Ebay just (defamated, spammed, dissed?) me to 100+ people for little reason.

angel00079

I can see why they may have sent out an e-mail in case the person that accessed your account sent out messages. Perhaps they could have checked the time period of messages. They probably would not have the time to send out individual messages but I would have thought that they could have worded the message better. I am assuming that the only reason they sent the message was as a result of the impersonation and not the number of messages you have sent.

The message does make it sound as if you may be untrustworthy. If a message had been sent out about me to that effect I would want a new message sent out to clarify the situation. I can see that eBay may have been trying to protect you and other users but may have gone about it the wrong way.

I do not think that 200 is excessive as some sellers put hardly any detail in their auctions and that often what is not said is just as important as what has been said.

pepsi_max2k

To clarify the timing on this - at 07:00 am on 27th of Febuary 2008, the account's password was changed by an IP other than my own (so, not me). I noticed this around 1pm on the same day, notified ebay, who reverted the account to myself, and I went about changing all passwords and security questions for the majority of my accounts. They confirmed the account was secure and no further action was needed.

Fast forward a month, and on 24th March 2008 after I'd sold 58 items, each having messages replying to questions on these items, and a message each to the winner of each items, and a number (up to around 50) messages sent to other sellers to clarify details on items (along with replies to a number of these), eBay took it upon themselves to contact everyone I'd contacted in the past month to inform them of posible security issues, prompted by the fact that I'd sent these messages (confirming sales and purchases), a whole month after my account had been hijacked, and knowing that no other person had access to the account other than myself since then (they confirmed no other IP access since Feb 27th), and knowing I had regained control of the account (otherwise they'd have sent these messages on the 27th).

So it's not like any (sensible) human system couldn't have been able to tell the difference, it's just that eBay's automated system seems to be horribly flawed. But then it's not like people don't already know this. I'm just one of the unlucky ones it happened to.


Whether or not ~150 messages in a month is considered by the MSE users to be enough to warrant eBay informing everyone you're a security risk, well, firstly it should be irrelavent as eBay have security procedures in place to stop this, and happily allow many types of messaging to take place for good reason. They allow only 5 unsolicited messages a day, infinate messages to sellers, single replies to buyer questions, and infinite replies to other messages. They also actively encourage all users to message sellers and buyers to confirm details before and after purchasing (this is written in the help pages). Secondly, how many have you all sent? And if it wasn't at least one for every item you've been interested in or sold, what are you doing?

StaffsSW

For various reasons, I receive a LOT of ASQ's totally unrelated to items I sell, but I have to be selective with which ones, if any get a reply. My limit is about 25-30 unsolicited messages a day, and a friend in a similar position only has about 10-12 before the warnings pop-up, so the limit seems to vary between individula accounts.

For the record, we are receiving the messages from other members, not sending them.

greeneye

OP have a look at this thread and the other thread linked within it. Your account being hacked and problems with asking too many questions may not even be related.

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=671479

I can now ask about 25 questions in 24 hours on an ebay account at the mo before it gets suspended (but as steve says it seems to vary between accounts they obviously have some "intelligent" software in action).

pepsi_max2k

Oh wonderful. Well good luck all who thought 150 was too much, it could well be you next... wonder if the person in that thread had the wonderfully worded email sent to all their prospective buyers/sellers?

pepsi_max2k

Proof that even 200 messages isn't enough; of 3 out of 4 items purchased that have arrived, 1 of them had around a third of the discs so scratched they're unreadable, and the other came with completely pirated (worthless) games that was conviniently unmentioned in the listing or any corespondance, although it's not like I asked this. I've not touched the third yet and frankly I'm dreading the fourth. Lesson? Ask everything, email everyone, and damn eBay if they don't like it as I'm the one who suffers the concequences either way

frivolous_fay

pepsi_max2k wrote: »

Lesson?

And if it's cheap, assume it's fake. No sensible seller is going to admit it in an ASQ. And if they put it on the listing they'd be barking mad.
And always go through feedback - usually someone mentions bootlegs.