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. 

[acrc3113]

My house address is public record. My SSN is not. Neither is my driver's license #, cc#s, or my old 201 file. If you have ever had your identity stolen, you might understand. My guess is that it has not happened to you, YET.

[ra_201044]

---

@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.

---

I still write checks also - mainly to save 3-4% on an online auction site vs. paying via a credit card.

It adds up ... 30 bucks saved per 1000.00 spent. At least it somewhat offsets the buyers premium.

[southern*sweet*tea]

---

@acrc3113 wrote:

My house address is public record. My SSN is not. Neither is my driver's license #, cc#s, or my old 201 file. If you have ever had your identity stolen, you might understand. My guess is that it has not happened to you, YET.

---

For a few dollars and a single crumb of information, I can have all of that plus more in the matter of a few minutes.  If you have ever filled out your name or email address anywhere online, all of that info can be bought with a few mouse clicks.

Not saying this to scare anyone, and not saying that people shouldn't be careful,  but it's true. No matter how careful you are, ALL of your info is already out there for the asking if you have ever used the internet.

[mrdutch1001]

I agree there are many reasons for not having/not wanting/not needing checking accounts; just as there are many reasons for not wanting to sign over to the MP system. It's an individual choice to do or not to do...and those sellers who feel MP won't work for them should not be badgered or made to feel that just  because it does work for many sellers that it should work &/or be good enough for others... Sellers have to make up their own minds and be at peace with whatever decision they have to make on MP; whatever that decision it has to be what feels right and/or best for them..

[skatefool]

---

@1tuna wrote:

you remind me of a person that was worried about there house address.I can walk down any street and have a homeowners address.the numbers are posted on the houses.I know all of my neighbors addresses and they do not seem to  mind that I have access to them

I do not think you will be ripped off again with your SS#....what are the odds

keep on selling

---

I'm very sure that your neighbors haven't given you their garage door codes.

[mam98031]

---

@acrc3113 wrote:

My house address is public record. My SSN is not. Neither is my driver's license #, cc#s, or my old 201 file. If you have ever had your identity stolen, you might understand. My guess is that it has not happened to you, YET.

---

MP doesn't always ask for a drivers license.  That is only when they are having problems verifying your account.  Most of us signed up without ever supplying that information.

If you do decide to register, make sure your the name you have your account on Ebay set up under, PERFECTLY matches the name on the checking account you want to attach.  Not even a middle initial or name difference.  They must perfectly match or there will be issues.  If you see there is an issue, it is likely easier to change your Ebay account than it is to change your bank account.  So just do that and then proceed.

And if you don't want to give your SSN, apply for an EIN.

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

[mam98031]

---

@mrdutch1001 wrote:

I agree there are many reasons for not having/not wanting/not needing checking accounts; just as there are many reasons for not wanting to sign over to the MP system. It's an individual choice to do or not to do...and those sellers who feel MP won't work for them should not be badgered or made to feel that just  because it does work for many sellers that it should work &/or be good enough for others... Sellers have to make up their own minds and be at peace with whatever decision they have to make on MP; whatever that decision it has to be what feels right and/or best for them..

---

I agree.  But it when someone is making these decisions with incorrect or incomplete information I try to bring it to their attention.  I usually tell them the decision is theirs and it doesn't matter to me one way or the other.  But I'm of the opinion it is better to make an informed decision.

[tdrake]

---

@acrc3113 wrote:

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 

---

I started selling on eBay in 1997 and found the old school eBay forums a month after that. Probably the first post I read said the same thing. If I had a buck for every post I've read since that said that...

[theteamsetguy]

I totally agree with you. 

A long time ago one my friends who was just starting out as a stock broker told me he could get a bunch of information about me including what my adjusted gross income on my tax returns from the company he bought leads from for cold calling. 

I told him I didn't believe him. Well guess what the next time we go fishing he asks me if my adjusted gross income for the previous year was x. I wrote it down and compared it to my tax returns for that year and it was an exact match.

[yuzuha]

---

@calntom wrote:

---

@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...

---

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. 

---

Most savings accounts have limits on how many transactions you can make a month before they start charging you fees. They're supposed to be SAVINGS accounts, not bank accounts that you use for your regular monetary transactions.

[chapeau-noir]

Plus, I think there's some confusion as to what a checking account actually is. When someone brags 'I never write a check', I think they miss the fact that a checking account is not limited to paper checks - it's simply an account which can be drawn upon by any number of methods for regular monetary transactions. 

[yuzuha]

Yes, that too. My paycheck direct deposits go into my checking account, my debit card draws from my checking account, etc.

[kayzgazebo]

acrc3113 I agree with both you & loriv8473 . I beg to differ w/ the responder about paypal having my (SS) info. I refused to give PP even my last 4 digits. Have continued using PP for over a year without providing that info, funds now go directly in/out of my backup method (a CC), not my PP balance. 

I  JUST returned to selling on eBay after an 8 yr hiatus and got hit with the MP. I have a 20 yr old acct with 100% feedback. I was intending to resume selling in a continuous trickle. I'd be willing to open a new checking acct ONLY for eBay and provide the info for fees, payments, etc ... but eBAY does NOT need my SS# !! There is a huge leap between a designated checking acct at risk vs. my ENTIRE personal digital financial identity and livelihood at risk.

Fine, let them weed out the small sellers as someone pointed out, 'thin the heard', it'll also close the final, small rapidly shrinking gap between eBay as we knew it and the final dive into  massive cesspool of Alibaba scammers and illegal dropshippers. eBay has a TON of new profit $$$ to make on this, so they are "selling" it HARD.

I'll keep my account open (maybe) to use it's established seniority and good status as street cred on a more reasonable platform for my ongoing whopping $1k per year projected gross sales. It's true .. eBay will not miss my measly, minuscule fee profits ... but in turn, it is NOT worth risking my most personal, vulnerable information over it either.

If I were a FT, high-volume seller, I would fully expect to and be willing to participate in a IRS-tethered reporting protocol, but I'm NOT a candidate for that! And they chose not to leave a reasonable place of commerce for us...

... based on principal,  they just lost my business as a BUYER also. I guess all my PayPal buying/selling fees will be continue to benefit PayPal, not eBay. 

[kayzgazebo]

Speaking of bad information ... I have had a PayPal account for 20 years and to this day, have refused to give them my SS# (or even the last 4 digits).  PayPal does NOT have my SS# and I have returned to selling on eBay for the past 3 months (without MP). My PayPal usage (both buying & selling) is restricted to  funds going directly to/from my backup payment method. 

I can still USE my PayPal acct in every way, I just can't use the balance directly, I can only transfer it to my bank acct. PayPal does not and never will have my SS#. 

Perhaps there's a lot of confusion due to different experiences and protocols between people with PP 'business' accts vs. 'individual' accts and eBay 'Stores' vs. small eBay 'seller' accts. I don't know.

[divwido]

Because you are being so ignorant, go look up what a routing number is.  It tells anyone ins banking what bank you use, where you are in the US and THAT'S ALL.

None on can take anything from anyone based on a routing number.

Whoever said Ignorance is Bliss never came to these boards.