posted on February 9, 2002 07:44:51 AM new
It just removes the Checkout button. Interestingly, it doesn't look like you can turn off the automated congratulatory EOAs from eBay. In my My eBay, anyway, that box is grayed out.
posted on February 9, 2002 07:54:41 AM new
I check my email and send out WBNs a couple times of week. I have a regular job and kids to take care of. I don't care for bidders who expect me to be available 24-7.
Case in point, one winner I had this week who emailed me five, six or seven times a day asking for payment instructions. Several times he just copied and resent the same email a few minutes later. Like this is supposed to get his WBN faster? It's really just harassment, and when that happens I'm tempted to cancel the deal entirely. He received the WBN within three business days as per eBay guidelines. I've had a couple of customers like this recently.
posted on February 9, 2002 09:45:27 AM new
bettylou...
Too be honest, I'm not sure...
I'll go count, hang on... *brief pause*
I have 31 auctions which end either tonight or tomorrow. I had about 50 auctions end last weekend and also had an average 3-4 auctions every night during the week. I know it's not very many, but I figured if I started on one weekend with a large number, ran thru the week with a few auctions (so I could keep something listed in the "New Today" section), and then ended with another large bunch of auctions on the following weekend maybe I might get more people interested in what I'm selling...
It seems to have worked so far. I've sold or will sell at least 75% of what I've listed. (collectable stamps). Some of the items I thought would sell didn't, some items did much better than I expected. Over all I'm happy with how things went, this is, just a hobby for me anyway and now I have at least another $1000. to spend on it...
I'm not very hard to find, I use this name on eBay too. (soft spoken advertisement)
posted on February 9, 2002 09:58:57 AM new
Hi ptimko:
Thanks for the info. Knowing what your average volume is helps establish a perspective. I'll be sure to check out your auctions.
Off-topic, I'm afraid: I've been trying like mad to buy a copy of Linn's Stamp News locally. None of the big bookstores carry it, not Barnes and Noble, not Borders. Any suggestions? Thanks.
posted on February 9, 2002 10:03:53 AM new
Why would a seller bend over backwards to please a buyer, and respond quickly? Is the buyer going to do repeat business? Probably not unless the seller has a large variety of items in one category that appeals to that buyer.
Will you stop buying on ebay because you had to wait four days to wait for an EOA email? Probably not, but if you can't handle the variances you will definitely encounter you wouldn't last on ebay anyway.
If I have auctions ending over several days, I will wait until all the auctions end and send the EOA. It's very efficient that way.
If you need an item within a week, like the original post said, why not ask the seller before you bid if they can have the item shipped pronto, instead of waiting until after the auction ended? Or, if time is a concern under any circumstance; Or, if you want a seller to act upon your every whim, ask before you bid- will you email me the same day the auction ends? Or you can go to a major internet store where you know their standards and pay their retail price which is jacked up to cover your service questions.
I think it is pathetic buyers expect super service but aren't willing to pay for it. No but I do hear a lot of whining if a seller adds a dollar to the shipping to cover their costs.
Studies show it costs on average $4 to handle an email inquiry vs $25 for a phone call. Are you willing to pay me $4 to handle your email inquiries? If you want faster response are you willing to pay me an extra $4 to hire someone specifically for that task? Meaning, I will tack on $4 on top of the regualr s/h. Of course you won't, so take your whining to a therapist.
posted on February 9, 2002 10:07:51 AM new
bettylou,
I haven't seen Linn's locally around here either. I live in a relatively small city in Canada. I'm not even aware of any full-time stamp dealers in the immediate area.
If you live in an area where there is a stamp or coin dealer they may have a copy. I have a some old copies which I found for sale at a flea market but that's about the only time I've seen them for sale around here. You might find a copy at the local library, or you could always do what I do and consider subscribing to it...
I'm still debating whether or not the subscription is worth it. I barely have time to keep up on my reading as it is and although it is a good publication, if I don't have time to read it on a regular basis I'm not sure that it wouldn't just sit on my book shelf and collect dust...
posted on February 9, 2002 10:33:25 AM new
quickdraw 29:
I think it is pathetic buyers expect super service but aren't willing to pay for it.
You are right; there is no doubt that many buyers expect not just fast or accurate service, they expect superlative Tiffany's-style service.
I have puzzled over this for many a moon.
Internet retailing is still in its infancy. Where are people getting these expectations of Neiman-Marcus service at Dollar Store prices? They can't get it in the real world. Any B&M store that tries it goes out of business in short order.
Increasingly, they can't even get it on the Internet. amzn.com no longer does lickity-split order fulfillment; now they have to turn a profit.
Are they getting it on eBay from other sellers? What do you think?
If you want faster response are you willing to pay me an extra $4 to hire someone specifically for that task?
I actually hired a customer service rep part-time before Christmas to deal with email. Had to let her go. Her services just weren't worth the cost.
After that experience my partner and I discussed implementing a premium service. Basic service would still be free, but if someone wants to email me several times a day every day and get a response they should realize they have to pay for it.
posted on February 9, 2002 11:05:25 AM new
"I honestly feel that courtesy (which is good customer service, right?)..."
That's pretty vague, and people have different opinions on what is good customer service.
I don't void a sale after 3 days if I don't receive a buyer email even though ebay rules allow for it. I don't send emails to a buyer everyday until they respond. I don't email the buyer emails asking when they will send their money or when I should expect it....BUT MAYBE in all fairness (you are all for fairness right?) I should start doing those things!
posted on February 9, 2002 11:16:55 AM new
What is up with buyers anyway, don't they know they depend on repeat sellers? Think of it, if sellers sell on ebay just once and aren't happy with buyers because many do not email right away, takes weeks to send money and don't email every few days when the money is expected, then the sellers may leave ebay. There won't be any sellers left.
Sound unlikely that sellers would leave ebay? Welcome to realility! Ebay is made up of mostly parttime sellers, many which do it in conjunction with another job or business. They don't need ebay. Many have thin skin and can't tolerate the abuse of their time. Is it good they leave, I don't believe so. Many offer friendliness a bigger business doesn't have time for; Many offer rock bottom prices because they don't have the overhead. Repeat sellers are just as important as repeat buyers, and the holier than thou attititude of buyers has to end.
posted on February 9, 2002 05:10:31 PM new
quickdraw
You have an excellent reason to budget your time and schedule your days for e-mails, etc.
It is also helpful if the seller tells the buyer in TOS that "I send WBN's once a week," or "I ship once every 2 weeks," then bidders know what to expect and agree to it by bidding on your item. If you don't tell them, they won't know why there is no response. They don't know you're busy.
Yes, I do repeat buying and use the "favorite seller" feature on My Ebay. I even bought 3x's from a seller who uses auto-notices, charges double shipping, takes 24 hours to answer e-mails, and uses no packing materials- Why? - because he is honest, polite, and has quality products. He sells thousands of items a week, and common sense dictates that he just might not be able to jump on the e-mails. However, I DID check his FB for customer satisfaction before bidding the 1st time.
Also as a buyer I immediately reply to the seller's WBN and usually pay at once, or at least say "I'll use Paypal Tuesday". This way I don't leave him in the dark. I know I'll pay Tuesday, but he has no way of knowing unless I tell him.
Before either buyer or seller panics, they should re-read the ads/e-mails & abide by the 3-day, 10-day Ebay rule.
Most of my experiences on Ebay (buying/selling) have been superior to B&M stores. The sellers are more friendly and willing to talk than most store personel I have encountered.
posted on February 9, 2002 05:28:45 PM new
I think every demanding buyer shoud email the seller before bidding and warn them so the seller can choose to delete the persons bid if they don't want to deal with them. I'm not greedy so I don't mind losing one or two customers a month.
posted on February 9, 2002 05:28:58 PM new
quickdraw (love that name)
I don't void a sale after 3 days if I don't receive a buyer email .....I don't email the buyer emails asking when they will send their money or when I should expect it
Due to bettylou's horrifying experience recently, I changed my TOS to read something like "Please respond to my WBN within 3 days with how and when you will pay or I may choose to relist the item." I also have the same thing for the 10-day pay.
This paid off for me last week on a Valentine's day item. The funny thing is that the same day I relisted, I suddenly got paid. I never sent a single threat or posted a neg. I left her positive FB even though she still has never sent a single e-mail.
Truthfully, I wouldn't really relist an item that soon unless it was a holiday item, and I would lose my chance to sell it until next year. I just want to scare off a few more dishonest bidders.
It's kind of like locking your car. It can still be stolen, but it helps "keep the honest, honest."
posted on February 9, 2002 08:46:26 PM new
One seller put this in his ad, "I don't have time to answer a bunch of stupid e-mails, so if you have a problem with that don't bid."
posted on February 9, 2002 09:34:30 PM new
[i]First and before anything else. Delete SPAM
Then:
1.) End of Auction notices to winning bidders
4.) Receipt of payment and item sent notification (done as the same email) [/i]
If handle lots-o-mail, create some e-mail rules. It really helps!
APPLY THESE RULES AFTER THE MESSAGE ARRIVES
1. If from field is [email protected] or [email protected], move it to eoa folder
2. If dc.billpoint.com is in the message header, move it to payment folder
3. If Return-Path: <[email protected]> is in the message header, move it to payment folder
except if the subject contains Receipt for your Payment or Receipt for your Money Request
posted on February 10, 2002 04:42:07 AM new
bettylou,
You know that guy? Does he get pretty good sales? Wow!.
I went to an exhibit where they rent floor space to sellers by theme (boat show, computer show, etc.). Customers pay to get in. It's a lot like a flea market. This was the first time we felt they had a show with something we might need to buy. So we paid to get in (2 adults, 3 kids) and walked our feet off. Near the end of the day I walked into one of the last stalls while my husband looked at something else. I was carrying my baby. To be friendly I looked up at the seller to smile and make eye contact. He immediately started yelling at me that all anyone ever did was look at his stuff and not buy. He kept yelling at me as if I was to blame. What would you have done?
posted on February 11, 2002 02:23:08 AM new
As far as I'm concerned, if you're a seller and you're not going to send me an end of auction e-mail until you finally get around to it, you should at least have the courtesy of spelling this out in your auction so I can buy from someone else. Just because ebay says you can take 3 business days to contact your buyer doesn't mean that it's a good idea to wait that long. Especially if the buyer has sent more than one e-mail asking for the total.
I mean really, your buyer bid on your item because they wanted to buy it. You're selling it because you want money for it.
Why in the world would you want to alienate your buyer by treating them like they're bothering you because they want to know how to pay you!?
I think this attitude is the reason why so many of my buyers thank me profusely for the quick contact, fast shipping, easy to understand payment instructions, etc. They must have dealt with sellers who don't mind losing one or two customers a month and aren't used to a seller who appreciates their business.
posted on February 11, 2002 07:35:05 AM new
Actually ebay has no rule that a seller must contact the buyer within three days, it only applies to buyers. Also, it is three business days, so an auction that ends on Friday, a buyer has until Wednesday, which is five days.
I wouldn't put a notice in my listing, "I may wait three days to contact you," a listing is all about making a sale, not finding ways to discourage a sale.
Maybe some sellers, like me, have our priorities straight. I'd rather "alienate" a customer for a few days than "alienate" my family. So on the weekend I decide to spend it with my family I am proud to have my priorties straight.
posted on February 11, 2002 08:10:11 AM new
Is there a *nice* way to put in listings that there isnt any need for buyers to email me directly because all the info they need to complete the transaction will be in the WBN? I cant think of a non-snotty way to say I dont want my time wasted with those emails. Some of the emails I am referring to are the following:
1. Payment has been made through Paypal
2. I'll mail the money order tomorrow
3. I won your auction
blah, blah, blah
I already state in my listings that the winning bidder will get a WBN within 24 hours after end of auction.
posted on February 11, 2002 08:15:50 AM new
"I wouldn't put a notice in my listing, "I may wait three days to contact you," a listing is all about making a sale, not finding ways to discourage a sale."
Of course you wouldn't want to put something like that in your description. It's much better to let your customer know what your priorities are AFTER they've entered into a contract with you.
Someone once told me that the first step to take when you plant a tree is the simplest. LOOK UP to make sure you aren't planting it under a power line.
Doesn't take a lot of intelligence to look ahead to when your auctions end and make sure you've got the time to take care of your customers without cheating your family. I manage to do that every day. It's not that hard, really. If you can't take care of your auctions during the weekend, then don't end them near or on a weekend.
posted on February 11, 2002 10:07:15 AM new
"If not using Checkout, the winning bidder and seller should contact one another within three business days to complete the sale. Winning bidders should send payment directly to the seller."
posted on February 11, 2002 10:34:15 AM new
I see some sellers here who would have a hard time getting repeat biz from anyone I know including me.
Yeah I know all about life's rsponsibilites, but one can answer dozens of emails quickly, and have the rest of the day free. Even just a quick, "I'm processing stuff related to your auction and will get back to you soon." Or something like that.
I keep canned responses in typing expander software like shortkeys lite (it's FREE!). Hit the reply button, type a few letters to activate the full text, and hit the send button when the text appears. The whole process takes maybe 10 seconds. Move the email into a "to process" folder or delete it. Even if you did only 3-4 responses in a minute, you can cut through unanswered email right away and get on with whatever else needs doing. And your bidders will love you for it.
posted on February 11, 2002 10:35:45 AM new
[i]Is there a *nice* way to put in listings that there isnt any need for buyers to email me directly because all the info they need to
complete the transaction will be in the WBN? I cant think of a non-snotty way to say I dont want my time wasted with those emails.[/i]
In my opinion, even phrasing this "nicely" would be a bad idea.
Consider the dynamic of the average eBay bidder. If it helps, look at the people you know who bid on eBay. I always keep my mother in mind when I visualize my bidders. Here is a woman who received her iMac as a Christmas gift, and pretty much all she can do (and all she is interested in doing) with it is browse the Web and email.
By and large, these are people who ADORE sending and receiving email. Odds are they will be miffed if told they cannot communicate with you.
I had a customer support person working here part-time last year. Believe me, she generated a lot of goodwill just by sending prompt folksy emails and responding to the content-free emails that bidders often send. If I could figure out how to make her cost-effective, I'd have her back here in a flash, because I think that personal touch is essential to the growth of this business long-term.
]
