Proxies, TOR, VPN, Hide your IP - All bad for EBAY and PayPal

[Modee]

Editor's Note: Our current research shows that all proxies, IP masking/cloaking tools, VPN, TOR, etc. will get you busted by EBAY. At best, they will throw your account into close scrutiny.

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ALL will result in suspension. AVOID.

[Modee]

PayPal is especially quick to question and eventually limit your account if you use any kind of proxy, VPN, hide your IP, etc. method. EBAY will tag you too for all that.

If you are sitting at home and have a certain IP address, any system or method that changes that IP address other than dial up will cause you issues with EBAY, PayPal and Google Checkout.

[Modee]

My latest research shows that the reason AOL will not work for EBAY, Google Checkout, and others, even if the WhatIsMyIPAddress.com type sites show you at a completely different IP address, is that sites can blow right through that proxy AOL IP to your real originating IP address.

Also consider "reverse lookup" - does your WAN IP address change for EBAY purposes? Not necessarily

I can't post details of this in public, very sensitive information, but I am now understanding how and why proxies, VPN, TOR, etc. do not work. There is some hope - there may well be SOME proxies that work for SOME purposes.

Put it this way: there are two issues with proxies:

1) Can the system detect that you are using a proxy, vpn, tor, "hide your IP address" type service, etc.? Unfortunately, the answer is an almost universal YES. Therefore, at a minimum using a proxy, VPN, tor, etc. WILL put you under greater scrutiny.

2) Up until now, I thought there was no way for the system to blow through your proxy, vpn, tor IP address and "see" your real originating IP address. Unfortunately not true, and now I have discovered that AOL is one of the worst (not best!) when it comes to releasing your real IP address to the places like EBAY, Google Checkout, etc. I hence continue my caution of using AOL proxy.

The very odd thing is that there are well-founded articles on the internet claiming that AOL DIAL UP shares your true IP address with some places. But on further reflection methinks - WHAT IP ADDRESS is being shared? If all you are doing is DIALING UP then the only link between you and the dial up service is a phone number, correct?

Anyway, there are fortunately some forms of proxies, VPN, TOR, etc. that do not share your originating IP address with them.

But again - at least with the proxies, VPN, TOR, etc. - EBAY, Google Checkout, etc. all WILL at least KNOW that you ARE using a proxy! So the only viable solution remains: a legitimate dial up that does not share any of your identifying information.

[Modee]

I did get suspended when I used a proxy, but appealed and was reinstated. I continue to use the same proxy. My accounts from my original (non-proxy) IP address...all suspended and never reinstated.

I don't think any one Proxy is better than the other, but I would avoid any proxy that gives you a traceable IP going to some place far away from where you are. e.g. shows you in Albania when you are in New Hampshire.

One thing I do not know is...does every person who logs into a given proxy get the same IP, or is one IP assigned to each account? I do know that I always get the same IP address and this is an untraceable one.

Another final word: I never found a free proxy that worked for secure sites like EBAY. I had to pay for one, although it is inexpensive.

[Modee]

You may not use a proxy safely. If you had read this forum you would know that.

[Modee]

1) If you log into your proxy, and go to something like
Just a moment...

Just a moment...

it will indicate
true
for the field
Is proxy
if it detects a proxy.

If it indicates false, then you would know that your proxy is not being detected.

2) Another test is something like
Proxy Checker: Free Proxy Detector, Proxy Lookup Detection
on that one there are two indications of proxy:
A) if it flat out indicates that you are using a proxy at the bottom of the test, or
B) if it cannot pin down a city and indicates an Unknown City?

3) But another way to detect a proxy is to enter its IP address into a website like
Just a moment...
If the tool cannot locate the geographical location of the IP address, or if it corresponds to a location that is different from your physical registered EBAY address, then EBAY will also know that you are using a proxy or worse, think that you are up to no good and submitted false registration information.

If someone can come up with a proxy that passes all three tests, let us know, please.

THERE ARE NEW, even more sophisticated tests to detect VPN and proxies, that we get into if you do tech support with me. I have yet to find a proxy that does not fail at least one of these tests, which alert EBAY and PayPal to the fact that you are trying to pull something.

[Modee]

Proxies are a dead end. Please read this entire thread thoroughly.

Download and run an IP hiding program, or run a proxy, or VPN. Then go to
What Is My IP Address? - Lookup IP, Hide IP, Change IP, Trace IP and more...

You will either get the same message I got: Suspected proxy server or network sharing device.

or, run this test:

Just a moment...

Proxies, TOR, VPN, Hide your IP - All bad for EBAY and PayPal - Free EBAY, PayPal, Business and Law Forums - Ebay Suspension, PayPal Limited
and I guarantee it will fail somewhere and show that you are running a proxy or VPN.

You may also test to see if your VPN is leaking your IP address:
Just a moment...

[Modee]

In other words, just like we said at the beginning of this thread:

Our current research shows that all proxies, IP masking/cloaking tools, VPN, etc. will get you busted by EBAY. At best, they will throw your account into close scrutiny.

I would never risk one of my pre 11/2007 accounts on ANY proxy. I suppose if you have nothing to lose, sure...try yet another proxy. But the statement above stands.

[Modee]

My latest research shows that the reason AOL will not work for EBAY, Google Checkout, and others, even if the WhatIsMyIPAddress.com type sites show you at a completely different IP address, is that sites can blow right through that proxy AOL IP to your real originating IP address.

Also consider "reverse lookup" - does your WAN IP address change for EBAY purposes? Not necessarily

I can't post details of this in public, very sensitive information, but I am now understanding how and why proxies, VPN, TOR, etc. do not work. There is some hope - there may well be SOME proxies that work for SOME purposes.

Put it this way: there are two issues with proxies:

1) Can the system detect that you are using a proxy, vpn, tor, "hide your IP address" type service, etc.? Unfortunately, the answer is an almost universal YES. Therefore, at a minimum using a proxy, VPN, tor, etc. WILL put you under greater scrutiny.

2) Up until now, I thought there was no way for the system to blow through your proxy, vpn, tor IP address and "see" your real originating IP address. Unfortunately not true, and now I have discovered that AOL is one of the worst (not best!) when it comes to releasing your real IP address to the places like EBAY, Google Checkout, etc. I hence continue my caution of using AOL proxy.

The very odd thing is that there are well-founded articles on the internet claiming that AOL DIAL UP shares your true IP address with some places. But on further reflection methinks - WHAT IP ADDRESS is being shared? If all you are doing is DIALING UP then the only link between you and the dial up service is a phone number, correct?

Anyway, there are fortunately some forms of proxies, VPN, TOR, etc. that do not share your originating IP address with them.

But again - at least with the proxies, VPN, TOR, etc. - EBAY, Google Checkout, etc. all WILL at least KNOW that you ARE using a proxy! So the only viable solution remains: a legitimate dial up that does not share any of your identifying information.

[cjw7]

Modee, you told me before (through email) what proxy you use, I subscribed but I can't get it to work for paypal and ebay. I can't get any answer when I email them. Do you know how to configure the options to get it working? That is, if you are still using the proxy you told me about a few months ago. I won't say what it is until you respond.

modee said:

'Another final word: I never found a free proxy that worked for secure sites like EBAY. I had to pay for one, although it is inexpensive.'

[Modee]

Yes that was a long time ago. Proxies really are a complete dead end now for EBAY. Also when you use a proxy for PayPal, at a minimum what happens is that they keep asking you to change your password and security questions. And if it is a new PP account, they just shut you down and limit you asking, for social security # and more.

There is one alternate option, expensive:
VPS (Virtual Private Server) as a means to get a new IP address - Free EBAY, PayPal, Business and Law Forums - Ebay Suspension, PayPal Limited

[cjw7]

I read that post and link, but I don't understand what to do?

[Modee]

Well, post a question in that link, if you question is about how to do a VPS. It is NOT CHEAP and you will pretty much end up with just ONE static IP address, so it is not the solution for everyone.

If you have a question about proxy, post it here. Thanks.

[mrblazito]

I'm using TOR and Just a moment... says FALSE next to IS PROXY. It shows an IP address from Ohio...I'm no where near Ohio

[Modee]

Understood. By the way, I deleted your picture you posted within your post because it was too large. Feel free to repost smaller.

One of the tests for determining a proxy is if the Where Is location comes back someplace other than where you are. Although this sometimes happens even with a non-proxy, this is usually a flag that indicates proxy (or in your case TOR).