Ad push on my android phone from official eBay app?

[Darrell KSR]

I have had this annoying notification pop up on my android phone the last several days. It is not a spam text message, but an actual spam "notification."

Did some research on it, downloaded some adpush detectors (I actually downloaded 3 different ones, because the first two detected no applications I used of the 194 I have that used adpush, and a 3rd one finally identified one app that uses adpush). Also downloaded an adpush blocker, but it didn't block the notifications.

The offending app was the official eBay app. I read a story that said eBay was removing ads from its mobile apps in 2013, so I thought it must be incorrect.

The spam notification popped up several times a day. I deleted the eBay app, and then reinstalled it.

Boom, spam notification continues.

I have it deleted now, and I have not received a spam notification recently. Will let it go another day or two and see if it kills the spam notiifications, but that's very disappointing to me. The official eBay app is easier to use than the desktop. I sold about 10 items last month with the app, bar scanner plugged in the information (mostly college text books and a portable XM radio) automatically, stock photo added, category selected, etc. Really cool. Plus it notifies when something you're watching is about to go off, when you've been outbid, when you've had bids on your things you are selling, when someone asks you a question, when somebody pays for the item they bought, etc. Ultra-cool app I'd hate to lose.

I probably sell something about twice a year on eBay, but it's fun to do, and with the app, I was "finding" other stuff in the house I could get rid of and have a blast watching, so I really don't want to lose it.

Anybody else have this issue with the eBay app?

By the way, I CANNOT believe a spam notification like that is effective. It is some bot that wants to chat. Really? Even a spam text message might have a better chance than a spam notification, wouldn't it?

[Darrell KSR]

Not the official eBay app. Same spam notification with eBay app removed.

Good news, bad news. Good in the sense I can add it back, since I like it so much. Bad in the sense I still don't know what is creating this thing.

[BarristerCat]

I really have no idea because I'm so new to the Android world myself, but -- just spitballing here -- you do have a lot of apps. Are any of those apps from publishers you don't really know? Maybe one of them is doing something it isn't really supposed to be doing.

Another tactic is to use some keywords from the spam notification itself and do a google search. Something like "[do you want to chat] spam notification android." I bet a search like that would lead you to some Android forums where hopefully somebody has figured it out.

[Darrell KSR]

Well, I have only downloaded apps from the Google Play Store, but otherwise, I don't really know any of the publishers.

Haven't had any since the last time I posted here about it, so maybe they're gone. Just a slight annoyance, but I do't like to be annoyed.

If it shows up again, I will write it down and google it.

Sent using Forum Runner. All typos excused.

[BarristerCat]

The Play Store isn't regulated to the level that Apple's app store is. Basically, if a bad app turns up, Google will boot it. There's no proactive measures to keep bad apps off there in the first place, though. I think a lot of the concern about that fact is overblown, but it is possible to download some fishy apps on there.