New Layout - Can't send email

[rrbarna]

I sell on eBay.uk as well and they have the same new layout.  The only difference is I have the option to email (using templates) buyers there, but not here.  Is there a workaround so that I can send buyers emails until they fix this?

Btw, this new layout is worthless.  I liked before how you can mark sold items as "shipped" and when the page refreshes, those marked items remain there one more time so that you can mark them and send emails instead of finding them individually under "paid & shipped" which is alot more time consuming.

[shama-lama-ding-dong]

I'm experience this same problem with the templates.  Impossible to contact ebay for solution.  That too is to time consuming and if you do get through ebay support always uninformed.

[labels.and.luxuries]

Yes, not being able to use my email templates is very annoying. According to a more detailed discussion on the dot.com board, under "technical issues", removing the email templates and "email buyer" function was an intentional move by eBay. Supposedly, buyers are tired of receiving so many emails through eBay. It will be interesting, and possibly unfortunate, to see what happens with our "Communication" DSR. Sigh...

[threebears63]

Hi all,

I noticed the new layout yesterday, and was hoping it was going to magically revert to it's old self by today, sigh, it didn't happen.

Our store has been on vacation all week due to the Canada Post situation. However, I had a pending         e-cheque clear today, and I went to send my buyer a note to give her all of the shipping information etc. and couldn't find the e-mail buyer link.

So, I had to click on the item link, go to recent sales, then click on the other options heading, then the contact member link to send an e-mail.

E-bay, you've got to be kidding right? How on earth are we supposed to communicate with our customers? I hope the communication DSR's are going to be removed by e-bay because they are about to tank.

E-bay, please STOP "fixing" things! :_|

Heather

[sheepgal54]

I just talked to an ebay support person.  There will be no way to communicate with our buyers unless we want to go to the sold page and 'contact buyer' and send a message.  You can keep your standard email in a document file on your computer and copy and paste.  Like I have time for that.  Ebay says 'we know you are busy selling and don't have time to send emails so we have taken care of it for you'  or something to that affect and they send out THEIR standard email with order details 1. when an item is bought or won  2. when they haven't paid in 2 days  3. when they pay  4. when it is shipped and  5. when they haven't entered feedback.   We also used to be able to edit those generic emails and put our own notes on like PLEASE WAIT TO PAY UNTIL YOU HAVE FINISHED SHOPPING SO I CAN COMBINE YOUR ITEMS TO SAVE ON SHIPPING COSTS   Did you hear that ebay?  With the new fees starting in July, ebay stands to get a lot of shipping fees on uncombined items and I believe that they will not or can not return fees if we reimburse any shipping costs.  Good one ebay  Just another reason to quit selling 

[westernstargifts]

Whoever designed this new layout should first try to sell on eBay.  I too was hoping it would somehow be a "test" and revert to the old format.

I make notes below each and every order I receive.  With the new format, every time I go to revise the notes I have left, half of the notes have disappeared.  If a buyer purchases more than one item and I leave a note under each, half of the first note will show up under the second item.

I find it harder to distinguish between the different buyers and harder to read the notes.  Now you have to go to the top and use a drop down menu to delete a listing.

The new layout is going to make everything take longer.  I already change My eBay back to Basic when sending shipping notices.  That seems to work well because the shipping notice then shows up in their Messages and not just their email.  However, when it was really busy it was handy to be able to send the shipping notice from Selling Manager.

Also I find I have to scroll back and forth more.  What a PITA.

[busybeas_books]

Don't like it, but like everything else, will get use to it over time. I definitely don't like the loss of the bulk email capability. I always sent emails after mailing; buyers appreciated that.

[axe_n_gear_music]

When a potential buyer asks a question, we are stuck with their junk messaging system, unfortunately.

But after a sale and payment is complete, I try my best not to use or ever rely on ebay for after-transaction emails. Best way I have learned to communicate with all buyers after a sale and they have paid via Paypal is to go to the email from their Paypal payment in Outlook Express, hit reply, delete the "you've received a Paypal payment from...etc" subject line and replace it with "Order Shipped", then delete the body of the Paypal email, and simply copy and paste one of my standard "your item has been shipped blah blah blah" message. This way I know I don't have to rely on eBay to send or not send anything automated, and most people check their emails regularly, not ebay messages.

AXE

[westernstargifts]

I get fewer "where's my item" and better DSR's for communication when I contact them through eBay messaging.  Unless they have their preferences set otherwise, they will also receive it in their email.

[femmefan1946]

Supposedly, buyers are tired of receiving so many emails through eBay.

So instead eBay will send FOUR emails to our customers?

A new meaning for "fewer". It is now a synonym for "more".

[bighillbargains1]

I can send emails, like before. I set my default "My eBay page" to "all selling" and it looks almost like it did before. The contact Buyer link is where it always was.

You can set the default page by clicking on "General Settings" in the top right corner.

Or you can click the Activity tab and go to "all selling".

[pjcdn2005]

Ebay has fixed selling manager so that you can now access the contact buyer option when you are on the sold view. BUT, they've only done that on .com. Hopefully they will soon fix .ca too.

[rrbarna]

So what now?  I absolutely *NEED* to send various email templates to vertain buyers so without this ability on eBay, where can I turn to?  I'm sure there's software for this... ???

I tried emailing buyers manually today - it's a tedius and pointless waste of time because I actually need a record of which templates I emaild to which buyers for future refrence.

They just removed one of the most important features of Selling Manager Pro without which I cannot properly funtion.

All the more important to start structuring my business to be less eBay dependant...

Barna

[labels.and.luxuries]

Ebay has fixed selling manager so that you can now access the contact buyer option when you are on the sold view.

This is is just a generic contact link, not an email buyer link. We still cannot access our email templates that allow for personalized communications to buyers. That the contact buyer link is now available through Selling Manager does not address my concern.

[pjcdn2005]

This is is just a generic contact link, not an email buyer link

I wouldn't call it generic as the item purchased will be in the title. But no, it will not give you access to the old templates.

[axe_n_gear_music]

"I get fewer "where's my item" and better DSR's for communication when I contact them through eBay messaging."

Interesting, Western, as my DSRs have improved by contacting the buyer via regular email instead of eBay, and there has been zero change in the amount of "where's my item" questions. Since Bernie showed me how to do this a few months ago, I've never looked back.

eBay's messaging system is archaic and mickey mouse at the best of times. If you want to send a nice professional and personal message to your buyer after they pay you, I have found this to be an exceptional way to do it. We have all of our "after purchase" messages saved in a word file that are pre-done and taylored for every different situation and ship-to location. So its just - find the Paypal payment email, copy and paste the message, and add in tracking info, etc.

It's much faster, plus with Outlook Express vs eBay messaging, we can add in logos, colors, links to our website store, graphics, etc, all of which you cannot do with eBay's message system.

Cheers,

AXE

[westernstargifts]

I'm sure that works fine Axe but my way works for me.  I copy and paste my text into each message and can tailor it as needed.  My DSR for Communication has been 5 for awhile now so I will stick with my method.

I tried email for awhile, although not through the PayPal email, and my DSR for Comm. began to drop.

Thanks for the input though.:-)