eBay

sodium419 · ‎07-11-2021

Here's how eBay could be used right now for criminals to find homes with known expensive items and break in and steal those items.

Starting many years ago, eBay started showing the title of all items you sold on your feedback page. The feedback is very useful for buyers, but showing the items sold is a huge privacy and security concern, which I'll explain how it can be used against you.

Let's say you're fairly well off and collect expensive jewelry. You like to buy new jewelry and sell jewelry on eBay you no longer wear. Sounds harmless. But the problem is a criminal can use this information against you.

A criminal lists a bunch of items for sale on eBay at cost. You (and many others) buy something from him. He now has your address. He then creates a list of addresses and uses your selling history to compile a list of homes and probable items that could be in each home. You filter to the top of his list as you're only 60 miles away, it shows you've been selling expensive jewelry for years, and you happen to have an $15,000 piece being sold right now (so he knows it's in your possession). He scopes out your home and breaks in, stealing not only the $15,000 piece that was for sale, but the rest of your collection. This can be made far worse if there's a criminal network setup across the country doing this, as it maximizes the chances of finding someone local and easier to target.

I know you can hide ALL your feedback, which also includes hiding items sold. But you really need to be showing feedback if you're selling something (it may even be required). What I suggest is eBay add a new feature to hide all items sold but still show feedback. I've had an eBay account for 24 years and have 100% positive feedback. I never want to hide my feedback. But hiding the items I've sold is a huge security and privacy concern of mine. As shown above, this could easily be used to target eBay members. And a network of criminals could really create a nationwide (or even worldwide) problem.

I currently turn off displaying feedback when I'm not selling something, then turn it back on just for when I have something for sale, then turn it back off. That only minimizes my chances. The only current way to totally prevent this is to turn off all feedback forever and only use eBay for buying. Probably not what eBay wants.

So, eBay, please add a feature to hide items sold. I see it as a major security and privacy issue.

sodium419 · ‎07-13-2021

Showing the pattern is what I'm concerned with. I see seller's feedback filled with expensive items being sold every week for the last 10 years. That highlights a mark. Selling a single item doesn't provide that history.

I'm not talking about firms or professional sellers. I'm talking about private sellers who buy/sell expensive items from their personal collection.

Cameras are typically quite useless, they show a guy in a hoodie. My company has had a couple break-ins and even with 4k cameras the footage was useless.

mrdutch1001 · ‎07-13-2021

well apparently those sellers either don't sell on eBay, don't have your paranoia and/or don't have the interest to interject anything into this thread or any support for your proposal; which must mean they have no worries about eBay security, nor do they feel any threat to their eBay selling, nor do they care that you want to keep bumping this thread up to entice additional support/interest, which isn't working anyway...

This has all grown very weary so I shall not be adding any further comments to this thread...I am quite done with this topic & all its nonsense which really has gone no where...

sodium419 · ‎07-13-2021

Correct, there's mostly people here that suspiciously don't want this feature added, which makes it seem like it's needed even more. But as I've said, I'm not trying to convince you or anyone on this forum. I'm giving details on how eBay can be used as a tool to criminals. And sure, if you're selling inexpensive items, you probably don't care. But I bet if you had a $500k collection in your home, you'd think differently.

gracieallen01 · ‎07-13-2021

Then again, there seem to be some here that don't want what they were selling to be seen, possibly for reasons other than an altruistic desire to help others. Especially those that may have been fencing items or other less-than-legal activities.

Not saying 'NO' doesn't mean 'YES'.

The foolishness of one's actions or words is determined by the number of witnesses.

Perhaps if Brains were described as an APP, many people would use them more often.

Respect, like money, is only of 'worth' when it is earned - with all due respect, it can not be ordained, legislated or coerced. Anonymous

yuzuha · ‎07-13-2021

@sodium419 wrote:
Not trying to convince anyone here with 3 month old eBay accounts. It's to draw the attention to eBay so they fix the security hole. It's quite obvious that people here are not capable of understanding the gravity of this.

I'm pretty sure that anything that hasn't been an issue for years isn't suddenly magically going to become an issue.

mtgraves7984 · ‎07-13-2021

@gracieallen01 wrote:
Then again, there seem to be some here that don't want what they were selling to be seen, possibly for reasons other than an altruistic desire to help others. Especially those that may have been fencing items or other less-than-legal activities.

@gracieallen01

I have been too fixated on the sub-plot. Yes, let's get back to Shakespeare's, "doth protest too much, methinks."

@sodium419

You appear to be very lucid. At least... by the definition, "showing ability to think clearly, especially in the intervals between periods of confusion or insanity." I think paranoia is your 'confusion or insanity' part. How do you handle the weight of having your own expensive stuff? To heck with a desire to help others... get selfish and do what you can do to protect you.

mrdutch1001 · ‎07-13-2021

I know I said I was done with this thread but since your comment is directed at me I shall say this about that:

If I had a $500K collection in my home, eBay would be the last place I'd be looking to sell any items =I wouldn't be needing to use eBay...I'd be looking to something higher class than eBay! ...such as a professionally operated auction house which would bring in the right interest, the right buyer, the best of everything > a far better choice!

which now leads me to my final words..

"here's a quarter, call someone who cares!"

this is a dead topic, the rest of the eBay world doesn't care...your one-man show has gone to the dogs and even they won't bite at your topic!!

sodium419 · ‎07-13-2021

There's been a lot of privacy/security changes over the years that were accepted until it was uncovered as a security issue.

sodium419 · ‎07-13-2021

I'm doing exactly what it takes to protect me, and others, suggesting an added feature.

sodium419 · ‎07-13-2021

And yet, there's items of this value being sold every day on eBay. The thing that eBay brings is the number of buyers. Auction houses are not how you sell a $25k item, the number of buyers and commissions don't make sense. You can get far more on eBay.

d-k_treasures · ‎07-14-2021

@sodium419 wrote:
And yet, there's items of this value being sold every day on eBay. The thing that eBay brings is the number of buyers. Auction houses are not how you sell a $25k item, the number of buyers and commissions don't make sense. You can get far more on eBay.

Guess you never participated in or watched any both live and online toy/train/jewelry/pocket or wristwatch/Americana/etc. auctions from auction houses?

Most have a 20-25% buyers premium, and stuff brings a lot more money there than here. There are things you can still buy to resell(and make money), but you have to be very, very smart about it.

_____________________________
"Nothing is obvious to the oblivious"

varebelrose · ‎07-14-2021

"You can look up your city on this website"

Thank you!

varebelrose · ‎07-14-2021

"I'm doing exactly what it takes to protect me"

Are you really worried that someone will see your sales of an old i-Pad, used RAM, and cordless tools missing the batteries, and suddenly decide to target you?

certifiedcitynet · ‎07-15-2021

Private sellers can use the same security precautions as companies. And "a couple break-ins" are not a scientifically valid sample that proves that security cameras "are typically quite useless". Common sense suggests that they serve as a significant deterrent under any circumstances, and their videos can provide valuable evidence in criminal prosecutions

maxine*j · ‎07-15-2021

@mtgraves7984 wrote:

... Yes, let's get back to Shakespeare's, "doth protest too much, methinks."

As someone might who do was setting up a bogus scenario for a bit of insurance fraud... Oh, someone looked at things I'd sold and realized I had valuable stuff and now they've broken in and stolen it and thank goodness I'm insured with you and... and...

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