ebay messaging, has there been changes?

[davidc4430]

received a message from a potential buyer this morning asking why when i relisted one of my items i raised the price when i relisted it yesterday.

when i try to reply telling him about ebays 'no fees' offer ending and that the increase in price was to cover fees i would be charged if the item sold i get a big warning they believe i'm trying to do a deal without using the ebay checkout system!

i tried wording the reply several times but got the same warning.

i know others have had warnings about stuff in messages but if its just explaining ebay has removed a fee free deal that shouldnt cause a meltdown of the bots.

[digital*ghost]

There's quite a few seemingly innocuous word combos that trigger the wrath of the eBay overlords bots. "PayPal" is fine, "invoice" is fine, but "PayPal invoice" is not fine (I guess eBay think if you use the phrase "PayPal invoice", the only thing you could possibly be talking about is sending someone an invoice for an off-eBay sale  ). 

I wouldn't provide that kind of insight to a potential buyer, though, just speaking personally. At best, a very simple 'to cover an increase in costs' kind of reply would be provided.

Spoiler

Of course, if I could send animated GIFs through eBay messages, I'd be more inclined to say it was so that I could do this, through fields of all the extra money...

[egglesdtp]

ebay is really going too far with this message blocking business. The other day I tried sending an attachment to a message that was a screenshot of the Aus Post calculated postage cost of an item a buyer had enquired about (very bulky but not all that heavy). Would allow the message through but not the screenshot (so the buyer tells me).

Also its none of the business of the potential buyer questioning why you had raised the price of an item.

[davidc4430]

as it happens today i got a new offer to list with no fees so i have relisted all my items.

but  ebay is becoming over protective if they wont let me explain to a seller why i increased my price on an item. i'm sure thats not why they intended to stop some messages.

so now i have a buyer scratching his head over why when my item failed to sell i relisted at a higher price.

i just messaged him saying if he wants to buy it i'll happily lower the price again which i'll most likely do anyway.

but buyers should know about these fee free listings and that when they end sellers will likely put prices up to cover fees they will now be paying.

i'm sure ebay wont offer no fees forever, sooner or later all my items will need a price rise.

i guess i'll just have to put a notice in the actual listing explaining it.

[davidc4430]

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@egglesdtp wrote:

ebay is really going too far with this message blocking business. The other day I tried sending an attachment to a message that was a screenshot of the Aus Post calculated postage cost of an item a buyer had enquired about (very bulky but not all that heavy). Would allow the message through but not the screenshot (so the buyer tells me).

Also its none of the business of the potential buyer questioning why you had raised the price of an item.

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you are correct, a seller can decide the price on an item.

but i have no problem explaining the no fees vs fees difference to a buyer.

just seems ebay does.

[davidc4430]

over the years ive discussed prices and done deals using the ebay messages many times, never ever done a deal to sell outside ebay.

it just seems to me ebay has recently changed the message bots to reject a lot more content than before, i think they have taken it to far.

to the point where messages with become redundant.

[whiznumber6]

"so now i have a buyer scratching his head over why when my item failed to sell i relisted at a higher price".

Bizarre. Doesn't buy it, complains that it's relisted at a higher price. Should've bought it when it was first listed, ay.

[egglesdtp]

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@whiznumber6 wrote:

"so now i have a buyer scratching his head over why when my item failed to sell i relisted at a higher price".

Bizarre. Doesn't buy it, complains that it's relisted at a higher price. Should've bought it when it was first listed, ay.

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Totally agree.

[countessalmirena]

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@digital*ghost wrote:

There's quite a few seemingly innocuous word combos that trigger the wrath of the eBay overlords bots. "PayPal" is fine, "invoice" is fine, but "PayPal invoice" is not fine (I guess eBay think if you use the phrase "PayPal invoice", the only thing you could possibly be talking about is sending someone an invoice for an off-eBay sale  ). 

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Oh lord...

This means having to hand a quick substitution list for commonly used words or phrases that send the bots declaring "Ex-ter-min-ate! Ex-ter-min-ate!"

Spoiler

To start with...

• contact / contacted / contacting - be in touch / were in touch / getting in touch
• get our phone number - receive our number
• call me - be in touch with me
• pick-up address - place of pick-up
• PayPal invoice - account receivable via PayPal

I agree, too, that it's not a buyer's personal concern about how a seller runs his/her business. "From time to time item prices may change" sort of comment, or your "to cover an increase in costs", would give a polite reply but not provide details that are part of the gears and pulleys of your business's inner workings!

[davidc4430]

i fully understand that buyers have no rights to know the ins and outs of a sellers reasons for price changes.

but even i if id been watching an item in hope of buying it 'one day' and saw the price go up by $50 between ending a listing and being relisted i would wonder why if i didnt know about ebays fickle finger of fate re fee free listings.

its just annoying i cant just tell the buyer ive raised the price because ebay is now charging me fees.

then the buyer would most likely say to himself "oh, gotcha, thats fair enough"

having previously thought this seller is nuts, he cant sell the thing at X dollars then raises the price by Y dollars!

ebay seem to have included mentions of fees and charges in the "you must not talk about" subjects.

if your just a buyer on ebay you prolly think the seller gets 100% of the sale price, the idea ebay skim a chunk for letting the seller sell on ebay never enters their head.