naru
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posted on October 5, 2001 06:23:46 AM
I am trying to streamline the end of auction
process. If you were sent an email that directed you to a web page to fill out shipping information and to choose your shipping option and payment method, would this annoy you?
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kiawok
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posted on October 5, 2001 06:28:09 AM
yes
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just4laffs
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posted on October 5, 2001 06:35:15 AM
Not at all. 
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mapledr1216
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posted on October 5, 2001 06:47:54 AM
Yes! 
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camachinist
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posted on October 5, 2001 06:53:26 AM
You mean like the checkout page for an online store?
No biggie...I'd type the same info into an e-mail...I've got all that stuff canned on QuicKeys on my Mac so it takes all of ten seconds...
IMO, keep it (the e-mail and check-out page) simple....no blurbs or ads...just info...
Pat
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naru
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posted on October 5, 2001 06:55:52 AM
Thanks very much. As preliminary results show a tilt towards annoying:
What if the email itself contained a form to fill out and then just hit send? Is it the form or just the fact that it isn't personal that is annoying?
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ragmop
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posted on October 5, 2001 06:58:19 AM
Terribly,
I don't click on unknown links just as I don't open attachments from unknown sources.
In 2 instances I have emailed the seller and they have graciously sent me the necessary informatin to complete the purchase. It was just a waste of time for both of us.
With the increased concern with Internet security I expect to see more people following my example.
Besides it's downright impersonal.
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naru
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posted on October 5, 2001 07:03:26 AM
camachinist:
posted at the same time. I don't use the stores and know very little about them except that they are visually boring.
I try to do as much "in house" as possible. While I like the check out idea, I fear it is another weasel move by eBay to tie me into Billpoint. The less I have to rely on 3rd party services the happier I am.
I am just trying to develop something to make
my life a little less crazy and cut down the back and forth emails at the end of an auction, but I won't do it if it pisses off buyers.
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holdenrex
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posted on October 5, 2001 07:03:32 AM
I really don't care that it's impersonal - many if not most EOA emails are impersonal these days anyway. From the buyer's standpoint, I don't want to use a form. If I receive an EOA email, it's much easier for me to just hammer in my address, choice of shipping and insurance, and how I'd like to pay, then hit the "reply" button.
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Eventer
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posted on October 5, 2001 07:05:23 AM
Big time.
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camachinist
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posted on October 5, 2001 07:53:45 AM
naru
To be honest, if I could have the fun of the auction process and the ease of the amazon one-click checkout, I'd be in hog heaven .
I guess, being a Mac user, I don't have the same day-to-day concerns about attacks on my computer....
If you can streamline your EOA activities and this allows you to ship in a more time and cost-efficient manner, I'm all for it. IME, having purchased a bunch of stuff in the last month, only one seller sent out a personal EOA e-mail....most sent just canned, often nonsensical stuff. And that one seller was mostly a buyer...just like I am....
I'm not offended by canned e-mails or forms, as long as the product is as described and is shipped in a timely fashion...
If I get good value at your auctions and you ship what you described in a timely fashion, I'll be back, regardless of EOA formats...
Pat
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ExecutiveGirl
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posted on October 5, 2001 07:55:05 AM
I would be annoyed by it, and wouldn't fill out the online form.
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bh010296
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posted on October 5, 2001 08:12:14 AM
Wouldn't bother me at all. As was stated before, I would have to send the same info in an email otherwise.
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jayadiaz
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posted on October 5, 2001 08:14:07 AM
I would not be annoyed if it had all the information in one shot. If I can send you what you need in the way of info, fire off my Paypal payment and be done with it, I'm happy. Just let me know when it's shipped and let me get on with what I'm doing. I sell more than buy and get a lot of e-mail if I can avoid a few more with a form I'm grateful.
As a seller I always give people the option to e-mail it to me and some do, but most do the form.
Jay
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WeRuleWithTechnology
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posted on October 5, 2001 08:16:00 AM
Yes, it would be annoying.
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harmonygrove
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posted on October 5, 2001 08:58:54 AM
Would fill out the form with one click as we have gator.com loaded. It saves tons of time in filling out forms and in remembering sign-ins.
The negative is more pop-up ads. Not affiliated, just use it and like it.
We use the AW EOA emails and don't have many clients complain. It definitely saves a lot of time.
HarmonyGroveAntiques
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number47
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posted on October 5, 2001 09:05:04 AM
I hate online forms. Just finshed a purchase and had to fill out a form that duplicated address info that was in the Paypal receipt. Couldn't get around the form either, since it wouldn't complete unless all fields were filled in. Seller's EOA also said that buyers MUST complete the form or risk negative feedback. Phooey on that! Next time I'll just pass on the purchase.
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Pony67
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posted on October 5, 2001 09:09:23 AM
Yes, those are VERY annoying and rude.
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jacqueg
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posted on October 5, 2001 09:14:19 AM
harmonygrove,
If you are using Gator to enter your information, you are being tracked online by parasites and web bugs.
I used Gator for a long time until I checked my system with Ad-Aware. Gator was tracking my every move.
http://www.lavasoft.com/
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dlandau69
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posted on October 5, 2001 09:16:23 AM
Add one more vote for annoying.
Frequently, they require more info -- like phone # -- than I have any intention of sharing. They're usually cumbersome, too. Add to that the heightened virus/hacking risk, and I would prefer almost anything else.
Finally, as a buyer on the wrong end of Andale, SAVE ME from that nightmare. As a result, I will not bid on any auction that says it will have a checkout.
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sadie999
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posted on October 5, 2001 09:41:25 AM
Not annoying to me.
However, if it took more than a couple of seconds to fill out the form, I'd probably email you w/my address and how I was paying and tell you I couldn't figure the form out.
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abacaxi
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posted on October 5, 2001 12:01:23 PM
Yes.
Sellers who do that are like those stupid discount stores that make you select an item, wait in line to pay for it one counter and wait in line to pick it up at another counter.
Also, I don't feel comfortable handing my personal info over to a web site because of the multiplicity of security holes in some of the web server software.
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litlux
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posted on October 5, 2001 12:26:20 PM
Some people don't mind, many do. I would not implement any practice that could diminish my bids, or cause post-auction hassles.
On Monday I bought a keyboard on ebay, paid via Paypal and on Tuesday I received the eoa from the seller, with a form to click on which runs more than one page.
Nope. Won't fill it out. No way. No indication beforehand that they used this method, otherwise I would NOT have bid. As it is, I have sent all the information needed, plus the money, via Paypal, and in a timely manner.
As you can tell I do not like forms stored who knows where and used for who knows what purposes.
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BJGrolle
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posted on October 5, 2001 01:40:33 PM
Personally, it would not annoy me. I don't buy that often, but of the times I have, I only received one EOA notice requiring me to click on AW's link to fill out their form. I found it easy enough and since I'm registered with AW, I wasn't giving my information to anyone I didn't know. And that's what I think many object to, having to give their information to a web site that they haven't chosen to register with.
As a seller, I stopped using AW's post-sale management due to a few customer complaints of difficulties accessing the info. via the link, several incorrect payments due to the customers not having the info. nice and handy in their Inbox, etc.
The overwhelming majority of buyers seem to prefer having the info. sent via email.
http://bjgrolle.freehomepage.com
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glasshappy
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posted on October 5, 2001 03:03:11 PM
annoying!
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sun818
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posted on October 5, 2001 03:13:22 PM
number47 said "had to fill out a form that duplicated address info that was in the Paypal receipt."
If you're using Paypal, there is no reason why a seller requires you to fill out another form. Any seller that requires it is too lazy to send you the Web Accept Paypal link, or just plain dumb.
harmonygrove said "If you are using Gator ...you are being tracked online by parasites and web bugs."
It is very easy to disable Gator's ad-spy engine. Use ZdNet's StartUp Copy and you can permanently disable the adspy engine.
dlandau69 said "Frequently, they require more info -- like phone #"
I know that if your item ships by FedEx, they prefer (require?) having the buyer phone number in case of delivery difficulties.
abacaxi said "Also, I don't feel comfortable handing my personal info over to a web site"
I wouldn't give my credit card information unless I knew the transmission was secure. That means from submit page to how the seller downloads the information. If the captured data is sent to them via e-mail, then it is not secure. I would never leave that kind of information, and prefer having Paypal or BillPoint hold that information.
[ edited by sun818 on Oct 5, 2001 03:14 PM ]
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just4laffs
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posted on October 5, 2001 03:29:51 PM
Another easy to use software like Gator but not spyware is Enonymous Advisor. It works like a charm for filling out forms.
http://www.enonymous.com
Hope this helped
Sue
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immykidsmom
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posted on October 5, 2001 06:17:52 PM
yes
does not seem secure
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atomaset
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posted on October 5, 2001 11:59:33 PM
NO,
Better than the seller telling you "I never received your email..which can get easily overlooked in the constant sea of spam emails received daily...put it in the form...its there...
Now...if only AW's EOA forms allowed you to put a paypal link in which they could click and pay...my buyers complain that they have to do 2 steps...other services I have used have it incorporated right in the form..fill in your info...click...you are loggging into paypal to pay...quick and easy...
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naru
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posted on October 6, 2001 08:18:07 AM
Wow! Thanks for all the input.
Seems overwhelmingly tipped towards annoying, so I will have to figure out a more acceptable solution. I may incorporate the form in my EOA notice, to be filled out and buyer need only to click reply rather than go to a website. I realize some people feel that this is somehow compromising their info, but this is not entirely rational.
There is very little that is as insecure as a plain email message. As soon as you send anyone your info (form or no form) it is only slightly inconvienient for the recipient to cut and paste it into a database. I was never considering asking for any sensitive info: credit cards or telephone numbers, just mailing address and shipping choice info. My hope is that this can be ported to my shipping software rather than the interminable cut and paste, leaving more time for what I consider imporatnt: answering email questions, shipping fast and creating thorough listings with good pictures.
All your replies are very much appreciated!!
Not NARU on eBAy
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