posted on February 22, 2001 03:33:30 PM
Okay, here's a new one. My auction ended last week. I send my end-of-auction email to the buyer, four days pass, no response from buyer. So I send a second message, a friendly reminder. He replies the next day, saying he didn't get the first email. But, he doesn't provide me with his mailing address and shipping preference, as requested.
He only says, something to the effect of "I will mail you my payment and mailing address this week."
So I email him back, saying, I still need you mailing address & shipping preference.
A few days go by. Then, I heard from him today. He says, "Prefer to send personal info by mail." That's it. (Well, he finally did let me know his shipping preference, but he had an attitude about that, too. But that's another story.)
So I emailed him back: "The reason I need your mailing address is in order to prepare an invoice and package the book so it is ready to go when your payment arrives. Please know that I do not share my customer information with any other party, I am the only one who has access to it. If you feel more comfortable, you may leave the information on my toll-free voice mail line, at 1-xxx-xxx-xxxx.
If you choose not to provide this information please understand that shipping of your book will be delayed by two business days."
I just sent that email a few minutes ago, and so have not yet received a response.
Has anyone else had this sort of problem? I mean, I have had buyers just not contact me at all, and just send the payment...but for someone to flat out refuse to give me an address, that is a first. I can't imagine why someone would do this - anyone here have any insight?
Thanks!
Denise
[ edited by beatnikangel on Feb 22, 2001 03:37 PM ]
posted on February 22, 2001 03:40:22 PM
I have it all the time! I have people mail payments but never contact me! I get ready to NPB them & the check arrives!
I really would not make a BIG deal out of it though! Hey, they paid, right? So who cares if they are shightly off?
posted on February 22, 2001 03:57:27 PM
I had a buyer refuse to give me his address before. It was listed on the check he sent me and the envelope. I saved the envelope so I could use the address later after check had cleared. The envelope got misplaced. I immediately e-mailed and requested on feedback that this person send me his address asap so I could send him his card. No word except for one e-mail where he e-mailed me his E-MAIL ADDRESS. I immediately responded saying I needed his home address to send the card. No response. Two months later, I finally find the envelope after I'd unpacked from moving. I immediately sent out his card. Never heard another word out of him other than that one email telling me his email address.
posted on February 22, 2001 04:10:25 PM
Some people are just not comfortable giving out any of their personal information in an email. I've learned to just accept that and I no longer pressure people to send me their address ahead of time. Most people do email me their address, but I guess there will always be a small percentage of people who are worried about their privacy or something.
posted on February 22, 2001 04:46:00 PM
I've seen this mentioned before in threads here. There are some people who will not use their addresses or any personal information in email. They've either had some sort of trouble concerning their privacy, or they have read all the scare stories and urban legend emails, and think that there are legions of "bad people" out there just waiting to cause them grief.
I seem to remember one poster here a long time ago that wrote about one buyer they had. This buyer would not give their address at all, in email, or via snail mail. It took a number of emails back and forth before the light finally dawned that the seller couldn't ship their widget without an address.
Could be your buyer is the nervous sort, and will not put their personal address in an email. Just make it clear that the address must be clear and and readable in their payment. Handwritting is too hard to decipher sometimes, ask them to type it out for you.
posted on February 22, 2001 04:47:07 PM
I've run across this a few times as well. Never really understood it...guess they are people who believe that the Men In Black are listening in on their lives. Like they are SO important that out of the billions of people out there, they have been singled out. My response: get a life! If they're that worried about it, they shouldn't even be dealing on the Internet in the first place.
"Who's tending the bar? Sniping works up a thirst"
posted on February 22, 2001 06:02:30 PM
What I don't understand is if somebody is that paranoid, why on earth is he buying things on eBay? That's just the sort of activity you'd expect would set off all his alarm bells. But he does, and wins, and then won't send an address! Sheesh!
posted on February 22, 2001 06:31:30 PM
I would not get uptight about a buyer not sending address in advance. But, I do not ask for it. My EOA notice email to them asks them to send payment to me and sometimes they email their address in advance when answering EOA notice. No big deal for me.
posted on February 22, 2001 06:33:53 PM
i request the email address twice via email after the end of auction and state in my terms and in the second email that a SERIOUS delay in shipping will occur if the address is not emaild to me...then if it is not the derious delay happens...i hold the item for 30 days before shipping,no matter the method of payment, except credit card and that is held 14 days....most of you will have negative thoughts on my method but i am done playing games with buyers. i clearly statemy terms and then have the nads to follow thru on them
posted on February 22, 2001 08:17:07 PM
There was an old AW thread on this;there are some who insist that it is their right not to email an address. They could do it by two emails if they are paranoid.
I had one guy who I emailed multiple times after receiving his check to get him to email me his address. Long story but it was ugly.
The moral of that one is that I won't bother anymore. If coaxing doesn't work;I'll NPB for violation of TOS and move on.
The reason I want it emailed is to minimize copy or typing errors--it is electronically printed from their address (I double-check it anyway to get a valid zip+4)
From my EOA: To confirm the auction(s) email me your complete shipping address (including apartment and Zip+4 code, if known). Your address becomes your shipping label stored in my database. NO LABEL = NO DELIVERY.
posted on February 22, 2001 08:25:24 PM
I had this happen last week with a buyer who was very prompt in responding but noted that the address would be provided with payment. When the payment arrived, it included a very nicely written request for specific packing procedures-complete with address label, apparently based on past experiences with inadequate packing. As I said, the request was in no way mean or threatening, very pleasant and friendly and mentioned he would be happy to wait whatever extra time would be necessary for the packing to be done to specifications. His packing request was in line with the way I normally pack anyway, so I was not the least put off by it. I guess withholding the shipping address was his way of trying to prevent pre-packing.
(spelling)
[ edited by hopefulli on Feb 22, 2001 08:27 PM ]
posted on February 22, 2001 08:25:30 PM
I don't really understand why someone not sending their mailing adress should cause a problem for sellers.
It sounds more like some sellers are more intersted in maintaining THEIR routine than in customer service.I truly believe that one of the keys to being sucessful is being flexible with your buyers.
I don't know maybe my measley 5 to 10 mailed packages a day just are not as hard to deal with as the quanitys some people here are shipping. But to get upset because they do not email thier address I truly believe is a waste of energy.
Why cant you print the invoice package the product have it taped except for a slot to slide in the invoice. Have a label on the box with your return adress. When there info arrives write what you need on the invoice slide it in the box and put the last piece of tape on it. Write thier adress on the label and your done. That would take almost 60 seconds. I think the stress saved over worrying about having the info would be well worth it.
A 30 day delay in shipment from someone who spent there money with you. What do you do if they send payment in the wrong color envelope.
posted on February 22, 2001 08:43:51 PM
Many sellers have problems with multiple identical amount and item sales (mostly Dutch ones I guess). And they go nuts because they can't identify payments.
This is plain basic information. The little bit of frustration early saves much frustration later.
Know any web site that will ship without an address?
posted on February 22, 2001 08:47:57 PM
There are many web sites that sell items that provide a phone number. One of the reasons is for people that feel uncomfortable sending personal info across the web.
posted on February 22, 2001 08:48:02 PM
I always request that the buyer send me their address, mostly just so that I know they received my EOA. I also double check what's on the envelope against the form of payment and what may have been sent by e-mail. Just to be sure I know where to send it.
Several have stated that the address would be included with their payment.
OK by me. I mostly just want to be sure we've made contact.
posted on February 22, 2001 08:55:22 PMI don't really understand why someone not sending their mailing adress should cause a problem for sellers.
Because some of us sell to all points on the globe, and the shipping costs can vary from $10-50 depending on the item & how the customer would like it shipped.
posted on February 22, 2001 09:00:05 PM
LOL... I pull my hair out about this all the time! I think people just forget or they think that writing it down and sending it with the payment is good enough.
In my winning bid notice, first thing I write after the "Congratulations you won"...... (which is semi-windy)
"Please reply to this e-mail with your shipping information within 3 days. This will verify that you have received this e-mail and will assure both of us that your package will be addressed correctly for prompt and correct location delivery through USPS." (or UPS, FED-Ex, etc...)
Why... do I do this?
Because I have received payments without any idea who are what they are for. I have received envelopes & payments with no return addresses. I sometimes cannot not make out or read other peoples handwriting.
Does my little note work?
No... not always! I do e-mail the buyer again and ask one more time for their shipping information and explain to them. That I would feel awful if I could not make out there handwritten address they send in with the payment and if I made it out wrong their item could be delivered to the wrong address or never be delivered.
This usually gets them typing in and
e-mailing me their shipping information.
People who still refuse... get another e-mail if their handwritten address is hard to read after the payment arrives.
Personally people who are bidding, should be more than willing to give out their shipping information to the seller after they have won. If they are not willing to... they should not be bidding and if they are worried about direct contact from someone due to giving this information out. Then get a darn PO BOx...
I just went through this recently (twice in one week) and it is like pulling teeth with some bidders! I know exactly how frustrating it is.
Also... Bidder's who provide shipping info..,.let their sellers know they are serious about their own bid when they are willing to provide this information without even being asked. Don't take me wrong... but I tend to get doubtful when the bidder will not e-mail his address to me. I just wait it out and hope the payment comes.
posted on February 22, 2001 09:03:22 PM
redeer
In those type of situations I do understand it. I also believe buyers do need to make fast contact with the seller.
Maybe I worded my post to to genericly. In the initial post here shipping price did not seem to be a problem and that is the situations I was adressing.
I did not mean to sound like it is never neeeded although I can understand if you thought that from my wording. There are exceptions to everything.
posted on February 22, 2001 09:18:00 PM
Surfsworth
Well that's always been my main concern, the amount of shipping it will cost to send the widget.
Brigette brought up some other concerns of mine, the big one being haNdWrItiNg
Mine is the worst!
I've had checks with notes that I had to look at crosseyed & under a magnifying glass to try & decipher.
Also, some of my customers ask that the item be shipped to a different address than the one on their envelope. Perhaps they are leaving town for a few weeks, or whatever.
If I have it printed off & stapled to the auction, it's easy to know what's going where.
I've even had people email an address with typos, so I always double check the addy & ZIP before I ship.
Trust me, if a parcel goes MIA, it WILL be MY fault, no matter what the buyer did, or didn't do.
Having a clear concise shipping address from the get go, helps me, which in the end helps the customer.
posted on February 22, 2001 09:35:06 PM
yeah, some customers are just paranoid period.
Reminds me of this one customer awhile back when I was working at a grocery store. The customer did not anything she was purchasing run past the scanner.(even non-food items like soap). So we had to key in all the bar codes by hand, and it was a huge order. What was up with that, I have no clue. Maybe afraid of radiation. Working in Customer Service at a grocery store for 10 years, nothing suprises me anymore.
[ edited by Cyanide on Feb 22, 2001 09:36 PM ]
posted on February 23, 2001 05:22:58 AMi hold the item for 30 days before shipping,no matter the method of payment, except credit card and that is held 14 days....
posted on February 23, 2001 05:42:32 AM
I have had this too. And like many of you I copy and paste the emailed addie and print an address sticker.
I had an otherwise very resonable person refuse to email me their address. It came with handwriting not even a mother could love, or read. I gave it my best shot and emailed my customer the result. I got the correct address emailed back. My best guess had been wrong, both as to the spelling of the street and the town.
So the next time this happened I nicely told the customer that there was no poblem if they didn't email their address but that they must print their address neatly because I would be taping it to the package to use as a mailing label . The address was emailed to me right away!!
posted on February 23, 2001 09:24:36 AM
Has anyone gotten an EOA notice from a seller that was just so arrogant or condescending that it put you, the buyer's back up to the point that you didn't want to do anything the seller asked for? Yes, you wanted to complete the auction, but do what they ask for? No way. I know, its childish, reprehensible, etc. But I've gotten EOAs that were so annoying, I've wanted to send payment by unrolled pennies (even if the postage to send it was twice the payment). I suggest this as possible motivation for the buyer who doesn't want to cooperate. They're not being paranoid, just cantankerous.
rca001
posted on February 23, 2001 09:38:05 AM
I don't give out my postal address hardly anywhere online, but that's because I don't care for how many companies sell out their customers to direct marketers in the name of often unwanted and wasteful junk. So between that and being concerned about how poorly a few too many companies store CC information, I hardly buy anything online, outside of eBay bidding. That's simply my choice.
However, when I *do* make high bids at eBay (less than in the past), I do provide my postal address as an email reply to the seller's EOA. This is expected, and I don't see a problem with this.
I figure anyone who's gone through all the trouble to intercept my email wouldn't have much trouble finding out my snail address. I don't believe in making it easier for whatever jerk to get ahold of such information, but there are differences in all of this. More important information such as CC, SSN, other accounts, logins, etc., stay with me or are given out very, very carefully.
In the scheme of things, just plain postal address ranks as just about the least of my concerns in this area, and when it is a concern, it is mainly about being sick of junk mail and the rest of direct marketing. For example, if I pay with cash, and a store tries to ask me about my address or phone number anyway, and that does occasionally happen, I politely refuse and briefly state it's because I am tired of being added to lists. (Lately, I've been noticing more and more understanding or even agreement from the clerks; in their personal lives, they must be getting more and more sick of junk marketing too. )
(BTW, phone number is somewhere in the middle, as I hate telemarketing more than I dislike junk mail. )
With the abuses of direct marketing, the news of sometimes tens or hundreds of thousands of CC#s getting cracked, the explosive rise in cases of identity theft, and other concerns, I'm not surprised that more people are learning of the problems and that a few are (IMO) overreacting in some ways.
I don't know what to suggest for bidders who don't want to provide it, except for either being persistent or being patient. Either try to make it very clear that you need it, or make the occasional exception for someone who does not want to provide it.
----
What's being done in the name of direct marketing nowadays is crazy.
The above are all just my opinions, except where I cite facts as such.
Oh, I am not dc9a320 anywhere except AW. Any others are not me.
Is eBay is changing from a world bazaar into a bizarre world?
