I made a purchase on eBay earlier today, and I just received an e-mail from a company offering a warranty on the item that I purchased.  It would seem that the seller passes on the e-mail addresses of his buyers to this company so that it can pitch its warranties.  I'm pretty sure that I don't appreciate having my contact information given out as a sales lead without my permission.

I plan to confront the seller about this--after I receive my item, of course--but I don't expect a satisfactory response.  Negative feedback?

ebay Members contacting you outside of ebay for transactions is not allowed.  I don't think having another party contact you (instead of the seller him/herself) is any better.

That's lame, man. Once you get the item I'd leave negative feedback stating the seller gave your info to a third party and I'd also report the seller to eBay.

If it were me, I'd be going straight to eBay with it. I'd be pretty sure that's got to be against their terms and is well out of order. Is it possible there is a company watching auctions and the seller didn't pass you details on? Either way, it shouldn't happen but I'd try to let eBay sort it.

If eBay don't do anything and you're sure that the seller passing on your details is the only way this could have happened, then I wouldn't hesitate to leave negative feedback.

Give 'em the neg. That's just lame.

I would consider that possibility, but the seller promotes the company on the listing.  I presume that this is some sort of commission system.

What I find strange is that after skimming his feedback profile, I didn't find any complaints about this practice.  I suppose that before eBay prevented sellers from leaving negative feedback for buyers, buyers may have hesitated to complain for fear of receiving negative feedback in retaliation, but this guy has received hundreds of feedback comments since the feedback system was changed.  I seem to be the only buyer who is bothered enough to complain.

When sellers do crooked things, they hope their post-"kind words" will quell your pain and dissatisfaction hoping you won't leave a mark on them. Don't fall for it. It's your duty to your fellow consumer to out them. Only then, the stigma will push them to change their ways or at least expose the bastards.

Sadly, I'm sure the retailers do this when they ask for your information including phone numbers. It should be a forewarned practice but it's not. I just claim "unpublished" when asked for any non-essential information (like Toys 'R' Us, who asks for a phone or zipcode when buying anything).

we got the goofiest question on ebay the other day. it wasnt really a question, but when you get something this off the wall, its instant block-list for the bidder.

Dear pullipstyle,
the term "J-doll"pertains to a man named Joseph, who has had his image done in plastic dolls by a number of American toy companies in hundreds of images of him in dolls with numerous different names, races, and in both sexes dating back to when he was born in 1964- hope that helps- sincerely the real "J" which also stands for "JEDI"
- tzmwjbe
   
Item and user details
Item Title:    J-Doll negen (de 9 straatjes) Dutch Jun Planning Doll
Item Number:    200267619647
Item URL:    http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi … 0267619647
End Date:    Nov-24-08 09:43:43 PST
From User:   
tzmwjbe (474)
100.0% Positive Feedback
Member since Mar-20-03 in United States
Location: NY, United States
Activity with tzmwjbe (last 90 days): tzmwjbe has bid on 0 of my items
This message was sent while the listing was active. tzmwjbe is a potential buyer.

I WANTED to respond:
the term "a-hole" pertains to anyone with their head so far up their ass that they think any mention of 1 of 26 letters of the alphabet is automatically pertaining to them. Have you tried suing f---ing george lucas already?

.. but shana said id better not...