Sellers, Will You PLEASE .....

[Deleted User]

...... read your messages.

In 3 weeks i've asked for specific details where none have been provided, small, individuals and not large business sellers.
7 sellers asked and just 3 bothered to reply - why use the platform if you're not going to monitor it fully/properly ?

I don't want the hassle of returning items, and, some have no returns accepted so in both cases i ask for information that's not there.

Even large business sellers respond so it's not necessarily a large/small business issue - it's a lazy issue.

Where a seller has been on holiday it's clearly stated - that's fine, i can understand that and wait, not a problem at all.
Where there's no contact at all - that's just poor business management.

soolin

You are obviously buying something quite specific to have the need to ask so many questions and that might mean your experience of eBay is unusual. I buy a fair bit on eBay, it is extremely rare that I use a seller that doesn’t have the necessary information in their description or item specifics and don’t recall when I last had to ask a question.

EDIT- i think  the last question I asked was from a seller who frankly seemed to completely misunderstand how it worked despite having 600 + positive feedback as a seller (2 negs thoughs as well) . The photo showed 8 items , the title said something like 8 different colours but the description said you had to state a colour preference  when ordering with no guarantee that’s what you would get. I asked whether price was for 8 or 1 and got a shirty reply back that of course it was only for 1 and stop asking stupid questions. I reported them for both being an unregistered business seller and for running a choice auction (obviously eBay didn’t do anything).

As for my selling, I’ve probably had 2 questions in the past month or so, both which were covered in description , I responded to both pointing out that the info they wanted was in the description and if they were using a mobile device they might have to fully open the description box if they weren’t able to see it when browsing. I also cut and pasted the pertinent bits in case. 

the_lunatic_is_in_my_head

Questions can be very difficult, perhaps I'm tainted, but when people are asking if there's a discount or specifics about the condition of the item* I do wonder if that sale will end up being more trouble than it's worth.

*I do my best to take good photos highlighting anything that might be an issue so beyond that it becomes subjective and I don't want SNAD returns due someone being more "fussy" than usual. 

Sometimes it's easier to simply not answer and often block the buyer. Not ideal I know but I'm selling off our unwanted items, the time and effort goes in to good listings and packing items well, beyond that I want an easy life and am willing to accept I'll miss the odd genuine sale because I don't want to answer certain types of questions. 

pinkshoes

What sort of specific details are we asking about?

If you're asking nit picking details then perhaps the seller might see you as a problem buyer hence not replying?

I've only every asked questions when either the listing has been contradictory or key information was missing e.g. I wanted an item, the auction listed postage as £10, but the text stated collection only. Another had a title for A Level text book, but the picture showed the GCSE equivalent. I've always had a reply.

Debbie9009

I’ve asked a few times on clothing auctions for the length of the item, if that detail isn’t included in the listing.  I’m quite short so need to know if an item will be too long, sometimes I can take an item up, but sometimes if it’s much too long it will spoil the look of the item.  I frequently don’t get a response.

I recently found a skirt I really like, but again no item length so asked, didn’t get a response, when I saw it was still for sale a couple of weeks later asked again explaining I would definitely purchase if it was the right length, still no response, and several weeks later it’s still for sale.

So I can understand when sellers get fed up of questions when the answer is in the listing, or concerned if the questions are very nitpicking, but I really don’t understand why a seller wouldn’t answer a simple question such as the length of an item.

Spoonie_Turtle

Clothes are such a hassle with sizes being so ridiculously subjective.  I always ask for measurements if they're not readily apparent and it's something I would really like to buy.  Surely better to answer a couple of questions than have to deal with a return. 
But then again they don't know that I'm an honest buyer and won't initiate a false SNAD if it still doesn't fit (despite having been told measurements) so I guess I can see not answering questions, hoping it would put me off.

Miser1964

Just giving the seller's PoV, but if a buyer is asking loads of questions I tend to assume they'll never to be happy with the item and block them. Obviously using TXT spk or if they're a noob will increase chance of a blocking.  

[Deleted User]

Clothing. I'm buying clothes.
I'm not a hassle, i am purely and simply asking for the measurements of something.
When the item just shows the label size it's in no way indicative of the actual length, or width, of the thing - every manufacturer works to a different size guide and yes, it's something i feel worth checking before spending, especially on higher priced items, although, as i previously said, i'm going to ask on lower priced too.

To immediately make assumptions i'm a buyer worth blocking is a bad move - i am prepared to spend big money on the right thing and am not one of those that's 'never be happy'.
I'm not using text speak, i'm using intelligent, spoken, English.
Nor am i a noob, i've been buying on ebay for as long as i can remember.
As a buyer - i get replies in text speak and i also have a low opinion of such sellers, so that works both ways.
As an experienced buyer, if it's a new seller not bothering to respond i'd be irritated but not to the extent that sellers block us with gay abandon.
Jeeze, you all are tarring us with a pretty grim brush, stop jumping to conclusions.
And answer the question.

Pollycat

Catsacor said:

Clothing. I'm buying clothes.
I'm not a hassle, i am purely and simply asking for the measurements of something.
When the item just shows the label size it's in no way indicative of the actual length, or width, of the thing - every manufacturer works to a different size guide and yes, it's something i feel worth checking before spending, especially on higher priced items, although, as i previously said, i'm going to ask on lower priced too.

To immediately make assumptions i'm a buyer worth blocking is a bad move - i am prepared to spend big money on the right thing and am not one of those that's 'never be happy'.
I'm not using text speak, i'm using intelligent, spoken, English.
Nor am i a noob, i've been buying on ebay for as long as i can remember.
As a buyer - i get replies in text speak and i also have a low opinion of such sellers, so that works both ways.
As an experienced buyer, if it's a new seller not bothering to respond i'd be irritated but not to the extent that sellers block us with gay abandon.
Jeeze, you all are tarring us with a pretty grim brush, stop jumping to conclusions.
And answer the question.

Even the same size with the same retailer can be different (I have a number of Next linen mix dresses and one size 10 is bigger than a size 14) so I agree with you that the questions you are asking are valid - and should really be included in the original listing.
If I'm selling clothes, I photo the dress length, across bust, underarm sleeve length, inside leg etc.

I show length and weight of any jewellery I'm selling.

I try to be a good seller and a good buyer.
I don't think it's wrong to expect others to be the same.

RFW

The seller messaging system on Ebay is a bit of a mess. All the messages and notifications appear in the same place.
It's one thing Amazon does better. Seller messages are only in one place and sellers get penalised if they don't answer them in 24 hours.

tightauldgit

Generally do my best to answer messages and questions on Ebay however it often seems more bother than it's worth at times.

I think I can count on the fingers of one thumb the number of times I've answered a message and got a sale from it, and very very rarely even get a 'thanks but that's not what I'm looking for'

The latest spate is people getting shirty about things cleared stated to be collection only, making lowball offers if I'll post it and then getting shirty when I say no. So I've taken to blocking people. 

The clothing items I have sold have generally all sold to people who are quite happy with the label size as listed (the way people buy clothes all the time from shops) and generally when people ask to measure things they never actually follow up with a sale. It's a pain in the butt to run around finding a measuring tape, finding the item, measuring it or photographing it, responding to the message and then it just going off into the void. Not to mention a lot of the things I sell are still sealed, so no I'm not opening it so you can get an accurate measurement of the width of the cuffs. 

99% of the questions i get asked can be easily solved with a Google - which is half the time what I end up doing. 

Not to mention the bloke that argued with me for ages that I should take the back off something so they can check the internals, i finally caved and did it, he responded that it was all as should be, then didn't bid.    

I even had someone give me the classic FB/Gumtree 'is this still available?' the other day - of course it's still available if listed you absolute clownshoe! 

I'm glad my Ebaying career is coming to an end tbh - moving away next week so everything that's not sold is going into storage until further notice. Made some decent money from it but by god it's hard work sometimes.