Heads up to sellers: there have been some changes to how buyer blocks work.
On the Buyer Management page, sellers can add buyer IDs to their Blocked Buyer List. There's a setting on that page called "don't allow blocked buyers to contact me."
In the past, that setting affected both buyers blocked by the BBL and buyers blocked by buyer requirements (location, UPI strikes, etc).
eBay made a change. That setting now applies exclusively to buyers blocked by buyer requirements.
When the 'don't allow blocked buyers to contact me' setting is disabled, it no longer applies to people on your BBL.
If a buyer is on your BBL they are blocked from messaging you, even when there's a recent transaction.
Sellers that choose to allow communications when buyers are blocked are now out of luck when they want to protect their accounts from future purchases while simultaneously communicating with a buyer to work out any issues.
There is another block function which is through eBay messages. When this first rolled out we were told 'block this member' blocked only messages and did not add a buyer to your BBL. Using that function does add a buyer to your BBL as confirmed today by Kyle from the Community Team.
So I just checked the dialog on the BBL page and ... I cannot remember if this bolded portion always said this or was it revised per the new clarification? (see image below)
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@wastingtime101 wrote:
I'm renewing my objection to this change kyle@ebay .
Dealing with a buyer that filed a SNAD even though their reason is remorse. Trying to work things out through messages means I cannot block the buyer from making additional purchases until this is complete. This is infuriating that I can't offer great CS while simultaneously protecting my account.
Hey @wastingtime101 that's a great use-case that I will be glad to pass along!
Kyle,
@wastingtime101 wrote:
Thanks kyle@ebay . Here's another use case for you.
This is another reason why eBay should not automatically block communications from buyers on someone's BBL unless the seller enables that setting. I don't know this particular seller's settings, but if they allow messages from blocked bidders then they probably have no idea about the recent changes and that this buyer is trying to do the right thing and reach them to arrange re-payment.
Hey @wastingtime101 thanks for this feedback. I'll continue passing this along to the appropriate team as well!
Kyle,
Yesterday I received this message. I was the buyer in this case, of a mixed jewelry lot that, according to the seller's description and item specifics, was supposed to include a 14K gold ring (there was a gold colored ring marked 14k but it was fake), and vintage costume pieces marked by 3 specific popular designers (none of the pieces bore those markings). BTW he waited 3 days to ship and the junky jewelry was in a wadded ziploc discolored and brittle with age, and when I cut the box open it was like a huge ashtray full of butts hit my face. This was an obvious, immediate INAD Return, so I did.
I predicted that this seller would ride out his refund window after delivery, and sure enough he did. But just 2 hours before (eBay) midnight of his final day of grace, he sent me a message saying I didn't return everything he sent, describing a few "bleeping" pieces that were not in the ziploc (from his vague description anyway). Then another message about an hour later. I was asleep so I didn't see them. When I awoke the next morning I saw that I had my refund (no idea if it was he or eBay who paid it) and I saw there were 3 seller messages. This threatening one was sent right before I woke up, and after the eBay message saying I was refunded.
Yes I reported it of course. I have no idea what will happen. Considering the dude lives in Minnesota, I live on the Gulf Cost, and he can't even afford a new ziploc, I know better than to really expect him at my door demanding a few pieces of costume jewelry, but the threat to do so is definitely the most unhinged message I have ever received from anyone on eBay. So my wheels automatically start turning, thinking of what else he might do for revenge, and of course one possibility is that he could buy something from ME, with intent to file INR and send back a dog turd or ...... worse. There seems to be a lot more mental illness and RAGE than ever before in this country.
The obvious choice would be to put him on my BBL, but since this would blind me to any subsequent threats he may send, blocking him could actually be a more dangerous choice than leaving myself vulnerable to a malicious purchase. Now for all I know, he isn't aware that I'm a seller and won't obsess enough to figure that out. But bear in mind, this same scenario can (and does) happen with the roles reversed, the threatening party being the buyer, who the seller would obviously want to block, but not block their own awareness of potential danger. And yes it could be ESPECIALLY bad if the threatening party didn't know their messages were blocked, and instead believed their threats were being read, but ignored!
It is the epitome of how shortsighted the policy change is.
