eBaiting.com - The Chats

4/24/2007 (Day 180)

So on 10/26/2006 I put in the request and waited the requisite 180 days for eBay to close my account, but even after all that it was still open. I had my calendar marked to check, as their volume of screwups up to this point made it hard to trust them to follow through. It turns out my concerns were justified.

At this point I thought I was done jumping through all their hoops. So I'm still a bit frustrated and haven't gotten to the point where I'm doing the eBaiting purely for fun. Toward the end is when I first hit upon the idea of publishing these for the world to see. Though somewhat repetitive, these early chats serve to illustrate how inadequately equipped the front-line support people are to help resolve problems like mine. I am consistently told they can't help me, and to fill out the Trust and Safety form (but am given different links depending on whom I ask) and wait for a reply when that department finally get around to it. Sorry but that's not good enough.

If you're wondering why I felt the need to contact them over and over regarding the same issue, there are several reasons. (1) I'd just decided to quit eBay for good, and was seeking a sense of resolution which could only be achieved through having my account completely and permanently closed. (2) I'm not good at relying on others for help. When a problem is stressing me and I can't address it myself, I mentally need some assurance that the appropriate people are working on it. A webpage telling me that most emails are responded to within 24 hours does not provide that. (3) I'm obsessive-compulsive. That's actually a great advantage when you're an eBaiter.

7:58:08 AM System Initial Question/Comment: Other

7:58:13 AM System Thank you for contacting eBay Live Help!

7:58:13 AM System You are successfully connected to eBay Live Help. Please hold for the next available Live Help Agent.

7:59:08 AM System We appreciate your patience. You will be able to type in your question as soon as you are connected with a Live Help Agent. Please continue to hold for the next available representative.

8:00:08 AM System We apologize for the wait and thank you for your continued patience. Please continue to hold to keep your place in line. You should be connected to the next available agent shortly.

8:01:08 AM System We are sorry for the delayed connection. Your question is important to us and one of our representatives will be with you soon.

8:06:23 AM System Eric D. has joined this session!

8:06:23 AM System Connected with Eric D.

8:06:38 AM Eric D. Hello, thank you for waiting and welcome to eBay Live Chat! My name is Eric. If you're a registered member, may I please start by having you confirm your User ID and first name?

8:06:49 AM [eBaiting] That's actually kind of my question.

8:06:55 AM [eBaiting] Exactly 180 days ago I requested to have my eBay account permanently closed.

8:07:00 AM [eBaiting] I am just checking in to verify that this has been done.

8:07:28 AM Eric D. I'll be happy to assist you with that. Can you please provide me with your User ID?

8:08:06 AM [eBaiting] [My eBay ID]

8:08:33 AM Eric D. Thank you. You are right, this account is in the process of termination.

8:08:40 AM [eBaiting] "In the process"?

8:09:08 AM Eric D. Yes.

8:09:31 AM [eBaiting] What else is left to do before the process of termination is complete?

8:10:43 AM Eric D. You won't have to do anything at all, and you can expect complete total close of this account at the soonest possible time. As of now your Use ID also won't be appearing in any kind of system search.

8:11:00 AM [eBaiting] How soon is the soonest possible time?

8:11:05 AM [eBaiting] And will I be informed when this happens?

8:11:23 AM Eric D. Okay. Please let me explain.

8:11:27 AM [eBaiting] Please do

8:13:33 AM Eric D. This account is now closed. Aside from those who knew it existed, information about the User ID is not known to anyone else. On eBay, members may opt to request to reopen an account. Your account is on that stage where if you request for it to be reopened, eBay may consider it. But to be sure, this account is now closed.

8:13:58 AM [eBaiting] At what point will eBay NOT consider reopening it?

8:14:43 AM Eric D. It's just in the process of complete termination at the point where you can't request for it be reopened. For information about that, our Trust and Safety team will have to investigate this issue for you with the aim of resolving this issue. Please go to:

8:14:45 AM Eric D. http://pages.ebay.com/help/contact_us/_base/result_1_1_6.html

8:14:48 AM Eric D. On that page, you will have to please click on the words "email us" to be able to write in.

8:15:03 AM Eric D. I hope you see that there is no black and white answer to that question, so our Trust and Safety team can explain this further for you.

8:15:23 AM [eBaiting] Just a second...

8:18:27 AM Eric D. I'm just checking to see if you're still with me.

8:18:28 AM [eBaiting] Ok I just wrote and asked them.

8:18:43 AM Eric D. Okay. Please do wait for what the Trust and Safety team has to say. Thank you for your patience.

8:18:47 AM Eric D. Can I assist you with other concerns?

8:18:49 AM [eBaiting] I assume they will give me a nice vague answer just like yours

8:19:08 AM [eBaiting] eBay doesn't like to have accounts permanently closed do they

8:19:15 AM Eric D. Not at all. My answer was direct. Your account is closed. It's the bottom line.

8:19:17 AM [eBaiting] It looks bad when somebody quits I bet

8:19:30 AM [eBaiting] No my account is "in the process of termination"

8:19:35 AM Eric D. It's okay for an account to be permanently closed on eBay.

8:19:36 AM [eBaiting] That means the process of termination has not yet finished

8:19:48 AM Eric D. It has. It's just that you can reopen it.

8:19:56 AM [eBaiting] But I never want to

8:20:28 AM Eric D. I had an account once. I closed it, and now I can't even see my own account when I search for it using internal tools.

8:20:38 AM Eric D. But do you have other concerns I can assist you with?

8:20:51 AM [eBaiting] Apparently not

8:20:58 AM Eric D. It's been a pleasure speaking with you today. Thank you for coming to eBay Live Chat, have a great day.

8:21:04 AM [eBaiting] Thank you for the copy and pasted answers

8:21:18 AM Eric D. Take care!

8:22:13 AM Eric D. Your account is closed. It's just that you MAY be able to request for it be reopened, it doesn't mean that it will be.

8:22:24 AM [eBaiting] If you say so

[Total chat time: 24 minutes.]
Not satisfied with Eric D.'s answers, I opened up another chat almost immediately:

8:31:20 AM System Initial Question/Comment: Other

8:31:25 AM System Thank you for contacting eBay Live Help!

8:31:25 AM System You are successfully connected to eBay Live Help. Please hold for the next available Live Help Agent.

8:32:20 AM System We appreciate your patience. You will be able to type in your question as soon as you are connected with a Live Help Agent. Please continue to hold for the next available representative.

8:33:20 AM System We apologize for the wait and thank you for your continued patience. Please continue to hold to keep your place in line. You should be connected to the next available agent shortly.

8:34:20 AM System We are sorry for the delayed connection. Your question is important to us and one of our representatives will be with you soon.

8:41:05 AM System Dave D. has joined this session!

8:41:05 AM System Connected with Dave D.

8:41:10 AM Dave D. Hello, welcome to the eBay General Support. My name is Dave and I hope you're having a great day so far! Could I please start with your User ID and first name?

8:41:12 AM [eBaiting] Hi Dave D

8:41:16 AM [eBaiting] Are you related to Eric D?

8:41:28 AM [eBaiting] I just talked to him

8:42:00 AM Dave D. Oh really? No, we aren't related at all...

8:42:27 AM [eBaiting] Ok well

8:42:34 AM [eBaiting] He told me that my account was now closed

8:42:54 AM [eBaiting] user ID = [My eBay ID]

8:43:01 AM [eBaiting] I requested to close it exactly 180 days ago

8:44:05 AM Dave D. Ok, cool I'll check this out. This is just for verification reasons only, but in order to take a closer look at your account, I will need to verify some of your information. Could you please tell me the name, complete address and phone number that you registered your account with?

8:44:16 AM [eBaiting] [eBaiting]

8:44:22 AM [eBaiting] [My address]

8:44:29 AM [eBaiting] [My phone number]

8:44:30 AM [eBaiting] I think

8:44:38 AM [eBaiting] Eric D did not ask me this stuff

8:46:05 AM Dave D. Just security measures... but thank you for providing that info

8:46:10 AM [eBaiting] No problem

8:47:35 AM Dave D. So I checked it out, and see that your account is being closed down, however sometimes it will take 180 days down to very second that the request was started, so it should be done fairly soon

8:47:52 AM [eBaiting] So, definitely by tomorrow then?

8:49:05 AM Dave D. Well I see that the request was started on Oct. 26, so it should be within the next day or two

8:49:28 AM [eBaiting] Ok

8:49:33 AM [eBaiting] But then it will be completely closed?

8:49:40 AM [eBaiting] I will not be able to sign in?

8:49:45 AM Dave D. Yes that's correct

8:49:49 AM [eBaiting] I just tried and was able to today

8:49:56 AM [eBaiting] After Eric D told me it was closed

8:50:25 AM Dave D. Yes, you should still be able to sign into your account while they are processing the termination, but you shouldn't be able to use it to bid etc...

8:50:41 AM [eBaiting] Ok but once they finish the termination I won't be able to?

8:50:50 AM Dave D. Right

8:51:14 AM [eBaiting] Ok thanks

8:51:45 AM Dave D. YOu're most welcome [eBaiting]! Was there anything else that I can help you out with today?

8:51:51 AM [eBaiting] Nope that's all

[Total chat time: 20 minutes.]
4/25/2007 (Day 181)

8:00:05 AM System Initial Question/Comment: Other

8:00:10 AM System Thank you for contacting eBay Live Help!

8:00:10 AM System You are successfully connected to eBay Live Help. Please hold for the next available Live Help Agent.

8:01:05 AM System We appreciate your patience. You will be able to type in your question as soon as you are connected with a Live Help Agent. Please continue to hold for the next available representative.

8:02:05 AM System We apologize for the wait and thank you for your continued patience. Please continue to hold to keep your place in line. You should be connected to the next available agent shortly.

8:03:05 AM System We are sorry for the delayed connection. Your question is important to us and one of our representatives will be with you soon.

8:03:10 AM System Jane U. has joined this session!

8:03:10 AM System Connected with Jane U.

8:03:14 AM [eBaiting] Morny

8:03:14 AM Jane U. Hello, thank you for waiting and welcome to eBay Live Chat! My name is Jane. If you're a registered member, may I please start by having you confirm your User ID and first name?

8:03:24 AM [eBaiting] [My eBay ID]

8:03:26 AM [eBaiting] [eBaiting]

8:03:55 AM Jane U. Hi [eBaiting]! How may I help you today?

8:03:59 AM [eBaiting] My eBay account was supposed to be permanently closed after 180 days.

8:04:03 AM [eBaiting] Today is the 181st day, and I can still sign in.

8:04:07 AM [eBaiting] Just wondering why it is still not closed like I requested.

8:04:25 AM Jane U. Okay. Let me check on it.

8:06:35 AM Jane U. It seems that the process of closure of your account is still on going. You can follow about this concern by writing an e-mail to us. Is that okay with you?

8:06:45 AM [eBaiting] Why is it still ongoing?

8:06:52 AM [eBaiting] And why is this something that can only be resolved through email?

8:07:55 AM Jane U. It is still possible that the department handling account closure is still checking your account. They will be able to give you more details about the process.

8:08:06 AM [eBaiting] What do they need to check?

8:08:11 AM [eBaiting] I want to close the thing

8:09:00 AM Jane U. Probably they are making sure that there will no problems with you when you close this account.

8:09:11 AM [eBaiting] Why would there be problems with me?

8:09:15 AM [eBaiting] And what kind of problems?

8:09:24 AM Jane U. If you write that department an e-mail they will you give you more details.

8:09:28 AM [eBaiting] Right now the problem is that I am taking up customer service time

8:09:35 AM [eBaiting] Because I have to keep writing to ask them to close my account.

8:09:38 AM [eBaiting] That is the only problem.

8:11:15 AM Jane U. The process is still on going and you account will be closed soon. If you want to follow up the account closure, I would suggest for you to e-mail them so they can give you more details.

8:11:34 AM [eBaiting] Why is the process still ongoing?

8:11:42 AM [eBaiting] Your site says UP TO 180 days

8:11:47 AM [eBaiting] Why is it taking more than 180 days?

8:12:10 AM Jane U. I'm not really sure. Only that department can give you more information about this.

8:12:18 AM [eBaiting] Ok fine, what's the address?

8:12:30 AM Jane U. Let me get it for you.

8:13:15 AM Jane U. Here's the link: http://pages.ebay.com/help/contact_us/_base/result_1_2_3.html

8:13:20 AM Jane U. Just click on that and you should see EMAIL US at the bottom of the page.

8:15:15 AM Jane U. Were you able to open the link?

8:15:22 AM [eBaiting] Yes, I am sending them an email now.

8:15:35 AM Jane U. Is there anything else I can help you with?

8:15:44 AM [eBaiting] Hang on, still sending

8:15:55 AM Jane U. Okay.

8:17:06 AM [eBaiting] There we go.

8:17:15 AM [eBaiting] I clicked send 20 times so they should notice it now.

8:17:16 AM Jane U. Great!

8:17:19 AM [eBaiting] This is like pulling teeth.

8:17:40 AM [eBaiting] Why does eBay have to make everything so agonizing?

8:19:35 AM Jane U. Sorry if this has caused you some bad experience. But sometimes it takes time for us to finish some process because we're assisting a lot of members.

8:19:42 AM [eBaiting] Yeah well

8:19:51 AM [eBaiting] It'd go faster if you got rid of the people who didn't WANT to be members.

8:19:58 AM [eBaiting] Then you could better assist the ones who did.

8:20:12 AM [eBaiting] I know, I know, you're not in the position to change anything.

8:20:30 AM Jane U. Okay. We'll take note of that. Is there anything else I can help you with?

8:20:41 AM [eBaiting] Nope, talk to you tomorrow

8:20:47 AM [eBaiting] (Unless my acct is closed)

[Total chat time: 20 minutes.]
4/26/2007 (Day 182)
By now I'm an old pro at this, and know the script the eBay rep is going to follow.

7:53:18 AM System Initial Question/Comment: Other

7:53:24 AM System Thank you for contacting eBay Live Help!

7:53:24 AM System Laura A. has joined this session!

7:53:24 AM System Connected with Laura A.

7:53:27 AM [eBaiting] [My eBay ID] [My name] [My address] [My phone number]

7:53:27 AM Laura A. Hello, thank you for waiting and welcome to eBay Live Chat! My name is Laura. If you're a registered member, may I please start by having you confirm your User ID and first name?

7:53:32 AM [eBaiting] Ha, beat you to it!

7:53:42 AM [eBaiting] Am I good or what

7:54:19 AM Laura A. Of course your good!

7:54:29 AM Laura A. Okay how may I help you?

7:54:53 AM [eBaiting] I put in a request to have my account closed

7:54:59 AM [eBaiting] They said it would take UP TO 180 days.

7:55:02 AM [eBaiting] Today is the 182nd day

7:55:07 AM [eBaiting] And I am still able to log in

7:55:13 AM [eBaiting] How long until it is completely closed?

7:55:29 AM Laura A. Oh I see, let me check on your account one moment please.

7:58:44 AM Laura A. Thanks for waiting! I can see that your account is for termination you can still get in to your account but other will not be able to search your account.

7:58:58 AM [eBaiting] So how long until it is completely closed?

7:59:05 AM [eBaiting] They said 180 days

8:00:09 AM Laura A. Yes that is right! your account is closed but it may extend as the system will read the information on your account and make sure that no one gets to your account.

8:00:25 AM [eBaiting] How long will it "extend" for?

8:00:35 AM [eBaiting] I just want the thing permanently closed.

8:01:04 AM Laura A. Okay it will take a little longer but your account will be closed anytime from now.

8:01:27 AM [eBaiting] Ok well I will just keep contacting customer service every day until that does finally happen.

8:02:43 AM [eBaiting] The longer it takes, the more time I will waste and keep the support people from helping people who WANT to use eBay

8:02:48 AM [eBaiting] That is the way of things

8:03:04 AM Laura A. Oh you an contact the once so that they will not have to gather all the e-mail you will send, it may affect the time in responding to your emails so you can send one e-mail to the team.

8:03:27 AM [eBaiting] "Oh you an contact the once so that they..." What?!?

8:03:34 AM [eBaiting] I know all those words but I don't understand the sentence.

8:05:19 AM Laura A. Okay, you can send the e-mail once because if you will send two or more emails, the team will have to read your emails again and it will take longer time to get a response from the team.

8:05:34 AM [eBaiting] Oh you must be talking about when I did it like 30 times yesterday.

8:05:49 AM [eBaiting] I thought that would get them to notice faster.

8:06:05 AM [eBaiting] I forgot they are robots and have to restart each time from scratch.

8:06:14 AM Laura A. oh no it will just make the response time longer.

8:06:34 AM Laura A. Oh no they are not robots, they are real people who are working on this.

8:06:34 AM [eBaiting] Well there hasn't been any response at all so far so I haven't really noticed the difference.

8:06:48 AM [eBaiting] Why does it take so long to close an account?

8:06:55 AM [eBaiting] 180 days should be gobs of time.

8:07:07 AM [eBaiting] Do they have that many people trying to leave eBay?

8:07:11 AM [eBaiting] That they can't keep up?

8:08:09 AM Laura A. Actually, it is only a small team to close your account but don't you worry as your request was already received and they can close your account anytime from now.

8:08:25 AM [eBaiting] If that's true then they can close it NOW.

8:08:27 AM [eBaiting] That's what I want.

8:10:04 AM Laura A. Oh I wish I can close it right away but our Trust and Safety team should be doing that for you and please extend your patience, your account will be fine and will be closed by the team, it is indicated here that your account is under the process of closure.

8:10:26 AM [eBaiting] I'm still going to check in every day.

8:10:54 AM Laura A. Sure!

8:13:19 AM Laura A. Is there anything else I may help you with?

8:16:09 AM Laura A. I'm just checking if we're still connected.

8:18:49 AM Laura A. As I have not received a response from you, it appears that we may have been disconnected. If you are experiencing technical difficulties and are unable to send a response, I apologize for this and encourage you to come back to Live Help from this link: http://pages.ebay.com/help/basics/n-livehelpemail.html

8:18:54 AM Laura A. You can also send an email to our support department from the following link: http://pages.ebay.com/help/contact_us/_base/index.html. Again, I apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. Thank you for contacting eBay Live Help, and have a good day.

[Total chat time: 22 minutes. I just let Laura A. sit until she did the disconnect.]
And later that same afternoon...

2:05:10 PM System Initial Question/Comment: Other

2:05:15 PM System Thank you for contacting eBay Live Help!

2:05:15 PM System You are successfully connected to eBay Live Help. Please hold for the next available Live Help Agent.

2:06:10 PM System We appreciate your patience. You will be able to type in your question as soon as you are connected with a Live Help Agent. Please continue to hold for the next available representative.

2:07:05 PM System Jade R. has joined this session!

2:07:05 PM System Connected with Jade R.

2:07:08 PM [eBaiting] hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii

2:07:08 PM Jade R. Hello, thank you for waiting and welcome to eBay Live Chat! My name is Jade. If you're a registered member, may I please start by having you confirm your User ID and first name?

2:07:16 PM [eBaiting] [My eBay ID]

2:07:18 PM [eBaiting] [My first name]

2:07:30 PM Jade R. Hi [eBaiting]!

2:07:35 PM Jade R. How may I assist you?

2:07:40 PM [eBaiting] Has it been "anytime" yet?

2:07:51 PM Jade R. I beg your pardon?

2:08:12 PM [eBaiting] I am trying to get my eBay account completely and permanently closed.

2:08:25 PM [eBaiting] This morning Laura A. told me they will close it "anytime".

2:08:33 PM [eBaiting] I am just wondering if it has been "anytime" yet.

2:08:39 PM [eBaiting] I put in the request 182 days ago

2:08:44 PM [eBaiting] They said it would take 180.

2:08:58 PM [eBaiting] I just want it closed

2:10:07 PM [eBaiting] oohoo?

2:10:40 PM Jade R. I'd be happy to assist you on this.

2:10:50 PM Jade R. May I have your registered email address?

2:11:01 PM [eBaiting] I think I am registered with [Email]

2:11:12 PM [eBaiting] It is hard to remember, as I have not used eBay in 182 days.

2:12:35 PM Jade R. Thanks! Please give me a moment to pull up and review your account.

2:14:10 PM Jade R. Thanks for waiting.

2:14:24 PM [eBaiting] It's okay I have gotten good at it

2:14:24 PM Jade R. I was able to pull up your account.

2:14:35 PM [eBaiting] I have had 182 days to practice

2:14:45 PM Jade R. However, I do not see any request for cancellation of the account.

2:14:56 PM [eBaiting] Um... noooooooo........

2:15:07 PM [eBaiting] I put in a request 182 days ago

2:15:34 PM Jade R. Is it possible that you have another email address?

2:15:52 PM [eBaiting] My eBay id is "[My eBay ID]", try looking up that.

2:16:40 PM Jade R. Sorry but I need the registered email address to locate an eBay account.

2:16:44 PM [eBaiting] Really?

2:16:50 PM Jade R. Yes.

2:16:51 PM [eBaiting] Hmm, none of the other 4 representatives did.

2:16:57 PM [eBaiting] Is this a new policy?

2:17:05 PM [eBaiting] Ok let me think

2:17:11 PM [eBaiting] Might also try...

2:17:17 PM [eBaiting] [Alternate email]

2:17:22 PM [eBaiting] [Another alternate email]

2:17:34 PM [eBaiting] [Another another alternate email]

2:17:41 PM [eBaiting] [Another another another alternate email]

2:17:52 PM [eBaiting] I signed up for eBay in 1997 so no idea which email I had at the time.

2:20:15 PM Jade R. Great!

2:20:23 PM [eBaiting] Was it one of those?

2:20:28 PM Jade R. The registered email address of your account is [Another another alternate email]

2:20:44 PM [eBaiting] Ok thanks I will keep that for when I contact support again tomorrow.

2:21:36 PM [eBaiting] Um but just so you know I haven't had that email in like 5 years

2:21:46 PM [eBaiting] So if you try to write to it the message will not get to me.

2:23:15 PM Jade R. Ok. Kindly give it until Monday next week.

2:23:30 PM Jade R. It may be fully deleted that time.

2:23:34 PM [eBaiting] Give what until Monday next week?

2:24:00 PM Jade R. Yes.

2:24:10 PM Jade R. We do hope for your patience and understanding.

2:24:19 PM [eBaiting] Give WHAT until Monday next week?

2:24:34 PM [eBaiting] What must I give until Monday next week?

2:28:00 PM Jade R. None, you just have to wait until the system deletes your account.

2:28:14 PM [eBaiting] But they said it can take up to 180 days

2:28:16 PM [eBaiting] And it is now 182

2:28:20 PM [eBaiting] It should be closed by now

2:28:34 PM [eBaiting] Why does it take so long for the system to delete my account?

2:28:42 PM [eBaiting] "The system" is a computer, right? Computers are fast.

2:29:10 PM Jade R. Ok. Let me consult this. Hang on for a few minutes.

2:29:25 PM [eBaiting] No problem, like I said I am good at waiting

2:37:55 PM Jade R. Thanks for waiting.

2:38:07 PM [eBaiting] It is okay

2:38:08 PM [eBaiting] I passed the time by sending lots and lots of emails to eBay customer support.

2:38:20 PM Jade R. I have already consulted this and found that you did closed your account way back when.

2:38:28 PM [eBaiting] I did closed it?

2:38:40 PM Jade R. You may need to follow up on this closure request via this link:

2:38:42 PM [eBaiting] Then why can I still getted logged onned?

2:40:20 PM Jade R. Let me clarify this.

2:40:30 PM Jade R. Your account is not totally closed yet.

2:40:50 PM Jade R. You'll need to follow up on this closure request via this link:

2:41:00 PM Jade R. http://pages.ebay.com/help/account/closing-account.html

2:41:15 PM Jade R. Once you are in this page, please click on the "Email Us" link.

2:42:30 PM [eBaiting] Ok thanks, that is a different link than Eric D and Dave D and Jane U and Laura A gave me.

2:42:45 PM [eBaiting] I will send lots and lots of emails through this page.

2:43:10 PM Jade R. Ok. I do hope this will be resolved the soonest possible time.

2:43:14 PM [eBaiting] Me too

2:43:15 PM Jade R. Is there anything else I can assist you with?

2:43:18 PM [eBaiting] Wow do you realize I have been in this chat for almost 45 minutes?

2:43:27 PM [eBaiting] Imagine how many other users you could help if eBay would just close my account.

2:43:41 PM [eBaiting] Then I would have no reason to keep writing like this.

2:45:51 PM Jade R. I apologize for any inconvenience.

2:46:01 PM Jade R. Would there be anything else?

2:46:24 PM [eBaiting] I want nothing more from eBay other than account closure.

2:47:51 PM Jade R. Ok. It was my pleasure assisting you. Thank you for using Live Chat and have a nice day.

2:49:26 PM [eBaiting] Can I have the survey now please?

2:50:11 PM Jade R. Sure. We just have to end this chat. You can do this now.

2:50:34 PM [eBaiting] How do I do that? Eric D and Dave D and Jane U and Laura A did it from their end.

[Total chat time: 45 minutes.]
4/27/2007 (Day 183)

08:22:03 System Initial Question/Comment: Other

08:22:05 System Thank you for contacting eBay Live Help!

08:22:05 System You are successfully connected to eBay Live Help. Please hold for the next available Live Help Agent.

08:23:05 System We appreciate your patience. You will be able to type in your question as soon as you are connected with a Live Help Agent. Please continue to hold for the next available representative.

08:24:05 System We apologize for the wait and thank you for your continued patience. Please continue to hold to keep your place in line. You should be connected to the next available agent shortly.

08:25:05 System We are sorry for the delayed connection. Your question is important to us and one of our representatives will be with you soon.

08:30:37 System Vance G. has joined this session!

08:30:37 System Connected with Vance G.

08:30:40 Vance G. Hello, thank you for waiting and welcome to eBay Live Chat! My name is Vance. If you're a registered member, may I please start by having you confirm your User ID and first name?

08:30:44 [eBaiting] Hi Vance G

08:30:46 [eBaiting] [My eBay ID]

08:30:51 [eBaiting] [My name]

08:31:11 Vance G. Great, thanks [eBaiting]! How may I help you?

08:31:29 [eBaiting] My account is supposed to be permanently closed. But I can still log into it.

08:31:42 [eBaiting] They said it would take up to 180 days. Today is the 183rd day.

08:32:23 Vance G. Sorry to hear that. I'd be glad to assist with your concern.

08:32:46 Vance G. May I also have your email address?

08:32:57 [eBaiting] That is awesome, you would be the first one to actually assist me.

08:33:05 [eBaiting] I have talked to like 6 people

08:33:11 [eBaiting] Email address is [Email]

08:34:04 Vance G. Thanks.

08:34:17 Vance G. Let me see what information I can find and what steps you can take to resolve this.

08:34:21 [eBaiting] I bet I can guess

08:34:27 [eBaiting] My account is "in the process of being closed"

08:34:39 [eBaiting] And I "need to be patient"

08:34:47 [eBaiting] And it "will be closed very soon"

08:35:00 [eBaiting] And there is a link you will send me where I can email the appropriate people.

08:35:06 [eBaiting] Right? Right? Right? Hehehehehehe

08:36:21 Vance G. Thank you for waiting.

08:36:25 [eBaiting] It is what I do best

08:37:45 Vance G. I see that you have written in multiple times and all your emails have been received. The best thing to do now is to wait.

08:37:55 [eBaiting] I tried that for 180 days, and it didn't work.

08:38:01 [eBaiting] I just want my account closed.

08:38:09 Vance G. Duplicate emails may slow down the response process as a Trust and Safety representative may need to review each one before replying.

08:38:10 [eBaiting] That is all I have ever wanted.

08:38:18 [eBaiting] I do not think it is too much to ask.

08:38:24 [eBaiting] The sooner they get rid of me, the sooner I stop bugging LiveHelp people like yourself.

08:38:31 [eBaiting] I have already wasted about 3 hours of people's time.

08:38:39 [eBaiting] This prevents them from helping people who WANT to use eBay.

08:39:45 [eBaiting] I think eBay is just hoping I will get tired of this and go away.

08:39:51 [eBaiting] I assure them I will NOT, not until my account is 100% closed and I can no longer sign in.

08:39:59 [eBaiting] Until that happens I will continue to waste LiveHelp's time, and continue to drown Trust & Safety in identical emails.

08:40:18 Vance G. That might even make it slower for them to respond to your email messages [eBaiting].

Wupz, I accidentally cut Vance G. off at this point.
[Total chat time: 18 minutes.]
This time was a genuine accident, but I quickly realized I could waste even more time by asking for transcripts of a previous chat.

10:41:17 AM System Initial Question/Comment: Other

10:41:22 AM System Thank you for contacting eBay Live Help!

10:41:22 AM System You are successfully connected to eBay Live Help. Please hold for the next available Live Help Agent.

10:42:17 AM System We appreciate your patience. You will be able to type in your question as soon as you are connected with a Live Help Agent. Please continue to hold for the next available representative.

10:43:17 AM System We apologize for the wait and thank you for your continued patience. Please continue to hold to keep your place in line. You should be connected to the next available agent shortly.

10:44:17 AM System We are sorry for the delayed connection. Your question is important to us and one of our representatives will be with you soon.

10:47:17 AM System Maria N. has joined this session!

10:47:17 AM System Connected with Maria N.

10:47:22 AM Maria N. Hello, thank you for waiting and welcome to eBay Live Chat! My name is Maria. If you're a registered member, may I start by having you confirm your User ID and first name please?

10:48:02 AM [eBaiting] [My eBay ID] [My name] [My email address]

10:48:17 AM Maria N. Great, thanks [eBaiting]! How may I help you?

10:48:19 AM [eBaiting] Couple of things I hope you can help me with.

10:48:24 AM [eBaiting] I just had a chat session with Vance G, but I accidentally closed the window in the middle of it.

10:48:29 AM [eBaiting] Is there any way you can get me a transcript of that chat?

10:48:35 AM [eBaiting] It was a good one.

10:48:57 AM Maria N. Sure, for security purposes, I�d just need for you to confirm your registration info. May I please have your email address, full name, full street address, and your phone number?

10:49:08 AM [eBaiting] I just gave you my email

10:49:13 AM [eBaiting] And name

10:49:22 AM [eBaiting] Address = [My address]

10:49:27 AM [eBaiting] Phone = [My phone number]

10:50:42 AM Maria N. Thank you very much! Is there an alternate phone number or email address that you have?

10:51:02 AM [eBaiting] Not for phone

10:51:09 AM [eBaiting] email = [My email address]

10:51:42 AM Maria N. Thanks. However, the phone number you provided to me does not match the account. If you look in Personal information through My eBay you can see what is registered.

10:52:03 AM [eBaiting] Oh I changed all the personal info when I went to close my account

10:52:07 AM [eBaiting] The stuff in there now is all made-up

10:52:22 AM [eBaiting] The phone number I gave is the one I originally signed up with though

10:52:52 AM Maria N. Ok, well I will need the phone number in order to send you a copy of your last transcript.

10:53:24 AM [eBaiting] Well lemme see if I can sign in and see it

10:53:37 AM Maria N. Sure, thank you.

10:54:05 AM [eBaiting] Oh ok I got it

10:54:10 AM [eBaiting] [My phone number]

10:54:16 AM [eBaiting] It is weird

10:54:28 AM [eBaiting] Everybody else has always accepted the phone number I signed up with

10:54:32 AM [eBaiting] The [Phone #] one

10:54:46 AM [eBaiting] Out of like 8 people you are the one who is different

10:56:02 AM Maria N. Thank you very much. I will have my supervisor email that to you shortly.

10:56:12 AM [eBaiting] Ok on to the 2nd thing I needed?

10:56:22 AM Maria N. Sure thing.

10:56:36 AM [eBaiting] I am trying so very very hard to get my account permanently closed.

10:56:47 AM [eBaiting] But eBay is being mean and will not let me.

10:56:57 AM [eBaiting] They said I had to wait 180 days

10:56:59 AM [eBaiting] And I did

10:57:04 AM [eBaiting] That was 183 days ago

10:57:08 AM [eBaiting] And I am still waiting.

10:57:22 AM [eBaiting] I just want my account completely closed, that is all.

10:57:34 AM [eBaiting] So I am taking up LiveHelp's time until that happens.

10:57:45 AM [eBaiting] And flooding Trust & Safety with lots and lots of emails

10:57:52 AM Maria N. Ok. let me look into your account to find out what is the hold up.

10:58:07 AM [eBaiting] Ok I bet I can guess what you will say:

10:58:16 AM [eBaiting] My account is "in the process of being closed"

10:58:20 AM [eBaiting] And I "need to be patient"

10:58:27 AM [eBaiting] And it "will be closed very soon"

10:58:39 AM [eBaiting] And there is a link where I can email the people who will close it

10:58:49 AM [eBaiting] But I shouldn't send them multiple emails because it might slow the whole process down.

10:59:11 AM [eBaiting] Hehehehehehe, what do I win?

10:59:17 AM [eBaiting] Can you tell I have done this before?

11:02:28 AM Maria N. Yes, I can see that you been in Live Chat and heard many responses. From reviewing your account, it is not closed yet. So once it hits 180 days, this is when we will review your account to close it. So it's not 180 days on the dot, I guess it's whenever we get through to working all the other accounts.

11:02:58 AM [eBaiting] So the problem is a delay because of a mass exodus of people from eBay?

11:03:50 AM [eBaiting] Just a suggestion -- the people who maintain the Help pages may want to clarify that you have to wait 180 days and THEN they start the account closing process.

11:03:53 AM Maria N. Well the department handles various issues, so depending on the volume, that is when we will get around to reviewing your account. In the meantime, it is a waiting process. I apologize for this.

11:04:02 AM [eBaiting] The way I understood it, after 180 days it WOULD be closed.

11:04:17 AM [eBaiting] That is why I am so impatient and keep bugging everyone about it.

11:04:29 AM [eBaiting] I figure sooner or later they will be saving time if they just get rid of me.

11:04:42 AM [eBaiting] I just haven't crossed that line yet.

11:04:47 AM [eBaiting] But I am getting closer to it

11:04:58 AM Maria N. I am so sorry for the mis communication, you can direct your comments and suggestions to our webform to be reviewed: http://pages.ebay.com/help/newtoebay/suggest.html

11:05:08 AM [eBaiting] Nah that's okay, they won't listen

11:05:20 AM [eBaiting] This way is more fun

11:05:33 AM [eBaiting] And the best part is they can't do anything to me for bugging them

11:05:50 AM [eBaiting] Except close my acct, which is what I want!

11:06:18 AM Maria N. Well, I understand why you are frustrated with this issue. But I can't do anything at this point. As I stated earlier, it's just a waiting process for now.

11:06:25 AM [eBaiting] Oh I'm not frustrated

11:06:39 AM [eBaiting] I stopped being frustrated when I put in my request for closure

11:06:47 AM [eBaiting] Now I am just making sure eBay does what they are supposed to do

11:06:52 AM Maria N. Well that's great to hear. I know it takes alot of patience to deal with an issue like this.

11:06:53 AM [eBaiting] These chats are fun

11:07:02 AM [eBaiting] Soon they will all be posted on my website

11:07:05 AM [eBaiting] Yours too

11:07:19 AM [eBaiting] And no one can stop me

11:08:58 AM Maria N. Yes, you can come chat to us anytime you like.

11:10:12 AM [eBaiting] Do the LiveHelp people like chatting with me?

11:10:22 AM [eBaiting] I figured they would rather be helping people who WANT to use eBay

11:11:08 AM Maria N. Well, you do have a concern regarding your eBay account. I'm sorry I couldn't help you out though.

11:11:19 AM [eBaiting] That's okay, no one else can either so don't feel bad.

11:11:24 AM [eBaiting] eBay is like a cult

11:11:31 AM [eBaiting] They try to keep you from leaving

11:11:46 AM [eBaiting] But I am strong and I shall overcome

11:12:16 AM [eBaiting] But just so everybody knows I will not be doing this over the weekend

11:12:24 AM [eBaiting] I will be busy with other things

11:12:28 AM [eBaiting] But I will be back Monday morning.

11:12:42 AM [eBaiting] So if the Trust people don't get like 100 emails from me for a couple of days, that is why.

11:15:23 AM Maria N. Well, eBay is a great place, however there are a few people out there that did not have a good experience purchasing or selling on eBay.

11:15:30 AM [eBaiting] No eBay is a horrible place

11:15:37 AM [eBaiting] It USED to be great

11:15:43 AM Maria N. I'm sorry you feel that way.

11:15:54 AM [eBaiting] No you aren't, you have no opinion one way or the other

11:15:59 AM [eBaiting] You are doing a job that they pay you to do

11:16:14 AM [eBaiting] You get paid to "sympathize" with people

11:16:32 AM [eBaiting] Please don't take this personally, just sayin'.

11:19:48 AM Maria N. I understand what you mean though. However, that's your opinion.

11:20:18 AM [eBaiting] It's my opinion that eBay pays you to say you sympathize with people?

11:22:23 AM Maria N. Yes, that would be your opinion.

11:23:03 AM [eBaiting] Either saying you sympathize with people is part of your job, or it is not. It is a matter of fact, not opinion.

11:23:22 AM [eBaiting] Does eBay tell you that you should sympathize with frustrated customers?

11:24:00 AM [eBaiting] If they do, then I am right.

11:24:04 AM [eBaiting] If they do not, then I am wrong.

11:24:11 AM [eBaiting] But in neither case is it an opinion.

11:29:53 AM Maria N. I looked into the status of your emails, I can see that you have sent multiple emails to our Trust & Safety department. Your emails have been received and will be responded to. I suggest you do no contact our Live chat in the future, as you need to wait for a response from our Trust & Safety department. Is there anything else I can help you with not regarding this issue?

11:30:13 AM [eBaiting] YES! I knew you would say that!

11:30:18 AM [eBaiting] It was one of my guesses above.

Hmm, I guess Maria isn't one of those people who like to debate semantics.
[Total chat time: 49 minutes.]
3:00 rolled around that afternoon, and the chat from Vance G. still hadn't arrived. So it's back to LiveHelp to make sure I get it. This is what I meant when I said being obsessive-compulsive helps.

3:03:47 PM System Initial Question/Comment: Other

3:03:52 PM System Thank you for contacting eBay Live Help!

3:03:52 PM System You are successfully connected to eBay Live Help. Please hold for the next available Live Help Agent.

3:04:47 PM System We appreciate your patience. You will be able to type in your question as soon as you are connected with a Live Help Agent. Please continue to hold for the next available representative.

3:05:32 PM System Ruth has joined this session!

3:05:32 PM System Connected with Ruth

3:05:37 PM Ruth Hello, thank you for waiting and welcome to eBay Live Chat! My name is Ruth. If you're a registered member, may I please start by having you confirm your User ID and first name?

3:05:47 PM [eBaiting] [My eBay ID]

3:05:49 PM [eBaiting] [My name]

3:06:07 PM Ruth Hi [eBaiting]! How is it going?

3:06:17 PM [eBaiting] Not as well as I would like

3:06:52 PM Ruth I am sorry to hear about that. I'd be glad to help you with this. Please go on. I am carefully reading your concern.

3:07:09 PM [eBaiting] I had a chat session earlier today with a Vance G.

3:07:15 PM [eBaiting] I would like a copy of that emailed to me

3:07:19 PM [eBaiting] [My email address]

3:07:24 PM [eBaiting] I asked once but they did not send it

3:07:34 PM [eBaiting] It was a pretty good chat and I would like to keep it

3:08:42 PM Ruth Oh okay.. Did you happen to get the session ID of your chat with Vance?

3:08:48 PM [eBaiting] No sorry

3:09:03 PM [eBaiting] But it was one of the 4 or 5 I had today

3:09:09 PM [eBaiting] That should narrow it down a bit

3:09:42 PM Ruth I am more than happy to look it up for you. One moment, please.

3:09:52 PM Ruth I'd like to take a quick look at your account. May I have your contact information name, street, city, state, zip code and telephone number please?

3:10:13 PM [eBaiting] [My real name], [My address], [My phone number]

3:11:52 PM Ruth Perfect! I'm glad to say that the information you gave me matched with what we have on file.

3:12:13 PM [eBaiting] Yeah I updated my records after I confused one chat person earlier

3:12:14 PM Ruth I'll send the transcript of your chat right after we end our chat.

3:12:18 PM [eBaiting] Can you send it during?

3:12:23 PM [eBaiting] I want to make sure I get it this time.

3:12:28 PM [eBaiting] Last time I did not

3:14:27 PM Ruth Let me assure you that I will be sending it to you. I am just checking our records now.

3:15:01 PM [eBaiting] If it does not show up I will come back

3:15:08 PM [eBaiting] Then one of your co workers will have to deal with me

3:15:47 PM Ruth Yes, please. Due to server traffic the email may be sent to you a little later but I have it sent to you as soon as possible.

3:15:55 PM [eBaiting] How much later is a little later?

3:16:12 PM Ruth It could be within 24 hours.

3:16:31 PM [eBaiting] Ok I will just bug people Monday then when it doesn't arrive

3:18:07 PM Ruth No problem! I will surely send it to you.

3:18:15 PM [eBaiting] Ok let's give it a go

3:20:47 PM Ruth Sure! No problem. Please let me know if there are other things that I may help you today.

3:21:04 PM [eBaiting] Nope that's all

3:21:08 PM [eBaiting] Remember, [My email address]

3:21:16 PM [eBaiting] The worldnet address I originally signed up with is no longer valid

3:22:37 PM Ruth Yes, [eBaiting]! I'll remember it all.. :)

[Total chat time: 19 minutes.]
Well, it's now the 183rd day and my account is still open, making Dave D.'s promise of "the next day or two" (on the 180th day ) either incorrect or a lie.