Dr-Fix-It! Notebook Archive:
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| eBay's 'Third Party Authorizations' . . . If you are like me, you probably have an account at the eBay Auction web site. If you are like me, you probably have never authorized a third party to act on your behalf in an eBay Auction. If you are like me, you probably would be surprised to find that there are people who have authorized themselves to use your account without your knowledge or permission. I was startled to find several leeches had somehow snuck in to my account and empowered themselves to act on my behalf as 'authorized third parties'. eBay thoughtfully provides a handy little click-box to easily delete those unauthorized authorizations. But, I think that is an insufficient solution. I think eBay should notify me whenever anybody attempts to become a 'third-party authorized' user of my account and I think I should be offered a choice to either accept or decline. For now, all we can do is check our 'third party authorizations' and delete the unwanted ones. Here is how: Log onto eBay as you normally would. If you are not already there, go to the 'My eBay' page. About halfway down the 'My eBay' page on the left, you will find a heading entitled 'My Account'. Below that is 'Preferences'. Click on 'Preferences'. Scroll all the way down the page - almost to the bottom. You will find a heading entitled 'Third Party Authorizations' with a subheading that says "Authorize third parties to act on your behalf" . Click on the link that says 'Show". If the space fills with 'No authorizations to Revoke', you are done. Congratulations. But, if you are like me, you will see that a few sneaky interlopers are listed as your 'Third Party Authorizations'. Just check and click according to the instructions to delete them. How those sneaks got to be 'authorized to act on my behalf', I don't know. I certainly didn't do any authorizing. And, I don't care if they might have some legitimate reason for being there. The point is; I was not asked. I was not told. Wouldn't you expect at least an e-mail from eBay whenever anyone becomes a 'third party authorized to act on your behalf' ? Would that be too much to ask? Key to The Bosses Heart . . . As I walked through the job a trailer last Tuesday, I passed the copy room. Tim, the youngest of the office clerks, was carefully placing a door key squarely on the scanner screen. He made sure the key didn't move as he eased the copier's cover down on the glass. He pushed the red button. Under the lid, a bright light began to move. I couldn't help but ask, "What are you doing?" Tim frowned in disgust. "This is so stupid", he said. " 'The Boss' asked me to make three copies of that key. It doesn't make any sense to me! Why would he want three copies of that key?" 'The Boss' was Dick, the Job Superintendent. Most people on the job site didn't like Dick because he was loud and intimidating. Some were afraid of him for the same reasons. To be sure, if Dick ever thought you did something wrong, you and everyone within earshot would hear a profanity-laced tirade concerning your intellect, your family, your mother and your dog - and all possible permutations thereof. The Construction Company liked 'The Boss' because he got things done on time and, usually, within budget. Young Tim, the office clerk, was terrified by Dick and tried to avoid all contact with him - a difficult task because Tim worked for 'The Boss" in a 10 X 60 office trailer on the job site. I studied one of Tim's copies. "Are you sure he wanted photocopies of the key? Maybe what he wanted was for you to go to the hardware store and get three duplicate keys cut. Maybe if he had said the word 'cut' instead of 'copy', you would be at the hardware store instead of at the copy machine." The young clerk's eyes widened. "Oh, No! Do you really think that's what he meant?" I nodded. "I'd bet a dollar on it." Young Tim thought for a moment. Finally, he shook his head. "No, I'm sure this is what he wants. I'm sure he wants copies. 'The Boss' said 'copy'."  I smiled. "OK. Here is what I suggest that you do. It's up to you but this is what I would suggest. Take your copies to him. Just hand him those photocopies. If he looks like he is going to jump out of his chair and strangle you then just shrug and laugh and say you were kidding. Follow up real quick with a question about the hardware store - just like you knew that's what he wanted all along . . ."The young clerk winked. "OK, Doc. Thanks. I'll try that!" Later that day, I stopped by the office trailer again. Young Tim rushed out of his cubicle to greet me. Grinning, he whispered, "You were right, Doc! I did exactly like you said. I handed him the photocopies of the key. His face got real red! He threw his coffee cup so hard it busted a hole in the paneling! I was scared but I laughed and said I was just kidding. Real quick, I said that I couldn't sign on the charge account at the hardware store. So, I needed cash to get those keys cut." Tim stopped to take a breath. '' 'The Boss' - he started to laugh! He laughed real hard! He said that I sure had him going there for a second! Now, 'The Boss' thinks I'm hilarious. He signed me up on the hardware store charge account! 'The Boss' likes me now! Thanks, Doc! You saved my tail!" "De Nada', I replied. "I guess it was just my good deed for the day." The next day, I had a chance to talk with Dick, 'The Boss'. "Doc", he said, "I gotta tell ya. This kid, Tim, in the office. I give him a key to the store room and tell him I need three copies. Well, he can't do that because he don't have signing privileges on the company account at the hardware, see?" 'The Boss' backhanded me in the shoulder. "So what does this kid do? He runs the key through the copy machine! He hands me three pictures of the damn key! It was about like I was gonna hafta kill him when he says, 'Gotcha' ! Funny, right? Doc, that kid's a stitch! I massaged my shoulder. "Dick, I never knew you had such a funnybone. "Me?" Dick grinned, "Hell, Yes! I love a good joke! Remind me sometime and I'll tell you the one about the stripper, the nun and the sponge diver. Makes me laugh just thinking about it." I can hardly wait. 2006.012.24 |
