Hello
Remember how back in the day sellers would complain about buyer messages that just say "Hi" or "Hello"? It's understood that those buyers just want to see if there's anyone listening on the other end before they possibly buy.
The other day I got a message from a buyer that simply says "Hello, my name is (redacted first name) (redacted last name)"
Lol, and that's their entire message.
24 comments
inhawaii
·7 months agoAs a buyer, I never do that just to get a response from a seller, but it does make me feel good when a seller responds to a question right away, so as a seller I try to respond to potential buyers right away.
iamalwaysright
OP7 months agoMmm, that’s a slippery slope. If I respond to a buyer’s question right away and then he quickly asks another question, I might be inclined to wait until tomorrow to answer him unless it’s a valid urgent question.
adamcartwright
·7 months ago@iamalwaysright
I got a message recently informing me that Demond Wilson had died.
I thanked him for letting me know, because Sanford & Son is one of my all-time favorites.
iamalwaysright
OP7 months agoJust like out of the blue? And that’s all the buyer said in the message?
adamcartwright
·7 months ago@iamalwaysright
Out of the blue.
He said something like, "God bless the memories of Redd Foxx and Demond Wilson."
soh.maryl
·7 months agoActually, those are preferable to the posts here where someone believes eBay has done them an egregious wrong and they want to let us know that after ______ years here, they are leaving.
christworks
·7 months agoI don't respond to greeting-only messages. I'm not sure why people send them. Maybe they think they are talking to a live customer service chat?
eBay is very simple. You find an item you like at a price you like, you check the seller's feedback if that's your thing, and you buy it. If you have a question, ask it. No need for formalities, names, or anything like that. To me if you only send a greeting, it makes me think you aren't all there or don't understand how eBay works. I probalby don't want to deal with you.
ten_o_nine
·7 months agoI don't respond to greeting-only messages. I'm not sure why people send them. Maybe they think they are talking to a live customer service chat?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Yes, that's the point, it's not a chat box.
How about this?
Hi there! I prefer to keep this thread for specific inquiries regarding the items for sale. If you have a question about a listing, feel free to ask!
a_c_green
·7 months agoI think it's something along those lines, yes.
I've also had a few contacts that consisted of multiple texts each containing one sentence only. Apparently the sender is pressing Enter at the end of each line, thinking they were starting a new line in the current message, but in fact it was sending off the current line by itself and then opening a new window for the next message. (That might not apply in the OP's case, if their one sentence was not followed by anything else within the next minute or two.)
ten_o_nine
·7 months agoMy response.
Pleased to meet you
Hope you guess my name
But what's puzzlin' me
Is the nature of your game
mamacassidy
·7 months agoI'd probably just respond with:
"Hi (his name)! This is Mama Cassidy!
Did you have a question about an item?"
Or in your case, I'd give them whatever made-up customer service name you use. (Spoiler, my real name isn't Mama Cassidy!)
My guess is he's either looking to see if he gets a human response or, if this message was attached to an item you have listed, he is looking for an offer.
iamalwaysright
OP7 months agoLol. I thought the old Capital One ads were funny
tarotfindsandmore
·7 months agoI'd rather get one of those than the "helpful" messages from failed sellers-infrequent buyers who just drop by to let you know that so-so still has [fill in the blank] for [x] dollars. At least with the "hello" people you know what the reply is supposed to be... "hi, nice to meet you". What are the helpers hoping to accomplish? and why are they always people with little to no selling experience?
iamalwaysright
OP7 months agolol yea I don't mind the hello people. I just found it odd that this guy told me his whole name. Maybe I shoulda asked for his middle name too.
tarotfindsandmore
·7 months agoAwwww, that's actually kind of sweet. He may just be a very young, or very old, or very lonely person. Who else would have the time or inclination to randomly send a greeting with an introduction? This certainly is an improvement over "14".ðŸ˜
12345jamesstamps
·7 months agoI got a funny message in the middle of the night...
Potential buyer ask for a better price...but item was that price already.
Buyer paid for item and thanked me for doing nothing while I was sleeping in the middle of the night.
heckofagame
·7 months agoI just got one this morning. I said "hello'.
lakefor94
·7 months agoI get that from middle easterners, Oman comes to mind.
jonathanbrightlight
·7 months agoHaven't gotten one of those types of messages in a while, and never like that. I genuinely don't know how I'd respond.
iamalwaysright
OP7 months agoYea I haven't gotten any "Hello" messages in a long time.
I'm not sure how to respond to this guy telling me his whole name neither. First thing I thought was, I don't need a pen pal. 😀
albertabrightalberta
·7 months agoIf you think it might be a newbie testing your responsiveness, you might reply with "Hi. Thank you for your interest. If you're interested in one of my items, feel free to bid/buy/make offer."
iamalwaysright
OP7 months agoI just said hello, let me know if you need any help. I refuse to call him by first and last name.
wastingtime101
·7 months agoThat's what I do in reality.
But what I do in my head is reply by quoting Adele or Lionel Richie.
Hello, it's me.
Hello from the other side.
Hello. Is it me you're looking for?
EDIT TO REPAIR BROKEN LINK
meme6253
·7 months agoI usually just say Hello or Hi back but never have gotten a response.