eBay

niesca2015 · ‎06-20-2019

Hey all,

is there any way you can see whether a seller read a message you sent (through eBay)?

I recently won a bid on an item (personal CD player) but I was advised the item may not be as described (plays MP3 files while in fact it does not)... I contacted the seller and it there's a "received" date listed, but it doesn't make clear if that is "delivered to mailbox" or "read by recipient". Obviously I need to know whether the seller is just away for a couple of they or is playing ignorant and then complain about non-payment.

kawartha-ephemera · ‎06-20-2019

No, the messaging system is not that sophisticated, it would be a nice feature to have.

silverpinups · ‎06-20-2019

"but it doesn't make clear if that is "delivered to mailbox" or "read by recipient". "

When you send a message you will see a green check mark and this message: Your message as been sent!

If you check your sent box you will see the message indicating that the seller received your message. It's most likely the seller read the message and either hasn't got around to responding yet or is choosing not to respond.

If the seller doesn't respond in a few days you can copy and paste the message and send it again......

reallynicestamps · ‎06-20-2019

but I was advised the item may not be as described

By whom?

The seller? You have the right to request that the transaction be cancelled.

Some random person or website? What makes you think they are more reliable than the seller?

What did the Item Specifics in the listing say?

The time to ask questions is before buying.

If you do not pay, the seller can open an Unpaid Item Dispute and you would get a Strike.

Since most sellers have automatic Blocks on buyer with Strikes, this would make buying on eBay very difficult.

You would also be unable to leave feedback, but that's not used by eBay to assess seller accounts.

The seller has 96* hours before he can open a UID and you are allowed another 96 to pay.

So from one point of view, the seller has eight days to answer you.

*48 if he is US-based.

niesca2015 · ‎06-21-2019

@reallynicestamps wrote:
but I was advised the item may not be as described

By whom?

Someone I know, but just as a heads-up and part of an unrelated conversation.

The model number on the picture (D-E220) is different from the model number in the description (Sony D-EJ011) and when you start researching those (time I could have used more productively) it turns out neither plays mp3s. You can see the official manuals on the Sony website, and that is authoritative to me.

Also note I got it for the minimum bid of $15 (which is great), there was no bidding war, it's just that I don't want a long "item not as described" process and I'm still on the hook for return shipping (which then needs tracking, which means costly). Needless to say that will result in a very negative rating and I'll even spend the time looking into filing a complaint with eBay.

As to the subject line, if eBay employees are reading this, a "read confirmation" would be extremely useful.

kawartha-ephemera · ‎06-21-2019

@niesca2015

There are many file converters available that will convert mp3 files to just about any other audio file format required ie; itunes, Windows Media player, online sites etc. Just a thought.

niesca2015 · ‎06-21-2019

@kawartha-ephemera wrote:
@niesca2015
There are many file converters available that will convert mp3 files to just about any other audio file format required ie; itunes, Windows Media player, online sites etc. Just a thought.

I am fully aware of that. I am also aware that a CD only holds about 700MB of data, so by creating an mp3 CD you can have about 5-7 albums worth all on one disc. Guess what the reason is that I insisted on getting a player that plays mp3s? That's right, so I don't have to keep switching CDs that often. Which is why the manufactures implemented that feature and programs like BurnAware have an MP3 CD option.

Sorry if that sounds a little bit sarcastic, but that's like selling someone a car without an engine and offering "have it towed on top of a hill, get in, have it pushed, and you can still drive your car all the way downhill and then some!"

Edit: for those following this thread, I've just send my 3rd (and final) message to the seller in as many days. If I don't get a reply I'll just pay for the item, wait for it to arrive, probably discover it indeed does not play mp3s, and then take action with eBay, Paypal, etc. Paypal is so nice as to supply the account name involved on your credit card statement.

ypdc_dennis · ‎06-21-2019

You should have asked the Seller to cancel the sale giving your reason -- and since you have not paid for the item you wait for a response/action.

Either the Seller

(1) cancels the sale,

(2) gets back to you with correct info about the item (more slow messages)

or

(3) opens an unpaid item dispute (you can then pay and go through the Item-Not-As-Described process)

You do not get an Unpaid Item strike unless you do not pay (a UI opened, and then paid, does not count against you as a Buyer).

-..-

niesca2015 · ‎06-21-2019

Thanks for your good advice. It's not a lot of money and I'd like to avoid getting anything bad on my record (even though a strike is apparently no longer an issue). Everything else I paid within hours after winning the bid. And I'd like to keep my end of the deal.

The main reason for this post was to see about "read receipts" like you sometimes see in email. I think it would benefit everyone (both sellers and buyers) if you can see whether the recipient actually opened up your message rather than just it being successfully delivered to their inbox. It shouldn't be too hard to implement.