In every issue, readers soundoff about issues important to them. From shipping issues to payment processing, from fees to online marketplace policies, EcommerceBytes Soundoff gives you a chance to air your views.
Hi Ina,
In the June 9th email newsletter, Ina wrote that “lawmakers scuttled the [Inform Consumers Act] provision after extensive lobbying by a group led by Amazon.”
If Amazon doesn’t want this law passed, then why do they continue to show my personal information to anyone who knows where to look for it???
I wouldn’t be AS upset if they only provided this information to paying customers, but to have it available to random strangers is very annoying, to say the least.
Tan
Dear Ina,
eBay (UK) is happily disenfranchising and forcibly closing many many accounts due often to the age of the seller. The new ‘managed payments’ scheme requires copies of your business banking details (no problem), utility bills within the last three months for the business address (most are now paperless but do-able) plus photo ID. This is ostensibly due to rules from Adyen, the company sorting payments.
The problem arises if you have the paper driving licence that most older drivers have. This has to be converted to a photo ID driving licence for £20. Again, sounds simple, but the DVLA is having periodic strikes and has a backlog due to Covid, so if form D1 is sent off it will not return in time to stop eBay closing your account and destroying a 20+ year business profile and feedback.
After many many phone calls to eBay they suggested my birth certificate if issued with the correct name in the last three months (?), a government ID card for 16 year olds that requires the photo ID driving licence to purchase (? Kafkaesque by now). Alternatively to re-apply for all documentation as ‘lost’ pay well over £100 and please get it all back within the week whilst the Covid backlog is six to fifteen months.
R.
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