Are Sellers now required to be Multi Lingual to sell on ebay?

[Anonymous]

I have a buyer who refuses to speak English to me though I live in the United States and English is the only language I'm willing to speak.   The issue is over a package that the incompetent US post office has temporarily lost.    Ebay's policy obviously is that this is my fault, as I didn't go to the post office and supervise the job they were doing the entire way from my house to the customers.   It is also my fault because I don't speak the customers language.  

There is a tracking # is 9400108205497395142210 and it shows that it stopped moving about 3 - 4 days ago because the post office can never do their job properly.   It also shows I mailed it well within my 1 business day handling time. 

The problem now is the self entitled buyer who thinks I should learn 16 languages to sell $8 items on Ebay is demanding to know where their package is.   I keep telling them I can't answer that question because I'm not the post office, and that it appears the package is stuck and it might move again, give it a few days and if it doesn't move I'll refund you.   The buyer doesn't understand that, because they don't speak english.

Do I have to go learn 16 new languages to avoid negative feedback though I only sell to people in my country which should speak my language if they are trying to buy items off me?   I know that's where this is going, it's going to be another unwarranted negative feedback received on ebay which will probably result in my taking my inventory to amazon.    People say negative feedback doesn't effect you, it certainly does, when I get -'s my impressions drop drastically until my feedback % comes back up, i am absolutely tired of getting unwarranted negative feedback for issues that aren't my fault.   I've also compared similar sellers and I can definitely see how people with higher feedback get more sales. 

What on earth should I do, I refuse to learn a 2nd language to sell on Ebay!

[rebell45]

Google translate works pretty good for me. You type in your response in English then cut and paste the results in your message. Or, copy and paste their message in to see what they are saying. Pretty easy. https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-1-d&q=google+translate

On the package, go to the USPS website and file a Help request. That sometimes gets the package moving again. Search for Missing Mail on their home page.

[donsdetour]

Oh boy: have you noticed on labels these day it is multiple language??

Yep its a problem that has a solution.

Advice has been given that is good.

[pjcdn2005]

I would send them a message explaining that USPS has said that the package is on its way but has been delayed and that you are sorry for the delay. Before I sent it I would go to google translate, translate the message into their language and then send the message to them in English and in their own language. It should only take a couple of minutes and the buyer will hopefully appreciate that you are making an extra effort to communicate. 

You mentioned feedbacl so out of curiosity had a look at your feedback.  Keep in mind when you reply to a feedback that the people who are going to be looking at the reply are potential buyers who often look at negative feedback to see how you handle problems.

[soh.maryl]

Maybe whatever language your buyer is speaking is the only language he knows.

How many languages do you speak? 

[lepke1979]

Save yourself the grief and plop the text into this.

https://translate.yandex.com/

Up to you if you want to do a missing package request. It's anecdotal. But as mentioned, it seems to get it to update in a day or two. But it will probably move on it's own in a day or two even if you do nothing.

[north40sales]

I would copy and paste what the customer sends into Google translate to get a gist of what they are saying. 

Any reply I would send in English only (as Google translate is not 100% accurate). 

More importantly, its gives you a good opportunity to decide if you want to continue to sell internationally or restrict your sales to USA only. 

[rebell45]

Heck of a lot of people in this country that don't speak English these days, and more coming all the time.

[Anonymous]

I am not selling internationally, this is a customer in the USA that refuses to speak English.

I tried google translate and it provides broken Spanish.   I keep typing what i want to say in English and having it translate and all they do is keep repeating the same question to me every time they respond. 

[inhawaii]

----------------------------------------------------------

----------------------------------------------------------

"Why do i have to press 1 for English?  This is America!"

----------------------------------------------------------

----------------------------------------------------------

[mtgraves7984]

"The problem now is the self entitled buyer who thinks I should learn 16 languages to sell $8 items on Ebay is demanding to know where their package is.   I keep telling them I can't answer that question because I'm not the post office, and that it appears the package is stuck and it might move again, give it a few days and if it doesn't move I'll refund you.   The buyer doesn't understand that, because they don't speak english."

@Anonymous 

I know what's happening to your Order and I'll explain it in plain English.

I checked your tracking... the Memphis Network Distribution Center is a clusterfunk right now.

I happen to know, because a package I sold stopped moving there on 6/22... my tracking information reads just as yours does... still today. My buyer has already been refunded in full, as I asked that they open an INR... and I refunded last weekend, just before it timed out.

I had opened two separate missing package claims (that were 'Closed' nearly the minute I opened them), and finally just went into my PO. When the Clerk heard "Memphis Network Distribution Center", he informed me that tons of trailers loaded with mail had been found on a lot there... and they were dealing with them now.

My clerk said that the package would  arrive, but might be 6-7 weeks before it does. He even told me that they were not even routing mail through that facility right now, and sure enough, my recent shipments (to fairly the same locations) have been moving through Dallas.

So... you might as well go ahead and refund now. I think using numerals just might break that language barrier.

[ittybitnot]

@Anonymous 

If they are inquiring about their parcel, perhaps you could send them a screenshot of the tracking history?   Buyers often don't know that the information is available on eBay.  You can try to help your customer as best you can, or you can be angry they don't converse in English and make things worse. 

eBay is an international site.  It is possible that a buyer with a US address actually resides in another country altogether and is using a freight forwarder. 

In the meantime, I will hope you never get lost and need help in Miami (aka the northern most capital of Central and South America). 

[ed8108]

---

@rebell45 wrote:

Heck of a lot of people in this country that don't speak English these days,..

---

Why aren't those people able to communicate in very simple basic english ?

[dogchow747]

"I have a buyer who refuses to speak English"

Ok....

[donsdetour]

---

@rebell45 wrote:

Heck of a lot of people in this country that don't speak English these days, and more coming all the time.

---

I was trained in it and dont do to well..... Ahh which way do da d and b go any way........