Phone number requirement for checkout

[bobby462]

Bought / paid for a few things on ebay recently.  However, for a couple of items, checkout was blocked saying I needed to provide a phone number.  Did not need phone number for some items, why others?

Strong suggestion: some kind of indicator, or better yet, something that prevents me from bidding on, making offers, or "buy it now" any item that requires a phone number.  We need to know this information BEFORE bidding / buying.

[disneyshopper]

If the seller is shipping using a private courier, such as Fed Ex, or UPS, those couriers require a phone number in case they have to call the buyer for directions, especially if they live in a rural area.

[bobby462]

Thank you for your reply.  Yes, in querying sellers, I've discovered exactly what you wrote.  However, some sellers are not aware of the requirement, nor how to change it in case of shipping by USPS, for example.

Here's my issue: I am not reachable by phone.  At all.  So giving a phone number is useless.

Frankly and cynically I think companies like UPS and FedEx are just mining people's personal information to stock their databases.

I've now had to ask several sellers to cancel my win / buy. 

It's getting tedious and time-consuming to write to every seller, asking about phone numbers, before I even bid.

Again, I want ebay to make it very clear that a phone number is required BEFORE I bid / buy.

Better yet, simply block my bids. 

[ferncliff-39]

@bobby462 

"...some sellers are not aware of the requirement, nor how to change it..."

It's easy to change, it's a simple Yes/No dropdown box on one screen in their Account settings - but if they don't know it's there, they won't know how to change it, and it's not your "job" to teach them.

I'm also not sure it's still necessary for sellers to have it turned on re FedEx/UPS.

I've shipped FedEx a few times and the buyer phone# was printed on the label (along with mine) without me having to ask for it. I assumed it was automated by eBay when required for label purposes.

[bobby462]

Thank you so much.  I'm okay with helping sellers, especially if they have a thing I want.

I strongly disagree with phone number being a requirement.

And if ebay are going to do this, they need to make it clear when an item requires a phone number for checkout.  I've bought several items recently, tried to pay, but payment checkout was blocked due to lack of phone number.

So I write to the seller, and they're clueless.  So I write again asking them to cancel the sale.  It's annoying, tedious, and time-wasting.  And I get the payment reminder emails that I don't want and it's not my fault that ebay blocks my attempt at payment.

Another point that I'd bring in court if ever needed, and I'd win, is that ebay let me buy an item without telling me, or even blocking the sale, due to lack of phone number.  You can't change the terms after I've bought something.  You either prevent me from buying it, or make it very clear up front, or allow me to cancel the sale with no penalty, because you, ebay, did not make it clear that a phone number would later be required for me to follow through on my end of the transaction.

[ferncliff-39 · Accepted solution]

@bobby462 

If you want to help sellers find it - it's in their Account > Selling > Shipping Preferences:

[bobby462]

Thank you all for your great replies.  I now write to sellers asking about phone number requirement before bidding / buying.  Tedious and waste of time, but I have no choice if I want to use ebay.

I still say ebay should make the phone number requirement clear up front.

[bobby462]

It turns out that UPS does not require a phone number because I won and paid for an item that is now in UPS's hands, being delivered today.

There may be a dollar threshold with UPS; IE, above some amount of item value they may require a phone number. 

I've sent simple instructions, and a link to this thread, to several sellers and I get replies like "I'm not authorized to change that setting", which makes no sense to me.

I stand on: ebay must do something to change this.  Ideally I want a setting that filters out all items that require a phone number for checkout.  That I have to write to each seller and wait for a reply, then try to keep track of who is okay and who is not is hugely time-consuming and time-wasting, and I'm using alternatives to ebay more and more.

[ferncliff-39]

@bobby462 

check the UPS label when you receive the package to see if your ph# was automatically printed there, as part of eBay label flow.

[bobby462]

Sorry, didn't check the UPS label yet, but phone number can't be there- they don't have it.

So I'm writing to sellers before bidding, they say something to the effect that it's okay, no phone number required.  But then when I try to pay, get blocked, yep, phone number required. 

So I write to seller, ask about it, and get weird answers like "I'm not authorized to make those changes", and "we can't change that with our account setup".  Even after I send them a link to this discussion I get the same, uh, stuff.

One seller told me she communicated with ebay and they said I have to change something at my end, and that I should ask them.  30+ minute waste of time on chat results in the same thing: seller can change that setting.  But ebay support idiots won't contact the seller, so I wrote to seller again, telling them to contact support again.

Again, I think ebay needs to make it clear up front about phone number requirements.  It's really hurting my experience here and I'll go to alternative websites.  ebay will lose sales and $.

[disneyshopper]

When you find an item you wish to purchase, click on the SHIPPING & PAYMENT tab. You should be able to see how the item will be shipped.  If it states the seller will be using USPS first class/priority/etc there is no need to ask the seller if a phone number will be required.  If the seller states s/he will be using Fed Ex or UPS or standard shipping, then a phone number may be required.

[ferncliff-39]

@bobby462 

All I can say is, the few times I used FedEx, the buyer & seller phone numbers both printed on the label, and I didn't ask the buyer for theirs. My setting is set to "no", so I assumed it was automatic in eBay for labels where it is required (FedEx, UPS).

Why do you think they don't have your phone # - every account has to have one.

[bobby462]

Thank you so much for taking time to write!

However, I have done all of the suggestions.  I even tried, at checkout, to change the shipping from UPS, USPS, and FedEx, clicked the little "radio buttons" (that's the technical name for them, btw), clicked "pay now" and keep getting the same "phone number required", even when I've clicked the USPS button.

I'm fairly smart, and will try many things before asking for help.

Again, I wrote to the sellers first, asking about phone number requirements.  Some know, for sure, that phone number is not required.  Some are clueless, but write back to me saying no, we don't require a phone number.  IE, their account is set, by default, to "phone number required", but these sellers are too clueless to go in and check.  Maybe they should not be selling? 

Better idea, ebay should not set default settings.  Someone wanting to sell should be taken through all of the settings first.

That said, it's possible that one person sets up the account, but then has underlings actually doing the legwork.  And that's okay, but the underlings should talk to the boss and get the problem fixed.

Again, I blame ebay themselves.  I want them to clearly mark pages that need phone numbers, and make it something I can filter out.  It has become a huge waste of my time, and I work far too many hours a week and have very little free time, to be wasting it on this stupidity.  I'm simply using the many other online marketplaces that don't have this problem.

[bobby462]

@ferncliff-39

> Why do you think they don't have your phone # - every account has to have one.

I've never given ebay my phone number.