Invoice discussion: to send or not to send, that is the question

[beastiebabe007]

Morning, all!

The purpose of this thread is to get some input from other sellers (buyers too, if any want to comment) on whether or not to send an invoice after an auction or best offer (I use IPR with BIN, so doesn't apply to that one). I have been sending them so the buyer has it for his/her records. My logic behind that comes from working in my grandparents' security company, where everything got an invoice. It was pretty much automatic. So, when I began selling on eBay, I naturally sent invoices to my buyers.

However, I have seen in some other threads that invoices are only sent if the buyer doesn't pay for a few days and could potentially be taken the wrong way. My custom has always been to send one to the winning bidder immediately following the close of my auction, just as a business practice; no snarky intentions. The invoices include a thank you, repeat my shipping terms, and give info on my return policy (all the nice topics eBay says to include in the message to buyer). Thus far, it hasn't bitten me on the rear, but I'm just looking for some input from you knowledgeable folks.

Is it offensive to buyers if I send an invoice? Or is it an acceptable business practice?

Thought about posting this in SC, but I'm more comfortable posting here. 🙂

Discussion is good, as long as its done respectfully 😉

Thanks!

[loveyourimagination49]

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@mustard15 wrote:

I personally prefer the seller to send the printed invoice and am offended when they don't, knowing it is available online through both paypal and ebay.  The reason?  All three Paypal, ebay and the seller expect the buyer to waste the resources to print the invoice.  My response to this is I will not leave feedback, or leave neutral or negative feedback depending on my mood, explainging my reason.

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Thanks. Good to know, be right back.

[hidy-hoo]

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@mustard15 wrote:

I personally prefer the seller to send the printed invoice and am offended when they don't, knowing it is available online through both paypal and ebay.  The reason?  All three Paypal, ebay and the seller expect the buyer to waste the resources to print the invoice.  My response to this is I will not leave feedback, or leave neutral or negative feedback depending on my mood, explainging my reason.

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@mustard15  Oh, my!  Are you aware that eBay does not require sellers to send a printed invoice for a transaction to a buyer?  I see that you made good on your statement to leave a neutral feedback for a seller that can't read your mind.  Do you send a message to the seller before purchasing asking for a printed invoice?

There are many other buyers that do not want a printed invoice as your purchase history for each purchase is available through PayPal indefinitely or through your credit card statement.

...and finally, a friendly piece of information that you may not be aware of...a seller can "see" a buyers feedback left for others quite easily and then make a decision about selling to them.  A negative or neutral for a frivolous reason may land a buyer on quite a few sellers blocked buyers list ~ just food for thought!

[mustard15]

I understand your position and I am willing to retract the neutral  when said invoice is sent.  Ebay has a tendancy to take buyers for granted and this is just one more case.  Buying for a non profit is just one case (as is mine) where this printed invoice is needed and ebay in it's infinite wisdom (please not extreme sarcasm) unilaterllaly decided everyones thinks the same and therefore should be treated as such.  As small as mine is, I am sending my displeasure with ebays thoughtfulness in their hurry to put out new formats for the benefit of sellers.  Not every business, person or corporation can think of everything, but the difference is most try to fix them.  ebay does not.  They let people feel they are at their mercy until they say I am using another vendor such as Amazon or another auction site.  I will take your suggestion of asking sellers for a printed invoice and give them more of a chance wich is far more than ebay does for anyone using its platform.

[loveyourimagination49]

Short and sweet.
No one or anything has control of you, except yourself.

Think he was responding to you @hidy-hoo

[hondamedic]

Nope, no option to include an invoice......

[hidy-hoo]

honda ~ subtle 

mayonaisse1 wrote:

I understand your position and I am willing to retract the neutral  when said invoice is sent.  Ebay has a tendancy to take buyers for granted and this is just one more case.  Buying for a non profit is just one case (as is mine) where this printed invoice is needed and ebay in it's infinite wisdom (please not extreme sarcasm) unilaterllaly decided everyones thinks the same and therefore should be treated as such.  As small as mine is, I am sending my displeasure with ebays thoughtfulness in their hurry to put out new formats for the benefit of sellers.  Not every business, person or corporation can think of everything, but the difference is most try to fix them.  ebay does not.  They let people feel they are at their mercy until they say I am using another vendor such as Amazon or another auction site.  I will take your suggestion of asking sellers for a printed invoice and give them more of a chance wich is far more than ebay does for anyone using its platform.

@mustard15 ~ eBay really has nothing to do with this as you are not buying from eBay but from an individual seller that uses eBay's platform to sell their items, whereas when buying from most other online sites, such as Amazon, you are buying "from" that online company.

Many sellers on the eBay site are small sellers that have a small profit margin in order to offer the best prices ~ because of paper and ink costs, sending a printed invoice affects the sellers bottom line. There are also many occasions that a buyer doesn't want an invoice included, such as a gift purchase or I don't want hubby to know the cost of the item, etc.  Because you think that it should be included is not, imho, a reason to leave a negative or a neutral that will affect a small sellers ability to sell. 

[loveyourimagination49]

Where do you think I went😂

[mustard15]

It seems as if no one thinks that nuetral or negative feedback should ever be given.  If that were the case, than it would not be an option.  The very same bottom line you mentioned is the bottom line I am reffering to that I  am trying to deal with.  The solution would be for ebay to have a button to have sellers send an invoice and not a policy where one is no longer required.  Some sellers are downright rude, deameaning to the point the invoice is the last thing you want.  There is nothing that would make you buy from them.  The majority of the sellers are accomodating, although they don't know the meaning of printed invoice.  It may just be a case where we start using another site as sellers on ebay are becoming less courteous, and of course not everyone wants the samething.  The issue you mentioned with the invoice and a present, I questioned ebays wisdom in changing their homepage to show saved searches as that is where those presents most likely would be.

[loveyourimagination49]

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@mustard15 wrote:

It seems as if no one thinks that nuetral or negative feedback should ever be given.  If that were the case, than it would not be an option.  The very same bottom line you mentioned is the bottom line I am reffering to that I  am trying to deal with.  The solution would be for ebay to have a button to have sellers send an invoice and not a policy where one is no longer required.  Some sellers are downright rude, deameaning to the point the invoice is the last thing you want.  There is nothing that would make you buy from them.  The majority of the sellers are accomodating, although they don't know the meaning of printed invoice.  It may just be a case where we start using another site as sellers on ebay are becoming less courteous, and of course not everyone wants the samething.  The issue you mentioned with the invoice and a present, I questioned ebays wisdom in changing their homepage to show saved searches as that is where those presents most likely would be.

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Is there a reason you can't print your own, if you need it?

As you said most seller's are accommodating.

Why can't you accommodate for yourself?

Why would anyone look at your homepage?

So did you have a nice Weekend!

[hidy-hoo]

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@mustard15 wrote:

It seems as if no one thinks that nuetral or negative feedback should ever be given.  If that were the case, than it would not be an option.  The very same bottom line you mentioned is the bottom line I am reffering to that I  am trying to deal with.  The solution would be for ebay to have a button to have sellers send an invoice and not a policy where one is no longer required.  Some sellers are downright rude, deameaning to the point the invoice is the last thing you want.  There is nothing that would make you buy from them.  The majority of the sellers are accomodating, although they don't know the meaning of printed invoice.  It may just be a case where we start using another site as sellers on ebay are becoming less courteous, and of course not everyone wants the samething.  The issue you mentioned with the invoice and a present, I questioned ebays wisdom in changing their homepage to show saved searches as that is where those presents most likely would be.

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Mayonaisse ~ Negative & neutral feedback is allowed if you don't receive your item or your item is not as described ~ leaving negs and neutrals for a seller that has "no control" over how eBay's site works or what is included for options to sell their item, is not fair, in my opinion.

If you find a rude seller, then by all means express your opinion through feedback, but to expect a courteous seller to know in advance that you require a printed invoice included in the package and if it isn't, you leave bad feedback, is just wrong, imo

[glamstarcat]

I don't want eBay sending out an "automatic" invoice. It's confusing to my customers AND I'm the one getting screwed on postage!!

[hidy-hoo]

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@glamstarcat wrote:
I don't want eBay sending out an "automatic" invoice. It's confusing to my customers AND I'm the one getting screwed on postage!!

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@glamstarcat  How are you getting screwed on postage?  

[glamstarcat]

On multiples ebay ALWAYS sends an incorrect invoice. I've lost more at times through eBay sending the incorrect invoice for shipping than I made

[gloridamasc-0]

I like your system of communication to the buyer;very professional. I hope you don't mind if I replicate your message. GD

[gloridamasc-0]

I am a new Ebay seller and all these threads, comments, suggestions are all very helpful; I'm learning from each and everyone. On the matter of sales tax, does Ebay automatically include the amount in the invoice, if tax is required, or seller is responsible for this? Thanks