posted on March 14, 2001 08:48:44 AM new
I don't know what the deal is lately. I can't buy a response to any of my inquiries about auctions I am thinking about bidding on. Maybe it has something to do with the new "Ask the Seller" form--but I have NOT BID on several items that I probably would have bought--many closed without any bids.
Last night I won 4 auctions from one seller. I emailed them after the auction inquiring about combining shipping. All I got from them was the AuctionWatch emails with the URLs to go fill out those damn AW forms--like I really want to type my name and address into a third party form. I probably wouldn't have bid if I had noticed it was an AW auction.
Anyway, now that the auctions are over and I have won, I intend to honor my bids--but will NEVER buy from this seller again since they don't care enough to answer emails from a customer. I wouldn't have cared if they wouldn't combine shipping--but I do care that they ignore my emails. They've got time to send those silly AW emails but no time to devote to customer service.
Between Andale and AW sellers--it's getting pointless for me to even look at online auctions anymore. I shopped the auctions for fun--not to travel all over the web filling out forms.
posted on March 14, 2001 08:58:15 AM new
I wrote to a seller who had sold me me a jacket. They had some skirts I was interested in. I wrote to them asking them how I could order the skirt (they are custom made). No answer. I wrote again and they replied, yes, we make custom skirts. I write to them again letting them know I wanted to order a skirt. No answer.
As a seller I answer all of my email within 24 hours. I treat the bidder the way I want to be treated. Seems to work for me.
posted on March 14, 2001 09:22:04 AM new
I have had this problem recently also. In fact, I did not bid on an item listed by a zero feedback seller because of the failure to respond. The item did not make reserve so if he is honest, he lost a sale. If he is a scammer, I saved myself some money and aggravation.
I can understand slow responses over the weekend and I only expect 24 hour turnaround on normal business hours but this guy had 3 days to answer! Not a good way to handle potential customers!
posted on March 14, 2001 09:24:17 AM new
"Last night I won 4 auctions from one seller...will NEVER buy from this seller again since they don't care enough to answer emails from a customer."
Well, you haven't received a personal reply, and it's 8AM on the West Coast.
Maybe that terribly irresponsible seller decided to sleep in 'till 9? Maybe he decided to take his/her spouse out to breakfast? Maybe he wanted to attend his daughter's school play this morning, and thought that just perhaps his winning bidders could wait up to 24 hours for a personal reply?
Heck, maybe he sent out the AW EOA's after the auctions, and decided to take the whole day off! Or maybe the EOA's were sent automatically. I dunno.
"it's getting pointless for me to even look at online auctions anymore..."
I think you're overreacting, but that's your choice, of course.
My point is this: you're being unreasonable to get upset because you didn't receive a personal reply to your email within hours. Not all sellers check their email hourly. Some have real lives, and take a day off here and there. That's OK.
Just MO
Steve
[ edited by magazine_guy on Mar 14, 2001 09:25 AM ]
posted on March 14, 2001 09:25:47 AM new
Hello, Just some thoughts from a seller.
1. I use auction watch tools to create my auction. I do NOT use their post management tools for end of auction notices.
So just because the auction was created with AW software doesn't mean that they will send notices that way.
2. I had 8 auctions close last night. I have only received 4/8 of the close of auction notices from Ebay.
3. Ebay allows three days for communication. 95% of time I email in 24 hours but doesn't always happen, due to LIFE Happening.
4. When I send EOA notices I have a system based on the ebay notices and prewritten form emails. I cut and paste info into a notice for the buyer. I just go down the line of ebay notices. I then print out my only paper copy of the transaction to keep as my record of the transaction. Then if I notice multiple auctions for one buyer. I will send a new email combining. If you have many auctions close at once it is hard to tell multiple buyers.
I like to keep in my system, otherwise I make too many mistakes.
posted on March 14, 2001 09:46:00 AM new
I use a large commercial ISP and our e-mail has been ka-put for two days now. The mail is not getting bounced back to the senders, so anyone sending me mail will just think I'm not answering.
posted on March 14, 2001 09:55:42 AM new
A bidder left me a negative feedback for not answering his email. I did answer it but he wasn't getting it. He was using @Home and I was using AOL. I thought he was crazy! I used another email address and he started receiving my mail. In the end we both apologized to each other and asked Ebay to remove the negative. They would not remove it.
posted on March 14, 2001 10:07:01 AM new
I know there are alot of people who don't take the time to respond to email in a timely fashion but I have had many problems in the past two weeks all due to email. I had one customer report me to safe harbor since my email was bouncing on her, another one from Amazon file a claim for the product she bought from me since she says she already emailed me once which I never received and another angry ebay customer who emailed me 3 times and I promptly responded each time and he only received the last one and it was too late to bid on the item. All this time I have been receiving and sending 100's of email so how was I supposed to know there was a problem. When you are dealing with email both servers have to talk to each other. I just send another email or use another email address if they don't respond the first time after 24 hours.
posted on March 14, 2001 10:07:43 AM new
I usually answer my email as soon as I receive it--even if I can't readily answer a question.
There are times and places where email gets bottlenecked. I think it's terrible, because most of the time, email comes through in just a few moments. You should allow at least a day for someone to reply.
I agree with the use of idiotic forms. There's no reason for them.
posted on March 14, 2001 10:12:57 AM new
I'm a high volume seller on eBay and make it a strict point to answer all email that is received in a very timely manner. In order to do this, I'm generally online from 9:00am - 11:00 pm 5 days a week, adding an additional 4 hours for both Saturday & Sunday. That's 80 hours a week and this figure is accurate! I answer THOUSANDS of emails on a weekly basis, a very difficult task...
One problem that is frequently encountered with the email I receive is the frivolous nature of the messages by impatient and unrealistic buyers. "Did you ship yet?", "If I don't have my widget by X, I'm giving negative feedback", "Where's my stuff?", Tracking number , please!, Why can't you just drive it over yourself? etc...
The above frequent emails are received, despite the fact that we ship all orders within 24 hours of receipt of payment! It takes time for payments to be delivered to us! It takes time for priority Mail to deliver our shipped goods! Why can't buyers be reasonable enough to understand and accept these realities?
I'm a very reasonable guy and always try and understand the prespective of my buyers. This attitude has helped us greatly over the years. My hopes is that one day buyers appreciate us polite, prompt and professional sellers and take time to understand the commitment it takes to serve our customers in the manner in which we do.
posted on March 14, 2001 10:13:33 AM new
I say mellow after the auction. You've got three days. Plus ppl aren' t always sitting up watching the auction end like you are. Esp. if you snipe.
I figure a seller has to sweat it more. I'm sending him the money.
If it's prior to end of auction with a question...chances are the effort that the email is answered is pretty much in accord with the effort they make at EOA.
Some I can live with other times no.
Form letters never bug me. Some of my fave sellers are busy folks.
Why are they idiotic mballai? Tiffany's sent me a form letter the other day. I get nothing but the finest service from them.
edit ed to correct a word
[ edited by capriole on Mar 14, 2001 10:14 AM ]
posted on March 14, 2001 11:01:24 AM newMaybe it has something to do with the new "Ask the Seller" form
That's quite possible. I have my spam filters set to send spam to a special folder and every once in a while I take a quick look in it to see if it caught anything that it shouldn't. Sure enough, I found several 'Question for Seller' emails in there. Some people have their filters automatically delete spam. In that case, they're never even going to know that their filters caught and deleted the 'Question for Seller' email.
posted on March 14, 2001 11:14:05 AM new
Steve, I couldnt of worded that any better.
thank you for thinking for me.
Bravo.
It is very flusterating for a seller, that gets a question at 3 am .. when we are snug as a rug .. about an action that ends at 9 am the next day. when they attach 'urgent' .. well, It turns me off even moreso. that is so unreasonaqble , I think.
Computerboy: me too...well spoken!
my sent file is huge! my trash file is equal in size. every month I dump over 10,000 messages, from the month prior.
it takes time to send off all the requests, answers to why the payment was only recieved yesterday, 'item was mailed a day ago, it should be there soon' messages gets tiresome to type.
ps i love the new ask seller a question .. I at least know what item they are asking about!
deja deja deja vu believe it and it will come true!
posted on March 14, 2001 11:22:17 AM new
I love answering emails from buyers, and potential buyers. I just don't like answering the same questions twice from the same buyer!!
posted on March 14, 2001 11:34:26 AM new
I do my best to answer all email questions. I do work during the day, so at times, they may not be as timely as the requestor wants. However, to be sure you get your answer in a timely manner, please don't wait until 10 minutes to 1 hour before the auction closes. I still respond even if the auction has closed, apologizing that I couldn't answer and the reason why. If the person doesn't understand that some people do work other jobs and have other responsibilities besides conducting auctions, well, there is nothing I can do to make them understand.
I do my best, even staying up too late to send EOA emails after an auction ends. I send out an email requesting their address so I can provide shipping costs and payment information. I do this so that I can be sure the customer has received my email and I don't have to play guessing games with myself. Anyway, as soon as they respond, I do my best to email back right away. Some times though things happen. Life happens and for the fear of committing sacrilege, my on-line auctioning has to be set aside until I can get whatever crisis has appeared resolved. However, on the other hand I have waited up to 6 days for a reply to my EOA email. Excuses range from 'I was on vacation', to 'oh, I don't check my email but once a week!!!!' So anyway, this pendulum swings both ways.
posted on March 14, 2001 12:38:33 PM new
Many spam filters throw the ? for seller emails being forwarded by Ebay into the junk or bulk mail folders - so it could well be that your sellers aren't responding because they aren't getting their mail delivered properly - and DON"T EVEN KNOW IT!
Lots of ISP problems and AOL problems lately too.. I monitor my email frequently during the course of the day should anything come up - and try to reply ASAP when able.
posted on March 14, 2001 01:49:11 PM new
I sent a email yesterday by question to seller to a person that runs a b/m antique shop. Went there today and the person asked me a question that I had answered in the email that I sent to them. When I asked did you check your email they said yes but there was none from you. I have (since returning home) sent them a copy as I had ebay cc me on the message too I will see if they get this one.
Could be there are lots of problems with this ebay form for email comunication. My feeling is anytime you have a third party do something that could be done by your computer you are creating an orpertunity to have problems. Just my opinion!!
I probably wouldn't have bid if I had noticed it was an AW auction.
