Would like to block from buying, but don't want to block messages...

I got an INR yesterday. I don't like it when people wait until one day past the expected date of delivery to file an INR (it's a standard letter, so tracking may or may not show delivered when it finally gets delivered).

I would like to block this buyer from being able to buy until this is sorted out, but if I block him he can't contact me when he gets it and offer to repay me for it (like lots of buyers do on ESE when they file an INR).

I suspect being that it's a new buyer the INR was filed in an attempt to reach out to me and inquire about his item not received yet, but following prompts turned it into a request. It's insured anyway if I refund, but I don't want to sell any more to someone until the situation is sorted out in this type of case.

So this is another case of blocking messages not being ideal... I can either let him buy again, or block him and potentially prevent myself from being paid if the buyer is honest. Another package that was shipped the same date just arrived today, so I think it's just delayed.

Another complaint is that eBay doesn't provide enough time for items to arrive when mail is busier or things are happening. I put economy shipping on my listings but it's still not giving a very long time for items to be delivered before buyers can file an INR.

sin-n-dex

12255 View listings

Posted 1 year ago·Last reply 1 year ago

45 comments

bengronek

·1 year ago

1974 View listings

Everyone should actually type out acronyms.
What is INR?

Itâ€™s most helpful and relevant to communicate clearly and honestly.

sin-n-dex

OP1 year ago

12255 View listings

@bengronek wrote:
Everyone should actually type out acronyms.
What is INR?
Itâ€™s most helpful and relevant to communicate clearly and honestly.

Item Not Received (also labelled a "Request" in my eBay)

I don't know what a lot of the acronyms are that people use because they're short for things we don't say in Canada. But the most commonly used ones in this forum is INR (Item not received) and SNAD/INAD (Item not as described).

12345jamesstamps

·1 year ago

8856 View listings

Can you get a negative feedback deleted if buyer states he got blocked from future purchases...a lot of buyers have done that.

I would wait until that 60 day period and then block them.

Some buyers open a claim and never contact the seller...it's rather rampart here.

I blocked Israel because it's not enough time for deliveries to the ongoing mess there.

And of course with 'freight forward' we do not get enough of time for deliveries.

Sure, we are covered but the time, my time responding to 'where is my item' is taken away by no safeguards of having to rest assure the buyer that the package will get there. Buyer only sees 'estimated time of delivery' to Delaware or Florida...not estimated time to Colombia or Kazakhstan. But there is no profit in correcting these problems.

sin-n-dex

OP1 year ago

12255 View listings

@12345jamesstamps wrote:
Can you get a negative feedback deleted if buyer states he got blocked from future purchases...a lot of buyers have done that.
I would wait until that 60 day period and then block them.
Some buyers open a claim and never contact the seller...it's rather rampart here.
I blocked Israel because it's not enough time for deliveries to the ongoing mess there.
And of course with 'freight forward' we do not get enough of time for deliveries.
Sure, we are covered but the time, my time responding to 'where is my item' is taken away by no safeguards of having to rest assure the buyer that the package will get there. Buyer only sees 'estimated time of delivery' to Delaware or Florida...not estimated time to Colombia or Kazakhstan. But there is no profit in correcting these problems.

In the case of this INR, I didn't block him yet... I'm thinking his letter will arrive this weekend or early next week, and if he's honest (which would make me willing to deal with him again), he might contact me to tell me it's arrived and asked how to repay. I had one buyer mail me a $5 USD bill for their postcard that got delivered a few days late (and she didn't have Paypal, but she had my address from my business card in the package).

dbfolks166mt

·1 year ago

1086 View listings

You are in Canada and given the current postal strike it's hard to say when this will ever be delivered. The only carrier that I am aware of that is currently delivering into or out of Canada is UPS. Why would you block this buyer you should be protected from the INR as long as you respond to the INR? However, as long as the strike continues you risk a WHOLE lot of other INR's as long as you keep selling. Looking at your items the projected delivery dates are still showing as though there is no strike taking place.

https://community.ebay.com/t5/Announcements/Canada-Post-Strike-Update/ba-p/34781531

sin-n-dex

OP1 year ago

12255 View listings

@dbfolks166mt wrote:
You are in Canada and given the current postal strike it's hard to say when this will ever be delivered. The only carrier that I am aware of that is currently delivering into or out of Canada is UPS. Why would you block this buyer you should be protected from the INR as long as you respond to the INR? However, as long as the strike continues you risk a WHOLE lot of other INR's as long as you keep selling. Looking at your items the projected delivery dates are still showing as though there is no strike taking place.

https://community.ebay.com/t5/Announcements/Canada-Post-Strike-Update/ba-p/34781531

I'm not selling or shipping anything to Canada. Canada is excluded from all my listings (except for the problem I had at the beginning of the strike when they didn't all update).

These are letters shipped from Niagara NY via ESE to locations in the US. They're covered by insurance if an INR is filed and I have to refund, but that's not the point. The point is I would like to be able to talk to the buyer if his package arrives before I file a claim (since I won't if they repay me), but not allow him to purchase again until I've decided I want to sell to him again. Usually if they file an INR and the package arrives a few days later (which is likely), they contact me about repayment. By blocking his messages I'm saying that I don't care about being repaid. From the buyer's perspective I've gotten his message and chosen to ignore it, which is not what's happening.

dbfolks166mt

·1 year ago

1086 View listings

@dbfolks166mt wrote:
You are in Canada and given the current postal strike it's hard to say when this will ever be delivered. The only carrier that I am aware of that is currently delivering into or out of Canada is UPS. Why would you block this buyer you should be protected from the INR as long as you respond to the INR? However, as long as the strike continues you risk a WHOLE lot of other INR's as long as you keep selling. Looking at your items the projected delivery dates are still showing as though there is no strike taking place.

https://community.ebay.com/t5/Announcements/Canada-Post-Strike-Update/ba-p/34781531

I'm not selling or shipping anything to Canada. Canada is excluded from all my listings (except for the problem I had at the beginning of the strike when they didn't all update).

I believe, but who knows with the new messaging changes, that even though you block a buyer they can still message you if it involves something you have sold to them or if you are working an issue with them. It would be new listings they attempted to contact you about.

sin-n-dex

OP1 year ago

12255 View listings

@dbfolks166mt wrote:

I believe, but who knows with the new messaging changes, that even though you block a buyer they can still message you if it involves something you have sold to them or if you are working an issue with them. It would be new listings they attempted to contact you about.

I think we weren't able to test that part because when this was tested in forum, it wasn't relating to an existing sale.

I would call eBay to speak to a CSR and ask, but we all know how their information is not accurate.

iamcara

·1 year ago

42 View listings

It is not possible to block a buyer from sending you messages, regardless of block status or any settings you have changed in the communicate with buyers settings page.

sin-n-dex

OP1 year ago

12255 View listings

@iamcara wrote:
It is not possible to block a buyer from sending you messages, regardless of block status or any settings you have changed in the communicate with buyers settings page.

They changed that over a year ago. There's been many threads on it. Someone on the forum was tagging the blues on examples of when receiving messages is welcome but you want to block someone from buying from you. People in the forum have even tested it to see if things have changed.

iamcara

·1 year ago

42 View listings

@sin-n-dex wrote:
@iamcara wrote:
It is not possible to block a buyer from sending you messages, regardless of block status or any settings you have changed in the communicate with buyers settings page.
They changed that over a year ago. There's been many threads on it. Someone on the forum was tagging the blues on examples of when receiving messages is welcome but you want to block someone from buying from you. People in the forum have even tested it to see if things have changed.

C.

No, I can confirm that a buyer is able to send messages no matter what even today. Last time this happened was Nov 2nd. When a buyer messaged me even though I had both options off; "allow customers to message you while they are shopping," and "allow customers to message you at checkout."

A blocked buyer was also able to send me messages near the end of July.

sin-n-dex

OP1 year ago

12255 View listings

@iamcara wrote:
@sin-n-dex wrote:
@iamcara wrote:
It is not possible to block a buyer from sending you messages, regardless of block status or any settings you have changed in the communicate with buyers settings page.
They changed that over a year ago. There's been many threads on it. Someone on the forum was tagging the blues on examples of when receiving messages is welcome but you want to block someone from buying from you. People in the forum have even tested it to see if things have changed.

C.
No, I can confirm that a buyer is able to send messages no matter what even today. Last time this happened was Nov 2nd. When a buyer messaged me even though I had both options off; "allow customers to message you while they are shopping," and "allow customers to message you at checkout."

A blocked buyer was also able to send me messages near the end of July.

I think we need to test this again. A couple of months ago someone in the forum blocked another member, the member sent a message, and it was never received. There was no option checked off in the profile to stop blocked buyers from contacting them, they simply added the ID to the BBL.

iamcara

·1 year ago

42 View listings

@sin-n-dex wrote:
@iamcara wrote:
@sin-n-dex wrote:
@iamcara wrote:
It is not possible to block a buyer from sending you messages, regardless of block status or any settings you have changed in the communicate with buyers settings page.
They changed that over a year ago. There's been many threads on it. Someone on the forum was tagging the blues on examples of when receiving messages is welcome but you want to block someone from buying from you. People in the forum have even tested it to see if things have changed.

C.
No, I can confirm that a buyer is able to send messages no matter what even today. Last time this happened was Nov 2nd. When a buyer messaged me even though I had both options off; "allow customers to message you while they are shopping," and "allow customers to message you at checkout."

A blocked buyer was also able to send me messages near the end of July.
I think we need to test this again. A couple of months ago someone in the forum blocked another member, the member sent a message, and it was never received. There was no option checked off in the profile to stop blocked buyers from contacting them, they simply added the ID to the BBL.

C.

Hmm. I know there are two ways to block a member. Through the block button on the eBay app, or by adding the username on to the block list via web browser. I think they do the same thing though.

Customers are not able to message you, and blocked users cannot message you, but if they have bought anything from you, they will be able to send you messages no matter what.

sin-n-dex

OP1 year ago

12255 View listings

@iamcara wrote:
Hmm. I know there are two ways to block a member. Through the block button on the eBay app, or by adding the username on to the block list via web browser. I think they do the same thing though.

Customers are not able to message you, and blocked users cannot message you, but if they have bought anything from you, they will be able to send you messages no matter what.

The posts here (and the blues have confirmed) the block buyer (I do it from the web) is an instant block of all communication, even if a transaction has taken place. There's been lots of talk about how you can't communicate in a return and if you block the buyer, you can't communicate with them at all (well I suppose you can send messages to the buyer, the blocked buyer can't send messages to you).

Unfortunately I won't be able to test that (if it's blocked after buying) since the only person who buys from me that I can rely on for troubleshooting hasn't bought recently. When this has been tested by people in the forum it was just adding the name to the BBL and testing it.

@wastingtime101 Can you weigh in? I think you were on a bunch of those threads.

iamcara

·1 year ago

42 View listings

@sin-n-dex wrote:
@iamcara wrote:
Hmm. I know there are two ways to block a member. Through the block button on the eBay app, or by adding the username on to the block list via web browser. I think they do the same thing though.

Customers are not able to message you, and blocked users cannot message you, but if they have bought anything from you, they will be able to send you messages no matter what.
The posts here (and the blues have confirmed) the block buyer (I do it from the web) is an instant block of all communication, even if a transaction has taken place. There's been lots of talk about how you can't communicate in a return and if you block the buyer, you can't communicate with them at all (well I suppose you can send messages to the buyer, the blocked buyer can't send messages to you).

Unfortunately I won't be able to test that (if it's blocked after buying) since the only person who buys from me that I can rely on for troubleshooting hasn't bought recently. When this has been tested by people in the forum it was just adding the name to the BBL and testing it.

@wastingtime101 Can you weigh in? I think you were on a bunch of those threads.

C.

Interesting. Maybe something funny was going on when the blocked buyer was messaging me. The buyer that I mentioned earlier, who had messaged me when I had messages off, was able to message me immediately after purchase, which to me is essentially the same thing as messaging me at checkout.

Anyways not sure what kind of technical things are going on. Maybe the blocked buyer was able to message me because they opened an INR case? That might have been it.

wastingtime101

·1 year ago

0 View listings

@sin-n-dex wrote:
@iamcara wrote:
Customers are not able to message you, and blocked users cannot message you, but if they have bought anything from you, they will be able to send you messages no matter what.
The posts here (and the blues have confirmed) the block buyer (I do it from the web) is an instant block of all communication, even if a transaction has taken place. There's been lots of talk about how you can't communicate in a return and if you block the buyer, you can't communicate with them at all (well I suppose you can send messages to the buyer, the blocked buyer can't send messages to you).

Unfortunately I won't be able to test that (if it's blocked after buying) since the only person who buys from me that I can rely on for troubleshooting hasn't bought recently.

@wastingtime101 Can you weigh in? I think you were on a bunch of those threads.

@sin-n-dex @iamcara

When a buyer is on your BBL (blocked buyer list) their messages are blocked. From the buyer's end, they can send a message and it will look like it goes through, but eBay blocks it so the seller never receives it. Sellers have no control over that.

It does not matter if there has been a recent transaction, messages from someone on your BBL will not make it to you.

The only form of messaging allowed from a buyer on your BBL is:

- Within an INR (item not received claim) messages can be posted on the INR, but not through eBay's message system.

The message setting on the buyer management page does not apply to the BBL. It applies exclusively to buyer block settings - whether or not you want to allow communications from people with too many unpaid items, in a location you don't ship to, and those types of blocks.

This is the way it's been since Summer 2023. eBay has not changed any of it since then.

Hi @kyle@ebay - please see OP for another use case to pass on. Sellers want to control whether or not they receive messages from buyers on their BBL like we used to.

asset_liquidators

·1 year ago

6512 View listings

We did check this just last week because I thought you could still get messages when you blocked someone as long as you checked to allow messages. I was wrong.

Myself and another regular on the boards tested it. I blocked him and he sent me messages that I didnt get. If you block a buyer you can NOT get messages from that buyer.

femmefan1946

·1 year ago

3979 View listings

It's my understanding that if there has been a recent transaction, there can be communication for 30days, including an exchange of contact information, even if one party is Blocked.

A couple of months ago someone in the forum blocked another member, the member sent a message, and it was never received.

But there was no transaction involved, so.....

stainlessenginecovers

·1 year ago

5572 View listings

@iamcara wrote:
It is not possible to block a buyer from sending you messages, regardless of block status or any settings you have changed in the communicate with buyers settings page.

wha wha wha what??

It's ALWAYS been possible to block- and now it is Impossible NOT to block when you add a buyer to the BBL.

sin-n-dex

OP1 year ago

12255 View listings

@stainlessenginecovers wrote:
@iamcara wrote:
It is not possible to block a buyer from sending you messages, regardless of block status or any settings you have changed in the communicate with buyers settings page.
wha wha wha what??

It's ALWAYS been possible to block- and now it is Impossible NOT to block when you add a buyer to the BBL.

That's what I thought, but hoping others who've participated in those other threads could weigh in... I'm not tech savvy enough to dig up past threads on this.

lacemaker3

·1 year ago

4, 3, 2, 1 ... Earth below us, drifting, falling ... Floating weightless, calling, calling ...690 View listings

@sin-n-dex,

I think the hardest situation to set up for a communication test would be the one where a buyer already has a transaction with a seller, and then is blocked.

I have a (cancelled) transaction with you from late October, when we were figuring out how a foreign buyer had gotten around your Time Away setting block on sales. If you want to block me, you can let me know here and I will then try to contact you and let you know. (Hopefully, you will unblock me afterwards!)

sin-n-dex

OP1 year ago

12255 View listings

@lacemaker3 wrote:
@sin-n-dex,

I think the hardest situation to set up for a communication test would be the one where a buyer already has a transaction with a seller, and then is blocked.

I have a (cancelled) transaction with you from late October, when we were figuring out how a foreign buyer had gotten around your Away setting block on sales. If you want to block me, you can let me know here and I will then try to contact you and let you know. (Hopefully, you will unblock me afterwards!)

@lacemaker3

I've just added you to my BBL. Let me know here when you send a message so I can check and then unblock you.

Thanks for helping test this! That was one thing we were never able to prove is whether or not messages are blocked when a transaction has taken place. (It used to be if you messaged the blocked buyer or had a transaction messages were not blocked even when you blocked them and disallowed communication).

@wastingtime101 indicated in his post (which I marked as best answer) that BBL is immediate and blocks all communication immediately. I marked it as best answer since it explains the change in policy very well. I made this thread to illustrate another example of when you might want to block a buyer from buying, but still be willing to communicate with them.

lacemaker3

·1 year ago

4, 3, 2, 1 ... Earth below us, drifting, falling ... Floating weightless, calling, calling ...690 View listings

@sin-n-dex,

I will try several ways, if the first attempt doesn't go through, to try to be thorough.

Trial 1: from the cancelled transaction in my purchase history (sent at 8:40 am PST, 11:40 am EST)

Let me know if you get it, or if it doesn't arrive within maybe a half hour or so?

ETA: it looks like it went through the message center anyway. It is adding on to the messages I sent you back in October. FYI (for others) the earlier messages don't show the date except at the very top ... they were sent about 6 weeks ago.

sin-n-dex

OP1 year ago

12255 View listings

@lacemaker3 wrote:
@sin-n-dex,

I will try several ways, if the first attempt doesn't go through, to try to be thorough.

Trial 1: from the cancelled transaction in my purchase history (sent at 8:40 am PST, 11:40 am EST)

Let me know if you get it, or if it doesn't arrive within maybe a half hour or so?

OK, will work on listings for about half an hour. Maybe let me know in the message what you did so I can identify if anything comes through (so far haven't received anything).

lacemaker3

·1 year ago

4, 3, 2, 1 ... Earth below us, drifting, falling ... Floating weightless, calling, calling ...690 View listings

OK, it has been about 45 minutes since @sin-n-dex's last message, so I'm going to proceed with the next trial. If you get a message, reply to me through eBay messages, so I will know that you got it please.

I will make additional notes below, so that the notes stay in chronological order.

@lacemaker3 wrote:
@sin-n-dex,

I will try several ways, if the first attempt doesn't go through, to try to be thorough.

Trial 1: from the cancelled transaction in my purchase history (sent at 8:40 am PST, 11:40 am EST)

Let me know if you get it, or if it doesn't arrive within maybe a half hour or so?

ETA: it looks like it went through the message center anyway. It is adding on to the messages I sent you back in October. FYI (for others) the earlier messages don't show the date except at the very top ... they were sent about 6 weeks ago.

The first trial shows up in my message center, but I will make the 2nd trial from the message center anyway.

If this doesn't work, I will try again from Sin's feedback profile page, which is the only other way I can think of. If that doesn't work, I want to make one more trial after being unblocked, to find out if the blocked messages show up then or not.

Here's a screenshot after I sent the 2nd message for Trial 2 (about 54 minutes later):