shipping tab you will find my phone number!

It's been there for 15 years. . .

by: sellerchick

I got one too! How ridiculous to encourage "phone calls." Nobody talks on the phone anymore. I haven't spoken to a customer on the phone in 19 years!

by: eXtinctBay

''All transactions must start and finish on eBay, which makes our platform even safer for buyers and sellers...''

Sure it does (LOL). They do not want to lose (or cannot afford to lose) a sale to anyone outside eBay / PayPal, so any numbers in the listing will be now construed as contact information.

Reminds me of the old joke about the Wal-Mart clerk who was fired for asking about an onion (because it sounded like he said ''Union'').

by: OnlyPollyPocket

Amusing that ebay is encouraging sellers to provide a phone number so that buyers can will have an "easy, secure way to communicate" when ebay makes it nigh onto impossible and then fruitless for it's customers (sellers) to contact it.

by: papertrail

I received an email from eBay yesterday saying some of my listings contain contact information or links. My listings do not and have never done so. I replied to the email asking eBay to give me an example of one of my listings that contain contact information or links. I have not received a reply yet.

This debacle is even worse than the poorly thought out and implemented now defunct seller defect system. Isn't anybody at eBay listening - this implementation is incredibly ill thought out and will cost eBay both sellers and buyers.

by: pace306

Once again - eBay bucking the trend

Amazon just recently started including a buyers phone number to sellers to that they COULD communicate with them about the sale.

I guess Amazon isnt as insane about loosing sales as eBay is.

Fred Flinstone
1807 Pebblestone Road
Bedrock
Phone : 867-5309

"Customer phone number privacy
This phone number is provided for shipping labels only. Please refer to Amazon Services Business Solutions Agreement and Prohibited seller activities and actions for details on appropriate use of customer personal information. "

Amazon trusts its sellers, eBay does not.

eBay thinks everyones a thief - just because they are .... how sad

by: FeelingFroggy

Ebay is run by a group of PARANOID IDIOTS from the state of California. What would one expect from these flakes.

As for the email we also got one of them. The delete button works just fine for this nonsense.

Ebay wants us to update our phone number with them.. We sent them the same number we have used for years. You know ebay the one that is connected to our security alarm system. The one where the phone is on mute and stuck in a cupboard so no one knows if it rings or not.

We practice the same thing you do. WAIT FOR IT. to ring.

The whole Ebay ship is sinking faster than the titantic. On a good day ebay is lost in the fog.

WAKE UP WALLSTREET...

by: b86fiero

Horrible idea by eBay!!!!

A few years ago I sold a hair styling gel to a young man.  I shipped it the same day I received his payment.  He received it 2 or 3 days later.  

He contacted eBay, said he had a question for me, and eBay gave him my home phone number.

That guy harassed me continuously day and night for almost 2 weeks.  He called all hours of the day and night.  Same question:  "Will you (have sex with) me?"  Only he used the F word.  I notified eBay, the local police and phone company.

My mother-in-law was in intensive care at the time after undergoing emergency heart surgery and my phone number was her primary emergency contact for all of her doctors, the medical labs, family, friends, etc.  I could not change the number until my hubby and I had compiled a complete list of everybody we had to notify.

by: RL15

Easiest way to solve the problem, buy a burner, use that number, and never turn it on.

by: toolguy

Off topic make you feel good video:

Paul Harvey ~ So God Made a Farmer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7UBj4Rbq3ZI

by: lessthanthreerecords

If the "@" symbol is used anywhere in the listing, that may set it off.  It did for me several years ago, and wouldn't even let me list the item.  I was listing a CD that had the "@" symbol as part of the album title.  So, I used that symbol in both my listing title and description.  I received an automated message about not listing contact information (which I didn't).  I called eBay to find out what the issue was.  They said that their system was programmed to assume that any use of the "@" symbol was an e-mail address (again, this was years ago, so I'm not sure if this is still the case).  My issue was that this CD had 2 different pressings.  The first pressing was extremely limited and very valuable (at the time it was going for about $500 in the rare instance that one came up for sale at all).  The newer pressing was much more common and less valuable (I think I was asking $20 or $25).  The first pressing used the word "at" and the later pressing (which I was selling) used the "@" symbol.  So, if I used the word "at" instead of "@", a buyer may think they're getting a $500 CD for $20.  I explained this to eBay, but as expected, they didn't care.  I sold it elsewhere... eBay's loss!

by: eXtinctBay

TO ADD:

I learned very quickly that selling online and phone calls do not mix. The tone can become combative and accusatory very quickly.

20 years ago, I had a buyer contact me via phone to return an eBay item. It was accurately described, and he insisted that it wasn't. By screaming at me over the phone. I told him he could send the item back if not happy.

He then told eBay I promised him free return shipping and a $10 additional refund for his troubles (this was a remorse return). What a mess.

The lesson here is that while a buyer can ''place words into your mouth'' on a telephone, they cannot do this in an e-mail message. In the very few times since then that I have received a phone call, I have told the buyer (in a professional manner) to please send their questions through eBay Messages for the protection of both parties.

This applies to both questions AND problems with / about an item. In fact, in a couple of cases the buyer never pursued the return any further!

by: Volvo351

Funny, it's BEEN a violation of stated policy from the Get-Go. I had to stop selling, or rather, listing, one item b/c a competitor had contact info all over his listings, including email and phone, with specific instructions to 'call before bidding to make sure you're purchasing the correct item.' I reported this guy numerous times over a period of years. The Filipino's did nothing, of course. I pointed them to the seller's numerous spam, redundant listings with the contact all over them. They admitted there were 'violations' and said they'd refer the matter to 'Trust and Safety.' Another worthless bunch of Do-Nothing's. Anyway, I couldn't sell and cover the feeBay/PayPig rake-off and match this scumbag's off-site price, so I had to give up. So much for the 'level playing field' and a 'safe' place to sell, eh?

So, now they're interpreting bar codes in the UK and elsewhere that don't share the US's 10-digit format as telephone numbers? BTW, someone please ask Devil Wingnut if his "artificial intelligence' is doing this. My guess is that it's GENUINE ORGANIC stupidity!

by: toolguy

A blast from my past on this forum:

http://www.ecommercebytes.com/C/abblog/blog.pl?/comments
/2009/6/1245249191.html/5/80

Back then my handle was: Ebay Pays My Bills

What caught my eye was how I wanted extended auctions back in 2009

by: Geetar

Stealing is only allowed by ebay. YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO STEAL FROM THE THIEF'S!

by: iBuyers

We sent the eMail to Spoof@eBay.com and got the reply stating it was not sent by eBay.
Regardless, we all should know since this did not come to through Member to Member, it would be false.

by: Snapped

It's not paranoia.  

People really ARE so fed up with the eBay Way (surprise du jour), they would rather deal direct.  Ethically, not necessarilly with any given current offering, but any potential subsequent is unencumbered until launched.  

There was a time when this was not so.  The pre-simian era, before the natural marketplace was trashed to artifically inseminate it with 'intelligence', eBay was a fine place to meet.

Thus, the cherry on top of eBay Way hypocracy, and yet another counter to their justification of increased 'certainty' guarantees in all things transactional, reveals itself in the vast number of false accusations of 'prohibited attempts to redirect buyers away from the venue', followed by immediatly applied sanction lacking due process.  It must be difficult for them to have to lose the ad space on your yanked listings that they used to ...redirect buyers away from the venue.  

It must also be difficult for them to realize they can't stop a seller from adding contact data to any 'receipt' accompanying a shipment, with invitation to peruse options.

That's assuming new-normal eBay obfuscation - or this latest self-defeating 'enhanced security measure for your own good(s)' - hasn't precluded the sale in the first place.

by: comments

I received the same notice and I do all communication though ebay. I always insist all messages go though ebay and even when sending buyers an offer I use the "send buyer an offer" though ebay message feature. If someone wants to call me it is usually to ask for a better deal outside ebay and I would never do that.

by: maxmad

ha ha, too funny,,,

We ship all ebay items, with loads of our company info, phone number, address's, website links, and discount coupons for ordering direct , our new customers love it, and they never return to ebay.

I have no loyalty or respect for ebay, just like they have none for me.

and quite frankly if they are so bent on hiding  sellers from the customers, then maybe they should actually stock something and ship it out themselves. problem solved.