Another way eBay can link you and how to fix it! Members only!

Burst · #1 10-17-2008

I haven't seen it mentioned on here so Ill throw this out. If you're running multiple seller accounts, you want to have no information running the same on each account.

As stated in the ebay Stealth Book, you even need different backgrounds for each seller account! One thing people might not be realizing is even if you're using different backgrounds, the JPEG image stores DATA about the following:
* Digital camera technical data (EXIF)
* Comment blocks
* JPEG thumbnails
* Application blocks

That means that ebay knows what camera you're using, the dates the images were taken and so forth. And you wouldn't want eBay seeing 4 sellers selling the same item, identical style, with the same camera now would you?
eBay isnt as stupid as you think. Like a few people have said here, eBay is just as smart as you with more tools.

PureJPEG is an easy to use app that strips all of that information without losing any image quality. Its also FREE so I don't see what anyone wouldn't want to use it. I just tried it and was pretty impressed with the ease of use and quality of work. It also dropped my image size down on average about 20KB. So I figure I would share it with my ebayers!

PureJPEG - Filter Unnecessary JPEG Data

A better application that Ive found after scouring across the net is Exif Tag Remover. Its more generated towards the mass images use. It has a much better GUI and the ability to strip bulk image files. I highly suggest this product for people using eBay.

It strips so much data out you would wonder how all the quality is still in an image with such a small file size!

RL Vision :: Download Freeware & Shareware Products

Any comments are appreciated.

aking · #2 10-17-2008

Good info! Thanks.

mantisinc · #3 10-17-2008

Makes sense. Although I've used the same cam on all of my suspended accounts - and never been linked

Also add to that the host of your images - something else they can link to as well.

Caseyjr86 · #4 10-17-2008

You should add not to host files with a suspended address... For example you own the website ebaysux.com and you got banned with the email caseyjr86@ebaysux.com.. Don't host images from ebaysux.com

Burst · #5 10-17-2008

The odds may be slim that they could link you by suspicion of images right now. However, eBay and Paypal are always attempting new ways to link accounts and I'm sure this is on their agenda of fixes.

I thought using the same hosting username that has been banned was a given not to do?

Here We Go Again · #6 10-17-2008

I have been using a program called "GraphicConverter" for Macintosh to wipe away the .jpeg details from all my pictures for about a year.
Works great.

Caseyjr86 · #7 10-17-2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by Burst

The odds may be slim that they could link you by suspicion of images right now. However, eBay and Paypal are always attempting new ways to link accounts and I'm sure this is on their agenda of fixes.

I thought using the same hosting username that has been banned was a given not to do?

There is a lot of information that but considered "a given". But your right. Just my 2cents that I thought went with this.

Brendaleigh · #8 10-18-2008

I am fascinated by this thread. I had never considered that eBay could track me by my camera. I was going to use the same camera to re-take all my photo's of my inventory - not a small job - and I have changed the settings a bit, but it is still the same camera. Does the link given in the first post work on Mac computers that does not use Windows? I am a bit unclear on how to "clean" a photo or group of photo's. Right now I usually take a group of photo's of each item, upload them onto my desktop where I choose the ones I want to use, edit them, label them, and put each grouping into a file and save it to my desktop until the item sells or I stop listing it. Do I have to go in and "clean" each photo? Do you do this after you have uploaded them on your computer, edited them, labeled them and put them in a file? I am not terribly computer savvy so I need a bit more information. Thanks.

Here We Go Again · #9 10-18-2008

^^^^^^^^^^^^
There is a program on your Mac already. It came with it.
After you take your pictures and before you upload them to your ads do this.
Look in the Applications Folder then look for the GraphicsConverter Folder.
Open this program.
Open your pictures with this program.
Resave your pictures using Save As from this program.
Camera Data is now gone.
POOF....

Now you have clean camera data free pictures.

JamesYaBaoy · #10 10-18-2008

I dobut they would go to that great of lengths

Burst · #11 10-18-2008

Its not that great of length TBO. Theyve already gone to greater. Things only get easier.

Itzabreeze · #12 10-20-2008

Thanks, good thing to know.

Stealth Man · #13 10-25-2008

I just host them at auctiva or photobucket. Then if you want you can copy them from there, and that will strip all the info if you dont want those services to host them for you. Some accts I host them there and others I send there and copy them. But Im paranoid

Burst · #14 10-26-2008

Take one of those images you think is stripped, copy it to your computer. Check the filesize before and after a wipe with Exif tag remover. You'd be surprised.

Pripyat · #15 10-27-2008

Here We Go Again,

Is it really that simple for a Mac?
I looked on the GraphicConverter website and this feature was not mentioned.

However they sell another product, SnapsCleaner, that claims to do exactly this.
The screen shot also shows much more control over the info,
than I thought was possible...

Just askin’......

Key features

Pripyat

Here We Go Again · #16 10-27-2008

Yes it is that simple on a Mac. Gotta Love it...
I have never heard of SnapsCleaner.
GraphicConverter comes free on every Mac I have ever bought.

Pripyat · #17 10-28-2008

OK, cool....
I'll have to compare the two some time.
Good to know they both work....

Thanks,
Pripyat

turnaround · #18 10-28-2008

actually this is an issue for ebay, from personal experiance i have changed names of pictures and reused i have also documented when and why each account of mine goes down and from personal experiance and recorded data this is very true pictures can and will get you linked and auctions removed

Burst · #19 10-29-2008

There might be a day when they decide to get even more ridiculous modee. You know how they are.

Plus it saves bandwidth as well

hux · #20 10-29-2008

Thanks for the info, I will try this.

GreenBean · #21 10-29-2008

We seem to have the half of one and six of another theories going on here. It may well be that ebay can do what Burst has said. There are some of us doing exactly what Modee has said as well. I also think Turnaround may have had problems. ebay changes its parameters like the weather. LOL.

Bottom line is to keep records of anything and everything that happens to an ebay account. Then anything bad can be discussed here.

SumofallPeers · #22 02-14-2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by Here We Go Again

I have been using a program called "GraphicConverter" for Macintosh to wipe away the .jpeg details from all my pictures for about a year.
Works great.

HWGA,

I too am a die hard Mac enthusiast and am loaded to bear on sw. I checked Fireworks vs. Photoshop vs. iViewMedia Pro vs. Graphic Converter. GC seems the only one capable of a full erase. Do you know if the data will be gone if you do a batch export as jpg? Or is this a file by file process?

Sidenote: To those who wonder if data still remains on files, I've downloaded Fotolia images, copied between drives, emailed and up/down loaded and using a program on the Mac called iViewMedia Pro you can still find about 50 distinct information categories including image name off their camera, shutter speed, original shoot date, Geo location, mod date, your usage date, etc. This includes copies of copies of copies.

Thanks,

SoaP