chenillec
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posted on July 27, 2001 06:07:20 PM
Hi, All, Does this ever happen to you? I have several buyers send money order or check. They never bother to write down auction number or item description.
It's been happening to me for the last 10 money orders!
If you have 50-100 auctions going on. It's so frustrating trying to find this people. Trying to match what item belong to them.
Even with my auction management software. It's not helping me at all. Any idea, how do you solve problem like this?
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litlux
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posted on July 27, 2001 06:17:49 PM
This is a frustrating experience for all of us sellers, but there seems to be no way around it. Some folks are just oblivious to our end of the transaction.
That is why I am glad there are payment services like Billpoint and Paypal, where a transaction number is usually - but not always - included. It is also easier to play detective with personal checks which at least have the full name and address printed on them. Otherwise I would be at a loss figuring out some people's handwriting.
As to what to do, some sellers mail 'em back and ask the buyer to resend, some set them aside and wait for the "what happened to my order" email. Me I do my best to figure it out and only once in a while send a tape to someone who I have no record of. I'll find out who it was when they get their NPB alert, though!
Without problems like this, our workday would be over at 10 am!
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mrspock
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posted on July 27, 2001 06:19:40 PM
assuming you have his address on either the MO or envolope I would drop him a note saying
"you recently sent me a MO without the auction number unfortunatley I can't match it to aution please send me the auction number you paid for so I can get the item right out to you"
take yo a couple of minutes cost .35 problem solved.
spock here......
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Torley
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posted on July 27, 2001 06:26:28 PM
Happens to us all the time!
The heck with writing them!
Keep it and let them contact you.
If people are like that,then it's their problem!
We even say in our EOA Notices..please reply with address to confirm...maybe 50 % actually do.
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chenillec
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posted on July 27, 2001 06:29:12 PM
Thank you! I feel a little better now. I have a spliting headache figure these payments out. I am suppose to read their mind.
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stacyp
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posted on July 27, 2001 07:12:12 PM
i write to ebay with persons name and addressa and 95% of the time they can match it to the proper auction for me- i list 200 auctions per week and impossible to match up otherwise- if they can't match up -then i write the person. the ebay route is much quicker.
good luck
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mballai
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posted on July 27, 2001 07:12:55 PM
This is one of the oldest problems going. I make sure I get a shipping address with every auction confirmation. I still have a couple of bidders who aren't clear on the concept, but I can still usually match them up. You need to use either a database or spreadsheet.
Auctions are one of the simplest business transactions to keep track of if you use the right tools.
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sadie999
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posted on July 27, 2001 07:19:01 PM
Finally got one of those last month. I actually knew what auction it matched, but the buyer had taken her sweet time paying, so I emailed her and asked for her address via email so that I could match up the MO. She sent me the auction number! (which was at the top of my email to her by the way)
I then figured she was so mentally impaired, she probably needed help going to the bathroom in the morning, so I just mailed the item.
I now have on my "Alert" board an invoice that's been paid for, but since the buyer never emailed me her address, and the written one on the envelope is illegible, I can't send the item. I emailed her asking for her address, and was even "sweet" enough to say I am terrible at reading other people's handwriting, but there it sits. She's never responded.
Into each life some kooks must come. 
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veebee
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posted on July 27, 2001 07:33:26 PM
On my eoa i almost demand that they shoot back their address so i can prepack..if they don't i contact them again and ask for it. 99% usually respond. that way when i get one of those mystery payments(3 or 4 times a week)i can match his address on the package.
I had one tuffie once..i looked his name up in the white pages and gave him a call and asked what he bought.
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dman3
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posted on July 27, 2001 07:40:02 PM
add the Item Number for each Item to your mailing address in the EOA you send out so that every check or money order sent to you will have the item number with it right on the envelope your buyers send you.
http://www.Dman-N-Company.com
Email [email protected]
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capotasto
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posted on July 27, 2001 07:42:30 PM
"and the written one on the envelope is illegible, "
I got one of these a couple weeks ago, the envelope and the address on the letter inside were illegible, I knew who it was (name and email) but not his mail address so I cut it out and taped it on the package, let the PO figure it out, they are probably better at it than me (or I),
I figure if it comes back to me I will blame it on the buyer LOL then I will email him.
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jumpinjacko
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posted on July 27, 2001 07:42:59 PM
NEW EBAY RULE 652.5
.
All money orders received without
identifying auction number are now eligible
for immediate deposit in your VEGAS vacation fund....
Please feel free to use this new rule at will
EBAY STAFF
.
EBAY ID
JUMPIN*JACK
.
[ edited by jumpinjacko on Jul 27, 2001 07:47 PM ]
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captian23
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posted on July 27, 2001 08:17:08 PM
My pet Peave!!
I don't run as many auctions as some of you so i can usally match the amount, but I always either email or send a note saying that they should include an item #.
I have noticed it is usally new mebers and they may not understand how ebay works. They are usally the ones who email you a week after they send payment complaining that they haven't recieved their pkg yet.
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kiara
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posted on July 27, 2001 08:24:29 PM
Someone recently posted a very good solution to this problem. It can be found here.
http://www.auctionwatch.com/mesg/read.html?num=2&id=356892&thread=356774
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Libra63
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posted on July 27, 2001 08:35:53 PM
When I send my EOA, in the subject line I put the ebay # and the auction title. Then in the email itself I state please respond using this email with your name and address so I can get your package ready. This makes it very convenient because there is only 1 email that goes back and fourth so when your correspondence is over everything you need to know is on 1 piece of paper and it can be printed and kept with the EOA notice. I know this will be a lot of printing for the sellers that have lots of auctions but it does prevent headaches and time. I am sure in an automatic EOA it can be inserted somewhere.
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sadie999
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posted on July 27, 2001 08:37:53 PM
Well, I like dman's solution and jacko's solution. Both are successful sellers.
Decisions decisions. Not too fond of Vegas since they took away the seedyness of it. Hmmm - can I make that a retirement fund?
Peace.
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discoverybooks
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posted on July 28, 2001 01:28:38 PM
When I get one of these, I have a little form letter all typed up... I just print out a copy, attach a photocopy of the payment, and mail it off.
The letter basically says "Sorry, my mind-reading skills are off-line today -- care to tell me what you bought?" It's worded a bit nicer than that, but it gets the point across.
Almost as bad are the ones who send a payment with just "book" or (if they're feeling really helpful) "book on eBay". I've been really tempted to buy up a bunch of cheap romance novels and just send one of those the next time I get a payment for a "book." Hey, they wanted a book, they got a book... <evil grin>
The best I ever got, though, was a check that just said "eBay." A friend of mine told me I should print off a copy of eBay's home page and send that to them... I was very tempted.
Rima
http://discoverybooks.org
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chenillec
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posted on July 28, 2001 03:14:13 PM
One more for you. This one buyer sent money order with NO auction # on the money order OR the envelope. After search all over. I finally look at the envelope really close. She write the auction number inside the envelope. lol
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reader99
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posted on July 28, 2001 03:24:47 PM
<<<After search all over. I finally look at the envelope really close. She write the auction number inside the envelope. lol >>>
Got a money order yesterday , no NAME, address, nothing. Written on the inside of her envelope was her email address. Luckily I record their email address in my spread sheet when I get the auction end email or I'd still be wondering!
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morgantown
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posted on July 28, 2001 04:16:10 PM
When you get a payment with no item number or bidder eMail address there is a simple solution to determine items [NETSCAPE].
This is what I do:
DO A "SEARCH MESSAGES" IN NETSCAPE MAIL.
CLICK IT TO "SENT" MAIL.
CLICK IT TO "BODY" "CONTAINS" [OF MESSAGE].
ENTER IN THE TOTAL PAYMENT AMOUNT RECEIVED "X.XX.
The above action will pull up the invoices with the matching $ amount. Note: would not work if you sold lots of the same price items, works well with varied items. As mentioned above this is Netscape mail [I use eBud, it's sends my mail via Netscape mail]
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orsen
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posted on July 28, 2001 07:47:42 PM
To Dman3 & Kiara and the rest of ya-all.
Thank You, Thanks, Holey-Mackral, I read this thread and went and immeditaly placed Dept.(from Dept. guy) above my mailing address in my auction manager along with the sale ID as apposed to the Item ID (you to). Why did I not think of this simple(y) beautiful way of keeping things in order. Thank You, Thanks, Yeh, Yeh, Yeh.
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wbmodrrsupaolcom
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posted on July 29, 2001 05:19:02 AM
I really hate getting an Auction payment with no auction #, I have in my "end of auction notice" to make sure and put your auction # with the payment. 99.5% of folks do, but occaisionaly one doesn't and this same person usually has lousy hand writing and paid in cash, making it even harder to figure out. I had one case of a person doing this and writing a note in German, that was a hoot!!!Thank goodness for internet translators.
You gotta love it,
James
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fonthill
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posted on July 29, 2001 10:12:21 AM
In the same vein... are buyers who do not hit the "reply" buttons on their email to requests for addresses from me where I have stated the ebay item# and a brief description, but send their own emails to you with titles ranging from a blank to "ebay purchase", with no description of item or item # They also like to use the "question for seller" button on the sold item... Drives me mad! Its bad enough for buyers who prefer the ebay item # first before the description... WHen you sell in volume you need a system, and I am sure I am selling more per week than they are buying, so I need my emails organized according to subject!
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kerrigirl
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posted on July 29, 2001 01:07:36 PM
In our EOA notifications, we include a small form at the bottom that can be printed out along with the e-mail and sent with payment. 99% of the time the buyer fills the form out and sends in payment and we can match it easily.
The form includes:
Name
Address
City, State, Zip Code
Auction #
Auction Item
Ebay ID or E-Mail address
When I first started (3.5 years ago), we had the same problem, and since back then the MAJORITY of payments were checks and money orders. Then one day I bought something and the person had this little form which I thought was an excellent idea (yea, I STOLE the idea).
Consider that a lot of buyers include a copy of the e-mail, but no place to write anything down nicely, it works.
Just my two cents...
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upriver
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posted on July 29, 2001 04:33:06 PM
I usually just mail them back a very neatly packaged box with nothing inside of it.
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