eBay Forcing you to give your checking account with routing number and Social Security number

[loriv8473]

Forcing you to give your checking account with routing number and Social Security number . I am not a big seller I just sold a few things I never used that I had then eBay locked my account AFTER selling some stuff saying I had to update my account. I refused to give my private information. I called eBay and of course I was tossed around from one person to another. I asked them why PayPal doesn’t ask you that kind of private information they allow you to use your bank card like a credit card and do two small deposits with one withdrawal to verify. If you are a business they only require your EIN number.  Never do they ask you for your private information. Brittany from eBay the last woman I was talking to said well PayPal is a Financial company and a eBay is a market place. Ok so that supposed to make me feel comfortable giving Them my private information? That is supposed to tell me it’s Secure to do so? I had to ship the stuff I sold to the people because I’m not a jerk but eBay won’t give me my money. I told Britney I was deleting my account she sent me the link. Once I know the people received what they purchased ( because I’m honest)  and want to make sure they got it even though it cost me money. I WAS a victim of fraud twice. My SS# was stolen and it ended up freezing my tax returns and the second time I had my bank account drained. I was told by the police to NEVER give your SS # out other than in person and never give your routing # out unless it’s in person or a government site which have very high security and Only if you need to exp: direct deposit tax return. I have never given it out since. There is NO good reason eBay needs that. They have documentation they took the sales tax out. Personally I think anyone that got ripped off by eBay and they will not give them their money back need to get together and sue eBay. 

[mam98031]

@loriv8473 

Just a little pet peeve first.  FYI The use of paragraphs makes your post enormously easier to read.

I think some of your issues are from misunderstandings and BAD information given to you by others.  Let's see if we can help you to better understand what is going on here so that you can make an informed decision using the facts not gossip on whether or not you should register for MP or just move one.

First:  Routing numbers are public information.  There is nothing secret about a bank's routing numbers.  You can get them just by searching the internet for them.  Often times a bank, on their home page will tell you what the routing number is for that bank.  This is not a closely held secret at all nor has it been.

You can apply for an EIN if you want to so that you don't have to use your SSN.

https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/apply-for-an-employer-identification-n...

You gave this information to include your SSN to PayPal so that you could act as a seller on Ebay.  The collection of SSNs or EINs is a requirement by IRS for money processors.  I respect that you are protective of your SSN and for good reasons.  The answer for you may be to apply for an EIN.  That would resolve that issue for you.

@acrc3113 brought up that Ebay gains "unfettered access" to our accounts that are attached to MP.  That is not something Ebay or MP has said, that is what some posters have assumed and started stating that on various threads.  Granted MP does gain permission to remove money from your bank account to satisfy a refund that was processed on your MP account but that does not translate into "unfettered access".  It is just a normal thing for money processors to be able to do.  

You will find that all sites of similar to Ebay have their own money processing programs.  Ebay is actually the last of the bigger sites to even implement this.  The others did it years ago.  

If you have other questions, ask.  It is ALWAYS better to make an INFORMED decisions with the FACTs than it is to take bad advice and gossip as the way things might work.

[mrdutch1001]

well, what works for some sellers, doesn't necessarily work for others...

There are choices and there is life beyond eBay...

Not all eBay sellers are large volume &/or business sellers so eBay's MP system is not necessarily the right fit for their online selling needs.

I have not been a larger volume seller for about 10 years now...and MP is not something I shall be engaging in...

Left Etsy when Etsy payments (Adyen) was forced onto sellers there and will do likewise with eBay....

However, I prepared for this move from eBay... over 2 years ago, I did my research & chose an alternative site -  a smaller, lesser known site which still allows PayPal only accounts...

Much depends on the time & effort a seller puts into a site, as well as their expectations, but most importantly

It's all about the product, its uniqueness, quality not quantity, supply & demand, target market,etc.

2020 was an average year for sales for me here on eBay as a casual seller...Comparing eBay sales to my other site =My other site brought in  3/4 as many sales as did eBay, so never underestimate the capabilities of some of those smaller, lesser known sites.

There is life beyond eBay!...There is more to online selling than eBay, Amazon, Etsy, and others that do have their own payment systems...

Competition/competitor sites don't have to be big to make a difference ...buyers go to where they find what they are looking for by using their own criteria...

There are choices and each seller needs to do what is best for them and their online selling going forward.

[tdrake]

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@loriv8473 wrote:

 I was told by the police to NEVER ...  ...and never give your routing # out unless it’s in person or a government site which have very high security and Only if you need to exp: direct deposit tax return.

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Every time you write out a check you give the routing number and your bank acct number as well as your bank name, your name your address and a sample of your signature to whoever you give the check to and whoever they give your check to.  

The police where you live should have to be qualified to give out financial advice.

[donsdetour]

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@maxine*j wrote:

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@loriv8473 wrote:

... I was told by the police to NEVER ...  your routing # out unless it’s in person or a government site which have very high security...

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Really?  Ignorant cop, then.  Bank routing numbers are not confidential information.  They're printed on every paper check (along with your account number) and if you don't have a paper check handy, you can just look up any bank's routing number on-line.  Absolutely public and easily accessible info.

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LOL you left out the treasury department and other government hacked sites lately....

[mrdutch1001]

Many folks don't have checking accounts, &/or no longer need checks or write checks...

this is 2020 ...I haven't written a check in years, have no need for it...

[coastaltechsolution]

Most people HAVE checking and Savings accounts but you are correct and that most do not write checks. Most use ATM/Master Money cards and Credit Cards, but the banking institution will always give you your checking/routing information whether you write checks or not.  

[mam98031]

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@mrdutch1001 wrote:

Many folks don't have checking accounts, &/or no longer need checks or write checks...

this is 2020 ...I haven't written a check in years, have no need for it...

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Well some of those "many folks" don't have checking accounts because they can't have checking accounts.  And some of them don't want checking accounts because they don't want to have anything that might provide IRS with any transactional proof of income.  There are many reasons for not having or not wanting to attach a checking account.  Some good reasons, some shady and others just because it makes them nervous.  It is a mixed bag with a variety of reasons.

[gwens*4saleitems*]

This is 2021

I still write out a check when I want to pay for something that requires a payment other than a credit or debit card or ACH. Just because you don't do some activity, doesn't mean no one else does/doesn't.

[southern*sweet*tea]

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@gwens*4saleitems* wrote:

This is 2021

I still write out a check when I want to pay for something that requires a payment other than a credit or debit card or ACH. Just because you don't do some activity, doesn't mean no one else does/doesn't.

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We still pay some bills via check, because that's the only way for us to pay them. Our garbage bill and our water bill are two examples. It's either pay by check or go to town and pay in cash. It's a whole lot easier just to mail a check every month (quarterly for the garbage bill.)

[chapeau-noir]

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@calntom wrote:

Kind of off-topic.....

Of all the changes over the years, MP is going to be the one that really thins the herd. Culling sellers by MP is not going to hurt eBay's bottom line because there will still be more than enough sellers that are selling the same products, just fewer part-time sellers. 

I have noticed a reduction of competitors over the last 6 months and I am able to raise my prices on certain items. 

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There's that, too.

[nuvistors]

MP will cull the herd of  possibly shady sellers that do not want their income taxed.

[coastaltechsolution]

I thought my little city was slow at getting things done but I have been able to pay my Sewer/Water/Refuge bill online for the last 12 years 

I wrote a check to my State for some permit a year or so back but before that I could not remember the last time I wrote a check, but I do have a checking / savings account , 1 set for personal and 1 set for business such as MP  

[calntom]

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@mrdutch1001 wrote:

Many folks don't have checking accounts, &/or no longer need checks or write checks...

this is 2020 ...I haven't written a check in years, have no need for it...

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I think a savings account would suffice. Just seems like most folks would have some sort of bank account to deposit checks or cash checks. 

[acrc3113]

I am still not giving them all of that unnecessary stuff that would make me a prime candidate for identity theft again. I would expect them to behave in the way that PayPal did, but in MP they are not. I have no faith in Ayden. The small sellers are being driven out, between eBay's unreasonable demands, fees, and shipping costs. This used to be a great venue to buy and sell vintage stereo stuff, woodworking tools, and parts. I will still buy here when I find something that I need or want, but I'm done with selling on this site. I feel empathy for the sellers I buy from.

[mam98031]

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@acrc3113 wrote:

I am still not giving them all of that unnecessary stuff that would make me a prime candidate for identity theft again. I would expect them to behave in the way that PayPal did, but in MP they are not. I have no faith in Ayden. The small sellers are being driven out, between eBay's unreasonable demands, fees, and shipping costs. This used to be a great venue to buy and sell vintage stereo stuff, woodworking tools, and parts. I will still buy here when I find something that I need or want, but I'm done with selling on this site. I feel empathy for the sellers I buy from.

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Then you will be happy to know that it is NOT "unnecessary".   Without the checking account info, they can't transfer your money to you.  Without your SSN, they can't comply with the Federal Laws as set forth by IRS.

They are behaving as PP has.  PP required your SSN too.  And if you transfer funds to your bank, they have your banking info as well.  

Ebay is not driving out small sellers.  80% of all sellers are small sellers.  

Fees that various sites charge vary.  Some are lower than Ebay, but likely don't offer the exposure or traffic that Ebay does, some are higher than Ebay, it is a mixed bag.  So you just have to run with what works for you and what you sell.  For me I sell on three sites and have for many years.  

Ebay doesn't set shipping costs.  The carriers do.  

@acrc3113