eBay

orphanitems · ‎03-07-2013

In looking at the ebay policies, I do not understand why EBAY wants us to NOT communicate with buyers?

Can anyone explain this?

As a courtesy I have always emailed my buyer as soon as I have mailed their item.

If this is not the norm - why?

recped · ‎03-07-2013

I do not understand why EBAY wants us to NOT communicate with buyers?

It's not true!

"What else could I do? I had no trade so I became a peddler" - Lazarus Greenberg 1915
- answering Trolls is voluntary, my policy is not to participate.

rosscd57 · ‎03-07-2013

I have no idea why eBay does not want us to communicate with buyers - they likely got some bad advice from a big marketing firm.

Personally I think it is stupid.

I send my buyers two emails.

One thanking them for their purchase and informing them excatly when I will ship it.

The second informs them that it has been shipped, feedback has been left and any special instructions regarding the operation of the item - and of course I thank them again.

Ebay still thinks the buyers are thier customers.

__________________________________________________________

Old enough to know better. Young enough to do it again. Crazy enough to try

recped · ‎03-07-2013

The use of the word "reward" is very misleading, you are not being rewarded for not communicating and more than you are "rewarded" with an auto 5 for free shipping.

eBay decided, and correctly so that buyers should not be able to rate a seller on communication IF THERE IS NO COMMUNICATION.

It's the same as sales with "free shipping", buyers should not be able to rate sellers on shipping when there is no shipping charged.

eBay can't do auto 5's for Item As Described or Shipping Time because there is always an item to be described and there is always a time to ship/deliver.

A more correct word would be "protect" as in you are protected from a low rating for communication when there has been no communication.

The whole idea is rather bogus, how many sellers get poor marks for communication? How many sellers get poor marks for communication but good marks for everything else? How many sellers have had their status downgraded solely based on their communication rating?

This is eBay at it's finest, tossing a bone, a bone that has little if any value.

"What else could I do? I had no trade so I became a peddler" - Lazarus Greenberg 1915
- answering Trolls is voluntary, my policy is not to participate.

orphanitems · ‎03-07-2013

rosscd57 Thank you. I think what WE do as sellers to confirm and thank should be encouraged not discouraged! With that said, From now on I WILL NOT inform or thank - because apparently that is what EBAY wants.

I also want to thank someone for informing Ebay that I broke the rules by reposting Pierres information about this policy. I did not know it was against the rules to repost someone elses information. Shows there must be some pretty bored sellers or Trolls on this forum. I did sincerly hope someone would have an intelligent reply - not just saying NO IT IS NOT TRUE, because IT IS TRUE. By NO communication we can't be judged for any!

What a world.

Love to hear any opinions on this - Thanks again rosscd57

bb_cool_stuff · ‎03-08-2013

Do what many of us do, thank the buyer for their purchase, let them know the shipping date, give them an ETA.

Nice personal touch that takes less than a minute.

altimateoutlet · ‎03-08-2013

Who has all this time for pandering?

If Ebay wants sellers to provide the love life of a package, they should provide programmable comments like they have in feedback on.com so that we can fill out a number and not have to rewrite a book everytime!

Apparently and I could be wrong, when you fill out the waybill number on .com it doesn't get past on to the buyer. When you ship with post through ebay, the buyer gets notification. why should the buyer have to receive more info? this is a business not a date!

orphanitems · ‎03-08-2013

bb cool stuff - apparently by sending these THANK YOU's and being courteous - I am communicating, so this means that the buyer can THEN leave stars - IF I DONT Communicate they cannot rate me in this area. With the DSR's having the power to downgrade and cost me more I am forced to NOT COMMUNICATE. I find this absurd. BUT IF EBAY WANTS NO COMMUNICATION - well that is what they will get! CUSTOMER BE DAMNED????

I feel lousy about this, I actually like what I do - and like being courteous, but because the DSR's (Star System) will affect the cost of my listings and where my listings will be placed - I am compelled to NOT be courteous and communicate.

It is my hope that Ebay will do away with these stupid systems. The unfairness to the seller is getting worse.

I am slowly shifting my sales to other sites. abe for my books and looking at Etsy for my craft stuff and vintage - but not everyone can do this.

orphanitems · ‎03-08-2013

altimateoutlet Hi, I agree with some of what you say, but I consider that the Buyer should be treated with courtesy and Ebay has this all wrong. I think the whole DSR system is sick and needs to be done away with.

Feedback should be enough. No hiding - just some honest feedback.

The Feedback system is not right either from the Seller's point of view, there are Unco-operative Dead-Beat buyers that abuse Sellers - to not be able to leave HONEST feedback is silly. As a seller I am not allowed to leave negative.

Sellers are getting hamstrung by Ebay - and not much in the way of protection.

Moving my items to other sites is what I am looking at.

rickardo445 · ‎03-08-2013

Ebay needs to remember there are human beings behind the computers making them tons of money...This new technology vs human makes me ill. We should all be thankful there are still some courteous and thankful people in this world!! I send a message with the track number and thanks for their purchase. Isn't that what we do when we buy at a store? We thank them for their help, and they thank us for our purchase....so silly.

rosscd57 · ‎03-08-2013

Who has all this time for pandering?

this is a business not a date!

Well it is very obvious that your idea of customer service is reflected in the negative comments left for you by your buyers.

Perhaps you should listen to them.

__________________________________________________________

Old enough to know better. Young enough to do it again. Crazy enough to try

recped · ‎03-08-2013

With the DSR's having the power to downgrade and cost me more I am forced to NOT COMMUNICATE. I find this absurd. BUT IF EBAY WANTS NO COMMUNICATION - well that is what they will get! CUSTOMER BE DAMNED????

I feel lousy about this, I actually like what I do - and like being courteous, but because the DSR's (Star System) will affect the cost of my listings and where my listings will be placed - I am compelled to NOT be courteous and communicate.

This is (close to) the most ridiculous thing I have ever read on this board!

You have 5.0 for your communication star, obviously buyers are really slamming you for that courtesy!

"What else could I do? I had no trade so I became a peddler" - Lazarus Greenberg 1915
- answering Trolls is voluntary, my policy is not to participate.

orphanitems · ‎03-08-2013

recped Thank you for taking the time to look at my profile. I am proud of it.

I think the point I am trying to make here is that EBAY STAR SYSTEM Does NOT reflect the service that We sellers are providing.

BY NOT communicating it makes me safe from any criticism from the buyer, just like if I have "FREE" shipping it keeps me safe from criticism from the buyer. NEITHER of these stars improve the actual customer experiences.

Eg. I bought from a seller that had "FREE" shipping, he took so long to mail my item that I filed a complaint. I STILL COULD NOT LEAVE ANY NEGATIVE STARS FOR SHIPPING.

-So what is the point of Stars?

I see the Star System as just another way that Ebay can get more money out of sellers.

If We dont have good Stars - in all areas - we get downgraded, therefore pay more for listings and get put on the low end of placement.

If you know of something POSITIVE about this I would love to hear it.

It is my reflex as a seller to want to communicate so the buyer has confidence and comes back to Ebay. But this leaves me open to getting Low DSRS - from some Nasty buyers - As a low volume seller - just a few LOW DSR's in any area can really impact my sales.

pjcdn2005 · ‎03-08-2013

Eg. I bought from a seller that had "FREE" shipping, he took so long to mail my item that I filed a complaint. I STILL COULD NOT LEAVE ANY NEGATIVE STARS FOR SHIPPING.

If the shipping is free than why would you want to rate the shipping & handling charge?

If the seller took a long time to mail the item then your star for shipping time can reflect that.

godboma · ‎03-08-2013

I did not stop my communication with my buyers when eBay changed the policy (and took out the email templates...). My buyers love it and it let me set their expectations on transit time. IMO, it makes all the difference on feedback and DSR left.

It is my reflex as a seller to want to communicate so the buyer has confidence and comes back to Ebay. But this leaves me open to getting Low DSRS - from some Nasty buyers - As a low volume seller - just a few LOW DSR's in any area can really impact my sales.

I do not think that stopping communicating will protect you. Nasty buyers will give you low rating on the other DSR so you will still loose.

pierrelebel · ‎03-08-2013

"I think the point I am trying to make here is that EBAY STAR SYSTEM Does NOT reflect the service that We sellers are providing."

???

Once again, as mentionned by recped, what is the problem? What exactly are you complaining about?

Your DSRs - given by your customers - show 5.0, 5.0, 4.9 and 4.9 - well above average.

I just do not get it. Where is the beef?

"I bought from a seller that had "FREE" shipping, he took so long to mail my item that I filed a complaint. I STILL COULD NOT LEAVE ANY NEGATIVE STARS FOR SHIPPING."

That is incorrect. There is nothing preventing a buyer from leaving low DSR for shipping time which is exactly what the problem was. The only time you cannot leave low DSR for shipping time is when the system shows shipment within the allotted "handling time"

cumos55 · ‎03-08-2013

Good communication can cure many possible ills.

Telling a buyer when you mail the parcel and how long it will take,, and if there is a delay it could be caught up in the postal system or in customs.

Good communication can help a buyer understand why shipping is costly.

Good communication is preparing a parcel in a more than acceptable manner...

The last thing you see as the seller is the first thing the buyer sees.... Your communication about how much (or how little) you may care about the purchased item in transit...

If you do not communicate you get a 5... But if you do communicate effectively... in relation to the other three ratings, you may not get low ratings for the other three ratings....

art-in-the-making · ‎03-08-2013

Ebay has clearly gone from actively encouraging sellers to maximize communication - to a much more subdued and reluctant position, which encourages minimal communication..

Why is this?

I think it is pretty simple. Ebay realizes that many large corporate and/or Asian sellers are at a competitive disadvantage vs smaller sellers who can communicate meaningfully with individual buyers.

As eBay's mission is now to kowtow to corporate sellers, minimizing communications with buyers across the board is the best solution they can come up with.

You can see it from a corporate manager's point of view. Say they want to try a test of 100,000 listings. A few years ago, this would have definitely meant training a lot of junior staff to give inane answers to all types of conceivable questions... If it's an Asian seller situation compounded by language issues.... Enter the new eBay sales pitch to corporate accounts: "Don't worry, our policies are engineered to streamline all communications and reduce personal contact to a minimum... ...both for you and the smaller merchants you may encounter here on eBay..."

It is a myth that no communication is good. It is well known that many businesses prefer to get a complaint than no contact at all from customers - if you respond well to a complaint you can earn a customer's loyalty for years. Depends on the business how cost effective this may be...

cartoonsinabox · ‎03-08-2013

Who has all this time for pandering?

If Ebay wants sellers to provide the love life of a package, they should provide programmable comments like they have in feedback on.com so that we can fill out a number and not have to rewrite a book everytime!

Apparently and I could be wrong, when you fill out the waybill number on .com it doesn't get past on to the buyer. When you ship with post through ebay, the buyer gets notification. why should the buyer have to receive more info? this is a business not a date!

RUDE and bad customer serive !