Changes to Buyer Requirements: you can no longer block sellers who haven't been phone verified

[countessalmirena]

A non-posting member has alerted me to a recent change in Buyer Requirements which hasn't been announced. There's one discussion of these changes on the eBay US boards, and a discussion of the changes on eCommercebytes - but bear in mind that the changes for eBay US members are more sweeping than the changes for eBay AU sellers (so far).

The only change I see when go into Buyer Requirements in my account is that the following has been removed:

---

Buyers who haven't gone through phone verification

☑ Block buyers who haven't gone through phone verification.

      ☐ Only apply this block to buyers who have a feedback score of  ☐  or lower.

 When blocked buyers complete phone verification, they'll be allowed to bid on or buy your item. Learn more about this requirement.

---

For eBay US buyers,  the changes appear to have removed the option to block buyers with no linked PayPal account (not an option for AU sellers anyway? - and with the forthcoming payment system change to Ayden, that was always going to be changed), buyer with negative feedback (I have to agree this was an obsolete option), buyers with policy violations (this may be of concern if it happens here), and buyers who aren't phone verified). From a reply given by an eBay CS rep to a US seller whose buyer requirement to block sellers based on country may possibly have been changed without his/her knowledge (with the reply giving him/her a whole world of added woe):

“This shows what got removed/changed:

We removed the option of blocking buyers who don't have linked PayPal account. Buyers increasingly want to use other payment options that are also safe. Limiting payments to only linked PayPal accounts negatively impacts on opportunities for sales.

We removed the option of blocking buyers with negative feedback because buyers are no longer able to receive negative feedback from sellers. This made it an outdated option.

We removed the option of blocking buyers with policy violations as eBay’s risk and security teams have evolved the process of tracking buyers with policy violations. This made the option obsolete.

We removed the option of blocking members who are not verified as eBay’s risk and security teams have evolved the process of tracking risky buyers. This made the option obsolete. Seller's who were choosing it were inadvertently blocking newly registered users from whom there was no risk.”

It would be well worth sellers keeping an eye on their Buyer Requirements page, to see if anything else is quietly changed.

Currently, the Buyer Requirements page (for me) is showing as:

Select requirements  

    Important: Select buyer requirements carefully - they may reduce your selling success. The requirement(s) you select will be applied to your current and future listings, except as noted. eBay encourages you to learn more by visiting the Buyer Requirements Help page.    

---

Buyers with Unpaid Item strikes

☑ Block bidders and buyers who have received   ②  Unpaid Item strike(s) within   ⑫   month(s)  

This requirement can help you avoid bidders and buyers with a history of not paying for the items they have agreed to purchase.

---

Buyers in locations to which I don't post

☑  Block buyers whose primary postage address is in a location I don't post to.  

This requirement can help you avoid buyers who agree to purchase your items without realising you don't post to their location.

---

Buyers with policy violation reports

☑ Block buyers who have   ④  Policy violation report(s) within   ⑥  month(s)  

This requirement can help you block buyers who have been reported to have violated eBay policies.

---

Buyers with a negative feedback score

☑ Block buyers who have a feedback score of   -1   or lower.  (Not really relevant any more, as buyers cannot be given negative feedback, but tick this anyway.)

This requirement can help you avoid buyers who have received more negative than positive feedback from other eBay members bidding on your item.

---

Buyers who may bid on several of my items and not pay for them

☑ Block buyers who are currently winning or have bought    ③    of my items in the last 10 days.

        ☐ Only apply this block to buyers who have a feedback score of    ⑤    or lower.

Consider selecting this requirement if you are selling expensive items and don't want to sell over a certain number to any single buyer. Learn more about how this requirement works.

---

☑ Apply above settings to active and future listings.

Existing bids will not be affected.

Turbo Lister will pick up these settings after you sync each item with eBay. Third-party listing tools will pick up these settings after you synchronise the tools with eBay.

☑ Don't allow blocked buyers to contact me. (Buyer won't see the "Contact Seller" button on your Q&A page.) Note: Buyers can still contact you about existing transactions, unless you add them to your blocked list.

From the eCommerceBytes page, one comment in particular gave me a grim laugh on behalf of eBay sellers: "... eBay’s risk and security teams have evolved the process of tracking risky buyers."

I guess being a comedian is part of the job description for the executives at eBay.

I understand that the option to block phone verified eBay users was being used - and recommended - as the only way to block newly created accounts designed to

• circumvent existing blocks,
• be a prank/nuisance,
• wreak "revenge" buys/negative feedback, or
• destroy a competitor using a fake unlinked anonymous buying account.

I don't see how eBay can possibly have "evolved the process of tracking buyers risky buyers" in those cases. The most destructive sort of people who were using those means are well versed in covering their electronic footprint - hiding ISP, deleting cookies, using separate anonymous email address, etc. - and unless eBay's Trust and Safety people have demonstrably more power to identify anonymous individuals than any other online merchant company, the statement is sheer legerdemain when everyone can SEE the rabbit in the hat.

[davewil1964]

I suspect that eBay no longer formally (or informally for that matter) apply policy violations to buyers. As such, there would be no point in keeping the block. Except to make sellers think they were protecting themselves.

[countessalmirena]

Davewil, you draw a grim but believable picture. Perhaps sellers have indeed been strutting around thinking that they were safe from policy-violating buyers, only to hear one small voice, ""But he hasn't got anything on."

That would mean that eventually the entire "town" of eBay sellers would cry out in a great swell of lightbulb enlightment, "But we haven't got any policy-violating buyer protection on!"

[brerrabbit585]

A friend of mine recently reported an overseas member for malicious buying (changing their primary address to bypass blocks that should have stopped overseas buyers) and when she rang ebay she was told that the buyer would get a policy violation for it.  The buyer must have got one because they weren't happy about it when they contacted my friend.

[*tippy*toes*]

I just came here looking to see if there was a post about this. My items are low risk items, but I have listed a high risk item. It received its first bid yesterday to a buyer registered the day before. It has 15 watchers on it and it ends tonight. It was listed during the fee free promo. The type of item it is I expect it to sell without having to relist it.

I checked my blocks and noticed that the unverified option was gone. Therefore, I have no idea if this person is legit or not. Do I let the auction run as is, or do I cancel the bid? The buyer has bids on 4 other high risk items of the same type.

Ebay really need to get off the crystal meth. They have completely lost the plot this time!

[*tippy*toes*]

Just to update. Less than an hour until the auction ends. More people have bid so hopefully the 0 FB newbie has given up (they did increase their bid twice before others joined in). They may have been genuine, but who would know with that block being removed.

I need to sell more high risk items. Hearing the kachings going off is really cool!