eBay monitors and reads your messages

[SunTzu]

So I was spending one lazy evening perusing the abyss of watch listing on eBay when I spotted a watch I liked. I private messaged the seller and offered an amount to see if he would be willing to sell it to me. He agreed. He has 100% feedback and I PayPal'd him the money. It wasn't a lot of money. We communicated a little back and forth. Nice fella. He generated a shipping label and told me it would go in the mail the next day. I've done this on one or two occasions with other items and even developed a nice online business relationship where I would receive a contact before he listed items to see if I wanted to buy. Like getting first dibs and negotiating a mutually agreeable price.

Anyway, 2 weeks later, today, I get an e-mail from eBay, a warning about buying outside of eBay. Now I understand they lose out on a cut and I'm using their platform to buy an item they miss out on. I get that.

BUT, in this e-mail is the whole chain of communication I had with the seller! It was literally lifted and pasted into this e-mail to me, word for word. My "private" messages were monitored and I guess flagged for rules violations. I was let off with a warning.

I was left rather shocked that my messages were monitored. I didn't know this went on. I'm sure it's buried in the fine print we all read (sarcasm) and accept to use their services.

It's led me to wonder about e-mails or texts I use with Verizon, or Google, or Yahoo. Even Facebook messages for those that use (I don't). Are they also monitoring my (our) private messages? We are using their services like we use eBay. I know the NSA has the metadata, but companies filtering, monitoring, and reading them? If I'm sniffed out on eBay, what can I (we) be sniffed out for in other messaging platforms?

[turboevo2]

If needed they can retract all your text messages and emails even though its been deleted. Only thing safe is talk to the person face to face.

[The Joker]

Yep no email or private msg is absolutely private, even phone calls can easily be recorded.

[beshannon]

I am glad this is the case

Some real nut jobs out there, asking absurd questions with ridiculous offers. Glad there is actual monitoring when people refuse to pay or claim that they did not get exactly what was sold.

[Randy63]

Originally Posted by beshannon

I am glad this is the case

Randy

[timedate]

to expect them to do anything else would be naive in my opinion

i believe a phone can record you when its either on or off.

[Ian Macdermott]

Originally Posted by timedate

to expect them to do anything else would be naive in my opinion

i believe a phone can record you when its either on or off.

I heard that television sets can record you even if they are unplugged, I was reliably informed by a nice man who sat next to me on a train that the earth is flat.

[donas]

Originally Posted by Ian Macdermott

I heard that television sets can record you even if they are unplugged, I was reliably informed by a nice man who sat next to me on a train that the earth is flat.

This is exactly why I never watch tv without my tinfoil hat on....everyone knows this blocks the ability to record.

[Knappo 1307]

Big brother is everywhere....

[Rolex addict]

Originally Posted by Knappo 1307

Big brother is everywhere....

Oh yes!!! I was talking to my Dad about the local preacher who was catching grief for buying his wife a new Lamborghini SUV. Lambo was mentioned a few times. The next day, there were a ton of ads in my Facebook feed for Lamborghinis. There are eyes and ears everywhere.

[Burlington]

The greatest victory is that which requires no battle.

[dmhines]

I am surprised the email got through. I have tried to do that and generally whatever type of analytics eBay uses to scour the emails generally blocks the seller from even getting the email in the first place.

[Thug]

Generally if I get a message or want to offer to pay directly to avoid the cut eBay is getting, I just send them my cell and ask to text. That way eBay wont be able to detect the sale undercutting them

[shaunylw]

Originally Posted by Thug

Generally if I get a message or want to offer to pay directly to avoid the cut eBay is getting, I just send them my cell and ask to text. That way eBay wont be able to detect the sale undercutting them

Careful, they have been known to shut down accounts without question for people sending contact information to each other.

[Navarino]

Reminds me of how our smart phones are constantly listening to us.

Relevant digression/story for TRF. A couple weeks ago I was talking about watches with my fiancee. In particular, it was all talk about AP and waiting it out for a 15400 in blue. A day or two later she shows me her phone and how her "targeted" ads are all Royal Oak listings and AP content. She swears she has never even looked this stuff up on her own phone before (and went one step further to say it's because I am already always showing stuff too her) and that it must have been triggered by my voice while talking to her.

Regarding the eBay private message story - this doesn't surprise me at all. I wouldn't be surprised if there was language buried somewhere in the user agreement where they have the right to monitor and review user-to-user private communications. Aside from discussions of doing something illegal, I am guessing the main reason they retain this right is because they don't want their platform used as a means to open side negotiations (e.g., "if you buy this directly from me and not through eBay I'll knock an extra 5% off").

[Jim Smyth]

Last night I told the wife a joke. I laughed, my wife laughed and our Amazon Echo laughed....................

[Kh114060]

Originally Posted by Jim Smyth

Last night I told the wife a joke. I laughed, my wife laughed and our Amazon Echo laughed....................

lolol

[Blansky]

I’m surprised the OP would be put out that eBay monitors its internal email system to stop people like him from gaming the system.

[Chewbacca]

Originally Posted by Blansky

I’m surprised the OP would be put out that eBay monitors its internal email system to stop people like him from gaming the system.

Can’t argue with this.

[SunTzu]

Originally Posted by Blansky

I’m surprised the OP would be put out that eBay monitors its internal email system to stop people like him from gaming the system.

I realize I was gaming the system. That wasn't the point.

My point is if eBay does it, then why wouldn't Google, Facebook, Verizon, AT&T do it too - monitor their system to eavesdrop on conversations?

Some people make for good sheep. They say, "I don't care, I have nothing to hide."

Lenin called those people useful idiots.

Knowing now that my conversations are harvested, screened, and monitored, I'll be more careful in how I communicate with others. I was just surprised to get an e-mail with my entire conversation played back to me. I guess I assumed some modicum of privacy.

[Randy63]

Originally Posted by SunTzu

I realize I was gaming the system. That wasn't the point.

My point is if eBay does it, then why wouldn't Google, Facebook, Verizon, AT&T do it too - monitor their system to eavesdrop on conversations?

Some people make for good sheep. They say, "I don't care, I have nothing to hide."

Lenin called those people useful idiots.

Knowing now that my conversations are harvested, screened, and monitored, I'll be more careful in how I communicate with others. I was just surprised to get an e-mail with my entire conversation played back to me. I guess I assumed some modicum of privacy.

You're right on the money.

Randy

[Blansky]

Originally Posted by SunTzu

I realize I was gaming the system. That wasn't the point.

My point is if eBay does it, then why wouldn't Google, Facebook, Verizon, AT&T do it too - monitor their system to eavesdrop on conversations?

Some people make for good sheep. They say, "I don't care, I have nothing to hide."

Lenin called those people useful idiots.

Knowing now that my conversations are harvested, screened, and monitored, I'll be more careful in how I communicate with others. I was just surprised to get an e-mail with my entire conversation played back to me. I guess I assumed some modicum of privacy.

I’m surprised that you’re surprised.

Between all the companies selling your data, NSA snooping, computer hackers and almost daily news reports of your information being used as well as Facebook users giving away all their information to their “friends”, being shocked by all this seems like you just left Mayberry and arrived at the big city, a sadder but wiser man.

[SunTzu]

Originally Posted by Blansky

I’m surprised that you’re surprised...being shocked by all this seems like you just left Mayberry and arrived at the big city, a sadder but wiser man.

I was a fan of Don Knots as Mr. Furley more than Deputy Fife.

I guess surprised like, "Oh My God!!" surprised, is not what I meant.

17 years on eBay and this never happened to me before, that's all. I was "surprised" to get an e-mail with our whole conversation pasted in.

[stockae92]

"When You Control the (e)Mail, You Control… Information"

I already assume that the free email provider is datawarehousing email content / keywords for advertisement targeting purposes. For email, I think they don't necessary be interested in what you are actually saying. But they are certainly interested in what how many people in which region and demographic are mentioning certain brand in certain product segment. Those are very useful information.

And yes on eBay "reading" your message, they already warning user not to exchange personal contact information in their message system. You can't blame them for policing that because it cuts into their profit.

Anyway, anything on the internet is FOREVER, one way or another. :)

[Etschell]

Why are you suprised? The tos discloses it.

[beshannon]

Originally Posted by Etschell

Why are you suprised? The tos discloses it.

Exactly.

Cannot understand how this would be a surprise to anyone.

Don't want a service to monitor you, then don't use it. Really simple. Kind of like this website that is crawled on the web daily with messages being cached and backed up.

[zengineer]

The Ebay system to contact a seller is not called private message and is very clearly not private. Why would you expect it to be anything other than closely monitored?

You don't make it OK to go around Ebay just by saying that you know it's wrong.

And comparing it to other platforms you communicate with is illogical.


Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

[SunTzu]

Originally Posted by zengineer

And comparing it to other platforms you communicate with is illogical

It's hardly illogical. It's actually a fact if one bothers to research it.

Your Gmail inbox is not as private as you think it is!

One of numerous examples.

[zengineer]

Originally Posted by SunTzu

It's hardly illogical. It's actually a fact if one bothers to research it.

Your Gmail inbox is not as private as you think it is!

One of numerous examples.

I am not saying it is any more or less private, I don't need to read someone's blog (or whatever your link is) to explain obvious things to me. My point is that Ebay is specifically looking for people trying to do an end around to skirt Ebay fees. Send a message with a phone number, email address or cash offer and it WILL be noticed.

Gmail watchers only care if your building a pipe bomb...or considering a new car purchase.

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

[Tape]

if you contact a seller/buyer do not go through ebay's system, use your personal email, but even if you use your personal and replying to their ebay account; ebay can still monitor the email, go from your personal to their personal and get out the ebay loop and all is good.