An Effort to Alert Buyers

[cmcoins2000]

The problem is getting the message across to buyers.

They do not 'attend' these forums.

I am adding a message - with the understanding - most buyers do not read - to each & every one of my listings.

I am lost for another solution..

In each package sent I include a flyer with info on the  item etc will be adding this to the flyer.

Just alerting one buyer is an improvement on the current situation.

I am asking all for improvements to my message - any suggestions will be very much appreciated.

IMPORTANT: INFO FOR BUYERS

We as Buyers are having a decimating impact on Australian Sellers

The newly introduced 'defect' system ie: the Detailed Seller Rating Stars are now a great part of the Feedback System.

These ratings if not an honest reflection of a sale will see your favourite Australian Sellers disappear from eBay.

A score of 3 & below become a 'defect' & be aware these ratings are no longer anonymous & could cause a block from the seller.

When purchasing do as you would do if in a store.

Do not just go by the 'pic' read the description - all you need to know is usually there.

This will help you if your item is not as described & save a lot of time & effort in having to return the item usually at your expense.

Ask a question - before buying - communication is not only expected from the seller.

Consider the postage costs & time - if the postage seems too high or the time stated for posting does not suit you - do not buy.

Sellers do not control the postal system anymore than they control the weather.

Consider the Seller's previous Feedback - always a good indication of the experience of others.

Keep in mind purchases from China are cheap but expensive to return with proof of posting for PayPal protection.

[yeoldecoinco]

You are correct, the best way in normal times, would be to never mention Feedback or DSRs when sending a note with the purchase.

If you have delivered what you promised in reasonable time, those things are appreciated by almost all buyers and it is reflected in your feedback.

However, these are NOT normal times.

All sellers be aware.

This Defect System is a fight for your very existence.

If you do nothing, you will be most surely be exterminated under the current reign of terror.

Are you looking forward to begging with some disinterested lackey in the Philippines to keep your eBay business afloat?

After you have been on hold for 90 minutes.. Trying to get unjust so-called Defect removed so you can continue selling?

That is what many of you will be doing within the next 12 months.

Not me, no way do I grovel for the amusement of a bunch of sociopaths, because I spot the writing on the wall..

How do you like the next one, coming November 2014:

Paypal returns extended from 45 days to 180 days.

Think I will buy me something, use it for 5 months, then return it, seller also loses back to eBay and Paypal the fees on the sale.

Plant you bought died because you did not look after it?

No problem, has not been six months, lets whip in a Item Not Described case and get our money back..

Don't like the mobile phone or CD you have?

No problem, six months to use it and then return it at the sellers expense.

Seller is also charged by eBay at whatever rate they choose, the return postage cost.

That will ineviatbely mean the change to eBay, of the buyer now having 180 days to use you and neg you into the bargain..

Called "Hassle Free Returns"

I have never known two companies as hell bent on destroying their seller base as these..

That is because they have 10,000 foreign merchants selling mostly junk just waiting to fill the void by drop shipping from USA or Hong Kong warehouses.

People selling used items are not wanted any more by eBay. Too many returns, too many disputes.

What they do not realise or forgot, is the used items and the small sellers are the charm of eBay.

Many of those sellers they are now abusing with fees on postage, unjust defect systems and return periods, are buyers too.. Or, were..

Who may eventually have the intelligence to get sick of inferior foreign made junk which is all ebay will be left with.

Many people are being chewed up and spat out in the name of greed, right at the moment..

Reads some of the posts on eBay USA Community website. So sad..

[fetzerveeble]

eBayazon anyone?

[fetzerveeble]

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@yeoldecoinco wrote:

Paypal returns extended from 45 days to 180 days.

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Say what now ?

Part of me trolling the seller space lately is because of the double garage full of carefully catalogued and stored 30 odd years of my life (I'm a hoarder) and I decided to let it all go, so eBaying it was the obvious solution and I wanted to get a handle on what eBay was really like for sellers.

It's stuff that may be useful to some, like original IBM XT computers and the like.  I thought I could pass some of this stuff along to those that still find an interest in old things.

But after seeing that, well, to hell with baypal.  Time to use my knowledge.

First, a merchant account from an old friend called ematters.com.au

Second, my own auction site on one of my international servers.

Third, metro and regional classifieds promoting the site.

It'll take time, but that's what I have.

[digital*ghost]

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@yeoldecoinco wrote:

You are correct, the best way in normal times, would be to never mention Feedback or DSRs when sending a note with the purchase.

If you have delivered what you promised in reasonable time, those things are appreciated by almost all buyers and it is reflected in your feedback.

However, these are NOT normal times.

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I know, but I consider the burden of responsibility for worrying about it to be mine, not my buyer's. 

I got a neutral just the other day, completely unjustified as far as I'm concerned because it was one of those 'not what I expected' neuts when the pictures and description are rather explicit regarding what to expect (that is, accurate measurements and an image with a coin to show scale).

I'm frustrated because I feel it was unjustified, and I'm concerned that this now means I have another defect, but I blame eBay for that frustration more than I do the buyer, because it's eBay who are deciding a buyer's ignorance has the potential to put me out of business, and a subjective opinion / review shouldn't be granted that kind of weight IMO. So it's eBay - if anyone - I would bombard, if I was going to choose to do something like that.

I know my position on eBay is more precarious than ever and it does concern me, and believe me when I say I greatly empathise with the sellers who have had their accounts restricted, and that I am outraged on their behalf that eBay are so careless with their treatment of them, but I can't spend my time here wondering if/when I'll be next, or acting as though I'm walking a tightrope, looking down at a huge fall and asking my buyer's not to touch the rope - to my mind, that's inviting some joker to come along and go "you mean like this?" and do it anyway, and my time / energy is far better spent on the things I can control, which is my level of customer service, how I treat my customers, what I ask of them, etc, and making sure I've got a safety net when I need it....because eBay don't need me, and even if I double or triple my current sales volume, they still wouldn't. 

If I was to do anything at all regarding customers and feedback, it'd be a novelty gesture, like putting random phrases on little slips of paper inside fortune cookies. 😄

[egglesdtp]

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@thecatspjs wrote:

I think there are far more risks than any tenuous benefit of including a note mentioning DSRs or feedback in a buyers parcels.

I would never include one in my parcels no matter how cleverly worded.  I think the defect system is DEFECTIVE and the feedback system unfair, however I still respect that buyers can leave honest feedback for sellers and rate via the DSRs. 

I think a seller has an inherent conflict of interest in trying to "train" buyers on the use of eBay rating system, so should not attempt to do so.

Also as a buyer I use a sellers feedback and overall stars as one of the guides to determine if I will buy from that seller, I don't like to think that a sellers rating may have been compromised as the seller has been busy begging great dsrs and feedback.

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My main concern is that buyers are simply not aware that the defect system even exists, much less what it involves and how they can have an impact on it.

I think the best way of letting them know, rather than us buyers trying to educate them, is to have ebay do it, in the form of pop-ups when a buyer attempts to leave 3 or less stars. In a similar way to when listing, when all sorts of pop-uos appear when you mark something as BNWT or whatever.

[dylan11235813]

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@fetzerveeble wrote:

eBayazon anyone?

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if you register that domain you will get a legal letter from ebay saying you cant use thier mark.

[yeoldecoinco]

I send a free coin with most purchases.

Just a little gesture, costs very little, but it helps and people like to get an unexpected surprise.

One time I sent a free coin with a purchase to a fellow in NZ.

The fellow was so delighted (as the extra coin turned out to be the year of his birth) that he had to ring me up and have a chat and thank me..

A couple of ways to approach it, maybe.

Either ignore it as much as you can and make sure you provide great customer service, if you do that you have done your best..

Or, look for alternatives and there are many ways to sell.

At present, I am trying to do the former, whilst preparing for the latter, at the end of the year, if eBay does not reconsider some of their terrible decisions against sellers, then thanks for the memories...

[lyndal1838]

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@black*poppy wrote:

Great idea - get buyers' opinions from the source!  I'll watch out for it as I want to hear what they say too.

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Do you really think buyers are not reading and participating in this thread and on the Seller's board in general?

Buyers who are interested enough to come to the boards when they have no issues will read everything.

And just for the record....I am a buyer only and I hate being lectured to by sellers.  I appreciate a business card included in my package with perhaps a hand written "thank you" but anything else just goes in the recycling bin with the rest of the packaging.  The business cards are filed away for future reference if it has been a good transaction.

[fetzerveeble]

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@dylan11235813 wrote:

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@fetzerveeble wrote:

eBayazon anyone?

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if you register that domain you will get a legal letter from ebay saying you cant use thier mark.

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True.  But it's been registered since Sep 2008.

[thecatspjs]

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@lyndal1838 wrote:

And just for the record....I am a buyer only and I hate being lectured to by sellers.

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And I will add to that record... I am a buyer and a seller and I don't like to see others others being lectured by posters who don't like being lectured cause its quite confusing that they don't want to be lectured and then they just lecture others anyway .. lol :