Reverb using third party, requiring personal info, to "re-verify your identity"

[Norm Nelson]

Yeah, uh, if this ends up being legit I will delete my account as well. I don't give my passport info to anyone if I can help it. I don't consider your reaction an overreaction. Reverb is overreacting to something, not clear what, but I don't trust them (or this trullioo outfit that I've never heard of) with that much of my personal information.

 

[Wasnex]

Legit or not...IMHO it's a bad practice to open links from emails. The irony is even Norton AV, which should know better, frequently sends out informational emails with links.

IMHO the best way do this sort of business would be to log on to your profile and provide necessary info from a secure web page. However, even that is not 100% secure, because entire webpages can be spoofed .

Online security is really a mess and it's becoming increasingly hard to stay safe. What's even worse, is there is frequently no path to actually engage with a real person or any sort of legit help feature when something goes wrong. Many of the big social media companies seem to be totally unaccountable and focused only on how well they can monetize content and your personal data.

 

[Clark W]

I received an email from Reverb asking me to "re-verify my identity". I followed the link, and pretty soon I was served a QR code by a company called Trulioo asking me to scan it on my phone and then take a selfie and upload a copy of my passport and drivers licence.

Others may disagree but imho this is an unwelcome invasion of my privacy by a business that charges high fees for a little value add.

So I sent this email to [email protected]

Hi there, ​

​

I know that whoever reads this email doesn't make policy decisions, so please pass this along to the appropriate people at Reverb.​

​

You are telling me I need to "re-verify my identity," which now involves sharing my personal information with a third party, Trulioo, and uploading images of my passport and driver's license. ​

​

With all due respect - go shag yourself; this is an overreach. I'm browsing and occasionally selling a couple of guitars on your platform, not trading options.​

​

If this is what you think you need to do to keep your platform safe, go for it. But for me it's a massive overreach and invasion of privacy not warranted by value your platform provides.​

​

Please close my accounts: xxxx​

Best, ​

​

Is this an overreaction on my part?

No overreaction at all, Trulioo provides identity authentication services to over 5 billion people across 195 countries. That's got big brother written all over it. Or you could call it a hacker's dream. Take your pick. Either way, I don't blame you. I wouldn't do it either.

 

[crentest]

to keep you're information safe, let us share it with three other sources.... that's a NO for me

 

[ChristIsKing]

It is legit and it's one of the many reasons I have stopped using Reverb anymore. Their fees have gotten out of hand too.

 

[Thumpin6string]

Sounds like a scam to me. I never respond to emails like that.

 

[ardgedee]

The facts according to AI

AI is not an authority, it is a machine synthesizing information from words it found online.

If Reverb themselves do not claim this, it is not something Reverb claims to be doing.

 

[dune]

FWIW: I was VP Engineering with a crypto company, we used european version of Trulioo to do id verification and KYC but that's only because governments made us.

I might've led with that.
(though I'm sure it brought a larger smile to my face reading it where it was)

 

[rmayer]

Copies of my license and passport to sell on Reverb? F**k No! I'll cancel my account first. The passport is the dealbreaker.

 

[Levitamin]

It is legit and it's one of the many reasons I have stopped using Reverb anymore. Their fees have gotten out of hand too.

Yeah, they really have. It's actually cheaper to sell guitars and basses on eBay again. Any other gear not so much. I often direct people to my Craigslist listing and sell and ship from there. I have years of positive feedback so it often works out.

I've never been asked for this level of scrutiny on Reverb, though. Maybe because I've been selling there for a decade?

 

[dune]

AI is not an authority, it is a machine synthesizing information from words it found online.

If Reverb themselves do not claim this, it is not something Reverb claims to be doing.

I use AI on a daily basis for just these kinds of answers and in my experience, this is exactly the kind of question it can reliably answer accurately. Most of the time. On the other hand, when it tried to help me learn Onshape to layout a fret slotting template it was spectacularly wrong on several occasions.

 

[Mosthigh]

I received a similar email at least a year ago from '%2A.reverb.com'. Needless to say I never followed through on it.

Even if they do send a seemingly legit email that requires you to re-confirm your identity, I would just carry on until the notice comes up on their website at checkout, or when you try and list something.

 

[dune]

View attachment 7467442
The facts according to AI

I'm 63, a former full‑time bassist who later became a personal trainer and IT guy, and I've come to the conclusion that AI officially makes me a better person. I keep the sidebar open on my browser most of the time these days. I've long thought the greatest thing about the internet was the access it provides to the collective experiences, intelligence, etc. of humankind. Clients would often ask me: "How'd you figure that out so fast?" to which I would often reply: "I Googled it." Now, I have a lightning fast assistant to do that for me. I'm in the process of moving out of a multi-effect into more dedicated pedals (mostly SA - still want my presets) and my new bestest buddy AI has been right there for me the whole way. Care to guess the site from which it pulls the majority of answers to my bass-related questions???

 

[Wasnex]

I use AI on a daily basis for just these kinds of answers and in my experience, this is exactly the kind of question it can reliably answer accurately.

IMHO you should always verify AI answers from accuracy. Same goes for Wikipedia.

 

[teopatl]

Fwiw I got the same email from Reverb and duly ignored it. Lo and behold, Reverb still happily takes money, both buying and selling.

 

[dune]

IMHO you should always verify AI answers from accuracy. Same goes for Wikipedia.

100% agree. Very easy to do, at least with Microsoft Copilot and I would imagine with all of them. If the source isn't cited, which it is for factual things beyond common knowledge, I can always just ask for the source. Of course, if the source is Wikipedia...

 

[jbl71004]

When I said the facts according to AI tongue was firmly in cheek. I do suspect its correct in this case though.

 

[sonojono]

Ooof too late for me. Should probably cancel all my accounts and live in a secluded forest wearing a tin foil hat now

 

[Maxi Funkl]

I'm not sending any online company that information.

 

[SpyderX]

Yeah wait til your phone or laptop requires a photo ID to log into it... coming soon...