Blocked Buyer List /Message Block question
If you guys don’t know already about this huge eBay breakdown active now for a good number is years in regards to block listed buyers not being able to message you, read a bit about it here https://community.ebay.com/t5/Selling/Blocked-Buyer-List-Message-Block-v3-0/m-p/35482262#M2664836
My post question is in regards to that topic, but because of all of the replies that thread has, I feared that my question about it would get buried and go unanswered. I have a buyer that I basically peeved because I don’t want to honor a full refunded return on the item that he admittedly altered. When it came to my final message to him, I immediately added him to my blocked buyer list so he can’t buy from me again with malicious intent. So now we can’t message each other anymore.
If I talked to my concierge on the phone would they be able to tell me if the buyer has sent me any messages since the block? And if so, can they read them to me since my account can’t receive their messages? I mean I’m sure those messages are still saved in the buyer’s Sent box. The buyer has done some unfavorable actions since my last message to them and I’m just wondering what this buyer THINKS he’s messaging me with. He might be mad because he thinks I’m just plainly ignoring him and his messages, when in fact my account is currently unable to receive them. Because for all he knows, his messages are being successfully sent to me. He’s getting no error prompt at all.
I wonder what eBay genius decided to add insult to injury on this broken down system to let the buyer keep thinking that their seller is ignoring their messages. It almost seems like eBay is intentionally instigating seller and buyer tension. Again, thanks again for nothing ebay. @kyle@ebay @wastingtime101
wastingtime101
·7 months agoThe buyer sees the messages on their end. The seller does not see the messages on their end.
The buyer thinks the seller is ignoring them. Hence, one of the major pain points of the way eBay rolled this out.
Your concierge can see the messages if they are logged on to the buyer's account, buuuut I'm not sure CS is allowed to do that. Maybe it's different for concierge but I know standard CS says they can't.
In the past @kyle@ebay , buyers would see a notification when they clicked the link to message a seller. I believe this changed with the 'new but not really new' message system.
eBay needs to build in some kind of notification upfront before the buyer starts to type in their message to let them know messages are blocked.
This is not exclusive to the BBL block, either.
Also affected are other types of block. For example, when a seller turns off the ability for all buyers to message them in their account settings, buyers are not warned until after they go through the effort of typing out a message and hitting 'send' as @gosimus painfully experienced recently (link).
Again, with the old message system the buyer would see an notice saying the seller was not accepting messages before being able to compose a message.
All the various types of blocks were not accounted for when eBay rolled out the text-style message format.
In addition, Kyle (because why not pile on), when an out of office message is programmed with Time Away settings:
1. The auto-response does not appear in the messages window. It's exclusively sent to the buyer via email.
2. The buyer receives the auto-response every single time they send a message. eBay's been aware of that pain point for years. How about they fix it in 2026 - maybe the auto-response is sent no more than once per calendar day to the same buyer instead?
iamalwaysright
OP7 months agochristworks
·7 months agoWhen I block someone, I tell them they are being blocked and that I will not be able to see any messages they send me. I also tell them I cannot answer any questions as to why they are being blocked, and politely inform them that any attempt to circumvent the block is a violation of eBay policy. I then move on. I don't care about them. I don't need to hear from them. What's done is done.
I know this does not answer your question, but I also do not get the back and forth some sellers want to do with people they've blocked.
iamalwaysright
OP7 months agoThere’s numerous reasons why a seller would add a buyer to the block list, some are not as hostile as you might think. In the past, when this breakdown didn’t occur yet, sometimes I would add buyers to my list temporarily just so they aren’t able to buy at the moment because of an ongoing issue with them. I would get some overly eager trigger happy buyer who would buy multiple items but only intended to get one or fewer than they purchased. Times they were too eager, other times they just were confused at variation listings. I would then block them to stop adding more false purchases while we iron out their general issue thru messages. Once it’s resolved I would then remove them from my BBL. Nowadays I just end up cancelling their extra purchases but doing that is more difficult than the preventative measure.
bonanza125
·7 months agoI can only speak for myself but if I block a buyer for any reason I have no interest in what they have to say any longer. The messages become so nasty its not going to resolve anything. So someone returned an item altered and you gave them partial refund upon return and not full refund correct? In situations like that each seller varies. You made a decision which you had a right to do. I would've given the buyer a full refund and did what you did which was blocked them. Then either written the item off as a loss or sold it the way it was and described it how it was now. As you are finding out sometimes situations are just not worth the hassle. Now to some sellers it is. To me I don't have time for back and forth which goes nowhere.
iamalwaysright
OP7 months ago