topic Re: Changes to Email Address Visibility on eBay in Selling

Changes to Email Address Visibility on eBay

little.ripple — Thu, 10 Sep 2020 00:33:44 GMT

"To protect all our customers’ privacy and combat spam and phishing attacks, we’ll show most buyers and sellers an alias email address for each other on eBay orders. This is a global change that will apply to a majority of eBay’s sites. Starting in mid-September, you’ll still be able to send messages to your buyers both directly and via eBay, but instead of their actual email address, you’ll see an alias email address. Your email address will also be shown as an alias address to your buyers. "

Does that mean we have no access to the buyer's email address?

As a seller, I need to enter email address in courier's system, so buyers can receive delivery notification such as if the parcel is onboard to be delivered today, if the parcel is at the collection centre to be picked up or the parcel has been left at the premises.

If I can't get the email, how can they be notified?

I need some clarification please.

Re: Changes to Email Address Visibility on eBay

davewil1964 — Thu, 10 Sep 2020 00:48:04 GMT

@little.ripple wrote:
"To protect all our customers’ privacy and combat spam and phishing attacks, we’ll show most buyers and sellers an alias email address for each other on eBay orders. This is a global change that will apply to a majority of eBay’s sites. Starting in mid-September, you’ll still be able to send messages to your buyers both directly and via eBay, but instead of their actual email address, you’ll see an alias email address. Your email address will also be shown as an alias address to your buyers. "

Does that mean we have no access to the buyer's email address?

As a seller, I need to enter email address in courier's system, so buyers can receive delivery notification such as if the parcel is onboard to be delivered today, if the parcel is at the collection centre to be picked up or the parcel has been left at the premises.

If I can't get the email, how can they be notified?

I need some clarification please.

It would appear so.

You would have to ask eBay, and they don't visit the boards.

I suspect it is to push sellers to use the eBay label system. Currently that imports email addresses and phone numbers into the postage. As it does for MyPost Business.

Re: Changes to Email Address Visibility on eBay

little.ripple — Thu, 10 Sep 2020 01:44:39 GMT

Thanks. I use Mypost and Fastway. I'll contact eBay.

Re: Changes to Email Address Visibility on eBay

everard6920 — Wed, 16 Sep 2020 07:26:12 GMT

We all know why they're doing it but I am not happy about it, not because of your problem, OP, but because I block non-payers and troublemakers via email address so that they can't make a duplicate account and buy again. When I used to simply block their username, they'd often turn up a few weeks later with a new account, but blocking emails has seemed more effective.

And before anyone tells me to require immediate payment - 80% of my orders are multiple items, so that doesn't work for me.

Re: Changes to Email Address Visibility on eBay

danieh_6 — Wed, 16 Sep 2020 07:44:10 GMT

"combat spam and phishing" hahahaah

Re: Changes to Email Address Visibility on eBay

lyndal1838 — Wed, 16 Sep 2020 07:47:40 GMT

How does blocking by email address work any better than blocking by ID.....they have to have a different email address to open a new ID?

Re: Changes to Email Address Visibility on eBay

south.coffee — Wed, 16 Sep 2020 07:54:44 GMT

The answer to this is simply bottom line. They simply don't want buyers and sellers communicating directly and cutting deals as eBay loses it's cut.
So forcing communication through eBay Messaging gives them the ability to catch sellers out by using the 'Big Fat text script robot' to scan message content and raise the alarm.

We currently use the PayPal email notification to automatically send back a return email to confirm the customers order, so will lose this automated function soon.

Re: Changes to Email Address Visibility on eBay

danieh_6 — Wed, 16 Sep 2020 08:05:48 GMT

Yeah paypal API always works but if you are on MP I wonder if the ebay api still imports the email?

Re: Changes to Email Address Visibility on eBay

danieh_6 — Wed, 16 Sep 2020 08:27:20 GMT

I just go this from customer service: "You dont need to add your buyer's email address if your going to deliver a parcel.
As long as you have put the tracking number on your sold items the buyer can track the item" hahaha

Re: Changes to Email Address Visibility on eBay

davewil1964 — Wed, 16 Sep 2020 08:36:49 GMT

Ha ha, indeed.

If a buyer uses a parcel locker or parcel collect, AP REQUIRES an email address. I guess eBay missed that bit in their rush to squeeze as much as they can from a failing business model.

Re: Changes to Email Address Visibility on eBay

danieh_6 — Wed, 16 Sep 2020 08:59:48 GMT

Yeah exactly I know AP is optional for normal delivery, but fastway and sendle actually require it to send any parcel. What about other couriers? DHL, FedEX, UPS, ??

Anyway the amount of people contact outside ebay imo is not from email, mainly phone but also lot of high volume business sellers will use their email address to sign up for newsletters

As you said not really thought through.

Re: Changes to Email Address Visibility on eBay

love_of_cars — Wed, 16 Sep 2020 11:01:14 GMT

I'd say the "alias" email address will be like a relay system. If you email them at the alias, eBay will relay it out to their actual email address, and vice versa, like Gumtree does.

Re: Changes to Email Address Visibility on eBay

glenbankloel — Wed, 16 Sep 2020 21:15:32 GMT

So does this mean the end of My Post Business labels? Are they slowing shutting the door to them as well as Paypal?

Re: Changes to Email Address Visibility on eBay

curraone — Wed, 16 Sep 2020 21:26:48 GMT

The email addresses are not actually shown on the Aust Post label, so it shouldn't be a problem, should it?

After all the buyer can still see the tracking number in his purchases screen.

Re: Changes to Email Address Visibility on eBay

davewil1964 — Wed, 16 Sep 2020 22:28:03 GMT

@curraone wrote:
The email addresses are not actually shown on the Aust Post label, so it shouldn't be a problem, should it?

After all the buyer can still see the tracking number in his purchases screen.

Except, as I noted yesterday, if the recipient uses parcel locker/collect. AP require an email address for those.

Re: Changes to Email Address Visibility on eBay

lumikgroup — Wed, 16 Sep 2020 23:49:56 GMT

@danieh_6 wrote:
Yeah exactly I know AP is optional for normal delivery, but fastway and sendle actually require it to send any parcel. What about other couriers? DHL, FedEX, UPS, ??

Anyway the amount of people contact outside ebay imo is not from email, mainly phone but also lot of high volume business sellers will use their email address to sign up for newsletters

As you said not really thought through.

no, that is not correct Fastway and sendle do not require the email address and even if they do, it will be a system generated email that does not exist.Does not have to be a valid email

All Marketplaces like Amazon, Catch, Kogan and so on , do not give sellers acces to buyer email and they all ship millions of parcels just fine

Re: Changes to Email Address Visibility on eBay

south.coffee — Thu, 17 Sep 2020 00:08:31 GMT

Interesting points. MyPost eBay import, includes the buyer's email address for Australia Post to send the notifications. eBay will have to anomalise that feature as well and then Australia Post will need to re-engineer their interface for tracking updates via eBay. Imagine the extra traffic that will create with a minimum of 4 emails per order:

Send tracking notifications to this recipient (optional)

If selected, delivery notifications keep the recipient updated when the parcel is:
1. Being prepared by Australia Post
2. Onboard with the driver for delivery
3. Had an attempted delivery
4. Delivered

Re: Changes to Email Address Visibility on eBay

lumikgroup — Thu, 17 Sep 2020 00:15:39 GMT

I just checked in our booking system and except eBay all the emails from buyers look like this :
AU-CUSTOMER@NOTSPECIFIED.COM.AU or no-reply@xxxx.com.au

Re: Changes to Email Address Visibility on eBay

everard6920 — Thu, 17 Sep 2020 01:41:18 GMT

@lyndal1838 wrote:
How does blocking by email address work any better than blocking by ID.....they have to have a different email address to open a new ID?

Correct, but because the block list isn't dynamic (or, at least, it never used to be) if they changed their username, they could buy from you again.

For example if I block lollipopbubblegumgirl15, and she changes her username to lollipopbubblegumgirl16, she would be able to buy from me. So blocking emails is more effective, because unless she also changed her email (which is more trouble, but still possible, of course) she wouldn't be able to buy.

Re: Changes to Email Address Visibility on eBay

lyndal1838 — Thu, 17 Sep 2020 02:23:37 GMT

If the buyer opened another ID by changing the 15 to 16 they would still need a new email address to do so.

Only if they change their ID do they use the same email address and as far as I am aware the system cross references the old and new IDs and blocks both.....at least it used to be that way.