Purchasers using phones, tablets seem to be changing the buyer style!

[ricarmic]

Wow, in the old days we had problems with people not reading the descriptions very well, these days it seems they don't read them at all!!

I am very regularly getting people asking me questions that are very clearly answered in the descriptions!

I took the opportunity to look at what people see when they're looking at our lots etc on a phone and I think it explains some of this, one has to work to look at anything more than the thumbnail picture and some basic information like shipping.

I've tried to include "PLZ Read Description" in my titles but this doesn't seem to be doing much good. (I'm getting a lot of buyers these days who don't speak any english at all, I've sent 4 items in the last month that the only english in the address was "Russia" or "China"!!!)

I also prefer to have my detailed pictures in my listing descriptions as as it lets me put caveats around them to try to reinforce the fact that the folks need to read the listing description.

I'm probably going to have to bite the bullet some day and convert to using the ebay free pictures instead, but I'll resist as long as I can.

[tobyshitzu]

That is why ebay did a webcast recommending no pictures or html in the description.  Bet thats next years seller update "revise all your listings again" announcenement, to force the issue.

[nan*55]

I've noticed the same thing re questions. And I've had a couple of US buyer that couldn't pay me with paypal using thier phones. Had to got to a computer to do it.

[oldbazaar]

Yes, it's a huge problem, and because buyers can only pay for one item at a time on their phones, I'm having to do quite a few shipping overpayment refunds.

[westernstargifts]

I didn't know they can only pay for one item at a time by phone.  Maybe that's why I have had an increase of buyers doing that lately.

[reallynicestamps]

I understand the potential problems, but should I guess that you are not objecting to the (impulse?)  buys?

Would Paypal only and Immediate Payment Required be useful if more buyers are using phones and reading curtailed listings?

And about refunds of shipping overages. Good customer service, but what is PP doing about fee refunds on these?

[oldbazaar]

PP do fee refunds? BWAHAHA! That'll be the day.

Actually the point you make is well-taken, the impulse buys probably make up for the single payment nuisance. Still, it seems a bit silly not to make multiple payments possible.

[pierrelebel]

"but what is PP doing about fee refunds on these?"

If you use the REFUND function from the original PayPal payment, you will receive 100% refund of the fees charged by PayPal on the shipping overcharge being refunded.

For example, on a payment where the buyer paid $25 + $10 shipping and you want to refund $5 for the shipping overcharge, you will be refunded the fees (usually 2.9% for most sellers or $0.15) you had paid PayPal on the $5 being refunded.

Where a seller may lose, is when the seller use the wrong procedure to refund the shipping overpayment.  If a seller refunds the full original payment and re-invoice with a lower amount, then the seller will lose $0.30 from the original payment.  The buyer may also lose if currency conversion was involved.