Ever have ebay buyer CALL ???

jbcesq

jbcesq

O.G.
May 8, 2006
755
2
#1
Today I received a phone call from my buyer of a bag on ebay...
I have had some issues this week and sent the bag 2 days later than I said I would in my email to her...so she contacted ebay, got my phone number and called me! Is this weird? I was upset because I have an unlisted phone number because my profession creates a security risk for my family...so I cannot believe ebay would just hand out my phone number....:tdown:
 
#2
I've never had it happen, but Ebay encourages buyers to call sellers (if there is a problem) and gives out the number if you are involved in a transaction and need to contact each other (you could get any of your buyers numbers also). It's a little scary IMO.
 
#3
thats why ebay has you give your number incase buyer/seller need to contact each other but what happens is when either party asks for a number a email is automaatticly sent out letting them know contact information was requested. If your number is a security risk why did you even put that number down?
 
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#5
I had a Seller contact me.. just letting me know that she had mailed out the bag I bought from her. It freaked me out a little.. 'coz just the thought of some stranger getting a hold of my number is WEIRD!!! AND CRAZY SCARY!!!

When I am complaining about an item I bought and I can not contact the seller/buyer via emails or ebay messaging... the ebay rep would always ask me if I had contacted the seller/buyer by phone.. and I say "NO".. the rep would suggest to me to give them a call.. then I say..."I don't feel comfortable contacting the seller/buyer by phone.. I want a mediator, that is why I contact you (ebay rep - via "live chat") to help me out. PLUS, I want everything in writing, that is why I prefer contacting the seller/buyer through emails or ebay messaging so I have out conversations in print."

I can't understand eBay sometimes... they don't really take care of their costumers.. costumers who are the sellers and buyers.. they do not have good judgement sometimes and they would always pass the issue to PayPal. It's like their site it just up and running so they can collect the fees they charge the sellers and that's it.
 
#6
SOLIDGOLD2 said:
thats why ebay has you give your number incase buyer/seller need to contact each other but what happens is when either party asks for a number a email is automaatticly sent out letting them know contact information was requested. If your number is a security risk why did you even put that number down?
Click to expand...


I gave the number to Ebay because I supposed that, like 99.9% of reputable internet companies that deal with monetary transactions, they would keep it confidential and that they needed it for the credit card/ account. I didn't expect them to turn into 411 and start giving out my number!!!!:tdown:
 
#7
ebay only gives out your number to people who have transactions with. just anyone can't get your number. but i suggest if you're uncomfortable with someone you buy from or sell to potentially having it you switch it to another number. though you need to put one that is truly for you or else you risk getting suspended from ebay for not having valid contact info.

i had a buyer once call me to see if i could take her cc over the phone. lol. she was using her hubby's account and didn't understand how ebay works. but she was lovely. it did freak me out a little but real b&m stores have phone numbers- it seems realistic to have it through ebay as well.
 
#8
No but one time I TRIED to call a seller who took my money for a pair of shoes I bought. Of course, the number was not their phone number at all, it was some business phone number with a fax machine hooked up to it. I did end up getting my money back though.
 
#9
I had a buyer call me once about an electronics item I sold. He was new and just needed to speak to me to get that little bit of reassurance that everything was on the up and up. It took me back a bit, but I didn't really mind. eBay has always given out contact numbers to trading partners.

If you do not want your home number given out could you change it to a cell number?
 
#10
I am sorry you're freaked out, but I don't think there is anything wrong with this. I am assuming from your screen name that you are an attorney, and therefore you probably read the eBay user agreement when you signed up. It states clearly that they can and will give out your phone number in order to facilitate a transaction, and that's exactly what happened here. Your buyer had every right to contact you via the methods available to her and she had no way of knowing that it would freak you out. This is really common practice on eBay, and the best part is--it usually does help to facilitate the transaction! If it makes you feel better, only once in my thousands of eBay transactions have I ever had someone attempt to misuse my contact info, and they got suspended from eBay for doing it.

In the future, I'd suggest that you consider using a cell phone number or something in your eBay contact info if you don't want people to be able to contact you via the unlisted number which I am assuming is your home. I can certainly understand how people in certain lines of work, or with specific security concerns, would not want people to have access to their home numbers--but at the same time, that buyer also has your address too, and that's much more potentially usable for someone with ill intent.
 
#11
CynthiaNYC said:
...In the future, I'd suggest that you consider using a cell phone number or something in your eBay contact info if you don't want people to be able to contact you via the unlisted number which I am assuming is your home....
Click to expand...

I agree. Use your cell phone# on your Ebay account if you don't want people calling your home. It's pretty rare that this information is requested, but I can totally understand a buyer wanting to be able to contact a seller, especially if the seller is not responding to their emails or Ebay messaging.
 
#12
As a buyer, I've called maybe 3 sellers (out of 1000+ items purchased.) I loathe doing it. I do it only when I'm going to file a dispute, which is very rare. eBay does always ask if you tried to contact the seller, so I want to be able to say in my dispute that I did indeed. I think once I got an answering machine and the other two times the number didn't work. I would guess that your buyer was legitimately waiting for a tracking number from you on the day you said you'd ship, and started getting worried when she didn't hear from you. I agree with several of the other posters -- just switch the number to your cell, and then no one will get your home # anymore.
 
#13
Just go get a prepay phone from Target, put the required amount of minutes on it to get the credit validated for 365 days and use that number. I also agree that you are taking as much of a risk with your address, if not more.
 
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