ePrey "required" telephone numbers

Thomas Linton

Thomas Linton

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Won an ePrey auction: "You Won."

Not much $$. Went to pay ("COMPLETE"), but I could not. Could not even get to PayPal.

"One or more of the items below can't be purchased because the seller requires a phone number
• Please update your address to add a phone number
• You may also contact the seller for an exception"

The auction offering page had absolutely nothing about a telephone number being a condition of the auction.

So I telephoned Customer Service and explained the facts. Rep went away for a few minutes.

When she returned, she said that it was not the seller who "required" a telephone number, it was eBay. So I asked how to file a complaint against eBay for attempting to violate the terms of my agreement with the seller.

The rep then told me that a telephone number was "always required" with payment.

I pointed out that I had many purchases, including seven in the last week, and had never been asked for a telephone number. Rep put me on hold again.

When she came back this time, she said that it was not eBay but the seller who required the number and that my only remedy was to cancel.

I told her I didn't want to cancel. I wanted the knife at the agreed price.

She said to contact the seller and ask "if he will waive the telephone number requirement."

I have the usual verified address, a gazillion transactions, and a 999999 rating. (There is the negative from the guy who sold me an "excellent" Scout pattern knife that was rusted solid.)

So as e Prey has again shown its lack of candor, does anyone know what is really going on?
 
Email from seller. They need my number so they can call me "about any problems." No number = no deal.

Another call to ePrey "Customer Service." A third story about why my telephone number is "needed." This time, I am told it is needed to "verify" my "address." I pointed out that the prior rep said the seller would never see the number.

Handed to a "supervisor" for ePrey "Customer Service." It's early AM where he is. All he could do was promise "appropriate action" if I can prove my telephone number was misused. ePrey stands behind this pawn shop's changing the deal after the auction closed by requiring disclosure of my telephone number.

It really grates to be lied to and have to face that fact due to the inconsistent stories.

I wonder if the now independent PayPal would be happy about ePrey blocking payment.
 
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They don't have my number yet, and they won't be getting it any time soon.
If they want to shut my account down as a result, no problem on my end.
 
Strange.

I bought a few things just about 3 weeks ago and this wasn't an issue.

They don't have my phone# and never have....

I don't do much on there anyway, it's just not the place to have fun and find good deals anymore, and hasn't been for a long time.
 
Is it a cross border transaction? When I shio from Canada to the USA I have to provide the buyer's phone number to Customs. I usually forget to ask, and just enter my own number in that field.
 
Never required of me before, if I was not clear. That's why I called ePrey to ask about it.

Seller in Illinois. Buyer in Ohio.

I go there as it is THE market for the knives that I collect - Boy Scout knives. All others are an accretion rather than collection.
 
Thomas Linton said:
Never required of me before, if I was not clear. That's why I called ePrey to ask about it.
Click to expand...

Nope.

I've never been asked to provide one either.

"ePrey".

Can't help but wondering. If you refer to it as such, what does that make you...?
 
You mentioned "pawn shop". I assume your seller is a pawn shop and it is possible his state's regulations require him to have a phone number as well as an address even for those he sells to, not just buys from. Most states license pawn shops and gave rules for records they must keep for both buyers and sellers.
 
Id say just make one up and give it to them. I do it with my birthdate all the time, on most sites my birthdate is April Fools (4/1/1986) with a year to make me old enough for whatever bs it is. I doubt they will call you before they ship out the item but you never know. It is strange though, I buy stuff on there quite often and have never been asked for my phone number. Sounds kinda shady to me.
 
Heirphoto said:
You mentioned "pawn shop". I assume your seller is a pawn shop and it is possible his state's regulations require him to have a phone number as well as an address even for those he sells to, not just buys from. Most states license pawn shops and gave rules for records they must keep for both buyers and sellers.
Click to expand...

That may be. What the seller says is that the telephone number is needed so that I may be contacted if there is a "problem" (which is neither of the two different reasons given by ePrey). Of course, the seller has had no problem sending me four emails.

The seller admitted in one of those emails that it had not, as originally claimed in email No. 1, put the telephone number "requirement" in the auction page. SO right now, the pawn shop is better than ePrey when it comes to lies. ePrey has simply added one lie after another.
 
It's quite alright to call it eBay, it is what the name of the company is. There are no filters blocking the word. ;) ePrey ends up sounds like like some cloak and dagger stuff, withoutt the cool stuuf and fees on top.
 
Relatively small fee to get a random number on Skype, I'm sure if you dig around you can get a VoIP number for free and discard it.
 
If the seller and ebay are nefarious enough that you don't trust them with your phone number then why are you giving them your money?
 
craytab said:
If the seller and ebay are nefarious enough that you don't trust them with your phone number then why are you giving them your money?
Click to expand...

Plus they will have your name and address so they can ship the item to you. If they have that information, and unless your phone number is unlisted or a cell phone number, they could just look it up. It you want to try it, just google "telephone number lookup" and use one of the websites that they list. I think I used either 411 or anywho. I tried it just now using my dad's name and hometown and the total time was less that a minute, beginning with typing the google search and ending with my dad's info, including the street address and phone number.

And ebay isn't the only place you will run into folks who require a phone number for a transaction. I run into that a lot with my on-line purchases. I don't necessarily appreciate it since all of my dealings with merchants have been by email, but it is so common that I don't consider it a deal killer.

It sounds like you aren't going to get your way on this one, so it's probably time to either give in or go with a different seller.
 
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