Question
http://forums.ebay.com/db2/thread.jsp?forum=21&thread=410213617&modified=1090 890593579
This was news to me! Ebay apparently looks at some of the correspondence between a seller and buyer when email is sent through the ebay system. When a buyer asks a seller a question this is something ebay can and will read.
Here's how I found out. I was watching an item and then forgot about it. The auction expired before I had a chance to bid, and there were no other bidders. I emailed the seller telling her I was sorry I missed out on the auction and really wanted the item. I asked if she was going to relist it and she said no. She did not explain why she wasn't going to relist it and I didn't ask. She then asked me if I would like to purchase it directly from her... this was on Saturday, I was out of town and didn't have a chance to get back to her, so the email was still sitting in my inbox this morning.
Also in my inbox was an email from ebay. In the subject line they make reference to the name of the seller... something to the effect of "Regarding your Contact with XXXXX Ebay Seller". The email goes on to warn me that they were aware of the seller's offer to me (to sell to me outside ebay) and that it was not recommended that I do so.
I guess I'm uncomfortable with Ebay-- who proclaims to be a "venue" -- reading my emails. I don't recall being informed that emails are monitored and quite frankly, I will think twice about emailing sellers in the future. I don't hang around on the forums too much so maybe this is something you're all aware of??? It was definitely news to me.
Answer
I'd be really interested to actually see a C&P of the email from ebay.
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Originally Posted by platinum
I'd be really interested to actually see a C&P of the email from ebay.
Click the link in the first post. It's post #4.
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Screw ebay.
What I usually do is email the seller with a simple question about the item or if they have a web site.
Once they respond I have their email address, from where I deal directly.
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Legally eBay does not have a leg to stand on. The auction was over, the item didn't sell, so the owner of the item can do whatever they please with it.
I would research this further, because it's none of eBay's business what happens after the auction is over.
Obviously eBay does not read all correspondence between members. They have an intelligent software that scans the email and flags key words. Then a real live person reviews the message and takes appropriate action. This works the same as the Fed's Echelon which scans all communications from all sources and flags keywords (like the word Echelon) and then read or listens to the actual message.
You might ask eBay why are they interfering with a private email unrelated to an on-going auction.
I will call my liar, whoops, sorry, my lawyer, and ask him about invasion of privacy. eBay never let anyone know that the messages may be monitored. If there's no reference to that in their TOS, you probably have a good case.
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Thanks Mr.P. No headers posted tho.
But anyway....if it is a legit email, it's obviously a just a scare tactic and, I believe, a precurser to ebay's final "communication enhancements" which will sent (buyers and sellers) blind emails strictly thru ebay's system. And they will be FORM LETTERS too I bet. No dialog. No chance of saying "let's deal direct" or "email me at "soandso*isp.commie"
Their ultimate goal is to allow NO personal communication whereby one could trade direct.
Just think of how much revenue they are losing on Relisting Fees. boo hoo
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I will call my liar, whoops, sorry, my lawyer, and ask him about invasion of privacy. eBay never let anyone know that the messages may be monitored. If there's no reference to that in their TOS, you probably have a good case.
That probably doesn't matter as long as the mail was sent through eBay.
Here's an article on a recent court ruling. A seach of Google news will turn up several others.
http://www.computerweekly.com/articl...rch =&nPage=1
.....The US Court of Appeals has affirmed a district court ruling dismissing a criminal wiretap charge against Bradford Councilman, who was vice-president of Interloc, a rare book listing service, in 1998. Interloc, since acquired by another company, provided an e-mail service to book dealers who were its customers, and in January 1998, Councilman told employees to write computer code to read incoming e-mail messages from rival book dealer Amazon.com.
Councilman was charged with violating the US Wiretap Act, which prohibits private citizens from intercepting communications, but appeals court Judge Juan Torruella wrote that US law does not prohibit ISPs and other e-mail providers from reading e-mail residing on their servers. The Wiretap Act gives wire and oral communication more protection against interception of stored communications than it does for electronic communication, Torruella added.......
bolding mine.