Why is it so difficult for some sellers to answer questions & provide basic customer service?

[dustybutterflyvintage]

I'm a seller but this is about my buying experiences on Ebay. I buy used stuff mostly, and typically the listings have nothing mentioned about the condition, and little or no info in the description other than something pasted about shipping, then it will say something like "no returns - ask all questions before bidding!!!". Then they don't answer my question, or they'll answer one question when I asked 2. Then I have to write them back again, it's like pulling teeth.Do they think I enjoy having to contact them? It's about the last thing I want to do.

I don't understand why they are listing stuff but not following through with potential buyers. If a potential buyer takes the time to ask the questions, which they are forced to do since there's so little info in the listing, then the seller should have enough respect to take the time to answer adequately.

Because when I do have to return something as a SNAD, that type of seller will accuse me of lying, because they don't know their product! If they would have answered my questions, they would have known their product, and I would have been prepared for the condition, I would have known whether or not it was fixable. And if it's not as described AND not fixable, it's going back. Stating 'no returns' means nothing if your product is SNAD.

I go for months not even looking on ebay anymore because I've had so many hassles buying from sellers who don't know their product, have no respect for their buyers, and have a surly, lackadaisical attitude in their replies. It seems to get worse every year, they just keep replicating. They make it unpleasant to shop on ebay and I think that sucks as a buyer & seller, because if I'm put off by this then I know there are others who feel the same. Meanwhile there are great sellers on ebay losing business because of these stinkers.

Why are they like that?

[toyshnip]

Answering questions takes time. Sometimes we get questions where the answer is in the description of the item. It can be annoying to answer the same question again and again just because buyers don't want to read the description.

Sometimes we have a buyer ask a question, and then 10 minutes later he asks again. Most ebay sellers are not on the site 24/7 just waiting to answer questions. 

[fashunu4eeuh]

Ebay attracts sellers from a wide and diverse global community. So there are sellers without a clue and sellers of the utmost professionalism. It falls on you to ferret out the numbskulls. If the listing is sparsely filled out, hit the back button and keep looking. The great thing about eBay is there is always another seller waiting in the wings. 

[kensgiftshop]

I don't know why it's so hard for some sellers to answer a few questions.

If I send the seller a message and don't hear anything for a couple days, I look for another seller to buy from.

A month or so ago, I ordered an item (not on Ebay) and tracking was moving along, then stopped.

As a seller, I know how bad shipping is now, so I wasn't to worried.

After a week of no movement, I contacted the seller, waited 4 days, no replay.

The next week, sent another message, no reply after a few days.

Finally requested a refund and received it in a few minutes.

About a week and half later, the item shows up.

If the seller had responded to my messages, I wouldn't have a problem repaying for the item.

When a buyer has a problem or question and the seller can't take a few minutes to respond, heck with them.

[eburtonlab · Accepted solution]

The only reason to ask a question about an item listing is to gain information that allows you to make an informed decision about the item value or to decide whether or not to bid on or buy the item.

The amount of time a seller is willing to spend answering questions is often related to the profit margin the sale is likely to provide.

Some large sellers, such as the mega book sellers, do not answer any questions; it is likely that they calculate that any time spent answering questions is worth more than their margin of profit on their average item sale, and so it is more profitable for them to skip some labor-intensive sales altogether.

Some sellers may not speak English well (or at all), may not know much about their own products, or may not be able to answer simple questions about their items, particularly if the seller is a drop-shipper. Or a scammer.

Some sellers may decide that an honest answer is unlikely to result in a sale, and decide not to answer at all.

A seller that can not or will not answer a potential buyer's basic question is often actually providing valuable information, if you choose to see it.

[autopartspuller]

I have to say that as a seller, I try to answer most questions.  Even ones that are already answered in the listing.  I get some questions that make me shake my head wondering how people function in life.  However, I prefer to help the buyer find the right item rather than to take a return so I answer the question.

My own personal exception:  I dont answer questions about measuring items for custom projects.  First, I pre-pack my items so that means pulling the item from storage, unpacking and repacking.  Also,  If there is more than one size of an item for the car, it's already in the listing.  I sell original equipment, so if they really needed to know if it would work for them, the info is on the internet.  They need to do their own research.  If I have to google the answer.... then they could too.  It is their project.

[dustybutterflyvintage]

I totally get that. I get those myself and they are annoying, but in a case where the listing says nothing but "shipped with usps priority mail" and "no returns- ask all questions before bidding" well, it makes no sense that the seller would be unwilling to provide more info upon request. It seems to me that they're wasting their own time, instead of providing the info once in the listing, they have opened themselves to be bombarded with messages requesting more info.

[dustybutterflyvintage]

That actually clears a lot up for me. Excellent thank you.

[eburtonlab]

You are most welcome. Good luck!

[soh.maryl]

When I need to ask a question of a seller, and his answer will determine if I make the purchase, if he chooses not to answer, then I find that back arrow useful.

It is odd, I think, that there are some buyers who paint all sellers with the same brush: "I'm just going to quit using eBay because this one seller did not reply to my question".  That's beyond ridiculous, IMHO.

[dustybutterflyvintage]

Obviously if it was one seller it wouldn't be a problem. This is an issue I encounter with the majority of the items I browse on Ebay. If it weren't a serious issue I wouldn't have taken the time to post here, but then, some of us are more thoughtful than others and want to get to the bottom of things for the benefit of legitimate sellers who actually add value to Ebay.

[dirk12955]

   As a buyer,    If a seller can't answer a question,   I move on to something else.    

 As a seller,    People with questions can really drive you crazy and consume a huge amount of time.    I don't mind answering questions,  But as somebody else posted,  The answer is usually somewhere in the listing.   

I finally blocked a "Buyer" recently that had messaged me exactly 20 times over a period of 3-4 days with questions.   I realized he was a full time tire kicker, and was not going to buy anything.    Or not nearly enough.    

That's an extreme example.    But after 20 years I realize I've seen and heard it all.   

[7606dennis]

Frankly, a lot depends upon the nature of the questions being asked.  If the question pertains to something that is addressed in the listing, it is quite understandable that a busy seller would choose to ignore the question or even place the one asking the question on their BBL.  People that don't read the listing completely usually end up being problem buyers.

People that ask questions like is this item counterfeit are also likely to end up on a seller's BBL.  To insinuate in a question that one thinks the seller is a criminal usually isn't taken very well by honest or dishonest sellers alike.  

[lightlily_arts]

eBay heavily promotes selling on their site so that any numb nut with an internet device can list an item.  However,  many people don't have the slightest clue on how to write an effective listing. Many don't even bother to look up basic information about the item they're selling.  Since they haven't done this they can't answer questions.  Perhaps they think the buyers are supposed to know or that they buyer should look up all the information elsewhere. Yes,  it's frustrating for buyers. 

Although I will ask my question/s and if the seller doesn't answer I won't buy because I don't want to waste time and/or money returning an item.  You would think that the requirements for item specifics would resolve this issue, but it hasn't as many of those specifics are superfluous.  For example, when I'm trying to buy a case for sunglasses I need the measurements to make sure the glasses will fit in the case, but many people don't bother to provide these in their listing.

As for  the seller's side it's annoying when buyers ask questions about the item when that information is in the listing.  I answer their questions anyways, but I do tell the buyer that they need to read the item description to make sure it's what they want.

Last, but not least, I have found that many people asking questions are just browsing and aren't really interested in buying so for the most part it's a waste of my time. I'll continue to answer on the off chance it's a serious buyer.