Can They ID Me On Ebay?

This morning I recieved the following email message from another user on ebay I do not know:



The message was sent from within ebay and used my real name in addition to my ebay user name.

This is the second time I've gotten a message from someone I do not know referencing either an auction I won or one I bid on.

I thought my identity was anonymized on ebay, that only random letters and numbers were shown in place of my ID?

Am I wrong? How did this guy find me?

I don't know how this paranoid-induced anonymity thing works, and as an ex-Ebay buyer and seller it annoys me to death, but if this is unsolicited spam, report him.

ebay has died a death since it started believing that everyone is out to get everyone else. I buy exclusively from Delcampe now. I know who I'm selling to, and I know who I'm bidding against. The sky hasn't fallen in and I'm not bombarded by spam either.

Sorry for the rant. Short version = report the spam.

I think what happens is that the person whom emailed you also was either bidding or watching the same item; if they weren't the seller. They then clicked on your userid to email you and ebay added your real name to let you know this was not from another source outside of ebay. That is one of their "security" features.

Right. ebay adds your real name.

Anyone can look at your feedback if it's not private and see what you buy. However this email, in my mind, is inappropriate and you can report it if you like. I believe ebay will warn them about it.

Stamper and Bobby are correct, sellers can easily check feedback and send out emails. I get a few of those like Idhaber got. Don't forget, sellers see all the I.D's.

However, I believe ebay will consider it acceptable as the seller was not soliciting Jubilee to buy outside of ebay, he clearly said "when they are available on ebay".

Of course that may not be his real intention once he gets the email address.