Buyers who don’t read ( or understand) description

[fuzzyfelts77]

Please tell me it’s not just me??? I’ve taken to selling on eBay to get some presents for Christmas and I’m regretting it a lot. I’m getting approx 20 + stupid questions a day from people who either can’t read or don’t want to read the description. I’ve had one payment put on hold as buyer not happy with shipping time despite it being as clear as day in the description and a shed load of others who agree to buy then hound me daily for details and need reassurance that the item will fit, be the correct colour, arrive by a set date, the list goes on!  Some people are so needy, I don’t understand why you’d buy something without being clear what you were buying. Don’t get me started on non paying bidders.....that’s a whole new rant. Buyers hounding me with bizarre requests and demands is putting me off the whole experience. 

[caldreamer]

I agree, large number of buyers do not read description and ask stupid questions (I assume they are viewing listing on cellphone). If potential buyers appear "too picky" I block them from purchasing item because past experience shows they will never be satisfied (and will lie and claim "not as described" and get all their money back). Fortunately, I only get 1 or 2 scammers every year.

I never get sucked into to guaranteeing that "clothes will fit" or "will be delivered on specific day". I had one customer who emailed me a "color swatch" and wanted me guarantee it (I just laughed). Customer will turn around as use that against you.

Recently had customer who purchased 2-piece suit and demanded 50% refund because 1-piece didn't fit. I politely reminded her that "women's clothing sizes are not standardized" and my listing recommends she "measure her own clothes and compare to measurements in listing" before purchase. She was very nasty and said she wants to "keep both items" but wants 50% refund or she will leave bad feedback (I reported her for that). I REFUSE to be intimidated by customers and blocked her at that point. It was an idle threat and I never heard from her again.

[johnrj1226]

1.  It may be true that buyer don't read the descriptions but if they are inquiring about your  listing that is a good thing in my book - that is they are interested in your item.  Be nice and professionally reply even if the answer is already in your listing.  By all means never direct the seller to the answer is in the  listing description - a good way to loose a sale.    This has happened to many hundreds of time in my "real" selling career but I always  felt that if a buyer called/contacted me about my proposal, it was an other good opportunity to  close the deal.

2.  As far as the understanding part goes - it could be the wording is not  clear, as the person inquiring primary language could be different than yours. You are from the UK I am from the US we both  speak "English" sort of - I say we speak Americanese in the US with tons  of slang words & phrases which are hard to understand for people  to understand if they are  French, Japanese, Mexican, etc.  I  did business with a manufactuer in Leighton Buzzard.  We had issues in understanding at times - e.g.  in the  UK it is common to  refer to an over the road truck as a "lorry", we say tractor trailer in the states - I  thought  lorry was a girls name until I visited the UK.  In London you have a place called Picadilly Circus, near SoHo.  Until I visited the UK in  the late '70s and I was in my mid 30s.  I always thought Picaddily Cicus was a place where they had Tents Bears, Elephants etc. instead it was a turning circle in the road or turn-a-round (aka circus) - we lived  near a turn-a-round when I was  growing up.

Liek teh UK we  have people live in  the US  from all over the world where English or Americanese is their second language.

3.  In your clothing items do you provide measurements of the  item or  just  state the lable size.  I do both and I have found items where the  lable or size stamp was incorrect -i.e. incorrectly labled by the  manufacturer - clothing, footwear - this does happen - not often.  But it is inconvenient for the buyer to return items.  As a  seller of a mislabled item you are responsible  for stating the correct size.  Many clothing manufactuers provide size charts w/dimensions on the internet for current year styles.

4.  If inquires from potentional buyers bothers you a lot maybe selling isn't a good choice for you even  part time.  A customers (or prospective buyer) first approach is one of the  roads success.

Just  my two pense worth!  Cheerio!

[taylors996]

I agree, here is what we do, We include measurement in all our clothing listings and also this statement 

"Please check measurements for correct fit. Clothing manufacturer sizes vary greatly. This garment is sold based on these measurements not by manufacturers’ label size." 

But that being said, we still get customer asking for measurements. The classic one, is this guy asking for sleeve measurement on a short sleeve shrit. This one person buys a coat and the he cancels the order after he reads the measurements...  Oh well life goes on.

[fuzzyfelts77]

I’ve includes so much information even measurements. To avoid confusion I’ve even added SEE DESCRIPTION in the title! 

What is really stressing me out is buyers who hit the BIN button then ask questions! 

I’ve just had a conversation with a lovely buyer who openly admitted she didn’t bother reading the description and very rarely does she’s now pondering over whether or not to cancel order as it’s not going to arrive as quickly as she thought it might. This conversation has taken approx 15 messages to iron out and I’m exhausted! 

Surely they don’t hound customer services when buying from any other online retailer? 

[johnrj1226]

Not all short sleeves are the same  length for the same size shirt - I prefer my short  sleeve shirts to have longer sleeves - like  3/4  the way to  my elbow  or 7"-8" from the shoulder seam.  Shorter  sleeves (like 4-5") long tend to creep up into my arm pit especially when I'm golfing.

[castlemagicmemories]

Perhaps those buyers have had bad experiences with other sellers that had inaccurate listings and they don't want to have to deal with another SNAD.  I've messaged sellers about damage dimly seen in the listing pics but not mentioned in the description, and they have told me the item was fine.  Items came with damage questioned, and sellers admitted they just said the item was fine and never checked.  

So while you feel your descriptions and listings may be accurate, they may have found out before that that is not always the case and they are trying very hard to be sure that what the listing says is true.  

I'm sorry that you are having all these issues, though.  Very frustrating.

As for non paying bidders, consider listing fixed price, immediate payment required.  The listing stays up until it is paid for and many items are a better fit for this.  Over 80% of all listings are fixed price, IPR.  Auction listings might be passed over by those who don't want to wait a week to see if they will get the item at all.  They may just want to buy it now.  Auctions are good fits for the rare and unusual or something you don't know realistically what it may sell for~but for clothing items, fixed price, IPR may be a better choice.

[castlemagicmemories]

Also if they are buying on their phone, they may not see the description.  It may require a click through to be seen.

[jason_incognito]

To be honest, the listings on this idea you are posting from are rather lacking specifics and are all but begging for questions.

Bright blue skater dress from naf naf

A line skirt and 3/4 sleeves

Excellent condition

Size U.K. 10

[lovefindingtreasures2]

It's that time of the year when you want to pull your hair out (if you still have any) as a seller. Every single day I get nonsense. Buyers who look at first photo, don't read description, that's a problem. Just had it happen to me, and yep, she wants a refund. She only looked at the first photo and not the description.

This week I have had buyers telling me how to pack their packages, one asked me to take more photos of the item on my hand even though there are measurements in inches and mm, and photos with a penny and a ballpoint pen of the item.

Take a chill pill diversion of your choice, scream into a pillow if it helps, and carry on.

Most of these stupid question people (for me) are young, on cell phones and would rather write to the seller than open the listing and read it. They have rarely been good or repeat buyers, so I have learned to duck and keep going.

Have a cup of tea, my British parents used it to fix everything 🙂

I recently had a buyer offer me 1/3 of the price, it was an item I'd had awhile, I countered at 1/2 price. She then said she would be buying it but could not pay for 2 weeks until her next check came in. I told her I cannot hold items, she disappeared.

Hang in there!!

[muttlymob]

---

@jason_incognito wrote:

To be honest, the listings on this idea you are posting from are rather lacking specifics and are all but begging for questions.

Bright blue skater dress from naf naf

A line skirt and 3/4 sleeves

Excellent condition

Size U.K. 10

---

Ditto.

The only listings I see on the OP's ID don't have any measurements.  Most have even less of a description than the one you quote.

So unless there are other listings that aren't showing up, or there is another selling ID, then those skimpy/nonexistent descriptions are contributing to the problem.

[arnolmohamme0]

true

---

@fuzzyfelts77 wrote:

Please tell me it’s not just me??? I’ve taken to selling on eBay to get some presents for Christmas and I’m regretting it a lot. I’m getting approx 20 + stupid questions a day from people who either can’t read or don’t want to read the description. I’ve had one payment put on hold as buyer not happy with shipping time despite it being as clear as day in the description and a shed load of others who agree to buy then hound me daily for details and need reassurance that the item will fit, be the correct colour, arrive by a set date, the list goes on!  Some people are so needy, I don’t understand why you’d buy something without being clear what you were buying. Don’t get me started on non paying bidders.....that’s a whole new rant. Buyers hounding me with bizarre requests and demands is putting me off the whole experience. 

---

[fuzzyfelts77]

Granted that listing lacks detail but how am I to know if said dress will go with potential buyers pink shoes??? Yes that’s the sort of questions I’m getting nothing to do with any measurements. Loads of buyers with sob stories too “ I need this for a funeral please can you end the auction and let me have it?”
That particular buyer hounded me so much with unreasonable requests I had to get eBay to block her from messaging me!

[jason_incognito]

Sometimes you gotta look at it this way.

take a bowl of soup and dump a couple tablespoons of salt into it and it will be horrible.

take a pot of soup and it won't be so bad.

When you aren't getting sales it is easy to wallow on a few questions. When the very next email after a stupid question is a sale...... and then another sale, so much easier to forget the questions. 

[robot-hands]

I don't understand how it is even a thing that someone would buy an item even though they have no idea what it is but it happens to me all the time.

They just buy anyway.

People buying parts of repair stuff....hey this doesn't work...no I wouldn't have expected it to fix itself in transit.