URL links to listings are a headache to provide to buyers
Doing this used to be fine when ebay messages allowed the links to be clickable. It was really helpful when dealing with unsavvy tech newbie buyers. They never follow directions correctly on the steps to take to click to find the specific listing or variation they want. So I just end up literally provide them with a "one-click" solution in their messages. "Just click here, and it will take you to what you want."
Not too long ago, ebay did away with making these URLs clickable within ebay messages. Now I'm relying on the buyer knowing how to copy and paste the entire URL correctly without missing or adding any characters into the address link. About 7 out of 10 times the buyer ends up saying "It doesn't work." I then double-check the link and tell them they are probably not pasting the link entirely. I even use the shortest URL for the listing like https://www.ebay.com/itm/22xxxxxxxxx5 to minimize the confusing character strings. Thinking they got confused with my comments cluttered in the same message as the URL, I then tell them that my next message will ONLY be the URL, so copy and paste the text in my next message ENTIRELY.
Not to my surprise some buyers still get frustrated and tell me it doesn't work. I realize that pasting the listing number into ebay search also works, but it doesn't point you to the specific variation of the listing. I mean how can I expect a buyer who doesn't know how to navigate search fields and variation pulldown menus to know how to copy/paste a URL correctly? I wish ebay would bring back the function that will allow me to just give the buyer a "click here" button. The easier for the buyer, the better.
ittybitnot
·1 year ago@iamalwaysright
Interestingly, there was a small sample of posts in another thread about this same issue. The thread topic is about something else, but about to do some "experiments" on sending links through messages. You are saying you can send them, but they are "dead" like in non-clickable? Perhaps this is a case of different users on different devices being shown different displays? I have a few more things to do before I start sending the poster I was discussing this with some test messages, but you may wish to read posts 8, 9, 11 and 12 and weigh in with your observations as well.
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Selling/Buyer-messaged-me-asking-for-a-Google-Maps-review/td-p/32888406
iamalwaysright
OP1 year agoYea pretty much. There's only one action button that ebay gives you when messaging someone, and that's the attach image button. There's no "insert link" button there. But there never was. So I would send the link by just pasting it in the text field and once you send the message, the system would recognize the characters as a link and hyperlink it making it clickable.
Exactly like it would here in the boards www.ebay.com . I just typed that without having to use the "insert link" button. Ebay messages won't do that anymore and would just leave it as www.ebay.com for the buyer to copy and paste manually.
a_c_green
·1 year agoAyup. External links appear to be getting screened out. (Actually I think an external link gets you an error message and your message will not go through at all.) If you do manage to pass along a link that's acceptable by eBay filters, such as a link to another listing, your recipient will receive it but it won't be a functional hyperlink. He will have to copy-and-paste the link into his browser's address line in order to get there.