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Hi all. Hope you're all well.
It's my first time posting here so please be gentle!
I have a troublesome issue right now that I would love to get either some reassurance for, or some guidance over what to do.
Several months ago I started a new business on eBay. After giving it a go for a little while, I stopped selling on eBay as it was so difficult to achieve anything remotely what I was hoping for, and I disliked the lack of support eBay showed to small sellers.
A couple of days ago, I woke up to an email from eBay saying they had indefinitely restricted that account from selling. They didn't give a reason, but just gave a high rate contact number in America if I wanted to find out why. Given that I had stopped using the account and had sworn off eBay anyway due to the poor experience I had had, I wasn't really too fussed about this. However, I've had to pay some fees to eBay recently, and I wanted to speak to them to make sure I didn't get billed for anything else. After three online chat sessions and two phone calls (about two hours) I managed to get someone helpful that said I had just paid my last fees, guided me through cancelling my subscriptions, and categorically stated that I would not be charged anything else by eBay forthwith. Result.
However, I then asked him to shut down the account, and that's when things became a bit ugly. Due to the "conduct" of my account, eBay refused to shut it down, saying that they had to keep the account open so I never opened a NEW business account with eBay again. Just for the record, I was a Powerseller on eBay, with one case of negative feedback in the last six months. All cases that have ever been opened against me on eBay have been resolved amicably, I have met all their selling requirements for "good selling", and I made all my payments to eBay on time. But that's a different issue.
The thing that I take issue with, is that eBay have said - on the phone - that they will hold all of my information "forever", to quote the customer service rep I spoke to. He stated that it was listed on the terms and conditions that eBay will hold my personal information forever, but I haven't seen this anywhere.
Is this possible for them to do? I'm sorry for so much info, but I wanted to put the question into context.
From years ago when I worked at a bank, I recall companies were allowed to keep your info for as long as was necessary if they had a valid reason to do so. Does the above really count as a valid reason? It seems they're just doing whatever they want to do with a customer's personal information.
I guess I'm just looking for some reassurance that eBay holding my personal information isn't harmful to me, or does not benefit them in any way. Or some guidance over what to do going forward if what they are doing is incorrect.
I'm calling the ICO about it tomorrow too, but it would be really helpful if someone here could give me some help over what to do moving forward.
Thank you for your time.
It's my first time posting here so please be gentle!
I have a troublesome issue right now that I would love to get either some reassurance for, or some guidance over what to do.
Several months ago I started a new business on eBay. After giving it a go for a little while, I stopped selling on eBay as it was so difficult to achieve anything remotely what I was hoping for, and I disliked the lack of support eBay showed to small sellers.
A couple of days ago, I woke up to an email from eBay saying they had indefinitely restricted that account from selling. They didn't give a reason, but just gave a high rate contact number in America if I wanted to find out why. Given that I had stopped using the account and had sworn off eBay anyway due to the poor experience I had had, I wasn't really too fussed about this. However, I've had to pay some fees to eBay recently, and I wanted to speak to them to make sure I didn't get billed for anything else. After three online chat sessions and two phone calls (about two hours) I managed to get someone helpful that said I had just paid my last fees, guided me through cancelling my subscriptions, and categorically stated that I would not be charged anything else by eBay forthwith. Result.
However, I then asked him to shut down the account, and that's when things became a bit ugly. Due to the "conduct" of my account, eBay refused to shut it down, saying that they had to keep the account open so I never opened a NEW business account with eBay again. Just for the record, I was a Powerseller on eBay, with one case of negative feedback in the last six months. All cases that have ever been opened against me on eBay have been resolved amicably, I have met all their selling requirements for "good selling", and I made all my payments to eBay on time. But that's a different issue.
The thing that I take issue with, is that eBay have said - on the phone - that they will hold all of my information "forever", to quote the customer service rep I spoke to. He stated that it was listed on the terms and conditions that eBay will hold my personal information forever, but I haven't seen this anywhere.
Is this possible for them to do? I'm sorry for so much info, but I wanted to put the question into context.
From years ago when I worked at a bank, I recall companies were allowed to keep your info for as long as was necessary if they had a valid reason to do so. Does the above really count as a valid reason? It seems they're just doing whatever they want to do with a customer's personal information.
I guess I'm just looking for some reassurance that eBay holding my personal information isn't harmful to me, or does not benefit them in any way. Or some guidance over what to do going forward if what they are doing is incorrect.
I'm calling the ICO about it tomorrow too, but it would be really helpful if someone here could give me some help over what to do moving forward.
Thank you for your time.
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