posted on April 9, 2001 12:22:59 PM new
Yesterday morning I saw an item up for auction by a seller with no feedback and shades. It was something that I very much would have liked to have as my own. However, the description did not contain information on the condition and it said buyer to pay shipping. The auction was ending 12 hours from the time I first saw it.
I e-mailed the seller asking about condition and asked how much it would cost for the item to be shipped to my zip code. No response.
The item ended last night with one bid of $9.99. I would have paid up to $30 plus shipping for this item if the condition was good.
If you were me, would you e-mail the seller and tell them that or just leave it alone?
posted on April 9, 2001 12:26:32 PM new
If it is a new seller, just learning the ropes, a nice email may be nice. Although be nice and pleasant and let them know about the emails and such. Just make the email out as friendly advice. We all had to learn sometime.
posted on April 9, 2001 12:31:24 PM new
Yesterday morning was Sunday- maybe the seller was away for the weekend? 12 hours is not a lot of notice- not everybody is online every day.
Also, email doesn't always get delivered right away.
posted on April 9, 2001 12:33:39 PM new
I just had this happen to me over the weekend. A family emergency kept me out of town for a few days and I've just returned.
My auctions are already completed, and I have two emails from users requesting information.
Had I been home, I would have happily answered the mails. Now I'll have to sell to the actual winners, possibly losing out on more bids.
I know you're disapointed that you did not receive a response from the seller... but not all sellers are near their computers at all times. Twekve hours seems like a potentially narrow time period for any seller to respond. Personally, I try to be around when my auctions end, but it is not always possible. That is why auctions last a week or so... so that bidders can ask questions at the beginning of the auction, not the end. You just happened to run accross the auction at a bad time. I would advise that you do not send the seller a second e-mail. (it could be seen as a form of harrassment). Rather, just make sure you ask questions on items that have more than a day left on auction. That will give the seller more time to respond to your questions.
posted on April 9, 2001 12:51:24 PM new
Other than emergencies, I can see no reason why a seller can't answer an email.
Seller has auction ending, should be near computer and online as much as possible... no excuse is acceptable other than an emergency. Especially the lame ones about "going away for the weekend" or some other tripe.
If you want to sell, sell; you want to play then play.
Ain't Life Grand...
posted on April 9, 2001 01:08:50 PM newSeller has auction ending, should be near computer and online as much as possible...
Online as much as possible? Is this an eBay policy?
...no excuse is acceptable other than an emergency.
Acceptable to whom? By what stretch of the imagination is a seller under that obligation?
Especially the lame ones about "going away for the weekend" or some other tripe.
The auction has been running for 6 and a half days- plenty of time to ask questions. I guess buyers never have "lame" excuses for not asking questions until right before the auction is about to end, right?
posted on April 9, 2001 01:16:33 PM new
I guess it comes down to who has the money and who wants it...
Want to not answer emails, even 12 hours before ending, then accept the fact your bids are probably going to be lower.
Pretty funny most sellers want to be treated as a "business" but when it comes right down to it most of you can't stand the pressure of really running a business.
So keep right on not answering those emails...I am sure those others will find another seller to buy from.
Ain't Life Grand...
posted on April 9, 2001 01:20:48 PM new
Most of my auctions (not all since I'm still transferring out of AW) and my ME page state:
I will be happy to answer questions PRIOR to the last day of bidding.
The majority of sellers who run an eBay business either operate RL businesses or left RL employment in exchange for a life .
I'm on-line a lot ~ but I don't expect others to be. I now time my auctions so that over the weekend I just have to pop in to check my mail for questions. If I am away for the weekend, like those RL folks who work 8-6, M-F then it means I have I life. My auctions run for seven days ~ I'm here for my bidders, but I'm not their slave! Failure to plan on their part does not constitute an emergency on my part.
only ZOOMIN here
posted on April 9, 2001 01:27:57 PM newWant to not answer emails, even 12 hours before ending, then accept the fact your bids are probably going to be lower.
That's all well and good, but so far, nobody has shown with any certainty that...
A) the seller even received the email before the auction ended.
or
B) the seller received the question, but refused to respond.
Want to ask questions 12 hours before auction ending, then accept the fact your questions might not be answered in time.
I am sure those others will find another seller to buy from.
I would not mind avoiding a transaction with any bidder as demanding as your description (no excuse is acceptable other than an emergency, etc.) above- I'd rather save my time and energy for dealing with reasonable bidders.
posted on April 9, 2001 01:28:26 PM new
Twelvepole:
Your logic is very flawed. You state:
"most sellers want to be treated as a "business" but when it comes right down to it most of you can't stand the pressure of really running a business."
Well...in my experience, many brick & mortor stores are not even open on Sundays (the time the auction was closing), nor are they available at all hours. In fact, many businesses typically only operate 40-60 hours a week. On-line auctions, however, operate 168 hours a week. Should a person running an auction business be expected to be available all 168 hours the auction is active? No! That's crazy! You can not possibly be on-line at all times to satisfy all customers. Does that mean you are not running a good business? No, it simply means that certain people have, and will always have, unreasonable expectations.
Sometimes people just aren't available to answer e-mail.
You could do a "Member Search Show" through eBay, that would at least get you their city/state location, and you could figure out a rough estimate for shipping through the USPS website.
Then out of courtesy e-mail the seller & just let them know the reason for requesting their info, as some people get bugged by that if they don't know.
posted on April 9, 2001 01:36:22 PM newno excuse is acceptable
I do my best to not transact with people who have the preconceived notion that I am irrelevant. If you would like the courtesy of a reply, you owe a seller the same respect. (consider time for the correspondence to be sent, time to get the e-mail, the opportunity to shut off anti-spam that a lot of this mail gets sent to, etc.)
Since the "ask a seller a question" became so easy for bidders, I have been inundated with stupid questions and questions that are answered in the item description.
What condition is the widget in?
title: NEW
Description: Brand New with tags and never worn
I'm 6'2", will it fit me?
(already vented on that one in a prior thread ~ how long are your arms? do your knuckles scrape on the sidewalk when you walk? And would you be a 6'2" weakling or do you resemble Arnold? hunchback? are you male, or female? etc)
It takes a while to get through the bogus questions to find the real ones.
only ZOOMIN here
posted on April 9, 2001 02:12:01 PM new
Mr.P
>>> Can you say "High Maintenance"? <<<
I can say it ~ but it makes me tense
Personality flaw, I guess!
Someone else can tend to the HMB's.
There's not enough money in it and absolutely no fun . I'll take a pass.
PS Mrpotatoheadd, I love you, yes I do, you know it's true.
**Typed out in hopes that the song will get out of my headd**
posted on April 9, 2001 03:14:30 PM newPretty funny most sellers want to be treated as a "business" but when it comes right down to it most of you can't stand the pressure of really running a business.
Really? Most? Who took this survey? Was a cross-section of eBay sellers queried?
Most of the eBay sellers I buy from are fellow collectors or folks cleaning out the house. They aren't running a business and don't pretend to be.
C'mon now, seriously. Didn't you state a few weeks back that you've just started selling?
If so, you've got plenty to learn.
I never sit around to baby sit my auctions in the final hours. If I'm home, great, if not, oh well. I'm not about to rearrange my RL just in case a potential bidder decides they need to ask a last minute question. Most of my auctions run for 7-10 days, which leaves plenty of time for bidders to ask away.
My email server took a nose dive Friday night [I had auctons ending] and wasn't up & running until the middle of the next day.
I certainly wouldn't consider this an emergency, would you?
The other side of the coin is that it's always possible that eBay's online form email server can have a glitch, what then?
I have an email link at the top of each & every auction description, yet every last bidder has used the eBay online form since it's implementation. Go figure?
Dixiebee
I see no point in emailing the seller again now that the auction is over. I imagine they already realize that their lack of response before the auction ended may have cost them a bid.
posted on April 9, 2001 03:49:02 PM new
Reddeer,
Yes I am a newbie seller, but probably reason I haven't posted any auctions this month is because I don't have the time to be available.
When I do have auctions going, I do make sure I am available the last day.
But having forgot about the new Ebay email service, you are right, maybe waiting to email is no longer an option.
posted on April 9, 2001 04:00:57 PM new
I understand that it's very frustrating to write to a seller and not receive an answer. I've had some whom I've written to when the auction was new and still hadn't heard from them three or four days later.
I also know there are some sellers who list auctions to end on the weekend because there's supposed to be better bidding then, but they know they're not going to be near a computer, so if a question does come in then they aren't available to answer it.
I figure it's just the way the cookie crumbles. If a seller isn't available or doesn't want to answer my questions then I don't want to bid on their item.
Many times I've happened across an auction during the last hours I would inquire about but simply don't because I really don't expect all the sellers to be sitting there waiting to answer questions that might come in. People can't always be at their computers. I personally do like to check my e-mail several times a day when auctions are closing so choose to have my auctions close when I can be available, if at all possible. But not everyone has this luxury.
posted on April 9, 2001 04:02:31 PM new
Twelvepole
Some sellers have auctions ending 7 days a week. What then? Hire an email assistant?
The ideal seller will be as thorough as humanly possible when describing their items.
If that's the case, most bidders won't find a need to ask questions in the last hour/minute, and those that do will be mostly made up from people that simply didn't take the time to read the description.
I seldom get asked questions about my items, and most of the questions that have been asked, did not come in during the final hours of the auction.
1200 sales later & I've only missed 1 question on the last day, and it was due to an email server glitch.
posted on April 9, 2001 04:11:18 PM new
I just love absolute moralists who think they are the ultimate authority on how others should conduct their business!!
Lord, save us from the self appointed authorities who tell us how we should do things!!
posted on April 9, 2001 04:11:28 PM new
If I'm available, I'll check my mail about an hour before my auctions are scheduled to end. But...even if I'm available - I don't hang out waiting for email up until the end or even check them out in the last hour - as a bidder and I seller (over 1000 transactions total), I guess I'm weird, but I still like the surprise element!
posted on April 9, 2001 06:28:34 PM new
If you email a question with less than 24 hours left on a auction, you may not get an answer. The internet is quick, and great, but this "I expect it instantly" attitude is something else.
I just had a buyer email me asking if an item was new. It said in the listing in a +3 font NEW, and it was a dutch auction. I answered it, but these kind of emails tick me off.
posted on April 9, 2001 08:07:58 PM new
I started selling in 1998, and at that time ebay was (in my opinion) more laid back. The buyers and sellers still have 3 days to contact each other.
I don't get uptight about a couple of days waiting for a zip code to figure shipping for a buyer. Hey, after all it's just real people and real life.
As a seller, I answer email questions that are not so stupid they annoy me. If I've put size 9 in the auction title, and someone emails asking what size, I ignore. Might cost me a bid, but save dealing with a complete moron when it comes to payment & shipping.
However, any thoughtful question from a potential bidder that gets answered could mean a good bid. I know that just yesterday I replied to a sensible question (should have had info in auction; oversight) and got the bid immediately from the questioner.
posted on April 9, 2001 09:38:25 PM new
Most of the time, I only look at going gone auctions so there is less than 5 hours till close. If I have a question, I will email the seller. No answer=no bid. Most question I ask are due to poor listings ie:see listing for shipping but no shipping listed. Somebody said look at the city and you can get an idea of the shipping. Remember, this is eBay where sellers set their own shipping and how many times have we seen a buyer here griping about shipping when they did not ask first.
When I run auctions, I spend the last hour around the computer. I do not want to give any person who may want to give me money a reason not to.
.
. I'll take a pass.