Warned for giving a buyer the pick-up address and phone number - AFTER he'd purchased via eBay!

[performance_parts_clearance_centre]

Just copped a warning for messaging contact details to a buyer - AFTER he'd purchased the item on eBay!

Back-story - buyer messages me, saying that he's nearby, and asking if he could pick the item up today.

I responded that pick-up was welcome (preferred, in this case, actually), but that due to eBay's new contact policy, he had to purchase on eBay BEFORE I could give him the pick-up address and contact number.

A few minutes later, he asks a technical question about the item, then I get a purchase notification from eBay. I then get a message asking if he needs to do bank deposit to finalize the sale. I respond that he doesn't need to, as the sale itself has gone through, and that he can pay cash on pick-up.

It's that specific line that gets quoted in the warning. 

Bear in mind - he's actually clicked "Buy It Now", and I've received the notification. eBay can see that. They can also see me telling him that I can't supply details until he's purchased.

So, I give him the address. A few minutes later, he asks for a contact number, which I supply. He arrives an hour or so later (while I'm at lunch), and proceeds to fit the item to his vehicle in our parking lot, roaring off in a haze of turbo noise...

I login this morning, and there's the warning. 

Customer Service is giving me the "you've done nothing wrong, it's a generic warning that everyone gets" routine, yet the warning referred to a specific listing, and a specific line of a message. Nothing generic about that. He assures me that I've done nothing wrong - why send me a warning, then?

Posted a rant on eBay's Facebook page, and they want details.

Had sold eight items in the twenty-four hours preceding this, none since. Pure coincidence, I'm sure...

[mbselections00]

There are so many threads about both buyers and sellers being suspended for requesting and giving (respectively) pick up addresses even after buyer has hit Buy It Now (but not paid),  it's totally out of control.  I sold a Pick up only item on another ID this week - buyer messaged for pick up address and to arrange a suitable time, also stated they would pay on pick up.

Truth is, I had no idea what to do - I've sold lots of Pick Up items over the years (all second hand stuff), and only once had a problem - easily fixed, rang Customer Service, got them to check through the messages as there was clearly no attempt to sell off eBay.  After that, to cover myself whenever I passed on Pick up address & phone number I added a note at the bottom of each message stating, there was no intent to sell off eBay, but these days it seems once you've been suspended there is NO way to have the suspension removed.

You can't even send a revised invoice these days to include a Pick up address in the 'Notes'

So I figured I'd use the link (lol, which I can no longer find) requesting buyers details, knowing in doing so the buyer would also be sent my details, so I requested Call Back and spoke with representative and explained the ridiculous current situation and insisted I was not going to tolerate having my account suspended, blah blah blah - she got me to hold & then advised she was able to ensure my message containing the details would not be BLOCKED.  Still not prepared to take the risk of being suspended I asked her to send the buyer my details - which she did, so perhaps this method is a good work around in some cases & providing you don't have a lot of Pick Up requests - may be dependant on buyer having committed to buy though, so not much help for those who want to inspect before committing . . . . . . . . . .  hope perhaps the idea works for some situations for those sellers with Pick Up requests

[performance_parts_clearance_centre]

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@springyzone wrote:

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Probably what you did the first time around-tell them pick up is available but because of ebay regulations, you can only give out your home address after a sale, not before..

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 I did that - and haven't heard back from the prospective buyer. Lost sale... And haven't had any sales since copping the warning from eBay.

[ivak245]

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@twyngwyn wrote:
take a photo of your address & message the buyer back through your EMAIL.....NOT ebay's messaging:

see this thread:
https://community.ebay.com.au/t5/Selling/Unable-to-send-photos-via-Messaging/m-p/2102207#M161974

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But when you click on your "reply" in your email, it sends you to Ebay's message site. Ebay gets their Hitler bots out again!

[twyngwyn]

I assume (if the advice is correct) that the bots don't read it.....they told me 'it is linked' but not monitored