nefish
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posted on September 21, 2000 02:20:13 PM new
I am mostly a seller, and sometimes a buyer. Won an auction last night, and have been waiting all day for the seller to contact me. (I won an outfit for my kid that I would like ASAP.) Couldn't figure out what the delay was getting the EOA from the seller, so I went back to the auction page.
Sure enough! It says, "I must hear from you within 3 days of auction close." The woman's TOS says that the *buyer* should be the one to make contact with the seller *first* to initiate completing the transaction.
I find this annoying. I also can't figure out why you are selling things on eBay if you want the ****customer*** to do your work for you - i.e. make the contact, find the e-mail addy, reference the auction, etc... To me this smacks of laziness.
Can someone explain what the purpose might be of expecting the customer to make first contact? Am I alone in finding this annoying?
(Edited for clarity...)
~Not nefish on eBay~
[ edited by nefish on Sep 21, 2000 02:47 PM ]
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RainyBear
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posted on September 21, 2000 02:36:27 PM new
I find it annoying too. If I don't hear from a seller within about 24 hours of the end of an auction I'll send email, but I prefer to be contacted first. Half the time I write to someone I end up getting a canned EOA notice anyway as if I'd never sent email at all.
Most of the time I'm sure sellers are just busy, but if a seller expects the buyer to make first contact, I think that's a little strange. Luckily those sellers are rare. (WOW, L@@K, RARE!)
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nefish
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posted on September 21, 2000 02:41:15 PM new
Ok, I just checked another auction I am bidding on that closes later today. Wanted to see if I was still winning. Get this! Seller says in her terms, "Please contact me as soon as this auction ends so...."
Can you believe I bid on another one of these?! Woe is me. Just my luck to find 2 sellers who do this in 2 days. 
(Yes I can read and I know I was not forced to bid on their auctions, but I wanted the items... I just find this seller "quirk" annoying.)
~Not nefish on eBay~
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macandjan
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posted on September 21, 2000 02:42:32 PM new
[ edited by macandjan on Dec 3, 2000 08:29 PM ]
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nefish
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posted on September 21, 2000 02:45:52 PM new
Macanjan, I don't think I stated myself clearly. Sorry. Not contacting me was not a mistake or an error on the part of the seller. The woman's TOS says that the *buyer* should be the one to make contact with the seller *first* to initiate completing the transaction. And that I just don't get....
~Not nefish on eBay~
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twinsoft
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posted on September 21, 2000 02:48:36 PM new
Many sellers aren't plugged in to their computers 24/7. eBay recommends buyer/seller contact each other within three days, not three hours. Three days is a good timeframe, because anyone can take off two days as part of the normal business week.
I get emails that say, "You didn't respond to my email sent several hours ago, so I'm contacting you again..., etc." (Sigh!) I guess it depends which side of the fence you're on.
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nefish
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posted on September 21, 2000 02:50:28 PM new
Is anyone listening to me? Am I explaining this so poorly that you don't get it?????????
Twinsoft, that is NOT the scenario here at all....
~Not nefish on eBay~
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RainyBear
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posted on September 21, 2000 02:53:32 PM new
You know, I think it would be less annoying to read in someone's TOS that he expects the buyer to make contact, rather than to sit around waiting and not hearing anything and just wondering if you're going to get email or if this person is waiting to hear from you.
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nefish
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posted on September 21, 2000 02:55:15 PM new
Yes, Rainybear, I agree.
~Not nefish on eBay~
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pickersangel
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posted on September 21, 2000 02:56:37 PM new
I understand what you're saying perfectly. I think that the answer is that some people want to make as much money as possible while expending the least effort required. The only energy these sellers are willing to expend is in listing the item, cashing your payment and shipping the box. The rest is up to you. I agree that it is POOR selling practice, but hey, look at it this way: They make those of us who are willing to put out more effort look REALLY, REALLY good!
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sjl1017
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posted on September 21, 2000 02:57:04 PM new
The point isn't whether or not they sellers have put that nonsense in their TOS it's that they even have the cajones to think that the responsibility of first contact should be on the buyer. If you want to run a business do some work for cryin-out-loud!!! I think that's the point that's trying to be made here.
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twinsoft
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posted on September 21, 2000 03:00:22 PM new
I won an auction last night, waited all day for the notice from the seller, I want this item ASAP. I'm sitting on my butt complaining because the seller hasn't contacted me. I think I got it.
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dave_michmerhuizen
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posted on September 21, 2000 03:05:30 PM new
Half the time I write to someone I end up getting a canned EOA notice anyway as if I'd never sent email at all.
-- that's because not every seller is a 'full time' seller. I have a job and life, thanks. I invoice every night, and sometimes skip a night. Consider this scenario..
Auctions closing today. I'm at work.
I go out. I'm out until 3 or 4.
I go in to work with a few hours sleep, won't say where I got it.
Finally home 30 hours later. I invoice. Happy now?
-- Geez. you'ld think this stuff was blood plasma, not garage sale crap.
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feistyone
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posted on September 21, 2000 03:07:53 PM new
nefish
>>"I must hear from you within 3 days of auction close."<<
I could be wrong but this doesn't necessarily mean that she won't send you an EOA first. It may just be stating that she expects to hear back from the winner promptly after she sends out the EOA email.
We don't always contact the winner the first day after the auction ends but always within the 3 day guideline. We used to wait till after we got the EOA emails from Ebay, which can take a while.
Just at thought..
I do agree that the seller should be the one to make first contact, but it doesn't always happen that way.
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victoria
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posted on September 21, 2000 03:10:49 PM new
I can't imagine how many uncompleted transactions I would have if I waited for the buyer to contact me.
I get a lot of people with very few (or no) EBAY transactions. I try to keep it as simple as possible, and be as friendly as possible, while still keeping up the fascade of being a business. I'm no jackrabbit, but I still initiate 95% of all contact.
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lotsafuzz
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posted on September 21, 2000 03:26:57 PM new
Wow, I feel guilty if I don't get my EOA's out the night the auction ends!
I did one time put this in my TOS because I was having ISP problems: I contact every winner after the auction ends. Because I have had some e-mail problems, I would appreciate it if you would e-mail me if you haven't recieved my EOA within 24 hours.
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pickersangel
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posted on September 21, 2000 03:29:01 PM new
>>-- that's because not every seller is a 'full time' seller. I have a job and life, thanks. I invoice every night, and sometimes skip a night. Consider this scenario.. <<
You mean we're allowed to have a life off-Ebay????
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lotsafuzz
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posted on September 21, 2000 03:36:36 PM new
You mean we're allowed to have a life off-Ebay????
Alright, who spilled the beans? 
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