Seems as though buyers can still pay via PayPal.... Wonder how long that will last....
I must say that I've had real problems in the past with trying to sell gear "the old fashioned way," by only accepting personal checks or money orders, adding that the funds must clear my bank prior to my shipping the gear out...knowing that this is also based on trust, so that if I sell to a (well known) person on this forum I'll usually just ship as soon as I receive a check - sometimes even before!
I also have a PayPal account which I basically never use, because I just don't trust it...and despite my receiving constant promotional offers from them I'm currently unable to even access my account for some reason.
My last major gear sale consisted of letting all of my Hasselblad equipment go to Catlabs. Sure I took a hit...but I'd been trying to sell this gear here for three years with no bites - and at the end of the day the hassle just wasn't worth it any more. Yeah it hurt a bit to see how all of this gear was then re-sold within days (at much higher prices), but that's the way this works...and the peace of mind I have after letting my gear go in this way, that nobody will be asking for a refund six months later, for reasons nefarious or otherwise, makes the financial hit worth it for me. And sell through Ebay? Never!
Using your SSN as identification is illegal so they just ask for the last 4 digits which may not be illegal but inappropriate - whenever I have refused to use a SSN, there is/must always be another way to confirm.
a private business can do a lot of stuff but they cannot require you to provide it.
"Private sector use of the SSN is neither specifically authorized nor restricted. People are asked for an SSN at banks, video rental outlets, hospitals, etc., and may refuse to give it."
"S.B. 4760 Prohibits the use of Social Security numbers for identification purposes of individuals."
" It shall be unlawful for any Federal, State or local government agency to deny to any individual any right, benefit, or privilege provided by law because of such individual’s refusal to disclose his social security account number."
The DOJ’s website describes some of the many exceptions to the law you quoted:
“ Note that although this provision applies beyond federal agencies, it does not apply to: (1) any disclosure which is required by federal statute; or (2) any disclosure of a social security number to any federal, state, or local agency maintaining a system of records in existence and operating before January 1, 1975, if such disclosure was required under statute or regulation adopted prior to such date to verify the identity of an individual. See Sec. 7(a)(2)(A)-(B).
Note also that the Tax Reform Act of 1976, 42 U.S.C. § 405(c)(2)(C)(i), (iv) (2006), expressly exempts state agencies from this restriction to the extent that social security numbers are used “in the administration of any tax, general public assistance, driver’s license, or motor vehicle registration law within its jurisdiction.”
https://www.justice.gov/archives/opc...y-number-usage
Since it appears a seller can no longer respond to my inquiry about paying via USPS Money Order, I no longer attempt to buy from Ebay.
On 3 recent occasions I have made such an inquiry, and failed to even receive an answer.
They can respond, but eBay has prohibited sellers from accepting money orders, except in a few categories, since 2013. If the eBay message-screening bots pick up a conversation about a money order, it could cause the seller to be suspended.
That doesn't mean that some eBay transactions aren't done that way.
https://www.ebay.com/help/policies/p...policy?id=4269
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