Blocked Buyer

[ocnj14]

This vendor has blocked me from bidding for no reason.

I am a long time Ebay customer with a perfect record.

I would have paid more than the highest bid (sold) amount.

No response from vendor.

[lmc_auctions]

The buyer is on my buyer exemption list. Also I don't have any settings blocking buyers for unpaid item strikes. The buyer didn't message me. He sent me a message as a feedback. You might be able to view it if you click on my link. I then sent him a message and he is able to reply to my messages. 

What is odd is, that all my regular customers have disappeared. He is the only one that was able to reach me by leaving a message in my feedback. I plan on contacting my other regular customers via messages tomorrow on eBay. I'm going to see if they have the same problem.

[lmc_auctions]

The other thing that I find very odd is that the original poster on this listing stated that his sales dropped dramatically starting September 10th. That is the same day that my sales dropped also. This particular customer was always bidding everyday on my auctions. The last day that he placed a bid on any of my auctions was September 9th. 

[2btnfjr6]

Ebay's policy allowing sellers to block anyone for no reason seems to be a bit like  allowing a landlord offering to lease an appartment, seeing the person at their door and deciding they don't want to rent or lease "for no reason." Blocking without a reason can be a cover for all sorts of personal biases a seller might have against other people. IMO, ebay should require anyone blocking a buyer or seller to give a valid reason for doing so. If a landlord tried something using ebay's policy, they could be in court in a heartbeat.

Ebay's policy on blocking gives bigots of all stripes cover to discriminate on the mere suspicion they may not like who the buyer is or is not.

[ebooksdiva]

@2btnfjr6 

I block people who ask a lot of questions that can be answered by merely reading the description.

I block people who send me ridiculous lowball offers.

I block people who have received 2 unpaid item strikes in 12 months. 
I block people as well as remove feedback from buyer who like to leave false feedback.

I block people who post lame comments in this forum. 
I can go on and on.....
You don't like that sellers have a right to block whomever they choose for whatever reason they chose, tough! eBay gave us that to protect ourselves from buyers we chose not to do business with. 

[evry1nositswindy]

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@ebooksdiva wrote:

@2btnfjr6 

I block people who ask a lot of questions that can be answered by merely reading the description.

I block people who send me ridiculous lowball offers.

I block people who have received 2 unpaid item strikes in 12 months. 
I block people as well as remove feedback from buyer who like to leave false feedback.

I block people who post lame comments in this forum. 
I can go on and on.....
You don't like that sellers have a right to block whomever they choose for whatever reason they chose, tough! eBay gave us that to protect ourselves from buyers we chose not to do business with. 

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We have so few seller protections, so this one is very important!  I agree with all of your reasons.  I also block people who cancel orders or open a return.  Most of the people on my blocked list are people who react poorly to the [correct] answers they are given here on this forum!   

[2btnfjr6]

I never said a seller doesn't have a right to block, only that they should give a legit reason.

[ebooksdiva]

I too block for order cancellation and returns.....part of my I can go on and on ..statement lol. 

[ebooksdiva]

Sellers don't have to give a reason, plus when you are blocked that means messages are also blocked. 
Sellers can't be blocked the way buyers can. 

[2btnfjr6]

Ebay creating a policy doesn't mean the policy is ethical or legal. Allowing a seller to block someone for no given reason can create situations where a seller suspects that someone is from an ethnic group they don't like, someone who they suspect may have political views different from their own, can be a cover for all sorts of discrimination.

Refusal to provide service is legal although there are conditions that have to be met to make that refusal legal, and that dear reader should require a reason. Would you have a problem if you walked into a store and was told to get out without being told why?

[ebooksdiva]

Brick and mortar stores and online sales are two entirely different venues. You can't compare the two. Your argument isn't valid. 
Sellers don't block because of ethnicity, sellers have no way of knowing what your ethnicity is, it really doesn't come into play here. Again your argument isn't valid. 

🖐️

[mudshark61369]

@2btnfjr6,

 Is your post because of the seller who told you in a reply to the negative feedback you left them, that you were blocked?  If it is then you should know that 99.9% of sellers who receive negatives, block the buyers who leave them and some of the ones who leave neutrals as well.  If you had written that to me I would have blocked you in a hot second.

You should know that since ebay stopped buyers from receiving negative feedback in `08 all of them have a 100% rating. Which means that your reputation is based on the feedback you leave for other sellers.

[jg.mason]

As a landlord, I don't need to give anyone a reason for not renting to them.

[2btnfjr6]

Oh? Your arguments are less valid than you think. Sellers can and do make assumptions about the people they encounter, sight unseen.

A username may indicate someone's likes/dislikes, ethnic background and other matters some might find distasteful and block them. Blocking someone who sends you a question you don't like may be your right, but I guess you may not like the old saying attributed to Carl Sagan that there are no stupid questions... although there are stupid responses.

Again, asking for why someone refuses service to another person is reasonable. Not many years ago, people were often taught to be polite, saying things such as thank you, please and you are welcome for the very simple actions, and responding politely if asked a polite question.

US laws permit saying "no" but do not protect certain situations that can be discriminatory.  Because Ebay says something is a policy, that doesn't mean it is legal or ethical.

You may disagree. That said, I'll take care never to bid on any item you list because it seems you have a problem with being asked for (polite) explanations.

[2btnfjr6]

Nope. When a transaction isn't all that great, I don't buy anything from that person ever again. His telling me I was blocked was a public way for him to pretend he wasn't at fault in anyway. Otherwise, why bother telling me not to bid/buy from him again when I have no intention of it anyway and under no circumstances?

I've had over 700 transaction as a buyer on Ebay. In most cases, I leave some form of FB that doesn't ding the selller. Usually I don't leave any feedback at all when a seller could have done better in someway. I've left less than ten negative FB in all of the transactions I've had, and when I have, the sellers have all deserved it.

[youn2240]

I'll make sure not to slip up in court for my eBay blocking what my actual reason was. I'll just have my lawyer say well i dunno my client felt like it for no reason in particular. then counter sue you for emotional damages.