please ask questions...yeah right!

[onekiwi0]

so the seller states in their description please ask questions, and again on the next line if you are unsure please ask questions....however when I attempt to I get this

" We're sorry we couldn't find an answer for you. Unfortunately, this seller is not able to respond to your question. We suggest reviewing the item again to see if your answer is in the seller's listing."    

so it seems I cannot contact them to enquire about their item, what an earth is this about?!!

[bigbrickshop]

---

@k1ooo-slr-sales wrote:

---

Some sellers do not answer questions because they can get auto 5 stars for communication if there is no two-way communication between the seller and the buyer.

---

Are you sure that's correct? I think if a buyer asks a question the auto 5 stars is disabled, whether the seller answers or not. The seller would be pretty stupid not to answer because that would only result in a lower Communication DSR.

The only time I've come across the OP's message is from an international seller who had selected the option in their Buyer Requirements to not allow contact from blocked buyers and the seller had blocked shipping to Australia.

[foxette-in-sox]

---

@kopenhagen5 wrote:

That's one of the responses I have had when a seller doesn't post to the location of the potential buyer.

---

 I reckon you have hit the nail on the head Kopes and would like to see OP return and confirm if your theory is correct.

[beach_and_home]

---

@foxette-in-sox wrote:

---

@kopenhagen5 wrote:

That's one of the responses I have had when a seller doesn't post to the location of the potential buyer.

---

 I reckon you have hit the nail on the head Kopes and would like to see OP return and confirm if your theory is correct.

---

yep, was just gonna say that the buyer is probably blocked for some reason. Could also be too many unpaid items etc.

[zanadoo_56]

---

@onekiwi0 wrote:

so the seller states in their description please ask questions, and again on the next line if you are unsure please ask questions....however when I attempt to I get this

" We're sorry we couldn't find an answer for you. Unfortunately, this seller is not able to respond to your question. We suggest reviewing the item again to see if your answer is in the seller's listing."    

so it seems I cannot contact them to enquire about their item, what an earth is this about?!!

---

Then there's the seller I struck recently who also encouraged buyers to ask questions, so I did and it went through OK.  The seller however didn't answer.  Tried again....no luck.  So (naturally) no purchase either.  Perhaps some sellers should amend their listings to say: "We encourage buyers to ask questions....but we may not bother to actually answer them."

The automatic 5 stars for communication doesn't seem to bear any resemblance to whether there has been communication or not.  I've seen automatic stars for communication in instances where there's been none...and where there has been extensive discussions between myself and a seller.  The reverse also applies - I can award stars where there's no communication or lots. It seems to be a lottery.  I don't know under what circumstances the option to give stars is disabled, but when I see lines of messages between myself and a seller (all with good outcomes and a definite 5 stars from me) yet apparently there was no communication (!!), it's rather bizarre.

[digital*ghost]

---

@pennyforum14 wrote:

Some sellers do not answer questions because they can get auto 5 stars for communication if there is no two-way communication between the seller and the buyer.

What the....?   In what world is good communication defined as no communication at all?  Why would Ebay grant automatic five stars for communication for NOT communicating with buyers at all?  This defies all logic!  Do they honestly think that any two way communication is an indicator poor performance issues?  They really have lost the plot!

---

Communication is not limited to direct or manual messages between buyer and seller.

The entire point of a listing is to communicate something (or rather, several somethings) to potential buyers. Including (but not limited to) the item the condition, postage costs and handling times, return policies and other terms of sale. 

If a buyer can confidently purchase something and not need to communicate via direct messages at any point of the transaction, eBay have decided the seller's communication can be rated at 5.

That's not the only factor for an auto-5 though - handling time has to be 0-1 business days, and a tracking number must be uploaded within 24 hours. (Marking an item as sent, as well as providing a tracking number for the package, is also considered communication).

That system also doesn't suggest that communicating directly with buyers is a bad thing, it just means eBay has no place or basis to assess the nature of that communication, so the buyer does.

[digital*ghost]

---

@bigbrickshop wrote:

---

@k1ooo-slr-sales wrote:

---

Some sellers do not answer questions because they can get auto 5 stars for communication if there is no two-way communication between the seller and the buyer.

---

Are you sure that's correct? I think if a buyer asks a question the auto 5 stars is disabled, whether the seller answers or not. The seller would be pretty stupid not to answer because that would only result in a lower Communication DSR.

---

On the US site, sellers have the option to block all messages from all members, it's only if the member buys something from them that messages become possible.

I imagine it's more for high volume sellers who would otherwise have to field hundreds of questions a day from people who may or may not buy - they probably lose some sales, but the tradeoff is likely that they also don't have to pay someone a full-time wage to answer questions from people who don't buy, IYKWIM.

[onekiwi0]

ms aussie I don't understand your comment. I'm a seller too , I'm not disputing the fact that we're all different. thanks all for your advice. pity this one missed out on a sale.

[onekiwi0]

and in reply to kopenhagen, pretty sure they posted worldwide. but I can't find the listing now, I didn't save it in my watch list as I was so peeved. and also that it was time waster at my end (not theirs) and I tried several different ways to send a question, picking the different subjects.