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Communication with buyer blocked by AI Bot. I lost a $1295.00 sale because of it.
The buyer wanted next day UPS Shipping. I offer free UPS Ground. Buyer wanted to know how they could pay me for UPS Next Day. In the email, I told them that once the purchase was made, I would contact/text them with the difference between UPS Ground and Next Day. My email was blocked and I wasn't aware of it right away. By the time I got through they had purchased the like item from my competitor on eBay. I was not cheating eBay, this was for shipping ONLY. I have 100% satisfaction on eBay and sold hundreds of items. Fix your AI, you are hurting your sellers.
8 comments
gosimus
Mentor5 months ago@upgradedesign
< My email was blocked and I wasn't aware of it right away >
Only two days ago, I tried to send an eBay Message in which I had inadvertently included some verboten text. Immediately upon my clicking Send, a box popped up to inform me that my message was blocked because of the transgression. It was a big box . . . impossible to overlook, I'd say.
upgradedesign
OP5 months ago@gosimus
Unfortunately, I did not see that big box. Not until I checked an hour later when I didn't get a response from the buyer. This is the first time I have experienced this.
Now I know.
gosimus
Mentor5 months ago@upgradedesign
< This is the first time I have experienced this >
I get it . . . been there, done that. Sorry you missed out on a $1295 sale. You have some nice items listed. Lutron is widely considered the gold standard for lighting control.
upgradedesign
OP5 months agoI've been Lutron Certified since 2004. They are a value product and worth repairing. I supplement my SS by repair and refurbish of Lutron devices. Helps make ends meet. Take care.
inceptions
Mentor5 months agoHi @upgradedesign
This is a community board - eBay is not here.
Why do you think your eBay message was blocked?
I can't imagine a buyer making a purchase without knowing the cost first. All you needed to do was to add that service to the item listing so the buyer could select it at checkout. That might be why he bought from your competitor.
upgradedesign
OP5 months agoHi, @inceptions
In retrospect I could have done that. The shipping would have been over $200. Not having an address or details of delivery residential/commercial, an accurate number wouldn't be possible. Adding $200 to the sale price means the buyer would pay taxes on the $200 and eBay would also take another 13% of the $200. I ship these items on my own UPS account which I get a discount for volume. Sometimes over $100 off list which I pass on to the buyer. I stated in my message that after they made the purchase, I would contact them with the difference in shipping cost. I think that is what triggered the BOT. Apparently that was my offence because eBay wouldn't get their 13%. Buyer needed the item overnight, so when it appeared that I didn't respond, they went elsewhere. Next time, I will overestimate the extra shipping to cover the addons and refund privately.
inceptions
Mentor5 months ago@upgradedesign
You didn't need to estimate or over-estimate the shipping at all. All you needed to do was use calculated shipping and add the over-night option to the listing. eBay would have displayed the cost to the buyer's zip code. All the buyer would have to do is look at the shipping details on the listing.
Sellers pay fees on the total sale and the the buyer pays sales tax on the item price plus shipping in most states. If you were trying to avoid these charges by conducting an off-eBay transaction for the extra shipping, you would have been violating eBay policy as well as possibly violating sales tax laws in the state the item would be shipped to.
In the event that a buyer ever over-pays on shipping or you want to give them a further discount, all you need to do is use the Send refund option in the dropdown next to the order transaction. You'll receive a fee credit for the amount of the refund. It would be more costly to refund privately.
upgradedesign
OP5 months agoHi @inceptions
It sounds like if the buyer wants other than the included UPS Ground shipping, the transaction needs to be shipped through eBay.
Other than international, I have never used that service.
I will check into it.
Thanks for the advice.