posted on October 3, 2003 06:18:59 PM
I know this has been talked about here.
I tried my usual EOA to the email for a buyer, and it came right back as 'undeliverable' so I tried sending an invoice through ebay that came back undeliverable, then... since I think I saw it mentioned here sent 'Ask a Member a Question' through his feedback, he sold a couple things. It too, came back undeliverable.
Any other ideas to get through to the buyer?
TIA
Wanna Take a Ride? Art Bell is Back! Weekends on C2C-www.coasttocoastam.com
posted on October 3, 2003 06:33:26 PM
I think you have exhausted all possible ways to get ahold of your bidder. I would wait and see if they get in touch with you first and if not report as invalid contact information.
posted on October 3, 2003 06:51:54 PM
I had one that was quite a mystery this past week. Sent EOA, no answer (no bounce, either). Three days later sent my standard "second notice"--no answer. Started getting e-mails from buyer, tell me how much, where should I send the money, etc. Got five of them and replied as they came in, no answer, just more questions. Pulled the contact info, called the number ebay had for her, and it was the Avon business office in central Texas; they wanted my Avon dealer's ID #, which of course I didn't have.
Pulled contact info a couple of days later (and meanwhile I'm getting more e-mails from buyer - did I mention that she's pretty new to ebay??!! - how much do I owe, where should I send money.
The contact info showed a different phone number, which I called and got the buyer finally. Spent money for two calls from CA to Texas for a very low-end item.
The e-mail provider was "excite," and it seems to me I've seen problems before, trying to contact buyers with that addy.
Chewed up probably 2 hours of my time, and used up all my profit on the item. Grrrrr.
Only other recourse I had, if second contact number didn't work, was to ask my son to forward a message to her e-mail. It's worked before. But I hate to bother my son, who is far away and has his own life to lead!
This is all to say I have sympathy for you. You might want to try sending through a friend or family member and see if it's just your addy that's being screened as spam. YOu never know.
___________________________________
"Practically speaking, a life that is vowed to simplicity, appropriate boldness, good humour, gratitude, unstinting work and play, and lots of walking, brings us close to the actually existing world and its wholeness." --Gary Snyder
Dang Roadsmith! that is something when you can't get a hold of the buyer, and have to jump through hoops for it!
Well, the buyer, just now paid via PayPal, with a totally different email addy!
I wrote him back with the 'new' one, said thank you, received it, and also told him I tried contacting him every way I knew how with his ebay registered email!
I hope he gets a clue, esp. if he's selling high end items... that he needs a working email for his buyers!
Thanks!!!!
Wanna Take a Ride? Art Bell is Back! Weekends on C2C-www.coasttocoastam.com
posted on October 3, 2003 07:13:50 PM
You may remember that I had a similar situation recently, all attempts at contact bounced (13 in all). I reported it to eBay a total of 7 times, NOTHING was done, and I ended up with a negative. Wrote to eBay every day asking it to be removed, and an explanation as to why the account was not suspended. I did get the negative removed, however, NO explanation. I am now feeling very vulnerable, what do you do if you get an invalid address and the buyer keeps sending messages, but you can't get eBay to repond? Sometimes when it is an International transaction, phoning is not an option.
posted on October 3, 2003 07:14:48 PM
If I get an invalid address I immediately turn them into ebay for bad contact info.
No expensive phone calls to an answering machine and no waiting 5 days.
-------------- sig file ----------- *There is no conclusive evidence that life is serious*
posted on October 3, 2003 08:38:00 PM
Ace: What happens after you turn them in to ebay for invalid contact information? Do you relist? offer to second highest bidder? Do they get spanked by ebay? Do you get a correction on the contact info?
My buyer said she had no idea how ebay got her Avon dealership phone number (but some of her info had Avon mentioned.
I keep forgetting about the invalid contact information deal.
___________________________________
"Practically speaking, a life that is vowed to simplicity, appropriate boldness, good humour, gratitude, unstinting work and play, and lots of walking, brings us close to the actually existing world and its wholeness." --Gary Snyder
posted on October 3, 2003 10:08:57 PMAce: What happens after you turn them in to ebay for invalid contact information? Do you relist? offer to second highest bidder? Do they get spanked by ebay? Do you get a correction on the contact info?
They are always booted within 36 hours of the report. The listing fee is instantly refunded after they are NARUed. If the item sold for a very high price I'll try a one day Second Chance offering ( only about a 10% success rate with Second Chance offerings ) then I relist. If all sellers would do what I do the buyers may get an idea of how important it is to keep their info current on ebay. I'm through with babying them.
-------------- sig file ----------- *There is no conclusive evidence that life is serious*
posted on October 3, 2003 10:36:13 PM
Thanks, Ace. I always wondered. Now I know, and believe me I'll be doing it.
Fetish: I *knew* I shouldn't have used that word but it's late and I'm tired and. . . . it was the only word I could pull out of my old brain.
___________________________________
"Practically speaking, a life that is vowed to simplicity, appropriate boldness, good humour, gratitude, unstinting work and play, and lots of walking, brings us close to the actually existing world and its wholeness." --Gary Snyder
posted on October 4, 2003 01:44:48 AM
I have had the same thing here lately. I wait a couple of days and then report it to ebay if I don't hear from them.
one was made NARU by ebay. the other one contacted me with a new addy.
I did see in a buyers feedback once "your email bounced, please contact me"
posted on October 4, 2003 05:27:00 AM
On Yahoo Auctions you will frequently see the "your email bounced contact me" as a method of getting the buyer to respond. You'll also see "I'll change this neutral/negative feedback to a positive when you contact me and complete the transaction" as users can change feedbacks for up to 90 days. It works most of the time too.
-------------- sig file ----------- *There is no conclusive evidence that life is serious*
posted on October 4, 2003 06:03:24 AM
Ace: I do not agree that they are always booted off. See my earlier message, I reported a buyer 7 times over a 4 week period, and eBay did nothing. Finally after the buyer gave 2 neg feedback for the seller not contacting them, eBay called her, and she was "able to change her email address over the phone"
posted on October 4, 2003 06:17:04 AM
You can try the two ways to contact a member method. Your regular email account and a free Yahoo or Hotmail account. If both accounts bounce then it has to be the buyers email account. If you report a bad email address, ebay will try it to verify it is indeed bad and not just a spam filter or similar. If ebay refuses to Naru them for a bad email address then you know something is wrong somewhere on your end.
I can see a sneaky buyer blocking a seller's email address no matter how many different email accounts they try and ebay will never catch them do it. That's one way many buyers avoid sellers and being NARUed for bad email contact info. A definite flaw but one that ebay can do little or nothing about.
-------------- sig file ----------- *There is no conclusive evidence that life is serious*
posted on October 4, 2003 08:52:56 AM
Ace: I would agree with you except that there were 3 of us sellers involved, all having the same problem, and contacting each other. If the buyer was blocking our emails, why would she keep sending messages through "ask buyer a question" I got one almost every other day for 3 weeks, and the reply always bounced. I know her email was invalid because she told me it had changed a month ago when her pc crashed. My big problem is with eBay not suspending her.
posted on October 4, 2003 09:38:59 AM
Wow, amber, that is not right. I don't know how Auction Ace is turning them in.... if anyone has a link handy, it may be helpful in the future
Funny thing is, when I wrote him (after he paid through PayPal) and seeing a new email, I told him the one registered with ebay bounced. He just wrote back this AM saying that one had been INACTIVE for a year?? (it was not a free one either) I looked at his feedback, and he only has 17 or so, but just a week or so ago sold a high end item (thats how I tried the 'Contact an Ebay member) through that completed item...
I really think you should have a valid email addy DUH to do any business on ebay... I don't know what this guy is thinking..
Wanna Take a Ride? Art Bell is Back! Weekends on C2C-www.coasttocoastam.com
posted on October 4, 2003 11:05:14 AM
I had the same problem with a buyer from the UK... all my emails bounced with the message "Account over quota". I send about 8 over a period of 3 weeks. I contacted ebay. They said that is his contact info was valid and I should try to call him. I am NOT calling the UK! I tried emailing again, bounced again. Then I got a negative. Contacted ebay again... they would not remove the neg and would not NARU the buyer.
posted on October 4, 2003 01:36:30 PM
Deltim, you should have called him collect!
"And All Shall be Well, and All Shall be Well, and All Manner of Things Shall be Well"
posted on October 5, 2003 09:10:54 PMIf I get an invalid address I immediately turn them into ebay for bad contact info.
This is why Auctiondunce is a complete moron. When someone has an e-mail address that is bad on ebay, usually they know it and will contact you within a day or two with an updated address. For some reason, many of these bidders have their e-mail addresses change and either forget or cannot figure out how to change it on ebay. By waiting a few days as a seller, you will increase your chances of completing a sale with the original bidder. By turning them in right away, you most likely will not complete the sale and set yourself up for a neg once these people do update their e-mail addresses.
Wait a day or two. As you stated in a later post, this guy did end up paying via PayPal. If you do what Auctiondunce says, do you think you would have gotten paid? I doubt it.
sent 'Ask a Member a Question' through his feedback, he sold a couple things. It too, came back undeliverable.
