Chicago, IL: A class action lawsuit filed against eBay claims a deaf woman in Missouri tried multiple times to register to sell items on the auction site but couldn't because the company requires sellers to verify their identities via telephone.
Because she is deaf and does not use a phone, Melissa J. Earll of Nevada, MO, is not able to complete the registration process and not able to sell items on eBay. Her lawsuit is being filed on behalf of all deaf or hard of hearing persons who have been prevented from registering as sellers with eBay because of the company's discriminatory telephone registration system.
eBay requires those registering to sell items to be called over the phone, listen to auditory PINs, and then enter those PINs online to verify their identities. Despite Ms. Earll's numerous attempts to explain her hearing issue to the company over email and online chat support asking for an alternate method to authorize her account, eBay refused to accommodate her.
