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Asked to Contact Customer support - security code
 

I got a bizarre restriction, wanted to see if anyone can shed some light on this.

When I sign onto my ebay account, I am immediately brought to a screen that tells me to confirm my identity by receiving a phone call or text message to the phone number i have on file. There is no option to update my phone number, it will only allow me to send a call or text to the number I have on file, which I do not have access to.

It also gives me the option to call them instead, and they provide a customer contact number and a security code to use when I call. So i tried calling and giving it a shot.

The ebay rep said this restriction happened because I changed my internet service provider (wtf?). I was using a verizon flashed mifi device, but it broke so I began temporarily using a regular verizon hotspot device instead. I cannot say this switch correlated EXACTLY with when I got this restriction, but it was around the same time.

She said they "fingerprint" the ISPs of ebay users and that by changing my service provider I triggered a security check. However, I have switched between hotspot devices and internet service providers with no issues many times before, so it makes me wonder if the rep was just saying this as an excuse. Keep in mind I run many, many accounts and this is the only account that I have ever had this type of issue with.

She then told me to simply use my current Internet Service Provider with ebay for a month, and that they should lift the security check if I call back after a month. This also makes 0 sense to me. Especially because I cannot even LOG ON to my ebay account to access it, so I do not understand how I am supposed "use my ISP" for a month. In addition to this bizarre situation, they haven't removed the listings I have active on this account, so I'm still selling and unable to log on to revise my listing, respond to customers / cases / returns opened against me, nor am I able to even pay my fees with a prepaid card.

Since this is a stealth account, the rep could not find any public database questions to ask me (she tried), but what also seemed strange is that she would not give me the option of even sending in docs to verify my identity. She just left it at "use your ISP for a month and try calling back."

I'm just a little baffled. Never had this type of restriction, never heard of ebay fingerprinting ISPs, and can't understand why I cannot even access my account at all yet my listings are still active.

Can anyone shed some light on this? I thought I've seen every type of restriction, but this one is new to me. Any vets or anyone with a similar situation can help me out??

Re: Asked to Contact Customer support - security code
 

I had a similar situation when I changed my static IP but with the same ISP, they started to ask for a phone confirmation on file. I think it's the IP change that's causing this.

Re: Asked to Contact Customer support - security code
 

So do I have to worry every time I switch a hot spot device or change the source of my IP address? I would think this would be discussed a lot more if that was the case. I'd imagine this type of restriction would happen to me a lot more also since I've done this many times across many accounts.

Re: Asked to Contact Customer support - security code
 

did you try using your old isp again to see if it would let you back in

Re: Asked to Contact Customer support - security code
 

Yes i tried using the flashed mifi device that i originally used with this account but it did not work.

Re: Asked to Contact Customer support - security code
 

I have only gotten this notice when I didn't save cookies, cleared cookies or used a new computer....

Have you done something with your cookies lately? Do you block them? Have you cleaned them lately?

A while back I bought a new computer and just created identical user accounts as my old lappy, however I never bothered to move the cookies and got this on every account I tried to access....

Re: Asked to Contact Customer support - security code
 

I will double check the cookies situation with my business partner as he is the one using this account.

Did you have access to the phone number on file? Were you able to resolve the situation?

Re: Asked to Contact Customer support - security code
 

Nothing was done with the cookies on this account. No cookies were cleaned, deleted or altered in any way.

Re: Asked to Contact Customer support - security code
 

This happened to me once but when I logged in the next day everything was fine. When the notice popped up I just logged out and logged back in the next day. Actually has happened a couple of times.

Re: Asked to Contact Customer support - security code
 

I have had similar experience in the past several years ago before I started stealthing, switched carriers and started with security issues. I know that not everyone has this option. If for some reason I have or want to change from static IP to a dynamic one (mifi for example) I do it slowly. I will login to account once with new device and then the next time with static again. If i am changing carriers i will do the same. I kind of change the ratio from like 5 old IP +1 new IP per day. Then 4 old IP + 2 new IP per day. Then 3 old IP + 3 new IP per day, and so on until its all new device or provider or dynamic to static, or vice versa. I have done this when changing from say a paid dedicated VPN once i figured out that mifi + dynamic IP would suit my needs for a account. Also have done when using new flashed mifi and changing carriers. Also have done when starting to use 3g mifi AND 4g phone tether at different times with same account, because i just want to log into accounts with faster 4g for uploads and maintenance. It also helps on those days when a mifi device may be experiencing extremely slow connections or wont login at all. I just start slowly mixing until it is the norm for logins from two different devices.:pop2:

Re: Asked to Contact Customer support - security code
 

Seems like this notice is happening more frequently. Just happened on two of my accounts. One account got listings all cancelled, the other kept listings up. Not sure if the account lockout will go away on its own. I didn't wait to find out since I needed immediate access to both accounts. Called in and seems like changing ip addresses is triggering this since that's the first thing they brought up. This is how many of us operate multiple stealth accounts, so this is very alarming. Need to keep the phone number you setup the account with active so you can avoid having to call in. Unfortunately both accounts had non active phone numbers in them so I had to call in. Took about 5 minutes to gain full access to each account. Basic questions were all that were asked (name, address, phone number on file). If you call in, please share your experience with us. This security trigger could become a more serious issue (lets hope not), but for now it seems like just more of an inconvenience than anything...