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.

[gramophone-georg]

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@pburn wrote:

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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?

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That is correct. Once a blue responds the thread wears an eBay badge.

[jeannicho22]

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@soh.maryl wrote:

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.  

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Because they said so.

I've rarely seen eBay give a seller whose account has been indefinitely suspended given any type of chance to redeem themselves for any reason.  The OP has to decide if what eBay is asking for is beyond their comfort level.  As I said, it isn't really important the whos or whys or whats of why the OP's account fell below eBay's desired seller standards, the fact is they did.  I'm not even saying that I agree with eBay's seller standards, but it is their sandbox.  Don't like it?  Go find another sandbox to play in.

[shre-98]

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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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Nope, just multiple bleeding ulcers and a cluster of mini-strokes, oh and a dog induced broken jaw

[3eyedfishcatcher]

I am not saying put ebay ahead of your health and it is good to get better. I am saying there was options at the sellers disposal to start addressing this rather than wait a year. With in  30 or 60 days ebay should have been contacted by phone. IT would not be impossible to find a friend or relative to help manage your current sales and end all listings and in fact calling ebay they probably could have helped as well. While it is great the seller is healthy and ready to get back to work now because of their choices there will be questions they will need to answer and hoops they will have to jump through. Most likely it will be more serious than a new seller as their account took money from buyers and did not ship items. Their account did not communicate with the buyers or ebay letting them know of their problems and health issues that prevented them from completing the sales. From the buyers view point and ebays it probably looks like they tried to run a scam and they will have to prove them self again.

[castlemagicmemories]

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@soh.maryl wrote:

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.

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I agree, but they want what they want.  Perhaps as previously suggested, they want to ascertain the probability as to whether or not this is likely to happen again.  I don't know.  But I have read of others being reinstated under similar circumstances.

[castlemagicmemories]

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@soh.maryl wrote:

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.

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I respect your opinion and understand your thoughts on this, but I don't think it is any different than ebay having seller performance standards that if you don't meet, you may be gone.  Cancelling can frustrate and lose buyers.  Maybe that isn't why they want to know that, it might just be they want the seller to be completely forthright with them.  We just don't know.

[castlemagicmemories]

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@soh.maryl wrote:

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.

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With all due respect, no, they don't ask new sellers that; but new sellers haven't had incidences of cancelling sales yet.  Op has, so that could be their concern.

[castlemagicmemories]

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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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I understand the OP's position; and not everyone is going to be comfortable divulging information of such a personal nature.  

[myangelandmyprincess]

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@muttlymob wrote:

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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.

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When I had strep my dr note stated what I had and when I would be ok to return to work.  Of course that was to keep from infected others 

[myangelandmyprincess]

Point being there is sometimes a reason to know the why...they may not consider being in the hospital enough of a reason for not being able to end listings they may need a reason the seller was incapacitated and unable to end them in order to prevent the sells from occurring 

[8uiboti_0]

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@castlemagicmemories wrote:

Wow, that's dedication!

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I call it experience.

As in if I don't do things exactly that way, BAD things will happen.

Same reason why I pay my car insurance on time.

The electric bill, too.

Come to think of it maybe it boils down to being responsible.

I mean really I can imagine somehow that is all ebay wants, is sellers who are responsible.

Sellers who take responsibility for their actions, and responsible sellers who take care of problems hopefully before it even becomes a problem.

Priority is another word that comes to mind.

[divwido]

The problem is your choices.  Your choice is to satisfy ebay or move elsewhere.  and since ebay won't budge-only you can pick which.

[gramophone-georg]

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@castlemagicmemories wrote:

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@soh.maryl wrote:

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.

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I agree, but they want what they want.  Perhaps as previously suggested, they want to ascertain the probability as to whether or not this is likely to happen again.  I don't know.  But I have read of others being reinstated under similar circumstances.

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I'd like to see how many MDs they have on staff to make this determination.

[gramophone-georg]

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@8uiboti_0 wrote:

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@castlemagicmemories wrote:

Wow, that's dedication!

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I call it experience.

As in if I don't do things exactly that way, BAD things will happen.

Same reason why I pay my car insurance on time.

The electric bill, too.

Come to think of it maybe it boils down to being responsible.

I mean really I can imagine somehow that is all ebay wants, is sellers who are responsible.

Sellers who take responsibility for their actions, and responsible sellers who take care of problems hopefully before it even becomes a problem.

Priority is another word that comes to mind.

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Are you saying that the OP isn't "responsible"? What if the OP had a stroke and had to be transported by ambulance to the hospital unresponsive?

We're all happy for you that you are perfect, but don't assume that every situation is exactly like your single experience, please.

[myjunqueyourtreasure]

Well it appears the OP didn't actually want any advice. Just vented then seagulled.