Classified ads allow harvesting of buyers' personal info

[kozushi]

Has anyone noticed Ebay classifieds are used to collect personal data by shady sellers? A new seller can simply open an account, list an item and wait for potential buyers to send their name, home address, email and phone number. They do not need to respond or negotiate. Ebay collects a fee, but does monitor this activity.

I have never used Ebay Classifieds, but a listing popped up while looking for discounts on new Mac Studio computers. One listing was half price by a new seller with no history. I ignored it, but later received notification the listing was ending. Too good to be true at $2000 off, but I was curious. A screenshot seemed to reveal the name of a legitimate small business in Maryland. A tech company that might sell a Mac it doesn't need anymore. I submitted my info and requested authenticity by Apple registration and the seller's real name or business name and contact info. Needless to say, there was no response. The listing ended showing hundreds of potential buyers had submitted their personal info just like me.

The seller remained completely anonymous while Ebay Classifieds facilitated the collection of customer personal data. The seller opened the account last month and has no transactions.  Why would Ebay allow such a risk and why is it suddenly promoting anonymous classifieds through notifications?

[house*of*paws]

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@kozushi wrote:

The seller remained completely anonymous while Ebay Classifieds facilitated the collection of customer personal data. 

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Hi @kozushi 

Isn’t that true of all Classified ads …anywhere?

Do you have any evidence that eBay sellers who advertise in the Classified category are misusing the personal data of members who respond to their ads?

There would appear to be certain risks involved with responding to strangers’ online ads … whether on Craigslist, Marketplace, eBay or wherever.

[kozushi]

Identity verification is up to both buyer and seller. On Facebook and regular Ebay you can at least see seller history before deciding if you want to contact a seller or proceed. The problem with Ebay Classifieds is you must enter name, home address, email and phone number just to ask any question. The seller gets all of that up front, and does not need to reciprocate. At the end of this listing, the seller had hundreds of inquiries for a two month old Mac Studio advertised at $2000 below market value. Any of the hundreds of buyers will take that deal if the listing was legitimate. Further checking on Classifieds shows lots of high value new or virtually new items far below market value being sold by new sellers without history. I posted here to ask others if they can confirm scams or explain why Ebay would create such an opportunity for them.

[janet9988]

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@kozushi wrote:

Has anyone noticed Ebay classifieds are used to collect personal data by shady sellers? A new seller can simply open an account, list an item and wait for potential buyers to send their name, home address, email and phone number. They do not need to respond or negotiate. Ebay collects a fee, but does monitor this activity.

I have never used Ebay Classifieds, but a listing popped up while looking for discounts on new Mac Studio computers. One listing was half price by a new seller with no history. I ignored it, but later received notification the listing was ending. Too good to be true at $2000 off, but I was curious. A screenshot seemed to reveal the name of a legitimate small business in Maryland. A tech company that might sell a Mac it doesn't need anymore. I submitted my info and requested authenticity by Apple registration and the seller's real name or business name and contact info. Needless to say, there was no response. The listing ended showing hundreds of potential buyers had submitted their personal info just like me.

The seller remained completely anonymous while Ebay Classifieds facilitated the collection of customer personal data. The seller opened the account last month and has no transactions.  Why would Ebay allow such a risk and why is it suddenly promoting anonymous classifieds through notifications?

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How do you know that other potential buyers gave their personal information?

[kozushi]

For classified ads, buyers must contact the seller to arrange purchase off site. Even if you want to ask a question, you click the contact button. The contact form requires you to enter your name, address, email address and phone number above your message or question. When the listing ended, I checked to see if there was indication of sale. There was none, but there were 547 likes. Likes does not mean contact, but even if only half the people inquired to buy it, they had to submit their personal info. If there is another explanation how to contact the seller without sharing the personal date, please let me know.

[kozushi]

meant "data"

[mudshark61369]

@kozushi,

eBay no longer has classified ads they switched them to another online company Adevinta, a little over 2 years ago for a share of that company.  There is info about that in the link below. 

https://www.ebayinc.com/stories/news/ebay-completes-transfer-of-classifieds-business-to-adevinta/

"I have never used Ebay Classifieds, but a listing popped up while looking for discounts on new Mac Studio computers. One listing was half price by a new seller with no history. I ignored it, but later received notification the listing was ending. Too good to be true at $2000 off, but I was curious".

New seller w/ no history + too good to be true price = SCAM. 

"I submitted my info and requested authenticity by Apple registration and the seller's real name or business name and contact info".

When you buy anything from a true ebay seller there is no need for Apple registration, ebay has all of your info that you need already.  Did you actually find the listing on ebay, or on another site with a message in it saying the transaction would be conducted through ebay?

If you have the 12 digit no hyphens,  ebay item number you should post it, so we can take a look at the listing

[kozushi]

Ebay ended "Ebay Classifieds" as a separate site. I never used it. But Ebay now offers "Classified Ads" as a type of listing. I never saw them until now when they appeared in a normal search on Ebay. 

Description below indicates Ebay knows customer information is at risk, but merely trusts sellers not to use it for any other purpose. 

________

When you list an item through an eBay Classified Ad, you state a price, the buyer contacts you, and together you finalize the transaction outside of the eBay platform.

The Classified Ad format is only available in select categories.

How to sell with eBay Classified Ads 

Here’s how to create an eBay Classified Ad:

1. Select Sell at the top of any eBay page.
2. Enter your item details.
3. In Format, select Classified Ad.
4. The duration will automatically set to 30 days.
5. Select List item.

The fees for your Classified Ad will vary depending on the category and duration of the listing. Classified vehicle listings in the United States are intended for dealerships that use a bulk listing tool.

Rules for listing Classified Ads

Our rules for listing a Classified Ad on eBay differ from other selling formats on eBay. For a Classified Ad, we’ll send you the contact information of any interested buyers. You are not allowed to share this information with third parties or use it for any reason other than to get in touch about the item you’re selling—please make sure you’re familiar with the User Privacy Notice.

Sellers who don’t take care of buyers’ information could have their buying and selling privileges limited or their eBay account suspended.

Remember, since Classified Ads are posted on eBay, but the transaction takes place off eBay, you don’t have access to services such as feedback, and you can’t cancel the order if a buyer doesn’t pay.

[drnikhilp]

Dear @mudshark61369 

EBay still has these sort of "Classified Listings"- see two listings from the same seller given below:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/235842960342 (M3 Max 16" 128GB/4TB New @$2300)

https://www.ebay.com/itm/235842956497 (M3 Max 16" 128GB/8TB Used @$2500)

These listings offer a Macbook Pro M3 Max at "too-good-to-be-true" prices from a seller who has an "EBay Feedback score of >1000" but on a closer look almost all of that "EBay Feedback" is from clothing items of lesser price.

I was tempted to explore this but did a bit of searching around before spending that kind of money.

Turns out that EBay "Classified" Listings:

1) Are transacted (completed) off EBay between buyer & seller

2) Do NOT have EBay Buyer Protection

3) As @kozushi has VERY CORRECTLY pointed out (THANK YOU, @kozushi 🙏 !), in order to proceed or enquire about the item, the interested buyer has to contact the seller via email giving their own (i.e. Buyer's) personal info- and the seller is not obliged to even respond!

4) I was thinking that Paypal payment might offer protection but Online fora are filled with people cautioning against sending money in advance with Paypal- they say that the best way is to inspect the item first and only then make the payment- which may not be feasible in most Ebay transactions.

Anyway. I have decided to stay away from both these "Classified" listings- as they say, "if it's too good to be true, it probably isn't!"

THANK YOU once again, @kozushi - your post was just what I needed to make up my mind!
I've posted my two bits here in the hope that it helps someone else too.

[mudshark61369]

@drnikhilp,

eBay's classified ads are still available but not in the computers tablets & networking category. The only categories they are allowed in are:

•  Business & Industrial
  • Building Materials & Supplies > Modular & Pre-Fabricated Buildings
  • Office > Trade Show Displays
  • Websites & Businesses for Sale
• Specialty Services
• Travel (excluding Lodging, Luggage, and Vintage Luggage & Travel Accs categories 

Additionally unless a seller is an authorized dealer of a product like the examples you posted, the Mfr's. warranty will not be accepted by them.  Use the Report item button just above the item specifics, on those listing pages to report them.

[lacemaker3]

@drnikhilp,

Those two listings, compared to the seller's regular listings, look very much like a hacker has accessed the seller's account and used it to post those two listings which definitely appear fraudulent.

I just looked at them again, and both listings have been removed by eBay, which suggests that they were fraudulent, and hopefully the account is or will be back in the control of the real seller soon.

[lacemaker3]

@mudshark61369

Nevertheless, this classified ad was listed in the category for Apple laptops:

[mudshark61369]

@lacemaker3,

I did see that the listings were somehow able to be listed in Computers, Laptops & Networking, I reported both of them earlier for being ineligible for classified ads. Maybe others did the same thing, and that's why they were removed.

I just checked my messages and it confirmed that the listings were pulled. Unfortunately, it also said that AI was used to make the determination. Something it seems ebay is relying on much to often these days.

[kozushi]

The original Apple one-year warranty for computers is transferable when resold. This also applies to Apple Care extended warranties. The warranty terms are dictated by Apple and other brands, not by Ebay.

[albertabrightalberta]

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@lacemaker3 wrote:

@drnikhilp,

I just looked at them again, and both listings have been removed by eBay, which suggests that they were fraudulent, and hopefully the account is or will be back in the control of the real seller soon.

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The listings were removed because the thread is a year old! The listings were from a year ago and no longer show after 90 days.