Emailing buyer

tykesi

I've just sold a high value item on eBay. I have received payment on Paypal and it is showing as "OK to send" and Eligible for seller protection. I'm upgrading the postage method as I stupidly put on postage cost of way too little not taking into account insurance etc.

Do you think it's overkill to email the buyer off eBay thanking them for their purchase and telling them when I'll dispatch. This would purely be an attempt to see if the buyer is genuine. I have checked the buyer's name and it has been on the electoral roll in the correct postcode area since 2009, I hate to be so suspicious but reading horror stories on here has made me slightly paranoid.

Flyonthewall

How does that show the buyer is genuine? I'd be wondering why you were bothering to email me that and I certainly wouldn't bother replying to it, although I don't see what that would prove anyway.

I understand checking the buyers feedback just to be sure they do appear to be a good buyer, but checking the electoral roll is very OTT.

Send it tracked and fully insured and send it to the Paypal address listed and you will be fully covered.

The buyer has paid and it's showing as ok to send, I'm not sure what you suspicious about. If you are that paranoid about selling a high valued item I'd suggest you don't sell any others.

tykesi

Flyonthewall wrote: »

How does that show the buyer is genuine? I'd be wondering why you were bothering to email me that and I certainly wouldn't bother replying to it, although I don't see what that would prove anyway.

I understand checking the buyers feedback just to be sure they do appear to be a good buyer, but checking the electoral roll is very OTT.

Send it tracked and fully insured and send it to the Paypal address listed and you will be fully covered.

The buyer has paid and it's showing as ok to send, I'm not sure what you suspicious about. If you are that paranoid about selling a high valued item I'd suggest you don't sell any others.

Thanks, I get all your points and am aware just how paranoid I sound. I rarely sell on eBay and certainly nothing of this value. To be honest I didn't expect it to sell at all.

Thanks for putting it into perspective. As you say, I'm covered so will send the item.

Now, do I list my tin foil hat next or not??

Ting-Tang

I don't really sell on ebay any more but in contrast to what Flyonthewall says I always used to email people to thank them for buying and tell them that their item was on the way.
I just thought it was a nice touch, and likewise I appreciate it when I receive this sort of message from a seller.


Then again, that was in the days when ebay seemed a lot more personal and friendly than it has since become....

mrcol1000

I do for things that sell for over £5. I have a range of pre written messages to cut and paste so it is quicker. I find that if people need to contact you after the sale, they tend to reply to the message you sent. rather than opening a case. Its also a nice thing to do that only takes a few seconds. Most likely it is rarely appreciated but occasionally it is.

Flyonthewall

Ting-Tang wrote: »

I don't really sell on ebay any more but in contrast to what Flyonthewall says I always used to email people to thank them for buying and tell them that their item was on the way.
I just thought it was a nice touch, and likewise I appreciate it when I receive this sort of message from a seller.

Then again, that was in the days when ebay seemed a lot more personal and friendly than it has since become....

Listings state within how long the seller should post and it gets marked as dispatched once dispatched so the buyer is informed.

I see no point in saying I will post it on XXX because it's just an extra email telling me you've yet to bother posting because instead you're writing messages to me and there's nothing to guarantee you'll actually send it when you say. In fact, it can lead you to be suspicious of the seller, wondering why they're so keen to assure you exactly when they'll post it. They're usually the ones you end up having INR issues with.

If you're going to send a general message telling me you've sent an item and it's high value you'd best be giving me a tracking number in that message, otherwise it's like you spent the time to tell me how happy you are and that you've posted it as you should(!), yet you can't be bothered to give me the one little bit of information that's actually useful to me. For some annoying reasons, very few sellers seem to bother sending tracking numbers anymore though.

If it's a personalised message that's different. I'd still prefer it if you included the tracking number, but it's nice you took to the time to send a polite message. I've had hand written notes in packages before which is nice.

I guess it basically comes down to whether it's a thoughtful message or just one trying to make the seller appear they're above the rest when in reality they're informing you they've only done what they should do as a seller and just wasted your time making you read an extra email that tells you nothing new.

Either way it certainly doesn't prove how genuine a buyer is. It says more about the seller than the buyer.

Ting-Tang

Oh well, obviously no point trying to be polite then

soolin

Also worth remembering that sending an email means that buyers can mark the seller down on their communication star. Not sending a message and dispatching within the ebay time frame (I think it is one day) means seller gets an automatic 5* for communication. I always used to send a cut and paste dispatch message but since I stopped I now maintain 5* for that area on my stars.

Flyonthewall

Ting-Tang wrote: »

Oh well, obviously no point trying to be polite then

Being polite and sending a nice message is fine.

It's just often the sellers that send such messages make them pointlessly long and, as I said before, miss out the tracking number and state that they've posted it as you'd expect and already know. They're not polite, they're basically bragging that they've done what they should and often that they expect 5* feedback.