I really wish that Buyers....

[007steveb16]

....Would send me messages directly through eBay's messaging system instead of on invoices, through PayPal, when they make payment.

They're too easy to miss and then the buyer thinks I'm not communicating well 😞

[pjcdn2005]

I agree that it is easy to miss those messages. I think that you can set it up so that they aren't able to do that so that they will have to send you a message.

Go to account - and then to Manage communication with buyers

Near the bottom of page you'll see

Allow buyers to provide special instructions on their order during checkout

It probably says yes now but you can change it to no

[007steveb16]

Thanks PJ!

I had no clue that option was there.

[adela_b]

Most buyers/seller avoid eBay messaging system because the way it works now is if there is no communication the seller gets 5 stars in communication DSR automatically. I shop on regular bases with a seller who actually prefers color/size selection to be done with the payment but of course whatever works for you. It would not hurt if you put a line about your communication preferences in the listing too.

[007steveb16]

I'm not going to put that in my listings.

I won't dictate to a customer how I want them to communicate I just wish they would realize it makes more sense to send messages via eBay's messaging system because I never miss one of those.

[adela_b]

I’m sorry, it was just a suggestion. I’m glad you are one of the sellers that actually respond to questions.

It is not telling people what to do; the tune makes the music. You may politely suggest it. I’ve seen it on many listings lately.To most people makes more sense that you pay attention where money is involved. I just think that people may have hard time guessing your communication preferences. 

I was not happy when a seller sent me a message directly to my e-mail. When I asked why, the seller explained that he preferred to be given the 5 stars in communication automatically.

Good luck.

[cumos55]

As time passes you learn what to do and   to adjust.

(1) Compare address in eBay emails for a transaction to the address in Paypal payment notice....

If different  confirmation of mailing address is required.

Many a time someone moves and forgets to change an address. 

Check sales record if addresses different.

also will do a verification of contact information through eBay if addresses are different

99.9 % of the time the Paypal  address is correct.... then there is that one time  that it will not be correct...

.

(2)  Respond to Paypal payment email telling buyer when purchase will be mailed ... They know I have received payment.

(3) You learn to read everything

((4) The key to everything  is develop a protocol for every eventuality... and it takes time to adjust.

I have been doing this for close to 10 years... and it works....

Effective  communication is worth more than a rating of 5 for no communication

One thing many sellers may forget is how you prepare the parcel....  is also a way to communicate that you care. 

The last thing you see is the first thing a buyer sees...

[pierrelebel]

"I was not happy when a seller sent me a message directly to my e-mail."

WOW !

Honestly, it never crossed my mind that a buyer would be unhappy to receive an email from me.  I have over 105,000 eBay transactions and an email has been sent to every buyer every time thanking them for receipt of their payment and confirming positive feedback had been posted on eBay and shipping date (same or next business day).

Not once did I hear from a buyer that he/she was unhappy with my use of their email address (provided by PayPal and eBay).

I will continue to send email to every buyer.  I am too old to change a procedure that has worked well for fourteen years.

[nuvistors]

You cannot satisfy everyone.

Reading the messsage on a paypal is the same as reading the message attached to a check in the mail.      It is something I automatically do.

And I do not really care whether email of ebay messages are used  as long as the information is received.

[adela_b]

"Honestly, it never crossed my mind that a buyer would be unhappy to receive an email from me.  I have over 105,000 eBay transactions and an email has been sent to every buyer every time thanking them for receipt of their payment and confirming positive feedback had been posted on eBay and shipping date (same or next business day).

Not once did I hear from a buyer that he/she was unhappy with my use of their email address (provided by PayPal and eBay).

I will continue to send email to every buyer.  I am too old to change a procedure that has worked well for fourteen years."

Well, it did not sound right – I got a message from someone with some odd subject line and the sender’s name did not match the eBay seller ID. This message ended up in my SPAM folder so I just clicked “delete”. When I got a second one it had links (it raises flags for me that it might be a phishing one) , than I went through my transactions to see what that is about. I much prefer to be messaged through eBay system where every message gets a number and indicates which item it concerns.

I get a ton of messages sent from ***@paypall.com so I’m sorry I’m a trifle paranoid.

[adela_b]

The message was something like “Your doll has been shipped come and shop again at ….”. Well, I have bought several dolls which one that would be? And the sender’s e-mail was not the one I sent payment to.

[tobyshitzu]

Stopped emailing direct many years ago when buyers were saying they never look at the email address they have with ebay/paypal.  At least with the messages there is a chance they see it when they log on too. 

Messages attatched to payments show up very well in your paypal account with the note icon.  Don't even have to open it to read it with mouse over.  Im more likely to see that fast then just an ebay message that I  have to  watch for over 5 accounts

[rose-dee]

Hi steveb -

'Tobyshitzu' has a good point about the messages attached to Paypal payments - they have improved this feature over the last couple of years, making the messages easier to spot. 

As sellers I think we do have a responsibility to check for messages anywhere they might reasonably be, and develop a routine for making sure they aren't missed -- part of good communication I would say.  I make a point of skimming through anything that originates with a buyer, to quickly check for a message (like Pierre, I send every buyer a "thank you" email through eBay, and I also put a short note on the Canada Post/Paypal screen when doing up the shipping label).  

It is convenient for a buyer to be able to add a note to a Paypal payment screen, rather than having to go back to eBay to send a message, and I accept that means I have to watch for those messages.  Oh yes, and I should mention that I only send messages directly to buyer's own emails if I've let them know through eBay first -- otherwise the buyer might never check his/her email inbox off eBay. 

On a related subject, does anyone know whether messages included on invoices/Paypal payments are considered by eBay as "communications" for DSR purposes, i.e. do they have a means of tracking such messages?  Or is it strictly messages through eBay's own system?  I've never really been clear on that.  If it's the former, now that Paypal has made it more obvious when a message is included, I would think this would be an easy way to stay in touch with buyers and still get those automatic 5 stars for "no" communications (a policy by the way that, although I understand the purpose behind it, has never seemed logical to me). 

[rose-dee]

I agree that it is easy to miss those messages. I think that you can set it up so that they aren't able to do that so that they will have to send you a message.

I'm not sure I personally could do this -- cutting off a line of communication from buyers wouldn't work for me.  My feeling is that some buyers might like to give me some special instructions, etc. that occur to them while checking out. 

An example might be a request to ship in a small box rather than bubble envelope, include a business card, wrap something in plastic to protect it from weather (which I myself have asked a seller to do just in case he/she didn't think of it), and so on. 

Do you really want to remove that convenient avenue of messaging for buyers in order to make it more convenient for the seller?  Just a consideration...

[pjcdn2005]

On a related subject, does anyone know whether messages included on invoices/Paypal payments are considered by eBay as "communications" for DSR purposes, i.e. do they have a means of tracking such messages?  Or is it strictly messages through eBay's own system?

No, messages included on invoices and Paypal payments are not counted as communications for DSR purposes.

Do you really want to remove that convenient avenue of messaging for buyers in order to make it more convenient for the seller?  Just a consideration...

I actually don't have it removed but if a seller tends to miss it, it might be better for them to delete that option. I rarely get a message that way so I am not in the habit of actually looking for one although I haven't ever missed one...yet. .

Out of curiosity I just had a look and out of the last 200 transactions or so, I've received 3 messages that way.

One simply said thank you and another one told me they had paid and to send it to such and such address which was the address on their paypal payment anyway. The third one asked me to put a certain type of stamp on their package when I mailed it. So out of those 3, there was really only 1 that was a request and that I needed to see.  Perhaps it is used more in some categories than in others.

[007steveb16]

I've sent out 334 orders since Monday to today from auctions ending between the 7th & 11th.

Having a message come directly into my eBay message folder is far more practical than sifting through 334 invoice payments...

I get though ultimately it's on me to always check and I always do. My point is when I get that direct message from a buyer into my eBay messages, it's instant. Not only in the fact that I get a direct separate email telling me I have a message, but also on my eBay seller summary page, which I'm on 99.9% of the time anyways, I can't miss that (1) popping up in my messages folder.

[bb_cool_stuff]

Nice sales Steve.

[rose-dee]

I've sent out 334 orders since Monday to today from auctions ending between the 7th & 11th.

Having a message come directly into my eBay message folder is far more practical than sifting through 334 invoice payments...

Holy mackerel!!  334 orders in 5 days!  I'm in the wrong line of business, but then I do like what I do...

I certainly see your point with that kind of volume, and why it would make sense to turn the message option off the invoice/Paypal system.  "PJ'"s comment that communications differ by category is cogent.  I have a low volume, higher per item turnover, so buyers probably do tend to send (and rightfully expect) more messages and better communication when they're buying a $200 item. 

BTW, do you think I could I borrow some of your sales this month?   🙂

[rose-dee]

... I meant to say "higher price per item turnover..."

It's 12:50 a.m. out here in the Atlantic time zone at the moment, so time to call it quits for the night.  I came to Nova Scotia a year ago from B.C., and I sometimes think I'm still functioning in Pacific time (originally from T.O. so I'm really time-zone challenged). 

Thanks for the chat!   :-x