How does THIS help sellers SELL ?!? >> Help answer a question from the eBay community

[cynthealee2]

I woke up this afternoon to TWELVE questions about items in my store... guy wants to buy all 6 of the purple variations left up in my store... Wanted to know what my lowest price was with free shipping.

I think WHOO WOOOO SALE!!!!! and I can get rid of 6 more of these figures.

Till I wake up a bit more... and realize I have NO WAY, none what so ever of talking to THAT buyer.

The stupid email I got was sent to EVERY seller of THAT particular item because of the "ask question" on the PRODUCT page. The email does NOT contain the buyers name anywhere so I can sent a message through eBay's system, and I'm quite sure that my ANSWER to his questions are going to go into the clouds as well. (ROFL bet half those sellers are trying to figure out what "purple" the buyer was talking about. )

ALLLLLLLL because eBay thought it was a BRILLIANT idea to put a Q and A on the PRODUCT page and NOT telling the buyers what it was for, how it worked, or that their questions would not go to an INDIVIDUAL seller that could actually work with them to buy the items they are looking for.

Those questions the buyers ask go into the clouds (cause I can't find where they post either on the product page OR in the Q&A section of community), the answers I send back on them go into the clouds cause they never get "approved" and posted on the product page (or in the boards).

What was the POINT eBay????? to tick off the buyers AND the sellers all in one go?

Cause I know that buyer is ticked I have ignored his TWELVE questions sent to me discussing the various figures and the purple variations over a 3 hour time span.

Last Email from the "buyer":

An eBay member has a question for you.

A buyer is interested in the product you’re selling but they have a question. Can you help them out?

The question:

“Hi checked out your store you have 6 different purple variants 2 anakins # 2 & # 28, agen kolar # 20, bail organa # 15, Chewbacca # 5, chancellor palpatine # 14 what price can you give if I buy all 6 purples with free shipping.?”

Without a NAME of the buyer or a way to contact the individual seller from the product page what in hades was the point in putting the Q & A on the PRODUCT page!!!!!

Do I need to put a blurb in bright red at the top of my listings "Do NOT try and contact the seller from the product page, we will not be able to respond to you, please contact me through eBay messages instead".

PS you guys can @ who ever you want to or THINK is at least going to listen. I'll start the ball rolling

@syedmhaq

[goodluckselling]

What you have described is a sure sign that they are piecing together some of the parts to the cataloged shopping which eBay is preparing to switch to.  This is actually a very good way to handle a question from all the sellers with the same item. 

Since very soon eBay will be showing buyers a comparison chart product page that shows all sellers with the same item and the buyer can compare different important attributes that each seller has and the buyer can choose the seller that best fits there wants.

Other sites who use this format all handle questions in this same manner, which by the way, will become the standard as mobile shopping completely takes over, and search engine get smarter and smarter with AI technology.

I can tell you that I have answered these multi seller questions very quickly dozens of times and they usually turn into completed transactions for myself from the buyer asking the question.

Although I understand you are being silly with the brilliant idea quote, I actually agree it is a very good path because it allows all the sellers of the same item to compete for the buyers attention with answers to entice the buyer to go ahead and buy from them.

This is also data eBay will collect to show how often or quickly you the seller are willing to help a buyer who has a question and although I do not know if eBay will use the data, we can assume eBay will reward sellers who are proactive and willing to take th extra steps needed to secure a completed transaction.

Good Luck Selling!

[goodluckselling]

Let me also say after the initial message to the buyer, they can then just communicate with you the seller in a one on one message, which will allow you to setup a listing woth whatever the two parties agree to.

I actually made a 100.00+ sale today because I answered the buyers question with a suggestion on how to get what they were requesting, since the item did not do exactly what they wanted but was possible with a bit of action on there part.  I was also no the lowest price on this item.

It does pay off to be proactive with buyers and entice them to go ahead and buy.  It really is a salesmans dream to have a buyer come to them with questions.

Good Luck Selling!

[syedmhaq]

@cynthealee2 Can you please point me to the listing and product page?

[labs118]

@cynthealee2

I think the buyer was confused & thought it was the ask seller a question section.
It was always under the description box until ebay came out with this new ask buyers & sellers about this product.

Since this has been rolling out the boards are all filled with buyers who can't find the ask seller a question because ebay moved it & it is now Contact seller.
However Tyler from ebay is on the bidder/buying board as some don't have the contact seller anywhere .
I have mine using Windows Edge & IE11, others don't have the contact seller anywhere so may be using that section to ask sellers their questions
 New format


Old format under description , and there is a post now asking how to answer question & post it to the auction. Appears it's messed all up right now





New below is confusing buyers I am sure

[retrose1]

I'd edit my listing to actually answer the question to the buyer that asked and to tell the buyer to question you directly through YOUR listing.

If not that, then you should check and see if you can post theanswer in your listing.

See why I don't list anything on ebay if I can list it someplace else?

[labs118]

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@retrose1 wrote:

I'd edit my listing to actually answer the question to the buyer that asked and to tell the buyer to question you directly through YOUR listing.

If not that, then you should check and see if you can post theanswer in your listing.

See why I don't list anything on ebay if I can list it someplace else?

---

Rose 
Problem with that (question direct through your listing )  is so many post on selling/buying/tech boards advising there is no way to ask seller questions.
Some of us have it seems many don't 
Appears on the knowledge based board one buyer from the 12th went to another site to buy because there is no way to contact seller 

[cynthealee2]

@syedmhaq

First Product page the questions came through on:

https://www.ebay.com/p/Hasbro-Star-Wars-Revenge-of-the-Sith-Anakin-Skywalker-Lightsaber-Attack-Actio...

https://www.ebay.com/p/Hasbro-Star-Wars-Revenge-of-the-Sith-Chancellor-Palpatine-Supreme-Chancellor-... Product page some of the questions came through on.

What listing he started on??? I don't have a clue, as he stated in one of the emails he'd been all over my store that's how he figured out I had 6 of the purple ones still up.

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My issue is neither HIS questions nor my answers are going to be relevant to the item itself. 

He wanted shipping quotes from ME, and then he wanted to know about combining items from me, the individual seller... he wasn't asking about the product(s) itself.

According to this: https://community.ebay.com/t5/Announcements/Introducing-eBay-Questions-amp-Answers/ba-p/27330728

If the questions aren't 'relevant' they aren't going to be posted: Similar to Reviews, eBay will moderate buyers’ questions to determine their relevance and screen for inappropriate content. If you have concerns about a question or answer, you can notify us via the Report button.

What makes them "relevant"? 

As I have found while creating the excel file... some of these state "free gift wrapping"... if the question is 'Do you gift wrap', and the question comes back 'Yes we do' from what ever seller... and then they buy it from ME... I don't do gift wrap, buyer is not going to be happy with me.

Now I sent the answer back to the last question he asked (as the questions had changed as he was asking them).... but no where is the original question or the answer posted.

Cause what I NEED to tell him before he buys the items is wait a minute while I create the Special listing for him,  cause eBay (in all it's wisdom) is not going to let me invoice below the item cost. And the price I quoted him was 45 for all 6 shipping included.  

But I'm not going to cancel the listings, and create a new listing for the buyer till I know the buyer actually wants it.

[cynthealee2]

There needs to be a way for the buyers to

A) Know it's going to ALL the sellers of this item

And / Or

B) A way for the buyer to contact the exact seller they are talking to from that product page

And / Or

C) A way for the buyer to leave their eBay name so messages can be sent straight to the buyer.

Or a way for the sellers answers to go to the buyer IF the question is not relevant to the item itself and won't be posted.  (ie shipping combination questions, price reductions, ect)

[cynthealee2]

Every single listing currently posted by me has a DIRECT link to my eBay message system.

The links work, I made them eBay legal.  I may need to move them to the top of the description area instead of down in the "contact me" section of the templates.

Problem is the BUYER thinks the question box he found goes directly to me, (as you stated) and is probably wondering why now going on 8 hours on a Saturday the seller is not answering his questions.   That is if he simply didn't just give up and go on to buy somewhere else.

[cynthealee2]

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@retrose1 wrote:

I'd edit my listing to actually answer the question to the buyer that asked and to tell the buyer to question you directly through YOUR listing.

If not that, then you should check and see if you can post theanswer in your listing.

See why I don't list anything on ebay if I can list it someplace else?

---

Trust me I keep waiting on the 20 years to be here... some of these it will take a minute 😉

*******************************************************************************************************************

And to top it all off that stupid "sales" thingy says I'm down 50% from last year... wonder why???

Problem is WHICH listing do I put it in?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/2005-Star-Wars-Revenge-Sith-Chancellor-Palpatine-14-Purple-Variant-/36210407...

 Or one of the other 5 purple ones?  Or all 50 figures in general that are still up?

[cynthealee2]

********************************************************************

Oh Gawd I created this problem...  eBay HAS taken the ask the seller a question from the bottom of the listings and replaced it with that THING...

BUT

I put this in every listing:

I frequently take less as an overall total if you buy more than three items at one time. Simply contact me through "ask seller a question" before buying or bidding, and I will be glad to work with you to create a special ad just for you.

Cause that was the WAY to do it... keep it on eBay, keep it in the message system, and give eBay their cut. 

Did I miss a memo?  Was this in ANY of the seller updates I skimmed in the last year?  Was this announced and I simply missed it?   "We are taking ask the seller a question away if your item has a product page" <<<< Was that ANYWHERE in any form?

Another edit thanks ebay. I wasn't busy enough:
Creating Master UPC lists in excel so I can

 1) Fix the catalog

2) Fix product pages

Editing links back to eBay pages (which were perfectly legal to start with)

Removing photobucket pictures (technically not eBay's fault but part of my frustration)

Recreating listings (template issues) (not sure who's fault)

Editing all listings currently up for photobucket, template, links, and now how to get special deals

Redoing pictures to remove watermarks eBay told me to put on

Know what's missing from the list?  Listing NEW items, selling items, packing and shipping items...

[labs118]

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@cynthealee2 wrote:

Every single listing currently posted by me has a DIRECT link to my eBay message system.

The links work, I made them eBay legal.  I may need to move them to the top of the description area instead of down in the "contact me" section of the templates.

Problem is the BUYER thinks the question box he found goes directly to me, (as you stated) and is probably wondering why now going on 8 hours on a Saturday the seller is not answering his questions.   That is if he simply didn't just give up and go on to buy somewhere else.

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Hi Cyn
Sorry I didn't check your listing for the contact me direct link .
Did now & see it

But I am still betting buyer thinks that bottom ask question is the spot to contact you direct .
Hope you didn't lose the sale .

[cynthealee2]

@goodluckselling

I agree in CONCEPT with every thing you stated... up to a point.

My buyer wasn't asking me how to play with the figure, or what play sets it goes with, or when it was made, or how to use the item...  All relevant questions to the item itself.

My buyer wanted info on shipping combo's and making a deal with him when he buys several at one time.  Not relevant to the item itself, so I don't think it will be "posted" and frankly it should NOT be posted to the product page... So buyer and seller are stuck behind a wall neither able to talk directly to the other.

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The reason it should NOT be posted is because I'm willing to do 45 to him with free ship IF he's in the US... if he's in Canada he's paying shipping. 

I may be willing to do the deal but Joe's Figures isn't going to do that deal, but it will be on the product page and possibly at the bottom of your listing under "questions" just like "reviews" are at the top now.

Susan's Star Wars Collection may be willing to wrap hers in star wars gift wrap as an added bonus at Christmas... I don't have the paper nor am I wrapping your present for you, but it'll say I do in the Q and A Section

But if they don't 'post' or the messages don't go through to the right seller or back to the buyer buyers are behind a wall and they walk.

[lookng2015]

I mentioned on the other thread about the change that this would happen because they've placed the ask ALL sellers & buyers a question box right where the old ASQ used to be.

Then they wonder why this happens?