topic Re: Account restricted in Selling

Account restricted

barbora9 — Wed, 29 Nov 2017 12:29:30 GMT

Hi I have a problem and need some advise from a computer expert. My account has been restricted for providing the customer my email address. Now I understand you are not supposed to do this it's a big no no.
My problem is that I never provided my email address, I replied to a question from a customer using my gmail account but still through the eBay message system for some reason the time stamp that is put on all emails has put my personal email address in. Talking to eBay they say that's not supposed to happen but its still my fault. Am I right in saying I don't control this part, that eBay are responsible because I used the correct way to respond? Really upset that I have been restricted for what amounts to be a tech fault but eBay are just not understanding and are saying it does not matter you are still banned. Is this fair? What options do I have? I can prove all of my claims with screenshots to show what happened. Why are eBay being so stubborn? Really need someone's help as this is costing me $1000s at this time of year. Thx matt

Re: Account restricted

lyndal1838 — Wed, 29 Nov 2017 12:56:18 GMT

If you have been restricted for providing your email address you might as well just grin and bear it and sit out your suspension. It is usually a week.

I have never heard of anyone being able to overturn a suspension in these circumstances.

Re: Account restricted

barbora9 — Wed, 29 Nov 2017 13:51:55 GMT

Not the point, it's there system that put my email address in not me, so no I'm not letting it go. I've lodged paperwork to make a claim against them in the small claims court, I talked to a computer expert and he assured me that because eBay supply the platform for me to reply it's there fault if my email address is transmitted as I can't see this until after the email is sent basically saying I will no longer be able to reply to my messages as I will get banned again how do I get around that then? Do you see what I mean if I don't get it fixed it's just going to happen again

Re: Account restricted

barbora9 — Wed, 29 Nov 2017 14:01:58 GMT

Can somebody that's understands how email time stamps work please help. I don't need to be told to let it go because I did nothing wrong it's a moral thing now also so commentS of that nature won't be helpful

Re: Account restricted

barbora9 — Wed, 29 Nov 2017 14:10:48 GMT

Good thing to come out of this is I have stated the process to sell on amazon hopefully they respect there customers more than eBay

Re: Account restricted

clarry100 — Wed, 29 Nov 2017 19:05:56 GMT

I'm sorry to hear this has happened to you.
But I'm unclear how your personal email address has cross pollinated into the eBay message system.
If the buyet question came in thru eBay and you responded via there as well I'm not understanding how this could happen.

Re: Account restricted

barbora9 — Wed, 29 Nov 2017 19:46:12 GMT

Me too I don't know either I explained that it was from mobile phone and maybe I was on a mobile vpn when I replied. But you can clearly see the email address in the time stamp which the ebay message system is not supposed to do that. I have explained everything to eBay provided proof and they still blame me but anyone who knows how time stamp work you know it does this after I press send. There is know way of me knowing that it was going to happen until it sent the email it's very simple something stuffed up but it certainly was not me. Thx

Re: Account restricted

barbora9 — Wed, 29 Nov 2017 19:54:42 GMT

It does not matter now I've got the paperwork together and am taking them to the small claims court for a broken contract . I have a computer expert who will testify I had no control over the incident and it was a software failure as well as a lawyer willing to help out for free I will let independent people decide who's right and who's wrong because I'm 110% sure I'm right. I have eBay every opportunity to fix. I have all this in proof from eBay as they have agreed with me to a certain point but they still blame me.

Re: Account restricted

kopenhagen5 — Wed, 29 Nov 2017 22:30:57 GMT

For starters you have not been talking to eBay.

It is a contracted company using a call centre in the Phillipines.

So they go by a script and often can't override the automated eBay system. (Suspension given)

Secondly it is also possible the reason you were given (email address in messages) may not be the real reason and simply the closest standard form that was presented as the reason. (Just replying to a request of email addy can trigger a warning without email addy being in the message)

If you have actually sighted the email addy in the recipient's message within the time stamp then that is a different story and is probably as suggested an eBay temp glitch.

As far as taking action against eBay, that will be very difficult because if you read the conditions you signed up for to use eBay, I think you will find that eBay relinquish all responsibility due to site and internet glitches. And as for the suspension, I also think eBay will be able to show the procedure of the system has acted in accordance with what you have agreed to when you signed their T&C's.

Re: Account restricted

barbora9 — Wed, 29 Nov 2017 22:33:20 GMT

Yep that's cool but by giving out my personal email address they have also broken Australian privacy laws which prevent this without my consent

Re: Account restricted

barbora9 — Wed, 29 Nov 2017 22:43:20 GMT

People are pretty much saying give up not going to happen you signed there agreement but that does not mean that I'm protected by aust consumer law as I'm a paying client and eBay are offering a service which I pay to use, they are the ones that have broken the agreement by not providing the correct support to fix the issue. It does not matter where they are located because they trade in Australia they are subject to our laws. I thank everyone for there responses. It looks like this is a first meaning the problem has never happened before it's about time someone stands up to them! Just because they are large does not mean you can't win that's the beauty about Australian justice still not like the states where money wins.

Re: Account restricted

kopenhagen5 — Wed, 29 Nov 2017 22:58:52 GMT

I understand what you are saying but the internet is somewhat different.

eBay and all other intenet sites conduct their business via servers, providers, Windows etc.

So your case may not even be against eBay.

It is also possible some cookies or a virus on your computer has caused a one of problem making it very difficult to pinpoint.

The burden of proof lies on you if you are going to action and that may be near impossible to find.

How laws apply to the internet is not the same and is still being tested.

Even though you may want the current laws to apply, unfortunately they don't necessarily when it's online especially if it is caused by technical issues.

Re: Account restricted

barbora9 — Wed, 29 Nov 2017 23:06:57 GMT

thats cool I will still try, I've lodged complaints with the privacy board and the ACCC and I just need to lodge my small claims summons with the court. Worst case I waste my time and there's but someone needs to do it might as well be me. Also talking to the paper about getting a story together they seem pretty keen as the amazon thing happening in Australia they see it as a good story for people on how eBay treat there sellers hopefully that happens publicity would be the best thing for me and bad for them. The band only for 3 days but it's not the point I had no control over this happening and eBay have acknowledged that yet the ban stands that's just plain silly.

Re: Account restricted

barbora9 — Wed, 29 Nov 2017 23:07:51 GMT

* is only for 3*

Re: Account restricted

clarry100 — Thu, 30 Nov 2017 00:02:37 GMT

Well I do wish you well in your endeavours. I agree that sometimes they need to be taken to task over some things.

I would invite you to come back to this thread and let us know the results/progress.

It would be good to see "David" win up against the "Goliath" for a change.

But for my money I'd say you would be pushing the proverbial uphill with a pointy stick.

Re: Account restricted

phorum_junkie* — Thu, 30 Nov 2017 00:25:40 GMT

Also talking to the paper about getting a story together they seem pretty keen as the amazon thing happening in Australia they see it as a good story for people on how eBay treat there sellers

If you think ebay is biased in favour of the buyers wait until you see how Amazon treat their sellers!

Re: Account restricted

barbora9 — Thu, 30 Nov 2017 01:15:40 GMT

Haha the grass is not greener over the other side that's for sure but the papers love a story like this. I know what you mean but if I can waste there time like mine I will see that as a win. Just turning up to court will cost them money. I'm under no illusions but that does not mean I will give up. Just going to stand my ground as it's more of moral thing now. Cheers for the reply

Re: Account restricted

chameleon54 — Thu, 30 Nov 2017 03:07:16 GMT

I understand that you are upset, but if you are really losing thousands of dollars as you say, You will be cutting off your nose to spite your face by getting ebay off side. Ebay wont even notice or care if it loses one more little seller, ( theres plenty more lining up to take your place ) but you will lose thousands of dollars in sales.

Unfortunately if you are going to sell on ebay or any other major internet platform you need to develop a very thick skin and adopt a fairly low care factor. If you get upset every time a buyer rips you off or ebay disrespects you, you simply wont be able to continue on the site as the stress will drive you nuts.

Re: Account restricted

barbora9 — Thu, 30 Nov 2017 03:20:24 GMT

Hi I totally agree you could not have said it better. My only issue is if this happened to me once what's stopping it happening again like I've said before it's a software issue and I don't control any of that because it's just weird I've used eBay's message service for years and no problems and then all of a sudden my personal email address shows up in the time stamp that eBay are supposed to edit out. I've still using the same email address and phone to do it from nothing has changed at my end at all. I'm too scared to reply to a customer now because if it happens again they will ban me for longer. Do you see what I mean? Unless eBay actually listen it's just likely to happen to me again. I don't control there message system or the gmail platform so what do I do? Gmail aren't going to bother with my complaint so I'm stuffed either way. Unless you can think of an answer for me

Re: Account restricted

digital*ghost — Thu, 30 Nov 2017 09:07:17 GMT

@kopenhagen5 wrote:

As far as taking action against eBay, that will be very difficult because if you read the conditions you signed up for to use eBay, I think you will find that eBay relinquish all responsibility due to site and internet glitches. And as for the suspension, I also think eBay will be able to show the procedure of the system has acted in accordance with what you have agreed to when you signed their T&C's.

I agree that it would be difficult, but a site glitch is one thing, a decision eBay makes surrounding the result of a site glitch is something else, and wouldn't actually fall under anything where they have reliquished, declined or diminished responsibility, because a site glitch is an unpredictable event, the suspension may have been automated when the email was detected, but the decision to uphold the suspension was a deliberate decision / action. It would be the same as - for example - a site glitch causing a double charge for a postage label and then eBay deciding not to refund for the overcharge. They may have no responsibility for causing the overcharge (nor any responsibility for financial stress that arises as a result), but they definitely have a responsibility to refund or credit the overcharge. Though, that's a little more clear cut than this case, I suspect.

The only logical reason I can think of for eBay to take that path would be if they thought there was an exploit being deliberately abused that can result in email addresses being embedded into the timestamp. I've honestly never seen that before (I've seen them in signatures that people have set up, but nowhere else unless manually typed in by the member).

As others have said, I wish you well on your endeavours OP - am very curious about how it goes.