Ebay asked to know my medical condition in order to get back my "restricted" account

[klightcustoms]

Hello all, was an EBAY original great feedback and member since 2001. Here is the deal. Basically, I was hospitalized in 2017 and was there for a year, discharged in 2018. We all know Ebay standards policies etc. and how they work. I had some items for sale and some had sold and some were still listed when I was admitted into the hospital. My account was permanently restricted to purchasing only, no more selling allowed due to "selling standard was not met". ACCOUNT WAS PERMANENTLY BANNED?! Due to the complaints I received by the buyers during the time I was incapacitated. I called EBAY (march 25, 2019) to explain the situation why I was unable to fulfill the orders (refunds were made) (items were canceled). Anyways to the point, I call to get back on EBAY I am healthy and ready to go again and they tell me in order to be given back my privileges I needed to provide them the reasons why I was hospitalized. I dont know where EBAY is these days, but in the USA there is something called The HIPAA Privacy act, Rule etc. National standards to protect individuals' medical records and other personal health information. ... It establishes appropriate safeguards that health care providers and others must achieve to protect the privacy of health information. EBAY has no right to ask for the personal reason why I was in the hospital nor need that information, they are EBAY not the FBI. SO For anybody that makes a living off of Ebay make sure you are able to keep up your selling standard in the hospital or in a coma because unless you tell them that private information you will not be reinstated. Not worth it to me. I think it was disrespectful. You may disagree.

[emerald1830]

So how can they know you are telling the truth? If every restricted seller can just call Ebay and say they were in the hospital and expect the lifts, then we would have a surge of hospital related excuses..

Not saying you are lying but if I have a chance to earn a living on Ebay and they are requesting the info, I would be getting all the paperwork ready and be thankful they might give me a chance..

[slippinjimmy]

Is there a specific section of the HIPPA legislation that you feel applies?

[castlemagicmemories]

First, sorry you had such a lengthy hospitalization and thank God you are better now.

But actually this isn't meant to disrespect you.  The HIPAA Privacy Act does not preclude you from divulging this information to eBay, it simply prevents those entities that you mention from doing so.  

It's a reflection of society today as to why they ask this information.  Otherwise, anyone who is suspended or restriction would claim they were incapacitated, whether or not they really were.  

I understand how you feel.  I was asked for a letter from the funeral home, stating I attended services, when a relative passed away out of state.  I had worked for this company for many years, and my integrity was unquestioned, and I felt that this cast doubt on that, but it was standard policy.  Through the years, I have seen others claim a death of a parent, sister, whomever, only to have the individual call the company or drop in.  

If you want to sell, you need to give them what they have asked for, and what they are asking you for is standard as others have stated on this Board.

[gramophone-georg]

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@emerald1830 wrote:

So how can they know you are telling the truth? If every restricted seller can just call Ebay and say they were in the hospital and expect the lifts, then we would have a surge of hospital related excuses..

Not saying you are lying but if I have a chance to earn a living on Ebay and they are requesting the info, I would be getting all the paperwork ready and be thankful they might give me a chance..

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I think that asking for proof that you were in hospital is perfectly reasonable. Wanting to know the exact details is a bit out there. I don't think it's unreasonable for the OP to prefer not to say WHY. What matters is the proof that there was indeed a hospital stay.

[gramophone-georg]

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@castlemagicmemories wrote:

First, sorry you had such a lengthy hospitalization and thank God you are better now.

But actually this isn't meant to disrespect you.  The HIPAA Privacy Act does not preclude you from divulging this information to eBay, it simply prevents those entities that you mention from doing so.  

It's a reflection of society today as to why they ask this information.  Otherwise, anyone who is suspended or restriction would claim they were incapacitated, whether or not they really were.  

I understand how you feel.  I was asked for a letter from the funeral home, stating I attended services, when a relative passed away out of state.  I had worked for this company for many years, and my integrity was unquestioned, and I felt that this cast doubt on that, but it was standard policy.  Through the years, I have seen others claim a death of a parent, sister, whomever, only to have the individual call the company or drop in.  

If you want to sell, you need to give them what they have asked for, and what they are asking you for is standard as others have stated on this Board.

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Sure, but were they also asking you for the specific details of the cause of death? I bet not.

[klightcustoms]

My medical reasons are my business. That is the point of HIPPA. Im still allowed to buy, give them credit card info for listing fee's which makes no sense, and they basically told me a buyer can complain enough to get any seller banned if they wish but they would hope the "ebay community wasnt that kind of community" ...the best I can explain the way the broken english. It is what it is. I get your point, I do get your point I am just telling my experience.

[klightcustoms]

You would be comfortable supplying them paper information (faxed) of your very private medical condition to EBAY? You can share with anyone you'd like but for them to NEED to know the reason for reinstatement I was told is unwarranted.  Especially when youre banned/restricted for inactivity/low selling standards for 2 to 3 months. 

[klightcustoms]

Thank you for your kind response but in today's world as you said, in my opinion is to risky to share information with anybody that is not required to have it. If thats what they need, to give me back selling privileges then I am comfortable not selling as my privacy is more important. Knowing EBAY is not only in California they are small palces all over the world. I dont want my info there. My situation is not Ebays need to know, Thanks again for the well wishes.

[klightcustoms]

They didnt ask for proof of admittance. They asked for the physical reason. Papers saying I was there and discharged was not good enough they needed to know WHY I WAS THERE. 

[klightcustoms]

By the way to be clear, they would not take papers of proof of admittance there and discharged. They asked for reason why, diagnosis. 

[8uiboti_0]

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@klightcustoms wrote:

SO For anybody that makes a living off of Ebay make sure you are able to keep up your selling standard in the hospital or in a coma because unless you tell them that private information you will not be reinstated. Not worth it to me. I think it was disrespectful. You may disagree.

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I do...

Several years ago I was told by a doctor I needed to go to the hospital ASAP because my white blood cell count was well above even infection-fighting levels.  So get this: I specifically asked that doctor if I could drive myself and the doctor said "yes" and I had to work on containing myself so relieved I was, you know why?

Because first thing I did was drive home, put my account on vacation and put a stop to all selling (thankfully I don't think anything had sold was waiting to ship), then I grabbed my tablet and my UID and password (and a few other things, I packed a small bag in case I had to "stay")...

Which I did, I spent 4 days in the hospital...

Let me put it this way:

I forgot to pack underarm deodorant.

But I did NOT forget my ebay account...

I specifically made SURE of that, it was the first thing on my mind when that doctor told me I needed to go to the hospital.  That is simply how important this ebay thing is to me.

You can call me the Kool Aid drinker or the cheerleader.

[gramophone-georg]

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@klightcustoms wrote:

They didnt ask for proof of admittance. They asked for the physical reason. Papers saying I was there and discharged was not good enough they needed to know WHY I WAS THERE. 

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Yes, I think that's a bit invasive of privacy... @Anonymous , can you help this poster? This just doesn't seem right. Thanks!

[myboardid]

Frankly, in the 21 years I have been using eBay and posting on the community forums, you are the very first person who has been indefinitely suspended, who has even been offered a way to get their account reinstated.  Everyone else has simply been out in the cold forever. 

I hope you are permanently healthy, that everything else is going well for you.  I'm sure you can live without this particular eBay selling account. 

[castlemagicmemories]

Wow, that's dedication!