How Rude

[clubesquire]

This has come up on other like forums and opinion is divided. We've never, before now, had an issue with it. Basically I keep in close contact with our customers in this order, briefly .... thank them for their purchase and advise when it will be shipped (same day usually); advise tracking number when done and finally when they leave nice feedback I thank them again for making the effort and wish them well. There is no solicitation for further orders, or anything like that. I couldn't do that. It's just a very quick thank you message.

It has always worked to our advantage and we've formed some really nice seller/buyer relationships.

Mail received overnight after thanking someone for their feedback (and it was lovely feedback), some 4 weeks ago, "You've made your sale and made your money, now **bleep** off."

I am truly shocked and bothered by it. It defies the original very nice feedback. I'm feeling I won't bother to thank customer's anymore. I'm not game respond and ask why the animosity.

Its hurtful. Why are some people so unkind?

Melina.

[*tippy*toes*]

I only send messages these days if I need to. No communication is automatic 5 stars. I sent a message on Tuesday to a buyer after I'd posted. I had posted 3 items and when I was uploading the tracking number, I accidentally uploaded the wrong one. I changed it to the right one, but when I then tried to upload that first one to this customers transaction, eBay said no, it's already been used. I sent him a message saying I had posted, but due to my error, I couldn't upload the tracking number. I told him that I would keep an eye on it and let him know if it looked like there were going to be any delays.

He sent a message yesterday thanking me for the email. He had received his parcel and was really happy with it. I was stoked it arrived so quickly as it was interstate.

If I get an uneasy feeling about a buyer, I'll send a message saying I have posted their item and the tracking number can be found in their purchase history. I will also say that if there are any issues, to reply to this message. The rare times there has been an issue, they did reply to the message and didn't just jump in and open a dispute. Issue rectified easily without fuss.

I have been bombarded with messages from sellers in the past. My nephew loves fossils and sparkly rocks and I bought him a couple of things for his birthday from India. That seller nearly hounded me to death. Every day I would get an email demanding I buy more items. I don't think it was meant to sound demanding, but it did. He then started adding item numbers of items he wanted me to buy.......most were his most expensive items. I didn't want to buy anything else. I got what I wanted for my nephew and was happy with that. He's NARU now, so not sure if other buyers got sick of the emails and reported him, or whether he just decided to shut up shop.

That said, a nice short message from a seller thanking me for purchasing doesn't bother me. I think it can be a nice touch and shows the seller does appreciate you because they have taken the time to contact you.

[lyndal1838]

Melina, one of the regular members of the boards was always very fond of saying she was not interested in messages from sellers other than to let her know that the item was on the way.

She said she wanted to buy an item not get a penfriend.

I know I feel that way and I suspect a lot of other buyers do to.

[bubblebooks2020]

Hi Melina, yes extremely rude and uncalled for, but sometimes we can just get overwhelmed and take it out on strangers, like road rage, it's never about the victim its the road rager is in a bad mood and looking to take it out on someone. He may have been having a bad day, had a fight with his wife, lost his job, been diagnosed with cancer??? and was in a raging bad mood and sent that email to relieve himself of some of the anger, its transference, its not about you, its about him and his issues. Just like when you are driving along doing the right thing and some nutter cuts you off and gives you the finger, and you've done nothing to deserve it. Just think he has issues, I did nothing wrong, and don't give it another thought! 

[brerrabbit585]

A lot of buyers leave feedback as a way of saying thanks and ackowledging you, so if you send a message thanking them for leaving feedback you're basically thanking them for saying thank you, which can be quite annoying at times.

If you send within a day or two there's no need to say thanks for buying until you can also say you've posted it.  Too many messages means people are less likely to read any messages at all, which means they might miss any really important messages. 

I sent the wrong amount of something the other day (first time) and realised straight after I'd messaged the buyer to say it was on its way, so I had to message them a second time.  Then I had to message a third time to clarify something and to say I'd posted the correct amount the day after.  The buyer never responded to any of my messages so either she doesn't intend to return the first item or she's so sick of receiving messages that she didn't read any of them.  For this reason there's no way I'd flood a buyer with messages and I keep messages for the important stuff, which includes saying thank you but only once.

Has it occurred to you that some of your items would be bought as gifts, which means that the more messages you send, the more chance the recipient has of seeing emails they're not meant to see?

[clubesquire]

You live and learn I guess, but at face value you just wouldn't think there could so many sets of different scenarios behind such a message. I'll never know.

What brings it all into perspective though, is a total of 8 emails, mine and eBays combined, following a sale. It's just far too much.

I'm much wiser for the experience and advice from here. I've changed our procedure now so that hopefully, our intent can't be misunderstood in future.

All good - onwards and upwards.

Melina.

[dazzledayz]

---

@clubesquire wrote:

You live and learn I guess, but at face value you just wouldn't think there could so many sets of different scenarios behind such a message. I'll never know.

What brings it all into perspective though, is a total of 8 emails, mine and eBays combined, following a sale. It's just far too much.

I'm much wiser for the experience and advice from here. I've changed our procedure now so that hopefully, our intent can't be misunderstood in future.

All good - onwards and upwards.

Melina.

---

As observed by others (and anyone who buys on ebay), a single sale can generate a deluge of emails from eBay and PayPal.

I basically stick to the single email for a "normal" sale where everything goes smoothly.

That is sent after the item has been physically posted and thanks the customer personally for the purchase, advises that postage has now been consigned to AP and I will add any other relevant details then wish them well.

Other than that, the only emails I send are in the event of a hiccup, or as a reply to an email received from the customer.

This seems to be well accepted and I often get positive comments regarding communications.

Personally, I have set up rules to divert eBay and PayPal messages to their own folders within my main email account.

That leaves the primary inbox reasonably uncluttered but I can well imagine how p'ed off some customers would get with the saturation bombing a single or, heaven forbid, multiple ebay sales paid through PayPal will incur.

It sounds like the last email of yours that provoked the customers response was just the "final straw" and, knowing that a reply to eBay would be useless, you wore his wrath.

With eBay, PayPal and your current messaging practices, each single sale will generate at minmum 10 individual emails.

Perhaps you could consider adopting a less is more approach?

Although this is the only customer who has had a dummy spit, you may be upsetting others who don't choose to make their feelings known to you.

[melbourneclearance]

You guys forgot about the ebay spam "Rate the product" (different from FB) email telling the buyer to rate your stuff. What other ebay spams have we forgotten?

I never send messages to the buyers unless they want some attention by either messaging me first or leaving a note with the purchase.

A perfect transaction is a transaction which goes under the radar.