What is the Verdict on ebay/ paypal email tracking?

[shen1]

So what is the current (2014) verdict on eBay and Paypal email tracking? Is it possible to be link from just opening (not clicking any links) and reading a eBay / Paypal email?

I follow everything in the guide, but the guide did not cover this matter. I use separate windows account for all my accounts and change the ip address everytime while keeping a ip log. But I log into the my different gmail account from whatever computer such as my phone, not really being too careful because I know google does not share info with eb/pp so it should be safe. So then while reading a automatic eBay email on an item sold on a different email account than the one that's used for the eBay mail I was reading, I noticed the eBay images and then had a "oh sh*t" moment. I then thought maybe eBay can link you just by tracking you through the email (using cookies or beacon, or whatever fancy methods) you open and read. ps: I very careful not to click on any links in the email, so I am safe on that part.

So what's the verdict on this? Should I be worried?

[fox20c]

Yes you can be tracked through the images in an email from ebay (beacons). If you turn off images in your gmail settings they will not be able to track you this was. If you saw the images when your were looking at the email then you have probably linked yourself. Best just to forget about those accounts and make some new ones, better safe than sorry.

[skinnyhardaway]

I open all images in my email client which has all my stealth emails on it and I haven't had any problems with linking.

[rsot]

All images off - beacons off - keep accounts separate - fox20c is correct

[shen1]

Thanks everyone for the answers. Sucks for me then.

Do beacons in email images grab user information like IP and cookies, previous visited sites? If so, then that is a rather devious means of tracing and I can't believe that is even allowed by privacy laws for anyone, much less a multinational co.

Although my account are still up and not limited yet. Is there any hope that maybe eBay would over look it since just that one incident is not enough evidence of linkage? Maybe they would need more proof to be able to link.