eBay

bpl521_sell · ‎03-21-2018

What are your thoughts on Guest Buyers. Often get requests from users with 0 feedback and I assume they are probably guest buyers. So far the experience hasn't been all that positive, buy but don't pay, seem to think Ebay is like Kijiji or Craigslist and will make a low ball offer expecting shipping included etc. Overall my feeling is they have no understanding on how Ebay works and their expectations and obligations as buyers, not sure what educating Ebay does when a Guest account is opened up.

femmefan1946 · ‎03-21-2018

My biggest concern is for the guests, who have little concept of how to deal with a failed transaction.

And like any newbie are more likely to suffer a failed transaction.

The biggest problem for them seems to be that without an actual account they are unable to work out how to find their transaction and resolve the problem.

This in turn is a problem for eBay (and for sellers) since a happy customer may return but an unhappy customer will not only leave, but will tell all his friends and colleagues how he was scammed on eBay.

momcqueen · ‎03-21-2018

My buyer blocks don't prevent buyers without a paypal account so a significant number of my sales go to guest visitors. They've never given me trouble, the only drawback is that there is zero per cent reciprocal feedback.

bpl521_sell · ‎03-21-2018

And feedback is sort of a issue, as I suppose I could always block buyers with zero feedback, but there is occasional Ebay buyers out there that are probably excellent but are never given feedback from a seller. It's more of what I assume are guest buyers that are becoming an annoyance.

I believe a guest buyer does not need a paypal account but can pay with credit card OR paypal.

bpl521_sell · ‎03-21-2018

@femmefan1946wrote:
My biggest concern is for the guests, who have little concept of how to deal with a failed transaction.

For a honest seller I suppose that could also be viewed as a positive, the guest buyer is less likely to try and pull a scam on the seller. They pay, you ship what is advertised and both parties happy vs they pay..you ship, they pull a scam and get their money back and the merchandise <,g>

tobyshitzu · ‎03-21-2018

Tons of people used guest accounts yesterday to defeat the 1 coupon per person, since ebay stopped tying coupons to paypal accounts. No way for the seller to know if they are new, or very experienced buyers who know exactly how things work

bpl521_sell · ‎03-21-2018

@tobyshitzuwrote:
Tons of people used guest accounts yesterday to defeat the 1 coupon per person, since ebay stopped tying coupons to paypal accounts. No way for the seller to know if they are new, or very experienced buyers who know exactly how things work

Too funny...when there is a will there is a way <g>

bpl521_sell · ‎03-21-2018

@momcqueenwrote:
They've never given me trouble, the only drawback is that there is zero per cent reciprocal feedback.

I had one guest buyer(I think) not pay. I cancelled the order (hindsight should have put in a NPR) then left me positive feedback the shipping charges were too high. So sometimes no feedback is better<g>

pjcdn2005 · ‎03-21-2018

I haven't had any problems with 0 feedback or guest buyers. You mentioned that you could always block 0 feedback buyers but you can't. The only block relating to feedback is for buyers with -1 feedback or lower. I haven't seen anyone with a feedback in the negative for years so that block doesn't really do anything.

As far as I know, guest buyers cannot leave feedback so the one who left you the feedback was likely not a guest.

ricarmic · ‎03-21-2018

I have at least one "guest" buyer who's purchase from me maybe 10 times now.......each time a new "gibberish" id....

I think he just sees something he wants, uses his credit card to purchase and never bothers to set up an official ebay account.

So one can't infer too much from a 0 feedback buyer....

I for sure have no problems with zero feedback buyers buying from me.... my favourite 0 feedback buyer is up to 40 something now, ALL of them from me!!!

bpl521_sell · ‎03-22-2018

@pjcdn2005wrote:

As far as I know, guest buyers cannot leave feedback so the one who left you the feedback was likely not a guest.

Ah, didn't know that, google search seems to confirm that.

vintagetonow2134 · ‎03-22-2018

I Hate that why do people do that? how can they live with themselves?

cumos55 · ‎03-22-2018

I have had many guest buyers.

They are recognized on the basis of the type of ID ... a very mixed up ID....they have.

It was treated like any other transaction..... No problems at all..... None.

I see guest buyers as a bonus... perhaps because of what I sell...It may be different based on the type of inventory a seller has for sale on eBay.

bpl521_sell · ‎03-23-2018

@cumos55wrote:

They are recognized on the basis of the type of ID ... a very mixed up ID....they have.

That's good to know, must be a autogenerated ID from Ebay. I know there was some chatter about blocked buyers opening up guest accounts, but Ebay says they can stop that from comparing email addresses, not sure how reliable that is.

pjcdn2005 · ‎03-23-2018

@bpl521_sellwrote:

That's good to know, must be a autogenerated ID from Ebay. I know there was some chatter about blocked buyers opening up guest accounts, but Ebay says they can stop that from comparing email addresses, not sure how reliable that is.

I've never heard eBay say that and they definitely do not stop a blocked buyer from buying with another id.

hlmacdon · ‎03-23-2018

@bpl521_sellwrote:
@cumos55wrote:

They are recognized on the basis of the type of ID ... a very mixed up ID....they have.

That's good to know, must be a autogenerated ID from Ebay. I know there was some chatter about blocked buyers opening up guest accounts, but Ebay says they can stop that from comparing email addresses, not sure how reliable that is.

Buyer blocks are essentially useless for any buyer who is aware of the guest checkout workaround. Best practices is to block both the username and email account, but ebay does not appear to link that information to guest checkout users, nor do they use IP address verification. Their entire system appears to based on manual reviews and is only triggered by an escalated call from a seller or when an account hits an enormously high number of system flagged alterts. It is not an area where ebay seems to really care in practice. They are more focused on shutting down linked seller accounts...you know the kind where a seller in China uses multiple accounts to setup hundreds of fraudulent transactions then gets shutdown months later after receiving hundreds of negative feedback. Tells you all you really need to know about how seriously ebay takes any of this. Anything to increase GMV!

bpl521_sell · ‎03-23-2018

@pjcdn2005wrote:
@bpl521_sellwrote:

That's good to know, must be a autogenerated ID from Ebay. I know there was some chatter about blocked buyers opening up guest accounts, but Ebay says they can stop that from comparing email addresses, not sure how reliable that is.

I've never heard eBay say that and they definitely do not stop a blocked buyer from buying with another id.

Sorry got that wrong, I believe it was Ebay was trying to stop buyers sellers/buyers who have been kicked off from opening another account by comparing email addresses. A lot of good that does as a new email address is easy to acquire.

femmefan1946 · ‎03-23-2018

They are more focused on shutting down linked seller accounts...you know the kind where a seller in China uses multiple accounts to setup hundreds of fraudulent transactions then gets shutdown months later after receiving hundreds of negative feedback.

This is an unintended consequence of the decision to ignore Feedback and DSRs as a metric on selling accounts.

Although it is appreciated by sellers, it means that when a scammer cheats a newbie, who does not know how to Dispute a transaction and win a refund, eBay pays no attention.

Instead the unhappy buyer leaves feedback and complains about 'crooked eBay ' to his friends.

And of course, ratios.

A seller with 95 positive feedback and five negs, is pretty bad.

A seller with 950,000 positive feedback and 500 negs is doing an excellent job.

momcqueen · ‎03-23-2018

"This is an unintended consequence of the decision to ignore Feedback and DSRs as a metric on selling accounts.

"Although it is appreciated by sellers, it means that when a scammer cheats a newbie, who does not know how to Dispute a transaction and win a refund, eBay pays no attention.

"Instead the unhappy buyer leaves feedback and complains about 'crooked eBay ' to his friends."

This was my beef with that change from the moment it was announced. It was good news for honest sellers, but even better news for the crooked ones.