posted on January 29, 2001 07:31:09 PM new
Interesting new feature. Sounds like eBay is really cracking down on potential private sales...
***Preview to Upcoming Changes to Email Address Request and Ask Seller a Question Features***
In a few weeks, we will be changing the "Email Address Request" and "Ask Seller a Question" features on eBay. We are doing so based on community concerns about email address harvesting (also called "collecting" and the resulting unsolicited, commercial email (spam). Spam-related issues are a top cause of customer complaints and we are dedicated to fixing the problem. In addition, these changes will give us the opportunity to inform you about eBay's policy regarding offers to buy and sell outside of eBay based on information obtained from eBay listings or bidding activity.
If you are not involved in a transaction with the other eBay member, the new Contact an eBay Member and Ask Seller a Question features will allow you to send email to other users through an email forwarding system. In compliance with our Privacy Policy, eBay will not store a copy of your message and will not read these emails.
These changes will not affect how sellers and bidders in successful transactions email each other. In closed listings, sellers and winning bidders will still be able to request each other's email addresses. In open listings, sellers will be able to request all bidder email addresses as they do today.
For a preview of the upcoming changes as well as Frequently Asked Questions, please enter the following link into your browser:
http://pages.ebay.com/community/aboutebay/spam-preview.html
Please note that the changes will happen first on the U.S. site and will follow in upcoming months on our international sites.
DO you mean to tell me that were I to list an item for auction, that then NO ONE receives my email addie UNLESS they win the auction, AND that all the dozens of fake questions about items for auction, which I've received through the years would substantially REDUCE in number, due to the steps pranksters must take to remit same?
hmmmmmmmmmmm......
Will they then, REMOVE the Find-Members part of the search page where you can get email addies for the userids??
posted on January 29, 2001 09:08:22 PM new
Now let me get this straight...the folks' who can't keep their site up and running are going to be forwarding emails back and forth between seller and potential bidder..No wonder they added extra fees for the 10 day auction, we will all have to have 10 day auctions just to have a chance to see those forwarded email!!!!
Sorry, but I don't have much confidence in EBAYs' technical expertise.
Can't wait to receive my first forwarded email...USPS will probably be quicker
posted on January 29, 2001 09:20:02 PM new
I told you so ..............
Before everyone goes freakin out, unless I've missed something, eBay will still allow you to use your email addy as your User ID, and/or post your email addy on your auctions.
posted on January 29, 2001 09:23:57 PM newthe folks' who can't keep their site up and running are going to be forwarding emails back and forth between seller and potential bidder
Ain't that the truth. Ebay thought of that, too, and specifically mentions that they've done everything possible to assure their email servers stay up.
HaHaHaHaHa
So far no mandates to change IDs to non-email addies, or remove email/web site links. Wonder how long that'll be?
posted on January 29, 2001 09:33:07 PM new
Well, this will certainly stop us from getting SPAM mail through our ebay addresses. A plus in my books.
I get emails all the time with questions about my items with NO subject, NO item number, etc. So now no one can email me questions without me knowing what item it is they are referring to. Another plus.
As far as private emails between sellers & buyers, just put your email addy in your auction. I'll be leaving mine just the way they are - I actually like this new idea.
Actually, it's not a *new* idea, this is they way YAHOO's email works between buyer & seller...
posted on January 29, 2001 09:38:37 PM new
So this means we will have no way to check whether the email addresses are the same for shillers?????
I wish that they would require ID to sign up. I think the pranks would be cut way down, if the pranksters and the fake bidders knew that ebay knew their real identities via credit card!
posted on January 29, 2001 09:39:04 PM new" eBay will still allow you to use your email addy as your User ID, and/or post your email addy on your auctions."
Reddeer, this will be the real test, won't it?
If they are truly trying to control SPAM, then it will be up to us individually whether or not to make our email addresses accessible to anyone.
If, however, their true intent is to stop off-eBay sales, then they will outlaw our keeping the addresses available.
posted on January 29, 2001 09:43:28 PM new
Now this would be a priority for eBay! A company who in the near future intends to create revenue from creating lists of user E-mail for sale or for distribution among eBay approved partners would gain a lot by making it harder to "harvest" the information for free. Why should a potential partner pay for something they could get for free? The harder eBay makes it to get that information, the easier it is for eBay to then use that as a selling point on a potential business partner. I can hear them now discussing how beneficial it would be for a company to gain that kind of list. Remember, eBay is always up for bid to the highest bidder. The bottom line is normally the final answer.
posted on January 29, 2001 09:49:49 PM new
I had my preferences set to "don't notify of updates"...however, some really considerate little ebay programmer (who knew that I really didn't mean it), set my preferences to "please notify me of updates".
Gee! Wasn't that sweet? I mean if it's unsolicited email from ebay, it can't be SPAM, right?????
posted on January 29, 2001 09:54:38 PM new
I'm with glasshat...
I can understand some of the concerns posted here re spamming, but,this feature is ALSO one of the tools that are needed to catch any shillers!!!
If you have EVER been a victim of either shillers, or those wonderful shield bidders, you would quickly learn to appreciate the ability to pull a users info even if you are NOT the high bidder!!!!
We all know that this kind of action happens 1,000's of times daily on eBay, and some don't seem to care, but when a seller screws someone over, that is one less buyer that I have available!!
LEAVE these features alone eBay!!! And has Maui has proven , we KNOW you read these boards!
JMHO
Keith
I assume full responsibility for my actions, except
the ones that are someone else's fault.
posted on January 29, 2001 10:02:09 PM new
But Glass, don't you SEE? EBay said that changing the prefs of a million users from "do not receive" eBay ummm spam to "do receive" was jus' a leetle mistake on their part. And I'm SURE that this new policy will go werry smoothly, and that emails from anyone inquiring about auctions needing further info to bid will get through like CLOCKWORK. They surely won't have any umm technical difficulties with that, or create a potential hacker scenario where a proggie requesting IDs can choke the eBay system into submission... Aren't you? As for changing your ID from a UserID to your email addy, ummm, since anyone can cruise Bay's site without being registered- it's either spam from those who can get your addy from eBay by converting your username or spam from people who aren't registered with eBay who can get your email addy if you use it as your ID...
posted on January 29, 2001 10:03:06 PM new
I asked in another thread if anyone thought eBay is going to disallow our putting our email addresses in the auction description, as I always have.
posted on January 29, 2001 10:03:29 PM new
So the stoopid shill bidders are easier to catch by seeing the email addys, you'll never know when a pro does it. That's a fact.
posted on January 29, 2001 10:11:18 PM new
WEll - so far, nobody on the DNF board has been successful in changing the ID to their email add-- the system rejects the @ symbol-- What a joke! We're going to "donate" bidders and seller info to a HUGE data base - so ebay can harvest the data - and make mo' money......the joke's on us!
Of course, we are the very same people who pay the government .34 to deliver checks representing tons of money......LOL!
posted on January 29, 2001 10:11:54 PM new
Sorry reddeer[ I guess I was referring more to pulling the bidder/seller info, rather than just e-mail addy...altho I have caught some REALLY stupid shillers JUST with e-mail addys!!
I didn't read the whole eBay spin on this, but I am curious...will "non-winning bidders" still be able to pull user info, or is that JUST reserved for the seller, and the high bidder?
Keith
I assume full responsibility for my actions, except
the ones that are someone else's fault.
posted on January 29, 2001 10:17:59 PM new
ubiedaman
I've known about this new feature for several weeks & I've had lots of time to pick it apart piece by piece. In the overall scheme of things I see it as a big plus to all users.
You will still be able to pull *anyones* User Info, but the email addy will not be included. The person *requesting* the contact info will have *their* email addy given to the requestee, but the requestees will not be given out.
posted on January 29, 2001 10:22:45 PM new
whyizzit
Just changed my User ID to my email addy with one of my non selling User Id's.
No problem ...........
Congratulations! Your User ID has been changed from "xxxxx" to "[email protected]". To alert other eBay users of your new look, a "shades" icon will appear after your User ID for 30 days. During this time, your old User ID will be "embargoed." No one else will be able to use your old User ID until the 30-day period has expired, and your current auctions
and other eBay activity will be updated immediately to reflect your new User ID.
posted on January 29, 2001 10:26:10 PM new
The amount of spam I receive that 'might' be from 'harvesters' getting my info off ebay is NOTHING compared to what I get from visiting other sites. I've never received any email that would be considered auction interference .. or sent any for that matter.
Since when has ebay given a #$%& about what their users want? This has NOTHING to do with avoiding spam and everything to do with keeping sellers and bidders from closing deals outside of ebay!
What a crock!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I have a memory like a steel trap .. unfortunately it's rusted shut!
posted on January 29, 2001 10:26:46 PM new
I have to say that I would much rather that they stop users (other than buyers/sellers after the sale) pulling your contact info.
Although, it can be inconvenient, you can dump an email address a lot more easily than you can change your phone number.
posted on January 29, 2001 10:33:33 PM new
Tuition
I've never received any email that would be considered auction interference .. or sent any for that matter.
Hey, good for you! But THOUSANDS of users have.
What, you don't think bottom feeders exist on eBay? The reality is that eBay AND legit sellers lose mega $$$$ each & every day because of spammers who use honest sellers [who pay to list their items] auctions to make sales.
posted on January 29, 2001 10:38:03 PM new
Oh, my! What to do, what to do?
I have always had my email address in my text, and buyers frequently email me during an auction with legitimate questions; never has one emailed me through eBay.
But I really believe that, further down the line, eBay is going to forbid addresses in the auction, as if anyone who does such a thing is trying to get around their (eBay's) commission. I've always done it for my customers' convenience, thinking that if they have to stop and go through the process of getting the address, they'll just wander on away ("come back to it later".
But if I change my user ID, even just to add the email address, then the one my customers are familiar with is up for grabs!
and the resulting unsolicited, commercial email (spam). Spam-related issues are a top cause of customer complaints and we are dedicated to fixing the problem. In addition, these changes will give us the opportunity to inform you about eBay's policy regarding offers to buy and sell outside of eBay based on information obtained from eBay listings or bidding activity.
, we KNOW you read these boards!