@john456 Quote: |
I wonder if eBay only links accounts based on IP if you log with both accounts on the same IP within a short amount of time.
| The key to what you wrote here is within a short amount of time. This looks suspicious in the eyes of ebay. Think about it...two people cannot have the same IP at the same time (especially if they are physically far away from one another).
The only way 2 users can have the same IP is if they are on the same LAN segment (i.e. in the same house). Another example would be if I were in my car on the road outside of your house and I logged into your wifi network..this example is a GOOD reason alone to always encrypt/secure your wifi network! Ya' never know when I"ll be driving by
In short, this just doesn't make sense to ebay and, as such, would draw flags on their side. Quote: |
Reason I am asking is because I have just found my first stealth account I created back in 2008. I had completely forgotten about it. I created it with the same IP of another account that got suspended 2 years later. The account is still standing in 2013.
| Now, if you logged into an ebay account that used the same IP a couple of years ago...ebay would not link you alone on reusing that IP today.
This is because most ISPs recycle their pool of IPs to their customers via DHCP. Let's say we both have Comcast. An IP you used back in 2008 can easily be assigned to me by Comcast 3 or 4 years later.
Again, the keyword here is linking alone on IP. There are other factors such as cookies, web beacons, etc. that come into play when linking accounts. Ebay cannot link you on an IP you used 4-5 years ago.
By the way, the fact that you know you used the same IP 5 years ago impresses me. This is the best record keeping of IPs I've ever come across! |