As Leunig pointed out a long time ago, civilisation is dead. On the other hand, monsieur davewil, I certainly do not agree with your idea that emailling a buyer is spamming. It's called common courtesy and a core essential of a reputable trader's protocol. You would find, if you took up this "spamming" practice that buyers actually appreciate and encourage an "your item has been despatched" email...jilly