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...

[kopenhagen5]

Because it's an automated system I am guessing the warning has gone out from the previous messages before the purchase and they have crossed paths.

Similarly you can sometimes get the payment reminder that is sent 48 hours after purchase even though payment was made maybe a few hours before it's sent.

[performance_parts_clearance_centre]

In this case, the "violating text" they quoted was from the message I sent after he'd actually purchased, which was the one in which I gave the contact info - the previous message was me telling him he needed to purchase the item before I could give any contact details.

I'd post the full exchange here, but that's a no-no...

Here's a potted summary:

1) 10.51 am - Buyer asks if item can be picked up

2) 11.06 am - I say it can, but he'll have to purchase to on eBay before I can give him the address

3) 11.19 am - Buyer asks a technical question about the item. I'm away from the computer, and don't see the message.

4) 11.24 am - I receive the purchase notification e-mail from eBay

5) 11.26 am - Buyer asks if he needs to do bank deposit to finalize the purchase

6) 11.28 am - I respond that he can pay cash when he picks up, and give the pick-up address. This is the message referenced in the warning

7)  11.32 am - Buyer asks for contact phone number

7)  11.33 am - I supply the number

And that's why I'm steamed - if I'd given the pick-up address in the initial response at 11.06, OK. My bad.

But I didn't. Instead, I was very scrupulous about getting him to purchase the item first. And I still get rapped over the knuckles for it...

[springyzone · Accepted solution]

I'd be livid too. It is ridiculous but I am guessing their bots picked up the words cash & address in the same message & went into overdrive. Never mind the fact the buyer had already clicked to buy.

When it comes to their money & any possibility of a rip off, they're all over it like a swarm of bees. seller rip offs, different matter as it is not their money.

It reinforces what i suspect & that is that ebay is gearing up to one day in the future have no pick up items or cash items at all.

All you can do at the moment is what you have done- protest & make sure they acknowledge they made a mistake & can't hold it against you.

[performance_parts_clearance_centre]

And just this minute had a buyer message me asking if pick-up's available and what's my address.

No idea what to do now...

[daydreams_12]

It certainly is becoming a bit too much just lately.  So many glitches to contend with and sellers & buyers alike being pinged for absolutely no reason.  No wonder people are becoming disheartened.  They are certainly taking the joy out of buying and or selling.  I really feel for those who sell as their main source of income.

Where will it all end?

[twyngwyn]

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

[heihachi_73]

And yet no-one, big or small, in the whole country of Australia has ever had the balls to stand up against the online giant in court for loss of sales, restricting accounts or flagging users so their PayPal account ends up restricted with a 21 day hold on their funds which might not even be legal in this country (cue all the FSO complaints on here). If it was the US, eBay would have been sued left, right and centre by businesses losing sales due to eBay's incompetent staff and bug-ridden bots screwing around with them.

[lm-entertainment]

saw this yesterday - https://www.realcommercial.com.au/news/secrets-out-amazon-lets-first-australian-warehouse-location-s...

i really hope that ebay and australia post get what's coming to them. i hope that it becomes a giant behemoth (despite not being australian) and for once, we as sellers get treated with some decency. i'm sure their website glitches won't be ignored for years upon years. 

i hope they are able to build a logistical network that shows australia post that the ripping off of the australian public they've done year after year finally won't be put up with any longer. 

wishful thinking maybe, but they have the power to do what ebay hasn't had the balls to for a very long time. 

[springyzone]

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@performance_parts_clearance_centre wrote:

And just this minute had a buyer message me asking if pick-up's available and what's my address.

No idea what to do now...

---

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.

I was talking to another seller earlier, (not on ebay) & he suggested that what can sometimes happen is a buyer can ask a question about a product, then they buy something, then they ask about pick up & address & it can be easy to overlook the fact that sometimes they have clicked on that earlier message to ask about pick up,  & that message may be about a similar product but not actually the one they ended up buying.

So if ebay bots pick it up, it might look like they are asking about an unsold item.

I think something similar happened to the person I was talking to, he replied & I think he got a suspension for a week, I am not sure.