Deaf woman suing E Bay

dereksbicycles

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I'm sure many of us deaf people do E Bay. That includes me. I understand that this person is frustrated, but I don't see a reason to sue E Bay.

Mo. Woman Sues eBay For ‘Deaf Discrimation’ | fox4kc.com

NEVADA, Mo. — Forty-seven-year old Melissa Earll owns dozens of old mint condition comic books, hundreds of rare baseball cards, plus antique time pieces, medecine bottles and a coin collection printed minutes after President John Kennedy was assassinated. But none of it makes her a penny on eBay.
Now, the Nevada, Mo., woman is suing eBay, saying the internet auction site discriminates against deaf people.
Earll was born deaf and says eBay makes it impossible for her to register as a seller.
eBay forces all sellers to register online and then calls applicants with a secret pin number to verify their identity. The seller emails the pin number back to the online auction site to prevent fraud.
Earll can’t hear what the pin number is over the phone because she’s deaf.
“Ebay keeps me from taking advantage of the opportunities that other people have and it’s because I couldn’t hear,” said Earll.
At issue is whether internet companies have to accommodate the disabled just like brick and mortar stores do.
A Federal Judge has already dismissed Earll’s claim saying eBay doesn’t have to comply with The American with Disabilities Act because as an internet-only company. The judge said eBay doesn’t provide a place “of public accommodation.”
Earll and her attorney, Michael Aschenbrener, say eBay could easily text Earll the pin number, use a computer password or use a speech to text phone, options used by other internet companies.
Instead, Earll complains eBay said, “can your Mom and Dad answer the phone for you? And I said I’m a 47-year old adult woman, no. I don’t live at home, no.”
In a statement to FOX 4, eBay would only say, “U.S. District Court Judge Edwad Davilla found that plaintiff’s complaint lacked facts supporting her claim and eBay is pleased with the court’s decision to dismiss her case.”
Earll said she’s prepared to appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court if necessary.
“If Netflix can be held acceptable and be told that they have to make new releases available through Closed Captioning… then Ebay should surely be held accountable to the same standards.”
 
I disagree with the judge, though I really don't know the ADA rules. If the only way a person can sell on eBay is by receiving a verbal code, then, I believe they are discriminating against the deaf. They should provide alternative means to verify the seller.
 
Derek, how do you get around the eBay voice response requirement?
 
Derek, how do you get around the eBay voice response requirement?


My Mom has been nice to help me out. I have done E Bay for like 6 or 7 years and I've had to ask my Mom to help me only twice or 3 times.

Sometimes, they'll call just to give advices and Mom takes them. I'm lucky to have a wonderful Mom, but not everyone have or want to depend on their Moms.
 
My Mom has been nice to help me out. I have done E Bay for like 6 or 7 years and I've had to ask my Mom to help me only twice or 3 times.

Sometimes, they'll call just to give advices and Mom takes them. I'm lucky to have a wonderful Mom, but not everyone have or want to depend on their Moms.
:ty:
 
Basically, it's the same as someone asking your children to intrepret....

Many deafies do struggle daily to be independent and self-sufficient....surely, there are those times when we do need a little help...but as for EBay, no....
 
I don't use ebay, but I was thinking that this can be done through secure email or https through the web site.

I also thought about a relay service and perhaps the ability to enter a code as proof of who is calling.

Video itself is probably not a good option at the moment.
 
Yeah, I dislike the whole idea of needing others to do a phone call for me such as the OP example, but then again, is it worth it taking to court over not being able to receive a PIN number? Not for me. I recently registered online with my mortgage company to be able to review statements/payments online, and they sent a pin # to complete registration. My husband ended up having to take the call for me, but that was it. 30 seconds of his time to do it; problem solved. It may not make us feel independent, but it's just EASIER to do it this way.
 
Yeah, I dislike the whole idea of needing others to do a phone call for me such as the OP example, but then again, is it worth it taking to court over not being able to receive a PIN number? Not for me. I recently registered online with my mortgage company to be able to review statements/payments online, and they sent a pin # to complete registration. My husband ended up having to take the call for me, but that was it. 30 seconds of his time to do it; problem solved. It may not make us feel independent, but it's just EASIER to do it this way.
If you don't have a hearing husband, then what would you do?
 
Yeah, I dislike the whole idea of needing others to do a phone call for me such as the OP example, but then again, is it worth it taking to court over not being able to receive a PIN number? Not for me. I recently registered online with my mortgage company to be able to review statements/payments online, and they sent a pin # to complete registration. My husband ended up having to take the call for me, but that was it. 30 seconds of his time to do it; problem solved. It may not make us feel independent, but it's just EASIER to do it this way.

Yeah... lucky you for your hearie spouse. How about those like my family who come from generations of all-Deaf families? I've knocked on my neighbor's door before to ask them to help me with a phone call. They were fine with it the first time but after that... they got irritated fairly quick. All of a sudden "just EASIER" just got TENSE.

Having to provide a voice phone number is bullsnip. don't know if others experience it as much as I do but it damn well feels like it's ALWAYS the case. Especially if they refuse to talk to VRS which they OFTEN do.
 
I didn't say my solution was perfect. I was saying only that it's just easier to do it this way than go all the way to court.
 
Yeah, I dislike the whole idea of needing others to do a phone call for me such as the OP example, but then again, is it worth it taking to court over not being able to receive a PIN number? Not for me. I recently registered online with my mortgage company to be able to review statements/payments online, and they sent a pin # to complete registration. My husband ended up having to take the call for me, but that was it. 30 seconds of his time to do it; problem solved. It may not make us feel independent, but it's just EASIER to do it this way.

It is bigger than receiving a PIN. It is all about opening the door to other Deaf EBay customers that would like to be treated fairly instead of having to get someone else to take the call for us. I understand that EBay isn't a place to provide public accomodation but yet, if they wanted a good business standing, they should be able to.
 
I didn't say my solution was perfect. I was saying only that it's just easier to do it this way than go all the way to court.
The point is that the deaf seller may be living alone but eBay won't let her register because she can't answer the fucking phone to verify it. Come on, she has a very good reason to sue the company.
 
If you don't have a hearing husband, then what would you do?

Of if you live alone and as it sound like the woman suing ebay does you're stuck and would have to ask a person to help you. And you would have to really trust them. I feel if she could found another way to sell her if stuff if she could not use ebay. It's shity that ebay is set so deaf or hoh people can't use it if they can't get a pin # . The woman is not going to win her case. Maybe if she had tried to file a class suit action she would had a bettrer chance of winning.
 
I think one big problem about having other people calling for the deaf person is giving out E Bay ID. How many of you would like to give out your E Bay ID? See, if I asked you to call for me, I would have to give you my E Bay ID, right?
 
I find this strange, I have (and many of my deaf friends) used ebay (buy and selling) we never come across that we need to be contacted by phone. All was done by email.
 
I didn't say my solution was perfect. I was saying only that it's just easier to do it this way than go all the way to court.

No offense - but when you been around the block a few times -- you will see the bigger picture.

It is bigger than receiving a PIN. It is all about opening the door to other Deaf EBay customers that would like to be treated fairly instead of having to get someone else to take the call for us. I understand that EBay isn't a place to provide public accomodation but yet, if they wanted a good business standing, they should be able to.

exactly!!! problem is everywhere we turn for a product or services- we always run into a deaf wall issue. It feels like these larger companies dont seem to think we are worth the effort to change since its only one or two people complaining but in reality its more then that. . They dont seem to see the bigger picture for future profitability. shame on them.

I buy from ebay- but I dont sell for this reason. I watch caption shows from netflix, but I dont spend membership money on them as often they would like.
etc.
 
I think one big problem about having other people calling for the deaf person is giving out E Bay ID. How many of you would like to give out your E Bay ID? See, if I asked you to call for me, I would have to give you my E Bay ID, right?

It doesn't matter if I have to give out the color of my left sock. IT DOESN'T MATTER! For example... to call my banks, I virtually always get the... What? What is this? Video phone? Sign Language interpreter? ... FOLLOWED BY a ... no I can't help you. You are not the person on the account. *click*

Reading the comments section on the story's link above was really disheartening. Hearing people truly do not understand our struggle and just how so so so EASY to resolve this. eBay needs to get this lady a pin one way or another. Right away! It is eBay who is refusing to work with this woman. Otherwise, they would have already had someone call her via VRS, email, FED-EX, or even snail-mailed her a PIN.

I also own and operate a small business that handles a lot of internal phone calls on a daily basis. It is FRUSTRATING because I am always told to go get my parents or a friend. I now use an off-site answering/secretarial service for incoming calls but phone calls are a big part of my business. It isn't always them making it hard either. VRS companies do too. I spend a lot of money for VRI services and to have the same VRS company that makes me pay for VRI for office meetings all the while struggling to do simple, mundane tasks as check my bank... really irks me. I have often told the interpreter BEFORE the phone call to just pretend that you are me. A lot of them do it but a lot say no too and sometimes makes me feel like a criminal in the process. Just pretend and check my bank! NOTHING criminal going on here!

I wonder... what if she took the employment angle? eBay is refusing to accommodate during her "interview process" which prevents her from being approved for a "job" selling items. Too much?

Whatever. This is just all on eBay to be honest. Their lack of understanding their customers was just bad business on their part. Make it right.
 
No offense - but when you been around the block a few times -- you will see the bigger picture.

Been around the block too many times. It gets so old, believe me, I understand. Been deaf ALL my life, thank you. I have become so jaded by the constant having to ask family or friends or coworkers to do a call for me similar to above that I've learned it's easier for me to just roll my eyes, put up with it and do it the fastest, quickest way possible, whether I like it or not. While I wish that all companies would become deaf-friendly, I am not going to start suing everybody.
 
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