posted on January 23, 2001 02:51:24 AM new
HI all -
What do you do if all your email to your buyer is returned? I checked my buyer's FB, and they have plenty of recent positives. I think the address is in Russia,but not sure. The extension is .ru
If I can't get email to go through...what to do? File for a refund and relist?
I did try the "send this auction to a friend" feature, too, in case that works.
posted on January 23, 2001 04:42:25 AM new
This happens to me also. Three options, wait a week to see if high bidder contacts you first, then explain the situation. Or contact SAFE HARBOR tell them your problem, if high bidder does not contact you within 10 days, you will relist; offer to second high bidder. Or file NON PAYING BIDDER ALERT AFTER 7 days, you may get a response.........
posted on January 23, 2001 04:44:51 AM new
That is such a pain! I wish more buyers would accept some of the responsibility for contact.
At least it is bouncing back, which tells you he's not getting it; I have a winning bidder in Germany who's not made contact with me, but my emails to him have not bounced.
Once when I had the problem you have, I emailed a seller who had recently left the buyer good feedback - he emailed him, and the guy emailed me right away, saying he'd been having email problems.
posted on January 23, 2001 04:58:06 AM new
I was going to start a topic about this but I wasn't going to be so nice because...it's the buyer's fault!
Some buyers are so paranoid that they get these free email accounts, register with ebay and then never use the accounts other than to bid and 'protect' their precious real email identity. Then after the auction has ended they might come out of the wordwork and email you from their 'real' address wanting payment info etc! Never having checked the free email account! ARRGGHHH! And, of course, they want you to email them at the 'real' address from that point on!
It makes for horrible record keeping if you have to figure out what their real email address is, determine what format errors they made when listing that email on ebay, etc I used to be nice about this but now tell the customer 'Hey I emailed you twice at the email address you gave ebay, it bounced back twice and I don't have the time to figure out what your real email address is.' I carbon copy this email and send it to Safe Harbor!
Funny but ebay really enjoys having the user's REAL email address and not the freebie they use as a front - 3 of the people I have done this to have scooted over to ebay real quick and put their real contact email address on ebay. Hopefully I've saved some other poor seller the hassle of hunting down email bouncers!
Sorry to vent but after ending 30 some auctions yesterday and getting 4 bounce backs on emails I'm a little bent! 2 bounced back user unknown, 1 user's box was full and 1 had some fatal errors(?) - keep in mind I cut and paste their addresses from ebay's email so there are no spelling errors. 3 of the 4 have since contacted me from alternate emails!
posted on January 23, 2001 05:12:50 AM new
I'll be OK with it if the buyer contacts me soon. I can't seem to get through to him or her myself. Also, this is a 5-lb book, and if the buyer is in Russia...sure hope they are ready to pay $$$$ in shipping! : - 0
posted on January 23, 2001 06:44:16 AM new
the buyer emailed me this morning, and it does appear he has an alternative email address. He offered to pay via PayPal...but also said he thought postage would be $7.
????
In what parallel universe?
Fortunately he also said he knew that it might be "a bit more" since the postal changes. I just did a quickie check of the USPS site [I need to get an exact weight on the parcel] and the bare minimum will be $27....
posted on January 23, 2001 06:52:28 AM new
Keziak, you might be able to get a better price if you let the PO know it is printed material and the customer is willing to let you ship it surface mail. I think that's what we did with a like item going to Australia....it was printed, volumes of special stereoptic views the weight was horrendous and it cost the customer $82.00 for shipping. They arrived in good condition albeit 5 weeks after shipping.
Zilvy..."I started with nothing and still have most of it."
posted on January 23, 2001 07:42:54 AM new
Zilvy - thanks, but I thought one of the recent changes was that there is no longer any "book rate" or "printed matter" for international. It doesn't show up on their web site. The cost to mail even to Canada has gone WAY up. I used to have a bunch of Canadian customers, but now I wonder if I'll ever see them again.
posted on January 23, 2001 08:36:26 AM new
Keziak, sorry, I had forgotten there are new rules to learn for the PO, what with new rates coming for ebay, new postage etc.,etc.,it's a wonder my poor ole head doesn't "resplode"
Zilvy..."Learning, learning, learning...just wish I was earning, earning, earning!!
[ edited by Zilvy on Jan 23, 2001 08:37 AM ]
posted on January 23, 2001 09:56:14 AM new
I had my emails coming back from a buyer last week. She could email me but I couldn't email her. I checked with my internet server and they had been notified that there was a problem with her server at that time. I pulled her contact info and called her. It's sure nice to know that you can do that in a pinch.
