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Computer was slow to load STW pages or new tabs, YT vids and its usually down to the cache thing being chokka
So cleared it out, and as per it signs you out of everything, but logging back in to all my sites was no problem, until we got to ebay.
Email-check. password-check. send 'is it you code'-check
Then i discover another requirement -it wants bio metric data, in the form of a selfie of myself, and a screenshot of my passport, and I have to do this on some other website affiliated to ebay, by way of a QR code.
For starters I dont have that app, but thats just down to never needing it before, and i suppose i could download it, if really pushed.
But what I dont like is this need for what i consider personal and important data.
They say its to combat fraud, money laundering etc and it probably is, only I just dont trust companies to keep it safe, because even large companies have been hacked(probably internally through a rogue employee)
We get the usual "We care about your privacy" as they happily share it with their 30 thousand ad revenue companies and other 'trusted' partners you've probably never heard of, or read their terms and conditions.
I dont mind, and it is a requirement for the UK government to have my 'bio-metric' data, or the NHS. But I kind of draw the line about sending it to an American company, and there I'm also probably giving it to the US government too.
So Im now thinking to myself -Do i really need ebay 
More often than not its slightly more expensive than going direct to the manufacturers or shops website, and if selling, that has over the last 5 or so years felt decidedly dodgy, slow remuneration of sales payments due to their new and ever changing payment systems or pick up only seemingly less secure that it used to be.
I just feel im getting too old to be constantly jumping through hoops, supplying this info, and that info, or i have to download some app i really dont use just so oi can buy something.
So Im now thinking i should just close that account, but that leaves me with the issue of how do i close the account when im signed out of it, and the seemingly only way in is to give them the info i dont now want to give them.
Any suggestions ?
I'm not sure what closing the account is going to achieve as they have some of your info already.
Just don't use eBay any more
This sounds really bizarre - I'm always logged out of ebay after every transaction (cookies, cache etc. cleared daily) and have never been asked for anything more than username and password to log in, even from other computers. However, ebay doesn't always run well on all browsers, worth trying a different one?
This sounds really bizarre - I'm always logged out of ebay after every transaction (cookies, cache etc. cleared daily) and have never been asked for anything more than username and password to log in
It seems they've been gradually rolling this out for 12 months, but it mainly affects sellers at the moment.
I guess we'll all be affected by this sort of thing eventually.
We already give passport/ driving licence information to all sorts of other companies such as insurance, airlines, etc.
I think I might trust eBay security a lot more than many other companies that have my information.
You sure you need to do the biometrics thing? Ebay recently came up with a Passcode entry (biometric) or the 2 factor (password + send you a text/email for ID confirmation). I still use the latter and haven't had to give any more info or download an app.
It'll be the new internet age verification laws the luddites in Parliament have enacted. You can buy dildos on eBay so they'll have to show that they've verified you're 18+ to avoid fines for enabling children to access pornography.
However, ebay doesn't always run well on all browsers, worth trying a different one?
It's not just ebay, its all sites.
eg, just there I was on a workshop forum, and clicked the bookmark to bring me here. STW loaded in 3 seconds.
Prior to doing a clean, i could click on the same bookmark and wait up to a minute.
I noticed it more when i first boot up. I'd just go make a coffee while waiting for everything to load up.
Now all sites load pretty much near instantly - you tube, newspapers or any of the other 6 forums im on.
It is cookies for sure, because on boot up, the computer i think to first need to load all relevant data to these things, so it appears its doing that and that slows it down.
Confirmed by the fact now it is all gone things load at the speed you'd expect.
You can buy dildos on eBay
And knives. And alcohol.
to avoid fines for enabling children to access pornography
Everything on eBay is visible to everyone.
Now... buying and selling does have restrictions, and those are going to be enforced better.
It's worldwide.
Maybe, but I'm pretty sure when you're providing a service in the UK to UK customers you don't have to align that service to the laws in, say, Cambodia.
Everything on eBay is visible to everyone.
That's my point. Children can go on eBay and see any manner of life-like (if not life-size) sex toys. It's only a matter of time before some crusty old judge somewhere dusts the cobwebs off their gavel to proclaim that's pornographic and suddenly eBay are on the wrong side of the law. They're just pre-empting it.
So Im now thinking i should just close that account, but that leaves me with the issue of how do i close the account when im signed out of it, and the seemingly only way in is to give them the info i dont now want to give them.
Any suggestions ?
Use a VPN and bypass the restrictions if that is what’s causing the biometric requirement…
Given they have your postal address for sellers to send stuff to, I'm not sure that'd work.
You can buy dildos on eBay so they'll have to show that they've verified you're 18+ to avoid fines for enabling children to access pornography.
But they do age verification for stuff differently (I recently offered on a chainsaw and I had to directly add in credit card details to submit the offer).
Given they have your postal address for sellers to send stuff to, I'm not sure that'd work.
I don’t see why not, after all, they have your postal address to send stuff to… 🤷🏼♂️
But they do age verification for stuff differently (I recently offered on a chainsaw and I had to directly add in credit card details to submit the offer).
They do that for many items (I had to do it on an offer for a frying pan - think it's to reduce time wasters ) and it's not related to age verification.