Buyer has gone off one one after I requested their contact details!

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head

cyberbob wrote: »

Don't know about you I don't have my phone number on my front door.

No matter what you can harp or moan about 'oversensitive customers' but reading this thread the majority are not happy with their phone number being given to a third party so maybe people need to think about this.

It all cones down to Customer service and treating customers with respect. Those that are saying people are being oversensitive, looking at their previous posts seem to have the attitude that customers are some huge inconvenience. If thats your attitude any form of retail is not for you.

In reality whatever you think this is ebay and if the customer doesn't like your actions they will make their displeasure known in DSRs or feedback which could effect you in the future.

Personally I try and respect my customers and treat them how I would wish to be treated.

If I'm expecting a parcel and I'm in the garden, yes I do have my number on the door and my phone in my pocket because I want my parcel.

I don't think it's a case of dismissing concerns as most people just don't care, a few here might, but they don't necessarily represent the millions of shoppers in the UK, or when people have time to sit around over-thinking it again maybe.

I think there are far greater chance of a customer being unhappy at slow dispatch because you are waiting for an email back than those who would be unhappy with the number being obtained.

And although the OP says their customer was unhappy, from the OP they don't seem unhappy with the number being passed to the courier, they seem, from what I read, unhappy OP had requested their number from eBay in the first place and that's something that happens often and is of great use to sellers and the customer.

I had several customers purchase a few items and one isn't needed as it's included as part of another item, I can mess around with emails or I can pick up the phone, get an instant answer, the customer can ask any questions straight away and I can post their order as required (which has always resulted in the duplicated bit being cancelled) asap.

techspec

Ebay used to give the phone number to the seller - i don't know why they stopped - maybe a data protection thing.

But as i have said - the option to obtain the buyers details is usually used when theres a problem. It sends a message to the buyer that you don't trust them - so you are checking up on them.

I always message the buyer immediately and ask for any info i need. If they don't reply - i make a decision if i can proceed without the info - so i don't delay delivery. I then message them again and state the item is on its way and i managed - or i still need the info, if its the door number missing etc. Most couriers are happy with the sellers phone number and email address only (and state this - as they realise the sender may not have them).

Its just manners to ask the buyer direct - thats all.

trukdiver

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head wrote: »

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The idea of asking first is also laughable, some people are running real businesses, you know 3 dozen staff, thousands of orders a day, they don't have a mini call centre set up to ask customers pointless questions such as "can we give your number to a courier" and if a company was going to state they'd do this it would most likely go in the privacy policy and who here reads that for every site they shop on?

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If they've got dozens of staff and thousands of orders, maybe they should pay a bit of attention to customer service? The times when I've had to contact sellers, I found that their details were out of date. A lot of people are casual sellers and infrequent buyers - and keeping their eBay details up to date isn't a priority. They enter them when they sign up and then forget all about it.

alykatz

amcluesent wrote: »

Is Ebay only used by idiots now? After selling an item, I used Ebay to get their contact details so the courier had a mobi number. They live in a flat in poor part of London, so I didn't want the item left in the communal hallway and the courier would SMS the time of their delivery 'slot'.

Am i the only one who finds it somewhat disturbing that someone i may be purchasing from is checking my exact location to see if im in a poorer area ans if they need extra contact details over and above a full postal address?
I have my landline registered with ebay but no way would want my mobi gived out without the manners of at least asking first.

techspec wrote: »

Ebay used to give the phone number to the seller - i don't know why they stopped - maybe a data protection thing.

But as i have said - the option to obtain the buyers details is usually used when theres a problem. It sends a message to the buyer that you don't trust them - so you are checking up on them.

Its just manners to ask the buyer direct - thats all.

Would have thought it is along the lines of data protection tbh.

And totally agree with the trust aspect..

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head

It's nothing to do with data protection as Amazon give your number to each seller and as the biggest, most successful online retailer in the country requires a phone number with each order and deems it appropriate to provide the customer's number to each marketplace seller it might highlight something as to why its sometimes needed.

marie-20

I'm a little stuck on the fence with this one as I don't care if someone gives a courier my phone number as I would prefer to get my order quickly and easily however I also understand that other people don't like it.

We send around 30 parcels a day by courier due to Amazon expedited shipping and on a handful of occasions I have used my own number as I didn't have time to go back into Amazon orders and get it or the number wasn't complete etc and I have actually had several phone calls from the courier asking for directions which I wasn't able to do other than looking on Google maps and trying to help that way so it does actually happen.

I don't offer Special Delivery/24 Hour on eBay as we don't have the time to do so at present however when we do I'm not too sure how we will handle it and may request a phone number at checkout as we do not have the time to email each customer and ask them and then hold their order whilst they respond etc - their orders would end up getting lost in the abyss of the 500+ orders a day that we pack until they replied to us or we chased them so it would be way too time consuming.

I would imagine though that as the courier is a sub-contractor to the seller and the contract that you have with them that the seller is able to pass on any information deemed nessesary by the seller/courier to ensure that the order is delivered in a swift and timely manner.

I think that it is a no win situation on eBay as if you pass on the details some people will be annoyed and ding your stars and if you don't and contact buyers and wait for a response they will also ding your stars as you took longer to dispatch your orders or if you use your own or a fake number and the courier has a problem the buyer will also ding you - ideally eBay should make it so that the buyers numbers are displayed and the buyers are made aware that the seller may pass on their phone number unless they contact them to advise otherwise but that is an ideal world and eBay, unfortunately, isn't.

Crowqueen

Hey CBob - nice to see you again .

cyberbob

Crowqueen wrote: »

Hey CBob - nice to see you again .

Thanks. Just popped in:D

amcluesent

LOL. Buyer gave me +tive feedback (I did previously send an email apologising). Guess he'd been on the falling-down water that night...