Why You Should Never Give Your eBay ID Details to a Competitor

There’s a lot of talk going on in online forums right now, between eBay PowerSellers, primarily those who are selling eBooks and other products about making money on eBay. A string of comments I spotted today originated with one PowerSeller stating he had been asked for his eBay ID to see what he was selling, so a person, purporting to be a potential eBook buyer, could check the seller’s actual against alleged success on eBay before placing an order. A whole string of negative feedbacks arrived for the PowerSeller that very same day, from different eBay buyers, none with more than ten or twenty feedback points. It transpired the individual seeking this person’s ID was also an eBay PowerSeller, although he had not left feedback from his own account for fear of getting negative feedback in return from the PowerSeller whose trust he abused. Instead he had enlisted ‘friends’ to open accounts, buy, then leave negative feedback. A little detective work paid off and the originator was quickly revealed and expelled from eBay. But it isn’t always that easy! Several major PowerSellers reported similar problems, all had innocently given their eBay IDs to untraceable individuals who then, it seems, recruited others to leave negative feedback for several major eBay sellers. Some of these nasty individuals are very cute and they realise anyone joining eBay purely to give negative feedback will quickly be expelled from the site in which case all feedback left by expelled members is removed from the system. That would of course restore the abused PowerSellers’ previously good feedback. So clever individuals recruiting others to do their dirty work ensure each new eBayer buys at least ten eBooks to generate positive feedback before leaving the odd negative or two. Problem solved. Except that, today, with more and more individuals leaving posts at the forums concerned, a big name American PowerSeller has started recording details of all persons leaving negative feedback for fellow members to hopefully spot a pattern that might highlight the original sources. It’s a hot argument: do you or don’t you give others your eBay ID? I always did, I know other PowerSellers who always do and haven’t encountered problems, yet! And before I move on, yes I have fallen victim to this awful practice. I received four negatives within two minutes from someone who emailed asking for my ID which I gave. This one, not so cute or clever as today’s operators, left negative feedback from his own eBay account before he had even been invoiced or paid for the products involved which in eBay’s books is ground for instant dismissal! It really is up to you what you do about giving ID details, but I suggest you confirm the email address of the person making the request. You could also ask them to give you their eBay ID and for you to reply directly through eBay which records the communication and is proof enough for eBay to investigate the matter. Avril Harper is an eBay PowerSeller and author of BANK BIG PROFITS SELLING VINTAGE TOPOGRAPHICAL VIEW POSTCARDS ON EBAY which you can read about at: www.sellpostcardsonebay.com and MAKE MONEY TEARING UP OLD BOOKS AND MAGAZINES AND SELLING THEM ON EBAY which you can read about at: www.magstoriches.com . She has produced a free guide - 103 POWERSELLER TIPS - which you can download with other freely distributable reports and eBooks at www.avrilharper.com