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Thread: Is ebay version of "Big Brother" watching?

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    FPG Donor ♕ Chrissy's Avatar
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    Default Is ebay version of "Big Brother" watching?

    Several times now, I have been advised that I've received a message from a random ebay seller offering me a lower price on an item that I "have shown an interest in."

    I'm quite a compulsive "watcher" and watch hundreds of ebay items. Obviously I don't buy all of them, well they aren't all pens or inks for a start, but I have received lower price offers on items that I have never contacted a seller about.

    Therefore, ebay not only knows what ebay ID is watching an item, it clearly passes on this information to sellers, who can then choose to send an offer to watching potential ebay buyers. The message usually advises me that the seller has sent the offer to "other buyers as well as me," so I need to "act quickly."

    This is something I wasn't aware of. Did everyone else know that it can happen?
    Regards, Chrissy | My Review Blog: inkyfountainpens

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    usk15 (April 18th, 2019)

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    Senior Member Deb's Avatar
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    Default Re: Is ebay version of "Big Brother" watching?

    I didn't know but it doesn't surprise me. The technology exists and they will use it. Everyone's at it. I recently dumped Google because of the tracking.
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    Deb
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    Chrissy (April 18th, 2019)

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    Default Re: Is ebay version of "Big Brother" watching?

    Just because you're not paranoid doesn't mean they're not watching...

    watching.jpeg

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    Chrissy (April 18th, 2019)

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    Default Re: Is ebay version of "Big Brother" watching?

    hmmmm, good to know

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    Senior Member Deb's Avatar
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    Default Re: Is ebay version of "Big Brother" watching?

    DuckDuckGo. It may be an intensely stupid name but at least they don't report back on your every movement like Google.
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    Deb
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    ethernautrix (April 18th, 2019)

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    Default Re: Is ebay version of "Big Brother" watching?

    DuckDuckGo search engine with Brave as the browser. But also don't log in to eBay until bidding or buying, and don't use payment through eBay and PayPal. Oh, eBay logarithms will fight back, especially with alternative payment.

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    Senior Member Deb's Avatar
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    Default Re: Is ebay version of "Big Brother" watching?

    The Tor browser also protects your privacy.
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    Deb
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    FPG Donor ♕ Chrissy's Avatar
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    Default Re: Is ebay version of "Big Brother" watching?

    Quote Originally Posted by FredRydr View Post
    DuckDuckGo search engine with Brave as the browser. But also don't log in to eBay until bidding or buying, and don't use payment through eBay and PayPal. Oh, eBay logarithms will fight back, especially with alternative payment.
    It may only be me but I would never buy anything through ebay unless I could pay by PayPal.
    Regards, Chrissy | My Review Blog: inkyfountainpens

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    Chemyst (April 18th, 2019)

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    Default Re: Is ebay version of "Big Brother" watching?

    Quote Originally Posted by Chrissy View Post
    Quote Originally Posted by FredRydr View Post
    DuckDuckGo search engine with Brave as the browser. But also don't log in to eBay until bidding or buying, and don't use payment through eBay and PayPal. Oh, eBay logarithms will fight back, especially with alternative payment.
    It may only be me but I would never buy anything through ebay unless I could pay by PayPal.
    I would be the same.
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    Deb
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    Default Re: Is ebay version of "Big Brother" watching?

    I don't think there is any such thing as privacy anymore, if it ever existed.
    Personally, I have not experienced what you describe, but I have had a spam email sent to me recently from an Ebay seller that I have never purchased from simply
    asking me to view products in his store. What disgusts me is that Ebay does not protect their members better from this.

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    Default Re: Is ebay version of "Big Brother" watching?

    I've received a similar email (through the ebay messages) about a fountain pen I was watching. An offer for the pen that had a great discount, didn't bite the bullet, now I still see the same pen being offered for sale (after 3 months) with the original price.

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    Default Re: Is ebay version of "Big Brother" watching?

    Do Brave or Tor have anything in common with VPN technology? And how do we know we can trust them to be what they say they are?
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    Default Re: Is ebay version of "Big Brother" watching?

    Yes.

    eBay prompts sellers who've listed an item that's being watched to send an offer to the watchers.

    And as soon as an item sells and the seller submits feedback, eBay prompts the seller to list some more.

    As the late Dan Fogelberg sang in "Blind to the Truth' in 1990: "Corporate bosses snicker as they watch the profits soar. They don't care what they make next month as long as it is more."
    Bob

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    Chrissy (April 24th, 2019)

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    Senior Member VertOlive's Avatar
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    Default Re: Is ebay version of "Big Brother" watching?

    Quote Originally Posted by BlkWhiteFilmPix View Post
    Yes.

    eBay prompts sellers who've listed an item that's being watched to send an offer to the watchers.

    And as soon as an item sells and the seller submits feedback, eBay prompts the seller to list some more.

    As the late Dan Fogelberg sang in "Blind to the Truth' in 1990: "Corporate bosses snicker as they watch the profits soar. They don't care what they make next month as long as it is more."
    For what it's worth: I have been an eBay seller for 19 years and this has never happened to me, either as a buyer or a seller. Not sure what that means, and certainly not naive enough to think I'm not on the radar, just FYI.
    "Nolo esse salus sine vobis ...” —St. Augustine

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    FPG Donor ♕ Chrissy's Avatar
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    Default Re: Is ebay version of "Big Brother" watching?

    It has never happened to me as a seller. Only as a buyer.
    Regards, Chrissy | My Review Blog: inkyfountainpens

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    Senior Member VertOlive's Avatar
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    Default Re: Is ebay version of "Big Brother" watching?

    Quote Originally Posted by Chrissy View Post
    It has never happened to me as a seller. Only as a buyer.
    If it's any comfort, our friend who has the furniture store down the street from us employs a firm to somehow capture your phone if you walk in the door of his store and then send his ads to sites you frequent. e.g.: when I'm on FPN, his local store ads are featured on the site. Don't know why it hasn't tracked me to FPG.
    "Nolo esse salus sine vobis ...” —St. Augustine

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    Senior Member BlkWhiteFilmPix's Avatar
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    Default Re: Is ebay version of "Big Brother" watching?

    "Expect more apps to slip permission to track you with iBeacon into those terms of service and privacy policies you don't read. Hypothetically, a retailer with its app on your phone could tell iBeacon to turn the app on when you're in or near the store, send information about your being there to a database and then pop up some advertising."

    https://www.forbes.com/sites/kashmir.../#7f2d84636fc1

    Easy fix - keep Bluetooth off.
    Bob

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    Indiana Jones used a notebook in the map room, not an app.

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    Default Re: Is ebay version of "Big Brother" watching?

    I have not been here on this platform before.

    Read Chrissy's comments with interest.

    For many years I regularly monitor eBay UK, USA & Canada for pens I want but have never experienced what has been mentioned.
    ( am ex UK Yahoo & QXL auctions before eBay bought both of them, now I am showing my age ! )

    I think you will find that there is a vastly bigger problem on the Parker pen section of eBay UK - chinese scammers / hackers using old accounts.
    It started 18 months ago.

    Over the last 3 months they have started selling pens using these old accounts.

    Have alot of the names used - not sure I would wish add them here.
    Can add a current seller ( there are about 20+ at present ) if anyone is interested.
    Last edited by proteus; April 30th, 2019 at 02:41 PM.

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    BlkWhiteFilmPix (May 1st, 2019)

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    Default Re: Is ebay version of "Big Brother" watching?

    I think it's just an enhancement to what has already been available for some time. As a seller I was given the opportunity to send out offers to people that bid. The system would send out second chance opportunities when an item is resisted. It seems that they have narrowed the target market down to increase sales.
    Fountain Pen Sith Lord | Daakusaido | Everything in one spot

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    BlkWhiteFilmPix (May 1st, 2019)

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    Default Re: Is ebay version of "Big Brother" watching?

    20 years ago eBay in the UK was a very primitive interface charging pennies.

    ( Yahoo UK auctions & QXL UK were in their prime and free. )


    Now eBay is a vastly sophisticated engine.

    After they bought the internet bank that is PayPal for billions, it all changed completely.

    The only objective is money, if you still think they care about any thing else – try phoning or contacting the help line ( to be fair, all big business is that way, not just eBay )

    All current internet sales technology is all about algorithms based on your IP address.

    Look on the side on your ebay console, it shows previous things that you have looked – it is not magic
    Last edited by proteus; May 1st, 2019 at 03:04 PM.

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