posted on March 29, 2002 06:01:55 PM new
I have been having buyers tell me that my auto generated WBNs are going to their bulk/junk mail folders! Normally, I would think this was a lame 'excuse', but, it's been just in the past 2-3 wks that I've been hearing this from about 4-5 people!!
Has AW done something different?? Anyone else have this problem or concern?
posted on April 11, 2002 12:45:46 AM new
I am having major problems with bidders either saying they have not received the WBN (maybe 10%) and others saying they can't open the link (about 10% also), and others saying they can't figure out how to use the checkout (about 30%). That's 50% of my customers having trouble! I'm getting to my wit's end on this issue. I have one customer in Switzerland that got REALLY irate when she couldn't open the checkout page. I'm still waiting to see if I get negative feedback for that one! I don't know what to do either.
posted on April 11, 2002 04:42:31 AM new
I don't know if you are using the default (or "canned" Subject line that AW provides in your post-sale preferences - or whether you have customized the WBN.
If you still have "Congratulations...." it is entirely possible that your winner's ISP is going to take one look and put it in the junk mail bucket.
Consider changing the Subject to something that looks less like SPAM (which most people don't want) and more like information for the winner.
I use: "Now that you won #%%AuctionId%% - %%Title%%, let's finish the sale". It is really straight-forward, and only one or two people (who were bidding behind corporate firewalls) have not gotten this e-mail.
(On the down side, when 2 or more auctions are combined AW sends out an impossibly long subject line).
As for not being able to click on the link, it seems that anyone using AOL is not allowed to do that. I don't use AOL and I can't figure out how or why they would do that...
That's why AW includes the poorly phrased, "if the link below is not clickable, copy and paste it into the browser address field"
Of course your winner has to understand what that statement is referring to and how to do that (but I can't help with that).
I hope that explains some of this and helps you out.
posted on April 11, 2002 05:21:00 AM new
Thanks for the input, you guys! I will try changing my subject line.. I have tweeked if from the default, but I *Think* I may still have 'Congratulations', I'll look and see! But, I think if I got that long, "Now that you won #%%AuctionId%% - %%Title%%, let's finish the sale", I may glance at it myself and think it was spam before I got all the way over to the Title! ~LOL~ But, I definitely thank you for the response, I appreciate both of you guys letting me know that I'm not the only one who's having this trouble! AW told me that they aren't doing anything differently about how they are sending them, but I'm not sure..
posted on April 11, 2002 09:56:58 PM new
Yes, thank you kahml. What I got over on the ebay message boards, was that everyone told me to use Paypal WBN's . One click and you're done. They said you can even use 'em if the buyer wants to pay using a different method. I think I might check it out, 'cause I can't take this stress!
posted on April 12, 2002 06:26:36 AM new
That's what I just set up..the Paypal WBN.. I did say they'd be getting a second email with my name and address if paying by a money order, etc, but may just change it to include that with the Paypal one.
I did look at my AW WBN line and I did NOT have the Congrats in the subject anymore.., so it looked okay to not be considered spam, yet still was going to the junk folders. I was wondering if it was because it is sent *from* AW, but has a different *reply to* email address (mine). Sometimes those kinds of mail goes to the junk folder.
posted on April 16, 2002 03:44:22 AM new
In trying to figure out why some are having this wbn problem, I looked at my wbn-responses (99% are responded to) and was amazed at the # of isps, and also at the # of AOL's. Here's the list: 2-hotmail, itol, cusave, fsc, 16-AOL, cfl.rr, penn, 2-home, cs, plsinfo, heartland, mediaone, interl, prodigy, idcnet, worldnet, 2-msn, 2-bfigate, flash, 2-yahoo, juno, zebra, netvista, infoave, 2-earthlink, networktel, and several local phone cos. THE POINT: if I couldn't communicate with my AOL buyers, I'd be dead. They are 1/2 of my sales. I think it would behoove Auctionwatch and Ebay to resolve these email issues and tell sellers more exactly what to do. I don't have the foggiest idea why ALL mine work, but we have to all try to help solve the problem. jmho
posted on April 24, 2002 08:43:11 PM new
This seems to be an issue at many auction service sites (at least 2 that I use) for AOL user/customers. I remember that AOL users have email set up filter options which allow each member to select wether to allow live links in incomming email and wether to receive mail from Internet sites. Every site seems to shrug and say talk to AOL . Theres always the manual follow up.
Good luck.
posted on May 13, 2002 01:45:50 PM new
I used paypal WBN for awhile and found it didn't always go. Just like how their nptification of a payment recived dosn't always come through. You don't get a copy and it looks bad. I have had ebayers who sell totally ignore it because it looks generated. Most of the complaints I have with AW is they don't get it. But I really believe these are the same people that just learned how to turn the computer on. I have customers tell me it dosn't look secure or it dosn't combine shipping but it's because they are not use to it yet.
Subject line that AW provides in your post-sale preferences - or whether you have customized the WBN.