eBay

azalea4va · ‎02-29-2024

I have been on ebay for 20 years. I have not sold anything recently but last week created a sales listing. The ebay website indicated before posting the listing I had to verfiy myself. It asked for an ID. I have now been through the ID verification process probably 10 times and each time I get back "We couldn't verify your identity. Please review the info you provided and upload the required documents". I call in asking a simple question, what is wrong with the ID I submitted. Each time they say with an air of certainity what the problem is but new submissions addressing the supposed problem still get rejected. I have been told a corner was missing from the picture, the background color was wrong, I need to submit a picture taken with camera instead of a scanner, I submitted on a day whose name ended in "day", etc. The ID I am submitting is a Global Entry card which I repeatedly have been told is OK and it better be, it is more secure than a driver's license.

What a **bleep** system. How can I contact a human who actually can help with the problem. Regular customer service reps do not help and even those they pass the issue on to also are of no help. I am not a users of X or facebook so those are not options.

monica-sells · ‎02-29-2024

"...The ID I am submitting is a Global Entry card which I repeatedly have been told is OK..."

by whom?

A Global Entry card proves your membership, and it can be used to access Global Entry travel lanes whenever you fly. However, this card isn’t accepted as ID verification. It’s important to have your Known Traveler Number and passport or lawful permanent resident card to hand when using a Global Entry kiosk.

azalea4va · ‎03-01-2024

Thank you for your replay but let me clarify some things about Global Entry cards. In answer to your question, when I called in to ebay, multiple agents said it was accepted.

But to reverse the question, you say isn't "accepted as ID verification", who does not accept it? Global Entry complies with all REAL ID requirements. In that sense, it is a better ID than some drivers licenses because all drivers licenses are not REAL ID compliant. GE does NOT also have to be used in conjunction with a passport to prove identity. Passports are only needed for international travel, a situation where neither a GE nor a drivers license is sufficient. Otherwise, if just a drivers license is required then a Global Entry can be used instead.

As an ID, GE has the advantage over a drviers license or passport in that it is less valuable to identity thieves. That is why it is a better alternative for sharing with entities like ebay, where one must always be concerned about hacked personal data.

monica-sells · ‎03-01-2024

I stand 'corrected'

After some research and a well placed phone call, the GE card can be used for identity verification. The only caveat is, unlike a drivers license or passport, the entity requiring the identity verification has the option to accept or not accept it as a 'valid' form of ID.,,,

(it is not globally accepted for verification, but can be based on the entity)

So, if ebay claims that the GE is an acceptable form of ID verification, the problem must lie elsewhere, and not the ID.

lacemaker3 · ‎03-01-2024

@azalea4va,

A Global Entry card only shows that you are allowed to enter the USA, through a lane with expedited customs and immigration clearance. It doesn't provide proof of your citizenship or residence status. eBay needs to verify your identity as a seller for tax purposes, to fulfill the IRS requirements of being able to report income. A Global Entry card doesn't do that.

Even when entering the US with a NEXUS or SENTRI card, you may still be asked to show a passport, green card or enhanced drivers license, which do provide the needed proof of your status to live in the USA. Most US citizens probably have an enhanced drivers license, which is REAL ID compliant.

Here's what you need to provide to eBay as proof of identity when you are registering as a USA resident (with a registration address in the USA). FYI, eBay has also been asking sellers to provide an SSN or TIN when their sales get close to $600 in a year.

https://www.ebay.com/help/selling/getting-paid/registering-seller?id=4792#section1

azalea4va · ‎03-01-2024

I do not believe some of the information is accurate. Where NEXUS and SENTRI are acceptable for entry in the US, one does not need to supply a passport. To quote the CPB (emphasis is mine).

"U.S. citizens can present a valid: U.S. Passport; Passport Card; Enhanced Driver’s License; Trusted Traveler Program card (NEXUS, SENTRI or FAST); U.S. Military identification card when traveling on official orders; U.S. Merchant Mariner document when traveling in conjunction with official maritime business; or Form I-872 American Indian Card, or (when available) Enhanced Tribal Card."
To restate in another way, for Border and Homeland Security purposes, anywhere a drivers license proves identity, a GE can be used instead (but not the reverse).

Also, given the ebay standards you quote, it says a government issued ID is acceptable. Global Entry is not just an ID, it is a high grade ID because it conforms with all the REAL ID standards. There is no official national entity card, but GE is a government issued id. From wikipedi (and stated many other places, emphasis mine).

"More recently, various trusted traveler programs have been opened to the public in the United States, including TSA Precheck, SENTRI, NEXUS, FAST (Free and Secure Trade), and Global Entry. With the exception of TSA Precheck, which provides a unique “Known Traveler Number”, these programs provide photo IDs issued by the Department of Homeland Security and are considered national photo IDs. "

azalea4va · ‎03-01-2024

I might need to clarify the above quote from CPB. Some cards (Nexus, ...) allow entry without a passport. In most cases, GE does not. But neither does a regular drivers license. There are enhanced drivers licenses, which is not the same things as a REAL ID drivers license, that can be used in place of a passport.

lacemaker3 · ‎03-02-2024

@azalea4va,

Just having a Global Entry card is not necessarily enough to enter the USA. It just means you can use the expedited lanes or the shorter lines at the airport. Even with a NEXUS card you may still have to present a passport or green card as well. If the officer asks for it, you smile and hand it over. That has happened to me more than once, although usually just the NEXUS card is sufficient.

The states are in the process of changing driver licenses and identifications card to either REAL ID or Enhanced (a higher security level). In my state (and most or all states, I believe), it is expected to be complete by next year, so probably most USA citizens have either a REAL ID or Enhanced driver license by now.

If eBay is not accepting your Global Entry card, that suggests that they need something else from you. Why not submit your state-issued driver license or identification card, from where you live, instead. Experience has shown that those documents are readily accepted.

When you talked to customer service by phone, it sounds like they were giving you the standard check list of issues that could go wrong when submitting a digital picture of your documents. I don't think they are trained or authorized to determine if a less-common document would be acceptable, in place of the standard documents that are requested.

azalea4va · ‎03-02-2024

I agree with you about GE alone can not get one into the USA. "Some cards (Nexus, ...) allow entry without a passport. In most cases, GE does not. But neither does a regular drivers license" (I should have clarified Nexus, et are not sufficient except coming in from slected countries). And I already answered why I am not using another ID. "As an ID, GE has the advantage over a drivers license or passport in that it is less valuable to identity thieves. That is why it is a better alternative for sharing with entities like ebay, where one must always be concerned about hacked personal data."

I will have to choose between just not listing on Ebay or submitting another form of ID. I did find an email address for the executive in charge of the "customer experience" and am awaiting a response.

lacemaker3 · ‎03-02-2024

@azalea4va wrote:
@lacemaker3 wrote:
@azalea4va,

...

If eBay is not accepting your Global Entry card, that suggests that they need something else from you. Why not submit your state-issued driver license or identification card, from where you live, instead. Experience has shown that those documents are readily accepted.

...

... I already answered why I am not using another ID. "As an ID, GE has the advantage over a drivers license or passport in that it is less valuable to identity thieves. That is why it is a better alternative for sharing with entities like ebay, where one must always be concerned about hacked personal data."
...

That's one possible explanation. Another explanation that suggests itself, is that you do not have a state-issued driver license or identification card (whether standard, REAL ID, or Advanced) because you don't actually live in the USA, so you don't have an ID card that proves USA residence.

...
I will have to choose between just not listing on Ebay or submitting another form of ID. I did find an email address for the executive in charge of the "customer experience" and am awaiting a response.

Please, let us know how that goes, and keep us informed and up to date.

FYI; your most recent feedback:

https://feedback.ebay.com/fdbk/feedback_profile/azalea4va

azalea4va · ‎03-05-2024

Here is the requested update. Yes, one possible explanation is I lied and "do not have a state-issued driver license or identification card (whether standard, REAL ID, or Advanced) because you don't actually live in the USA". I do thank you for your constructive comments but I do not believe calling me a liar was called for. And no, I am not an eBay "pro" with lots of activity. I just use it sporadically when I have something I no longer need and what to sell it, or I am looking to buy something for which eBay offers a signidicant price or availability advantage. But for the activity I have, I have a 100% rating.

After writing to corporate, I got the following response.

eBay must collect identification information that proves a seller lives in the respective state that they are selling from. While global entry cards are broadly accepted as government issued ID’s, they do not satisfy all the criteria eBay must adhere to (such as the INFORM act of 2023). For this reason, we only accept the previously mentioned documents as acceptable identification to sell on eBay. I would recommend completing the verification through your account, and uploading your state ID, drivers license, or passport.

Which is interesting because they claim the reason for rejecting the GE is because it does not prove my state of residence but they do accept a passport. But a USA passport contains no information about one's state of residence either, so in that respect it is just like a GE card.

My verification attempt using my passport (USA) was sucessful. This whole incident leaves me less confident than ever that eBay can adequately protect my PII from being stolen from eBay.

tobaccocardyahoo · ‎03-05-2024

@azalea4va wrote:

My verification attempt using my passport (USA) was sucessful. This whole incident leaves me less confident than ever that eBay can adequately protect my PII from being stolen from eBay.

Which was totally consistent with Ebay's published requirement for ID verification. And highly likely that the human or bot which reviews ID verification would be using as criteria for approval.

You cannot assume that any "clarification" of Ebay policy provided by Customer Service is other than an opinion. You cannot assume you can substitute anything for the documents published in the help information.

@lacemaker3 quoted and provided the link to the reason for your problem, early in this thread.

lacemaker3 · ‎03-05-2024

@azalea4va,

I'm glad that you got this straightened out in the end.

@azalea4va wrote:

...

After writing to corporate, I got the following response.

eBay must collect identification information that proves a seller lives in the respective state that they are selling from. While global entry cards are broadly accepted as government issued ID’s, they do not satisfy all the criteria eBay must adhere to (such as the INFORM act of 2023). For this reason, we only accept the previously mentioned documents as acceptable identification to sell on eBay. I would recommend completing the verification through your account, and uploading your state ID, drivers license, or passport.

...

That's pretty much the same as I said in my first reply, although admittedly I was not specific about the legislation eBay has to comply with. I did not call you a liar, I just gave another possible explanation, one that has sometimes turned out to be the case with other sellers.

eBay sometimes requests other documents in addition to the primary ones. For example, some sellers have reported being asked for a copy of a utility bill in their name and address. Perhaps this is done when a seller cannot or does not provide a state license or ID card showing their current address. Or, in some cases, they may accept the address on the bank account.

azalea4va · ‎03-05-2024

"@lacemaker3 quoted and provided the link to the reason for your problem, early in this thread."

And that quote said this (emphasis mine)

"

We accept the following forms of valid identification:

Driver’s license
Federal or state-issued ID card
Passport

"

The GE card is a photo id issued by Homeland Security (ie., the Federal Government). EBay may or may not choose to honor it, but it does fit the description of a photo ID card issued by the Federal Government. And the GE card is widely accepted widely as a photo ID (to get a boarding pass, NC nows requires a photo id to vote and it satifies that requirement, to gain access to federal facilities that require an ID, to get a drivers license in NC, to get a bank account at Well Fargo, the post office, etc).

tobaccocardyahoo · ‎03-05-2024

@lacemaker3 wrote:

eBay sometimes requests other documents in addition to the primary ones. For example, some sellers have reported being asked for a copy of a utility bill in their name and address. Perhaps this is done when a seller cannot or does not provide a state license or ID card showing their current address. Or, in some cases, they may accept the address on the bank account.

I suspect that this occurs when the state license or ID does not qualify as REALID.

Among the requirements in my state for a REALID license is a utility bill.