Interesting AAM Question and Response
Summary: The discussion revolves around the perceived limitations of the 'Ask a Mentor' (AAM) board, with puremichigand criticizing its lack of diverse responses and proposing alternative solutions to a seller's issue. Some participants suggest moving the conversation to different boards, while others defend the AAM board's structure and purpose. mam98031 explains the intent of the AAM board, emphasizing its role in providing policy guidance, while puremichigand argues that the board should be clearer about its purpose and challenges the qualifications of the mentors. The overall conversation highlights differing opinions on the effectiveness of the AAM board in addressing complex seller issues.
okay, given the discussion over lack of responses in AAM, I checked out that board and found an answered question that highlights a need to have more voices in the conversation.
Here was the question:
I sold Fiestaware cups to a buyer. I have six cups in four different colors. The buyer bought three. I have contacted her multiple times to get her color selection. No response. I was supposed to ship by yesterday but the buyer isn't responding.
The response was technically correct - OP is at the mercy of the seller b/c he didn't use a variation listing. Didn't really help with what to do on the current order.
I'm confident that if the question was posed on the normal-joe boards, we'd get a variety of responses and the OP would get some real help with the current situation. Maybe something like:
ship all six cups - that way you are giving the buyer what he wanted and then some
cancel the order as "OOS"
seller chooses which cups to send, then refunds 100% after shipment
seller chooses which cups to send and crosses fingers that there aren't any complaints
With the above options - and more, I'd think - OP would have some good things to contemplate and some advice to consider. Real help.
funfactorychannel
·Sep 11, 2026 at 4:24 AMThe first 3 aren't even options. Why already give up on the item. Ask what color if they like and if by x time you will send 3 random colors.
That's it.
mam98031
·Sep 10, 2026 at 11:26 PM · EditedI know it has been very popular on some threads recently to
attachattack the AAM board. I'm unsure why so many are bother by it. It isn't a new board, it has been around for a very long time, even in the old version of the Community. And it's basic functions are the same as it was in the old system. Cosmetically and some functions are different, but at the core, it is the same.Now lets see if we can help some of you with concerns because not everyone can respond on the AAM threads. That isn't why the forum was created. It is intentional to restrict it to the OP asking or venting or whatever it is they are after and those that are in the Mentor's program. That was and is the intent of the forum, period.
It isn't because Mentor's are somehow all seeing and all knowing. Afterall we are mere humans and humans make mistakes. None of us are perfect, even though some like to make others think they are [not talking about you]. It is simply a program developed years ago that has benefited you and many members even though we never talk about it. We work on things or try to get things improved that we NEVER discuss or talk about with anyone except Ebay and other Mentors. But if you feel that too shouldn't be done unless you can be involved, let us know. It is all on our own time that we try to help others in many ways. We do not expect or receive much thanks from the Community nor is that why any of us do it and much of what we do you never even know about, but may benefit from.
Keep in mind that those that CHOOSE to go to the AAM may NOT want to be on the Seller Forum or one of the other Forums, as many posters can be pretty rough on an OP. We have far more people reading the Community than actually participate in the community. There is a reason for that.
Just try to keep an open mind. The AAM is meant to help, not to disregard other valuable posters. It is meant to INCLUDE members that simply are uncomfortable being in the regular forums or some other reason don't want to post where everyone can post. You need to respect their choice as it is THEIR choice, not yours.
puremichigand
OPSep 10, 2026 at 11:43 PMThat's a long reply. Honestly, I don't mind that there is an AAM board. But eBay should make clear what it is. Truly, these aren't mentors on buying or selling - they just need to know policy based on what I've seen. It is a bit like a bank teller becoming a mentor for NYU students trying to make it in investment banking.
mam98031
·Sep 10, 2026 at 11:51 PMYep, I certainly get long winded sometimes, sorry!
How much clearer would you like it to be? I mean that sincerely. What would you like it to say or think it should say?
Currently it is called: Ask a Mentor
Once in the forum, at the top it says: Discussions in this board are limited to the original poster and Community Mentors.
Personally I think bolder print on that statement inside the AAM could be better to make it more prominent.
puremichigand
OPSep 11, 2026 at 12:24 AMIt isn't really a choice. When someone clicks to "start a discussion," he is presented with two options - 1) discussion; 2) question. If he chooses question, the one available category is AAM. That isn't really a choice. eBay doesn't even indicate "policy question" vs. discussion, which would be more appropriate, as mentors are to know policy.
"Ask a mentor" is misleading because "mentors" are not mentors in the traditional sense. They are to know policy. They aren't necessarily experienced in buying or selling, and definitely not required to have any professional experience that would guide someone in the art and intricacies of buying/selling on eBay. "Mentors" as eBay defines them are in no way suited to help an inexperienced eBayer get to the next level.
mam98031
·Sep 11, 2026 at 1:04 AMOMG you are trying to make this far more complicated that it is or was ever intended to be. It is a different type of forum, nothing more. It is an OPTION for anyone that would like to use it. Now to be more accurate, when going into the AAM and creating a posting, it actually says "New Post" not "start a discussion".
Now the question as to whether the OP wants what they post to be a question or a discussion is important. This is an enhancement that will allow Best Answers to be selected by the OP if they label it a Question. If it is a Discussion, a Best Answer can not be selected.
I don't see this option in the AAM, but maybe it is something they are rolling out and you are seeing but I'm not yet. It doesn't make any sense to do it in the AAM for purposes of being able to select a Best Answer, so I'm not sure what purpose the option would or will serve.
Well I will have to tell the other mentors that they don't have any experience as you stated. Speaking just for myself, I am a very experiences seller and buyer as are all the active Mentors that I'm aware of. I'm not sure what you are basing your opinion on, but you have been mislead. The vetting process that all mentors go through will show Ebay if they are experienced or not. And remember, the ID you see a Mentor posting with is NOT necessarily their primary account.
mam98031
·Sep 11, 2026 at 1:17 AMYou do realize that this emoji means "Tears of Joy".
puremichigand
OPSep 11, 2026 at 1:37 AMExactly.
tobaccocardyahoo
·Sep 10, 2026 at 7:18 PMIMO there is no good solution because the seller created a listing which should have had variations or should have been multiple listings.
He can take a metrics and potentially a seller level hit.
He can ship more product than ordered and take a shipping cost hit and product loss.
He can ship whatever he guesses and get an INAD return request.
I suggest harakiri.
christworks
·Sep 10, 2026 at 7:07 PM · EditedHave you ever heard the expression "less is more"?
The people who pose questions on AAM are often (not always) desperate sellers and buyers who are already confused. They want and need someone who has some accountability to send them in a correct direction. That's not to say that every answer given by a mentor is the best answer or even does a good job at answering. Other mentors can chime in and guide the conversation if that is the case.
What the posters don't need are hundred different thoughts. I'm pretty sure the seller in your example already had all of those thoughts, but they didn't know which one is the right choice that has the best chance at protecting their account and from an upset buyer. Those buyers and sellers don't need every Tom, Dick, and Harry chiming in to confuse them more.
The AAM board needs to stay locked to mentors only. If you feel you can carry out the mentor responsibility, then you should apply to be done.
puremichigand
OPSep 10, 2026 at 7:30 PMIn that AAM post, OP came back to complain that his question wasn't really being answered. He was asking for help on what to do with his current order, not be told that his mistake was in not setting up a variety listing. If you go through many of the AAM posts, it is a pretty consistent theme - people are coming for insights and experience to solved nuanced issues, and they are being given a short, technically correct, but woefully lacking response. I've seen it/heard it/felt it - it is just an odd setup.
Contributing by becoming a mentor is throwing good money (effort) after bad, IMO. Maybe best to let it get worse to the point that they scrap the program. I'd think if someone actually did a deep dive that they would see that this noble experiment just isn't working, won't ever work, and should be scrapped.
christworks
·Sep 10, 2026 at 7:35 PM · EditedYou've given one example. No decision should ever be made based on one example, and I've certainly not noticed what you describe as being a major issue. Quite the opposite actually.
Certainly the poster in your example could post their question elsewhere. Nothing stops them from doing that if they feel they don't have a good answer.
The problem is in their situation, there is no good answer. They screwed up.
puremichigand
OPSep 10, 2026 at 7:44 PMI went and looked at the first one that I saw. What are the odds that the first one that I would see was the outlier? Pretty low.
I get it - some like the mentor program. I'll say again that it was a noble idea. But someone should revisit that idea and take a fresh look at whether or not it should even be a thing. A high ranking executive at one of the Big 3 automakers once told me what was wrong with their corporate culture - we'd lost the ability to call something a bad idea and just dump it and move on.
That isn't to say that mentors aren't fine people. Just like the financial analyst that worked on the Pontiac Aztek - he's a fine guy working on a bad product.
grann-4629
·Sep 10, 2026 at 8:36 PMYour example about the automakers sounds like the Ford Edsel story. It must be hard for a company to scrap something they had invested a ton of money into research, prototypes, market testing etc. and it happens frequently these days. Sometimes the product is introduced 'before it's time' like the Packard ... my Grandfather had a '54 Packard with adjustable air shocks, pushbutton automatic transmission and a huge engine, plus other stuff not seen on other cars until the 70's. It was two-tone colour and the only problem I ever had with it was one of the colours was pink 😎
krazzykats
·Sep 10, 2026 at 7:05 PMIt would be better to move the fiesta ware cup conversation to a more appropriate board like the buying board instead.
puremichigand
OPSep 10, 2026 at 7:08 PMMaybe. I'd think the "seller" board is better b/c this is a seller asking how to handle a difficult situation. Maybe buying board would be good to get buyer input. Regardless, @rocket_comics_23 seems to be in search of options and advice, not referencing of policy. I'd think that any board is better than the AAM board.
eburtonlab
·Sep 10, 2026 at 9:53 PMI think that if you believe an answer to a post on the AAM board is missing or incomplete, or even if you just think the topic warrants further discussion, then starting a post like this on a discussion board with a link to the original thread or a tag for the original poster is a perfectly fine thing to do.