I don't trust Ebay as a company anymore

[rev.f]

I have been using ebay for over 20 years.
The new management is not trustworthy.

I believe they are just collecting data to sell.
I sold something and they said they would not pay out unless I gave them my driving licence details. I did this, and they then asked for my passport... This is on top of wanting bank account details just to list something...
Crooks!  I need to buy and sell somewhere safer...

[tobaccocardyahoo]

The new management is extremely concerned with trust and safety issues related to its sellers. It is also concerned with the government's trust and safety concerns.

Your concerns about trust are being created by your lack of knowledge of the issues Ebay and all the other marketplaces are being forced to deal with.

You will not be able to find an alternative way to sell online other than Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace or other hybrid online/eyeball to eyeball sites. And perhaps even some of them will become targets of the government's efforts to combat, tax evasion, money laundering, fraud and theft.

You cannot be invisible or anonymous on online marketplaces any more.

Good luck in your quest for anonymity.

[dirk12955]

Things are different than they were in 2001

[whatmorefabric · Accepted solution]

This is not ebay.    This is the government that is making sure that you are not a scammer or a foreign government trying to evade banking laws.  

They asked for the passport because they cannot verify your driving license.

They need your bank account for deposits.

This is not Ebay.   They do not collect this information.   A   Third party called AYden is the processor for this info.    All Ebay sees is the last 4 numbers of your bank accounts,   drivers license  and passports.

Your information is stored through a secure server that has no access to the internet and only a few key holders can access.      Your information is than deleted when  your ID is confirmed.

Ayden is a ACH,  US and European certified processor.  

It is NOT being sold.

[reallynicestamps]

You are returning to selling after a few years away.

Since you were last selling, eBay has split with Paypal, and the new in-house payment processor is called Managed Payments.

And there were some changes in federal laws concerning payment processing.

So.

EBay needs your SSN and your checking account information in order to transfer your customer payments to your bank.

They also ask for some secondary ID - I used my passport and DH used his driving license.

Without those to confirm your identity eBay cannot transfer your payments.

One of the side effects of all this confirmation of identity has been a noticeable drop in the number of complaints we see on the Buyer Board about scams from hijacked accounts.

[reallynicestamps]

BTW - Since you are in the UK, you might get more accurate information on those Boards, most of the posters here are only familiar with the US system.

[whatmorefabric]

They use the same processor and system.

Britain is a little more strict about ID than the US is.

They are certified through the EU banking system.    It is still safe.

[jerseyboymusic]

Thanks for your opinion... 

[a_c_green]

---

@whatmorefabric wrote:

A   Third party called AYden is the processor for this info.

---

That would be Adyen: https://www.adyen.com/ 

Other businesses that trust them with the data include Uber, Spotify and McDonald's.

[rev.f]

Thanks for all the replies.

I am not sure how many of them are genuine and how many corporate ones, but they all seemed to miss the point.

The points are 2-fold:

1) 

The more data you put on the net, the more likely you are to be hacked. It doesn't make anyone safer. 

2)

If EBay has 23 years of trading history with you; has your 'phone number, email address, home address, driving licence with picture, credit card number, PayPal email, bank account details, then why would they need a passport as well?  They (or the company they employee to do it) are clearly just collecting data for sale. 

[yngwie_ma-3]

Yeah something is weird. I have not been on Ebay either for years. I bought a lot of synthesizers back when... and no one ever asked me for any of that **bleep**. One would think China has bought it but really, if you gave them numbers for bankcards that was enough back when. I find it hard to believe that they can ask for all that when... even police officers cannot demand your social security number from you. SS should only be for govt office communication. SS numbers and birthdays and addresses... are about all you need for stolen identities. I had mine stolen... and did NOT even know it till US Social Security asked me if I recognized a 1) car loan of 300 a month 2) Mortgage of 1500 / month and 3) I forget what the third thing was, but on saying NO to all three, they locked me out of the online website and said I had to come in to discuss anything. That is... I wondered if it was my ex wife doing all of that. Never found out. They never told me. And I have no idea how I lost my identity to a thief. Except now everybody asks you for all your numbers. Its just ridiculous.

[bonjourami]

eBay asks for Social Security numbers to comply with IRS regulations and maintain trust as an online marketplace. 

Explanation

• eBay sellers are required to pay self-employment taxes, which include Social Security and Medicare. 
• eBay needs to verify sellers' information to ensure compliance with IRS regulations. 
• This requirement is industrywide, and other companies like PayPal also require Social Security numbers

[toomuchstuffagain35]

Unable to verify for an online account with SS (or Medicare) doesn't mean your identity was stolen. 

They (apparently) use Experian to verify ID and most of their info isn't actually accurate.

Often NONE of the multiple answers provided are correct.

[fashunu4eeuh]

@rev.f  wrote:”Thanks for all the replies.

I am not sure how many of them are genuine and how many corporate ones,”

It is good to be cautious. It is not good to be so suspicious one sees conspiracies where none exist.

There are no “corporate” responses here. Posters are “genuine” fellow buyers and sellers who volunteer their time and expertise.

Or are you suggesting that eBay cares (or is worried enough) about the infinitesimal number of responders on a forum it does not even manage itself, that paid shills are somehow necessary? 

By the way, not great form to select one’s own response as Best Answer.

[rev.f]

I was stating facts at the time.

You are just attacking someone you don't know for no reason.  Why?

Do you trawl the internet looking for people to argue with?  Do you feel that being a troll is your reason to exist?  

As an update to my original post:

Enough prople have complained now, and enough competition has been created, to cause eBay to change their approach.  They have stopped asking for my passport and just approved my account.  They have also made selling free. Let's hope this new management approach is sustainable.