Power Sellers Unite

KikiandFriends · Joined: 11 Aug 2006 Posts: 101

First I received this message from Ebay:

Dear eBay user:

As a courtesy and for your safety, eBay notifies you whenever your credit card is used for
certain activities on the site.

Once you have a credit card on file with us and the same card is used again for certain
activities on eBay, we will send this notice to let you know that the credit card has been used.

These activities include using the same credit card to:

* register an eBay account using an anonymous email domain such as Yahoo or Hotmail,
* set up a selling account,
* update the credit card information on another account that uses the same card,
* gain access the Mature Audiences category, or
* place a bid over $15,000.

I replied with- Message:" This is a VERY ALARMING email to send to someone without any information included??? Why would this not contain any information for me? Please be more specific so that I can also check with my family to be more specific too? I do not beleive there has been any use on our side. We have KikiandFriends with only 4 items and XXXXXXXXXX with no items. Other than that, there should be NO OTHER USAGE GOING ON; PLEASE RESPOND ASAP! And how could someone be using my account anyway?? Are you not secure???"

Here was Ebays' reply-

Dear eBay Member,

Thank you for writing eBay in regard to the credit card notice you
received and eBay security.

We have recently suspended another account registered with your credit
card information ending in digits XXXX. You should not receive any
charges from eBay.com as a result of this unauthorized use of your card.
If you have not already done so, we would highly recommend that you
contact your credit card company to report our findings and dispute any
charges that you have not placed.

Due to our privacy policy
(http://pages.ebay.com/help/policies/privacy-policy.html ) we are not at
liberty to discuss with you the details of an account other than one
registered by you. This would include contact information and the reason
for any action taken. This policy is for the protection of all of our
users. We do provide for information release with a valid subpoena or
court order and urge you to contact the proper authorities if you would
like to pursue the matter criminally or civilly. We hope you understand
our position in this situation.

With regard to eBay security, I want to assure you that your personal
financial information is maintained with the highest confidentiality in
the industry. We make every effort and follow industry standard
practices to safeguard the confidentiality of each user's personal
information. All credit card information you submit is encrypted through
secure server software (SSL). When you conduct a transaction on our site
or when you log into your account, we encrypt all of your credit card
information and store that information in our secure data center. All
transactions are conducted through our secure servers, which are
protected behind state-of-the-art firewalls.

Identity/Credit card theft can happen for a variety of reasons including
the following:

* Responding to a "spoof" email or submitting information to a "spoof"
site.
* Use of your card at dishonest or unsecure websites.
* Logging on from a public computer (school, library, work etc.).
* Sending your credit card/account information over email.
* Giving your credit card number out over the phone for purchases.
* Discarded statements and/or receipts.
* Bank or credit card statements stolen from your mail.
* Credit reports obtained without your authorization.
* Dishonest retail or service employees who have handled your card or
employees/patrons at any business which prints full credit card numbers
(as well as the expiration date and cardholder name) on their receipt.
* Keystroke virus which records everything you type on your computer and
stores it for later retrieval.
* Credit card number generator (used by hackers to generate valid credit
card numbers based on the Luhn Algorithm).

For additional information about credit card and identity theft and ways
you can protect yourself, please visit the following pages:

http://www.idtheftcenter.org/
http://www.privacyrights.org/identity.htm
http://www.usdoj.gov/criminal/fraud/idtheft.html
http://www.consumer.gov/idtheft/
http://www.bbb.org/alerts/Idtheft.asp

Should any of the parties you contact need further information regarding
activities on the site please have them contact us.

Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,
XXXXX

eBay Customer Support
Trust and Safety Operations

I called our local Superior Court & local Justice Court and both told me that I would have to open a case at the minimum of$250.00 and then $18.00 for a Subpeonea. So, basically, Ebay is covering the butts of CRIMINAL ACTIVITY!! I am so angry about this! I not only do not know how someone got my card number, I do not know who they are! I had to cancel the card, change everything that I autopay with that card, etc, I am the victim and if I want the info, I have to open a LAWSUIT? Something stinks here.....If there are any Lawyers on here that can help for free, I just don't have that kind of money.
Someone needs to give Ebay a reality check, it is way overdue!
Kiki

knappschiles · Joined: 25 May 2005 Posts: 4035 Location: Wi

That really sucks.

The least they could do is tell you WHAT it is they were doing with your account, not that general list. It would give you a better idea what to watch for.

Did you ask the CC co or your bank if there was something they could do to get eBay to give them the info?? I would think they would be interested in anything they could get out of eBay as it might help them trace down other like activity.

Carol

2BOYSandTOYS · Joined: 14 Mar 2005 Posts: 10095 Location: Kansas

Kiki:

You credit card company should be able to give the details of each transaction. Not necessarily the 'who' but the what, when, where, etc.

They should have it 'now' or very soon as the transactional data is very quick with all the e-internet transactions.

I'd give them a call and walk thru each charge since your last statement. I've had to do this a time or two and once you reach a 'live person', they will spend the time to review each with you.

I'm so sorry this has happened - I'm not surprised that ebaY won't give specifics, but they should at a minimum be able to disclose dates - that would help you narrow down the suspicious activity... :( :( 8)

AuctionLotwatch · Joined: 04 Sep 2006 Posts: 25 Location: UK

Hi,

Sorry to hear that you have had problems but on the upside at least
eBay informed you that something suspicious was happening - before
it was too late! I would imagine that even if you did get further details
about the rogue account it would be of little help tracking down who
was doing this - unless they put the correct details in which is unlikely.

Additionally the rules may not just be eBay's - in the UK we have the
Data Protection Act which by the sounds of it would limit the amount
of info that they could divulge in a similar way.

Whilst I appreciate it must be frustrating at least the card is now cancelled
- with a new one you should be able to easily track its usage.

Cheers

Steve

KikiandFriends · Joined: 11 Aug 2006 Posts: 101

I forgot to tell all of you....the credit card was my PAYPAL CARD. :roll: Ebay rules PayPal too, so they wouldn't tell me anything either. I check my PayPal, bank accounts, other credit cards very frequently to be sure of the activity. We use only certain cards when we shop in stores or online so we can track the usage and spot fruad more quickly.
The only thing we can think of is that a dishonest person at a local store saw it was a PayPal card and stole the number when running it. They put 2+2 together and tried to open an Ebay account of their own. Yes, I am very Thankful that Ebay is on the ball about someone opening an account! That was good, but sending out an email like that and then no reply to my email for about 3 days was troubling. I watched the PayPal account like a hawk not knowing what to do, I had outstanding items soon to be charged.
What I don't like is that the "Criminal" can now just "go away or go on their way" without even a slap on the hand from law enforcement. If they did indeed lift my number at a local store, they are lifting more than just mine, right? A store owner has no idea they have someone like that working for them and stealing customer numbers. What else of mine do they have? Most times they ask for ID and write down your Drivers' license number. I don't need to go through stolen identity next.
The day after Ebay suspended the account, someone sent my email with my husbands' full name to spamcop as a "spammer" email. Our ebay email goes through spamcop but my regular email does not. My regular email does not even have his name attached to it. Was this retaliation from the Unknown Ebay person? I am now trying to get spamcop to reinstitute my own email as I do use it to report spam in my email box. I have never sent emails to anyone I don't know.
We used to have almost 200 items in our Ebay Store + Blackthorne. Now We have just 3 items and cancelled Blackthorne. We sold 2 this month. Next month we may just cancel the store. I have been trying Bidville now for about two months and not one sale. What to do? I loved Ebay so much and since the price increase and now this, my mouth has just soured.

Thank you friends for all your support, it means a lot to me.... :)

Kiki