posted on November 4, 2009 08:41:35 AM new
Anyone experiencing communication problems with bidders using ebay's system? I have two accounts on ebay and on several occassions I have had problems getting responses from bidders.
This has been a problem for a few months now and each bidder claim they haven't received any messages. I also had a bidder who sent me responses they sent to me that I never received as well.
I sent one bidder last week 3 messages requesting the size of the item he wanted. It wasn't until the 3rd message that he replied and stated he hadn't received the others.
I now have another bidder who I sent 2 messages to this week regarding shipping her item. My auction offered two options, Priority or Fed Ex Ground, but ebay's invoicing doesn't support Fed Ex. She paid right away and was only given Priority Mail option at over $75. I can ship the same thing via Fed Ex for under $30 as stated in the listing. I have emailed her to see if she wants me to refund the difference and ship it Fed Ex. No response.
I am obviously concerned that communication is breaking down through ebay's system... and sellers are being graded on such communication by bidders. I would hate to think this is done on purpose by ebay in order to affect seller DSRs and prevent us from getting discounts.
posted on November 4, 2009 12:33:16 PM new
I've had a few issues with this as well.
Once from a customer who said they emailed me earlier but it never showed in my in box or my email account and another where I saw a message in my inbox but never got it in my email account.
I have 3 accounts and find myself logging in and out all day long to double check.
posted on November 4, 2009 02:11:01 PM new
i have another one just now. i came home and the bidder emailed me with, "i haven't heard back from you". i responded over 6 hours ago.
i called ebay regarding my concerns and their excuse is that some bidders don't read their messages, and spam filters may block the messages from their email.
so i am now responsible for the bidders lack of responsibility? wonderful... especially when they get to grade me on communication. another reason why ebay sucks.
posted on November 4, 2009 02:31:57 PM new
Grading on Communication is ludicrous. These people are your customers, not your friends. I am not here to chat with them and I would think they had better things to do.
I send notices promptly as does Ebay. I follow up with info as to when item is mailed. I answer every question. What more do they want?? Communication has become my lowest DSR!! Why??
Ebay called me a week ago and gave their usual blah, blah, blah. When I started to explain the above she said she would give me some pointers on Good Communication. I hung up. I wanted to ask her how long she had been selling on Ebay and if it could trump my 10 + years and reading from a script is NOT good communication!!
posted on November 5, 2009 12:17:59 AM new
Merrie, here's a communication tip: when you see an 801 area code on an incoming call, don't answer. These aren't eBay employees, they are from a telemarketing firm contracted by eBay to try to relay eBay cares about its sellers. I don't want to ruin the $8/hour rep's day. Trust me, they only allow sellers to vent and the feedback won't be pushed uphill. The easiest way to deal with them is to let them leave a voice mail and send you an email - delete both.
posted on November 5, 2009 09:52:30 AM newI send notices promptly as does Ebay. I follow up with info as to when item is mailed. I answer every question. What more do they want?? Communication has become my lowest DSR!! Why??
Someone I know claims that her communication DSR went to 5.0 after she started leaving feedback immediately. You could try that if you haven't already.
posted on November 6, 2009 06:51:18 PM new
UGH!!!!!! I am about to pull out my hair right now with ebay on this issue. I have yet another bidder who I can't seem to communicate with. I have sent them repeated messages via eBay's system, none of which seem to get to the eyes of the bidder. My messages show them sent, I call eBay and they say the messages were sent, but never read. Now I am getting emails from the bidder complaining about the item taking so long. I shipped it yesterday after giving up on contacting them to save them a bunch of money on shipping. The POS eBay rep was useless.
Last Sunday they bought a 35 pound item. I offered USPS Priority and Fed Ex Ground. When the invoicing came up, the bidder wasn't offered Fed Ex Ground b/c eBay doesn't support it. The bidder paid already with the only shipping option that was over $75.00 via Priority Mail. I emailed them Sunday telling them I could ship it for only $28.75 via Fed Ex Ground. No response. I sent them another message two days later. No response. Finally, I just shipped the item yesterday morning.
Now the bidder is complaining about it taking so long to arrive and the amount of money it cost them to ship. Well, duh! Read your dag gum messages already!!!!
This communication system through ebay is FAILING big time. Is there a way to get the bidders contact info, ie a phone number through ebay? I found it online through anywho by cross referencing their shipping address and last name. I will call tomorrow since they are on the East Coast and it is almost 10pm there now... but I can't find how to get their phone# through ebay.
[ edited by shagmidmod on Nov 6, 2009 06:53 PM ]
posted on November 6, 2009 07:22:12 PM new
If they have a phone number known to eBay, it is downloaded when you select the item to download in csv format.
posted on November 6, 2009 08:52:04 PM new
i found it. i also called eBay back and i walked through it with them step by step for the last two incidents (mind you, these incidents are from two different accounts).
is it just me, or is anyone else having problems with messages getting to bidders?
it doesn't affect everyone or each message for that matter. it seems like ebay isn't fowarding the messages to the bidders email address, which is what most people read.
even a month or so ago i had a bidder who tried to email me through their system and the message never came. i never saw it on the ebay system either. he was nice enough to forward those messages. i just can't find them at the moment. i have to go through hundreds b/c i forgot to file it.
i am really starting to suspect ebay is doing this on purpose, just like paypal eliminated sending emails when an e-check clears. no rhyme or reason... other than to mess with sellers in hopes we screw up by saying we didn't meet DSR requirements to get the discount.
posted on November 7, 2009 07:41:12 AM new
Are we a little paranoid shaggie ? I have no doubt eBay is full of glitches but I really doubt that they are intentionally trying to screw sellers out of the discount.
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posted on November 7, 2009 08:24:46 AM new
Paranoid... no. However, the DSR system is based on opinion by the very people who don't understand or care to understand the realities of sellers.
I easily cite why the DSR is a failure for sellers and why eBay uses it.
1) Description: If you sell brand new items... say Nike shoes. You list the size, the model, the color, etc. just like you would find on the Nike website or an iPod or other electronic... shouldn't your DSR be a 5? How many people who sell new items like this actually have 5's???
2) Communication: How does one grade on communication if eBay's messaging system isn't bullet proof. I already know eBay's messaging system was down early last week (per their CSR). If a seller communicates with the bidder and the bidder doesn't get the email from ebay or doesn't read their messages, why should a seller be graded on this?
3) Shipping Time: The only thing a seller should be graded on is how quickly they packed and shipped the item. However, because ebay allows each seller to choose their "handling" time... it is subjective. For example. I have 3 day handling on one account b/c it sells collectibles, art, etc. I will not buy packing for a huge piece of art until it has sold and was paid for. I am not going to shell out $30 in boxes if I can't sell it. If the bidder bids, they agree to the handling time listed in the auction. As long as I meet those deadlines, I should get a 5. Do I??? No, yet I ship every item within the handling time, most of them within 1 day of payment.
4) Shipping/Handling Charges: This is like grading Obama on the first day in office for a crappy economy. First off, the shipping fees are noted in the listing. If the bidder feels that the price is fair, they bid. If they don't like the shipping price, they don't. Why would a seller who exclusively offers free shipping have less than a 5.0??? Why should sellers be graded on something bidders agree to? Not to mention that every single bidder and seller believes shipping charges are outrageous to begin with. I hate shelling out $30 for a 1 pound lampshade b/c the dimensions give it an OS1 rating. Will my customer understand that I have no control over that? Maybe, maybe not.
The reality is that the only way sellers can rate eBay is by either using their system or not. Too bad the same can't be said for the bidder/seller relationship.
Ebay uses DSRs to keep sellers on their toes by dangling a discount if we meet their expectations, many of which are out of reach for various reasons. The problem is that we are not being rated on the realities, but rather on expecations.
Here are a few suggestions of how eBay should rate sellers based on fact, not opinion.
1) Shipping/Handling Time: if the tracking info is submitted to ebay within the "handling" time that the seller states, they should receive a 5. Simple as that.
2) Shipping Costs: If the seller states shipping costs in the listing, they should receive a 5.
3) Communication: If the seller provides tracking information to the buyer once it is shipped, they should receive a 5. If the seller responds to questions in a timely manner, the seller should receive a 5.
