Payment for Custom/Special Orders

[clarry100]

We quite often get customers who browse our store and send us a message asking if we can make a special order for this or that or change quantities etc etc.

We usually have tried to oblige but it makes for something we normally don't have listed. And at a price we don't have listed.

After some haggling to/fro and agreeing a price, how can we go about invoicing them for ther special/custom order.

Up until recently we used to ask for thei PayPal email address and send them an invoice thru PayPal, but it seems of late eBay have totally blocked passing of email addresses within a message so we cant do that any more.

Its OK if they are a returning customer because we can get thier PayPal email address from a recent purchase. But not if they are a new customer.

Any ideas on this one will be welcomed...

[harley_babes_hoard]

Hi, Ebay are blocking sending emails because I guess people are doing transactions outside of ebay and they are missing out on their cut.. Just make a private listing for the person and they can pay you like they normally would.

[davewil1964]

person at isp dot com should work.

[*crikey*mate*]

Make a special private listing as mentioned above.

Check my feedback, I had a private listing a few days ago (I was the buyer)

When you make the listing, to stop some numpty buying it (and they do)

set it at a HUGE BIN price with the make an offer option.

That way, you either make an awful lot of money and can get another package together for your intended customer, or you can feild any offers and accept the one from your intended customer.

Naturally, you need to let your customer know what you are doing/have done, perhaps give them the item number and/or the title of the listing so they can search for it and let them know that when they make an offer for the agreed upon price that you will accept their offer.

after that, it's business as normal, and you shouldn't have to synchronize watches with your buyer for the exact time it will be listed so they can pounce on it before some numpty does. (cos remember that sometimes listings can take up to 24 hours to appear, so even synchronizing watches may have some problems)

This way, there is no risk that you will end up being accused for trading off eBay which is a bit naughty, I believe, and eBay tend to get a bit cross about that.

[harley_babes_hoard]

When I make a private listing I put "private listing for Joe blow" as the title.Then in the description something basic like " 2 x gadgets as discussed via email" then anyone else looking at it hasn't a clue.

[davewil1964]

That's okay as long as the seller isn't shonky. Bit hard to prove SNAD for 2 x gadgets.

[harley_babes_hoard]

You would have to show ebay mesages If anything went wrong. Better than listing at some unrealistic price then putting in a bid for less. Never been a problem for me in the past either buying or selling.

[*crikey*mate*]

why is it better?

[harley_babes_hoard]

because it's too much messing around. having to wait around for the buyer to make an offer then accepting it. At least if you put the intended price the buyer can purchase when they are ready.

[harley_babes_hoard]

with you telling them how to get around blocking of the emails then there would be no purchase at all through ebay.