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.

[muttlymob]

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@wickedwolfauto wrote:

I don't think ebay is out of the line asking these questions.  It's no different than an employer asking for a Dr. Note.  

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Unless the absence is work-related, job site injury or illness, a doctor's note should not require revealing the diagnosis.  Just the doctor's authorized statement that the employee was not capable of going to work.

[jeannicho22]

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@klightcustoms wrote:

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.

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I guess I look at it completely differently than you do...

Your account was suspended because your seller standards were not met.... PERIOD  It doesn't really matter the whys or whos or the whats.  For whatever reason, eBay has chosen to give you another chance.  If you give them specific information they will reinstate your account.  Since selling on eBay is not a god given or constitutional right and merely asking you for your medical information is NOT a violation of HIPAA, you need to decide..... give them what they've asked for, or don't sell on eBay anymore.

https://www.hhs.gov/hipaa/for-individuals/guidance-materials-for-consumers/index.html

[n3g_sales]

You're the kind of person I would befriend. Articulate, reasonable, critical thinking skills, common sense AND classy. All the thumbs-up to you!

[soh.maryl]

It seems to me that a valid document, like a hospital bill with dates, should be enough to prove the OP's claim.

I do not see any reason at all for eBay to need to know the REASON for the hospitalization.

[soh.maryl]

I do not see it as eBay's right to know your diagnosis so that they can determine whether or not this diagnosis is of a recurring nature and might hinder your ability to be a good seller.  Frankly, I see that idea as so far fetched as to be ludicrous.

[soh.maryl]

My interpretation of the OP's problem is that he willing to provide eBay with the dates that he was hospitalized, he just does not see any reason why they need to know the diagnosis.

And saying it's because eBay will evaluate whether or not his medical prognosis will affect his ability to be a good seller is just ridiculous.  eBay does not ask new sellers if they have any conditions that could mean they won't be a good seller.

[soh.maryl]

Equating a hospital stay to a vacation is so ridiculous that I cannot even begin to reply to your post.

[soh.maryl]

You don't care who knows your medical history.  Fine.  And I am sure there are others who feel the same.

But the OP obviously is not in that group.  And that's fine also.

[soh.maryl]

So why can the OP not have his/her rights as a seller reinstated by giving eBay the dates she/he was hospitalized?

Why would eBay need to know the reason for the hospitalization.  It's not like being in the hospital is a "vacation" as at least one other poster has suggested.  

[dhbookds]

Understand that Ebay doesn't have to give anyone a 2nd chance........op got canned, not because he was sick, but because he didn't set up ways to handle his store if and when he got sick.  Ebay gets to make the rules under which he may be reinstated.......  simple as that....... 

[shre-98]

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@soh.maryl wrote:

You don't care who knows your medical history.  Fine.  And I am sure there are others who feel the same.

But the OP obviously is not in that group.  And that's fine also.

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Then the Op needs to decide if they really need to be here.

Being asked for the reason for the hospital stay isnt that unreasonable. There is a huge difference between being hospitalized for bleeding hemorrhoids and being hospitalized for something truely debilitating.

[3eyedfishcatcher]

HIPAA is a law against your care providers from handing out your personal information with out your consent. It does not mean you can not be requested to provide proof of your illness or length of care in a claim situation like this. If you missed work your employer would request the same information and it would be justified. You waited over a year to call ebay and straighten it out. When you went into the hospital you could have called them and had your account placed on hold yet you continued to take money from buyers with no ability or intent to ship them their items. While you do not think this is serious it really is. While they do want some proof of your hospital stay that will probably be the least of their concerns. If they do decide to let you sell there will most likely be restrictions while you prove you can be trusted to send the items you sell and that they will be in the condition you said they would be in. For the lack of a simple call to them to have them enable your vacation settings, end your active listings, and refund the buyers who made purchases from you there will be requirements placed on you, Even if you could not take the time to call them you at least could have had a friend or relative ship your items and manage your listings till they all ended or go ahead and end them for you. Really there was a lot of things that could have been done that for over a year you did not even make a attempt to straighten out.

[pburn]

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@shre-98 wrote:

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There is a huge difference between being hospitalized for bleeding hemorrhoids and being hospitalized for something truely debilitating.

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You've apparently never suffered from bleeding hemorrhoids.

[pburn]

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@gramophone-georg wrote: 

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

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I've gone through this thread again, and I don't see that any of the blues ever responded . . . is that correct? Or did I overlook the response?

[gramophone-georg]

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@pburn wrote:

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@shre-98 wrote:

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There is a huge difference between being hospitalized for bleeding hemorrhoids and being hospitalized for something truely debilitating.

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You've apparently never suffered from bleeding hemorrhoids.

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I'll say!