Requesting Information from Buyers

[Golden Silence]

Hi Everyone,

As a seller, I will bend over backwards, jump through hoops, do cartwheels, grand jeté across the room and do a triple pirouette finishing in a kneeling position at my buyers' feet if they ask me to. A number of them appreciate all this, a small percentage don't even give a thankyou.

What's frustrating, particulary at the moment, is having to repeatedly ask for specific information and getting absolutely no response whatsoever.

Case in point: A buyer buys something last week in the middle of the night and requests invoice so he can pay and get his item asap. I turn on the computer at 6am (no I don't sleep much) and the "asap" stands out to me like a sore thumb so instead of making my usual coffee first, I fumble around bleary eyed and his invoice is sent by 6.05am with a request for daytime contact number (delivery is via transport company which is also asked for in every description) and his choice of colour (his item can't be packed up and sent without this).

So I wait ... and I wait. Friday I sent a nice email saying I noted he wanted it asap and we're keen to oblige so could we have etc etc. Saturday I get a PP notification and think, great, I'll have the info I need to get this going but no. I have payment but no other info.

I send a thankyou for your payment, yada yada, and request again for the info needed. Still nothing.

Now I know I can pull the contact details and give him a call but I always hesitate in doing that plus, I have a feeling I'm dealing with a shift worker so am reluctant to ring during the day.

What would you do?

[imperfect]

Wow, you would do all that??

I'm going to buy off you just to see that..lol!!!


No in all seriousness, imo, the buyer has thanked us sellers by paying.. if they offer a thank you or even better good FB then yippy that is a bonus..

I would just pull their details and send the item asap, your a seller and will be the bady if anything goes wrong, even if your not, that's how it is..

[matildasplace]

Golden, you sound just like me! I will do and do do anything to make sure my customers are happy but some are very ungrateful.

Not that you should have to but I personally would pull the contact details and give them a buzz.

I had a similar thing happen not long ago and was very glad I decided to call them because they had actually sent me a message but the good old ebay message system took 3 days to deliver the message to me grrrrr.

Good luck!

[Golden Silence]

Imp, If I didn't have a bad shoulder I'd even do a handstand for you but would you like a kitchen sink with that? lol.

Yes, the thanks is just a side issue really.

If I haven't heard anything by the end of the day I guess I'll pull the details and see if I can get the colour choice answered. (Yes, I did wonder about the msg system Tilly).

Thanks girls

[RiffRaff]

Hi Golden. I would go ahead and call at around 5pm. If I was a shift worker trying to sleep, I'd have my phone switched off and redirected to message bank. Most shift workers are awake around dinner time anyway, regardless of their shift.

Far better to make the call and get the info you need than have your buyer asking 'Why didn't you call me?'

Cheers Riff.

[*r3830*]

Goodness Golden....... your buyer doesn't know how good he/she's got it! You've gone to enormous trouble.
As a shift worker myself, if the item was that important to request ASAP - it wouldn't really concern me what time you rang. As previously mentioned - calls are generally diverted to a message bank type service when necessary.

May I suggest that to NOT call could put you between a rock and a hard place - possibly leading to claims of delayed shipping. Remember - your buyers was the person who requested ASAP..... it is not a condition that you placed on the sale!

And.... it isn't that hard for a buyer to share a thankyou. I think they call that good manners..... and that should be a reasonable expectation!

[frangi]

I'm a buyer, but find ebay messages often fail to go through.  It can and has strained relations between self and seller.

With all the anxiety inherent to ebay transactions, particularly recently, it's easy for a seller to reach the conclusion the buyer is dragging the chain or doesn't intend to follow through.

I've sent emails almost straight after the conclusion of the auction, seeking bank or pick-up details.  A day seems a long time sometimes, especially when you want to pay and worry that the seller will be getting antsy.  So I'll send another email via ebay messages, seeking payment and pick-up details.  And again, nothing.

By the time a buyer finally gets through to a seller sometimes, it's to discover the seller is a bit terse, or at least not friendly.  Which puts the buyer's back up, because they've tried to do it right.

Nowadays, as a buyer, I have no hesitation in seeking the seller's contact details from ebay without too much delay.  Then I contact the seller and explain that I suspect my ebay messages seeking info have not been forwarded.  Gets things moving and assures the seller there's someone genuine on the other end of that transaction.   At the same time, not all sellers appreciate being contacted direct by the buyer .. and again, some of them get a bit terse or defensive.

I've come to regard it as one of the hazards of ebay transactions, where even a buyer can be put in the position of 'being wrong if you do and wrong even if you don't'.

It would be great if ebay would ensure that communication between buyers and sellers was allowed to proceed unimpeded .. would save a lot of tension all 'round.

[Golden Silence]

Hi Riff, r3830 and Frangi,

Well, I bit the bullet and pulled the contact details ... and got a landline number, so there'll be no wimping out and sending a txt lol.

I just don't like to bother people but agree, not much choice here really. I'll wait a few more hours then give them a bell.

Thanks for your thoughts and input everyone. 

[matildasplace]

Good luck with it, I am sure it will work out fine! I know I felt uncomfortable when I fist started calling customers but with the shoddy ebay message system I seem to always be picking up the phone lately.

Good chance that their phone number will be incorrect though. I know ebay say we are meant to update out details but I find about 50% of my buyers I have to call have the wrong phone number listed.

[Golden Silence]

Well, I did it! Didn't actually speak to him but got onto his wife and I figure (if it's anything like my house) she's the boss when it comes to colour choices anyway lol.

So all is good and I'd just like to thank you all again 

[matildasplace]

YaY well done!! See, not that scary is it?

Glad to hear it is all sorted and you can now finalize the sale, must be a big relief for you. I know little things like that make me feel so much better when they are all sorted.

[Golden Silence]

Ta    I had palpitations and sweaty palms lol. It is a huge relief though. I don't like unfinished business.

[*wheels*]

G.S, as a buyer, I would be impressed if a seller phoned me after failing to get an answer by email. Especially if it was something I was in a hurry for. eBay needs more sellers like you! 

[Bellagina]

I've never rung a buyer, but had a buyer ring ME, after they had deposited the wrong amount into my bank account. Wrong by over $200!! They asked me to pay the excess on to another party, which I gladly did for them (it would have taken a day or 2 for the funds to appear in her account, then another couple of days for them to appear in the other one - so I did undersand why).

[Golden Silence]

Thanks Wheels, that's good to hear from a buyer. I won't be so hesitant next time 

I must say, I do have a lot of potential buyers ring, either asking if I have other sizes, etc, or for quotes on an extra option. I don't mind but do prefer emails because then it's all there in black and white for future reference.

[*r3830*]

Golden..... really pleased for you!!!

Couldn't agree more with what wheels had to say above.

G.S, as a buyer, I would be impressed if a seller phoned me after failing to get an answer by email. Especially if it was something I was in a hurry for. eBay needs more sellers like you! 

 

[debra9275]

What a great seller you are GS.

as I buyer, I have phoned sellers in the past (even interstate) when we've had communication problems but I've never had a seller phone me.

[Golden Silence]

Ok I'm blushing now lol.

Thanks r3830 and Lilly. Lilly, that really surprises me athough I would think if they were high volume sellers it would be more difficult to keep track of and give that personal attention but I like to dot my i's and cross my t's ~ peace of mind for everyone.

(On a sidenote about that, here's a little anecdote re details: A few weeks ago I was in bed with a migraine and asked my husband to check if there were any questions. There were and he answered them. The next day when I went  through it all I found a few spelling mistakes and was horrified. The poor guy was doing me a favour but I ranted about professionalism, double and triple checking, etc, etc. It still grates on me thinking there are people out there now who think I can't spell lol).