How to make the buyers READ your product description & Terms??????

[maddocks]

I know... everyone is using their cell phones to buy off of eBay now... but it seems that NO ONE is actually reading the full item description anymore - then complaining because what they bought (exactly as carefully described) didn't match what they 'assumed' - because they obviously NEVER read your full description!

I'm actually starting to beg now, at the top of my listings, for buyers to READ the full description... but the stupid entitled Karen's won't!  I've had more return requests the last 3 months than in my last 20 total years combined!  I state no returns on all of my sales to reduce some of this, but the Karen's don't care and file claims anyway - which eBay will always approve 😕

How can we fix this?

/know your metas: Karen

//This thread is really fun too

[divwido]

Make sure your picture is enough for everyone who doesn't read.

[scullie0007]

I definitely feel for you, and know what you mean. I don’t think there is really much you can do unless you wanna go to each buyer, and lead them by the nose through your item descriptions. Wish I had a solution for us! Just know that you’re not alone concerning this matter.

[ed8108]

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@maddocks wrote:

I know... everyone is using their cell phones to buy off of eBay now... but it seems that NO ONE is actually reading the full item description anymore - then complaining because what they bought (exactly as carefully described) didn't match what they 'assumed' - because they obviously NEVER read your full description!

I'm actually starting to beg now, at the top of my listings, for buyers to READ the full description... but the stupid entitled Karen's won't!  I've had more return requests the last 3 months than in my last 20 total years combined!  I state no returns on all of my sales to reduce some of this, but the Karen's don't care and file claims anyway - which eBay will always approve 😕

How can we fix this?

/know your metas: Karen

//This thread is really fun too

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As a seller you can only ask a potential buyer to be incoveniced  by reading the full description.

EBay has in place buyer protection

[*madison]

Yesterday my neighbour told me she had just purchased 2 garden recliner chairs on ebay with her phone, a good price with free shipping.

I asked her to show me the listing because I was also interested, but I looked at the listing on my laptop, and I noticed the seller was in the USA.  So I had to tell my neighbour that she won't be getting the chairs, and she needed to contact the seller.

I swear on my dogs life, my neighbours name is Karen.

[bbravo65]

@divwido 

...12 pictures is not enough sometimes...

[bbravo65]

@*madison 

...thank you for a good Sunday's comedy...

...your story is so enjoyably...

[cornersbumped]

The only other thing I can imagine doing is to somehow include the link to the full listing description in the "sold message" sent automatically to each buyer.

I haven't worked out a way to do it myself, though third-party software like GarageSale might be able to do the job with some moderately fancy scripting work.

The next-best alternative I've been able to work out is to watch for, umm... "symptomatic" behavior before a sale, and send "ARE YOU SURE?" messages to bidders who trigger red flags.

But the long latency of eBay's Message system doesn't help here, either.

For example, I recently got an inquiry at 7am about a vintage instruction manual for a piece of kitchenware. The prospective buyer never read the words "instruction manual" in the title or the listing, and literally thought I was selling a bright shining brand-new looking electric kitchen appliance from the 1950s...because the manual had pictures of a bright shining appliance, and I took pictures of that....

I have no idea how she imagined I'd ship a 10-pound thing for the cost of mailing a 3-ounce booklet.

So anyway, she had bought the manual by 8am that same day, despite the fact that I had answered the inquiry and pointed out her mistake. She only received my initial response to her inquiry hours after she had already bought it.

[simba6]

If there is a detail that is important, I put it in the title and start the description with it.  No returns is pointless to include as it just leads to a false SNAD.

As for the phone offers, ebay has been pushing mobile devices so hard.  Many buyers don't even know they are breaking the rules. They think it's like any site that has for sale ads.

[tdumonde2014]

Everyone of your descriptions is a short novel, trim the fat and get rid of everything but the actual description of the item. All of your conditions, excuses, etc. are not needed or enforceable. Everyone reading the OP's post should check out of few his/her listings to get a true sense of their listings. 

[bbravo65]

@maddocks 

...lack of "essential skills needed for reading comprehension"...

[dirk12955]

Describe the item as if there will be no pictures.  

Photograph the item as if there will be no description.

[soh.maryl]

Oh,my gosh!  I have no words.

[crescentstation]

READING a bit of a lost art for some.....not much you can do about it.

[southern*sweet*tea]

OMG your description reads like tome.  EVERYTHING in red needs to GO, and even what's left is far too long.  No wonder you're having problems. Your description needs to be TO THE POINT, about the ITEM only.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/2-T-Plastic-Pond-Plant-Water-Garden-Pot-Markers-Seed-Stake-Tags-Nursery-Lab...

See my other auctions for Pond/Water Garden Plants and other Supplies - like Barley Pellets & Straw for algae control

Like everyone with an extensive water garden or numerous container ponds each with different aqua plants, I sometimes struggle with labeling my plants properly.  I wanted a color-coded system for noting 'Full Sun' or "Partial Shade' and also 'Water Heavily' or 'Damp Soil Only' - tags that I could see at a glance when doing pond maintenance.  The cheaper/smaller plastic tags I used to buy seem to crack, break or fade, or just get lost, blown away and submerged into the mire.  So, two years ago I gave up and ordered the biggest - thickest - sturdiest plant tags available... but to buy them, I had to order separately each color in lots of 100 or more each!  Basically, I ended up with a lifetime supply of these. 

Don't be confused by other seller's common listings for 'T-type' tags... those are much flimsier and will not last!  Currently, only a very few eBay sellers carry these far sturdier #2T 5x10cm tags, but at a premium... and still sold in larger lots of at least 100 each/per color... and from China 😞

That's silly - and probably not what my fellow water plant enthusiasts want or need either, so....

Here are some ASSORTED #2 T-Type Plastic Waterproof Plant Nursery Garden Labels Tags Markers Plant Stakes Re-Usable Plant Labels

All NEW/Never Used!

Minor variations in color from detail pictures are possible - As Available

Now FOUR Options:

Lot of Ten (10) Tags - 5 Grey/White + 1 each of 5 different colors

Lot of Twenty (20) Tags - 2 each of 10 different color shades (incl. White)

Lot of Twenty Five (25) Tags - 10 Grey/White + 3 each of 5 different colors

Lot of Twenty-Five (25) Grey/White Tags

• Easy to clean with household cleaner, fade resistant and can be reused
• Easy To Use & Durable Long Lasting Frosted surface allows for easy writing with a Sharpie
• Completely UV resistant to withstand the effects of sun exposure outdoors

Colors of Tags shipped may vary/depending upon color availability

Hardy enough to survive TWO YEARS now in direct SE Texas sun and water without cracking or color fading!

Don't confuse other cheaper/thinner 'T-type' tags from other sellers for these scarcer & sturdier tags!

Best Practice:  Mark plant tags with a Sharpie and then cover writing with clear packing tape and trim - otherwise your writing (NOT the tag) may fade in direct sunlight

Note: the manufacturer for these has recolored the 'White' tags to now be sort-of light grey in color and also other minor color variations are possible from different factory batches

Free USA Shipping via USPS 1st Class Stamped Mail

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

We recently moved and it's time to start doing some downsizing! Tons of stuff to get rid of - check our auctions every week to see lots of new stuff!

 Check our other auctions and our new eBay store to see all of our other Victorian/Edwardian, Fantasy, Gothic and Steampunk and other Costume sewing patterns!

 Overseas buyers welcome!

We don't cross-post every item we sell also on eBay UK, so please check our eBay Store to see all of the books, sewing patterns and other items available this week (Historical or Fantasy Costumes/CosPlay/Gothic/Steampunk or Vintage Fashion). 

~  ~  ~

Rules of the Road:

• We’ve been buying and selling on eBay for over twenty years now… but this is a hobby, we are not professionals. If there is a problem – LET US KNOW ASAP and we will try to resolve the situation to everyone’s satisfaction
• We try to take multiple detail photos of items to improve the buyer’s appraisal of the item and carefully describe items to the best of our ability. Email us if you have any questions before you bid!
• Yes, we will happily do combined shipping of multiple purchased items for significant savings - upon request.  
• Items are normally shipped out for US buyers via online eBay/USPS First Class Mail and without shipping insurance or delivery confirmation, unless the buyer requests otherwise. This way we can avoid those insane shipping charges that a lot of eBay sellers tack on to your purchase!
• International buyers can track shipment via their Customs online tracking number, but remember a delay in customs of up to a FULL MONTH is possible - and entirely and completely beyond my control!

Concerning Returns...

For many years, we had a 14-Day return policy... and almost never had any problems. Now, eBay is trying to force sellers to move to a 30-Day return policy... and our problems have since skyrocketed, as some buyers now briefly 'rent' a new item and return it as used... or return a completely different item instead.  So, reluctantly... we now decline most returns - except in these specific circumstances:

• Item arrives broken/defective due to USPS malfeasance
• Incorrect item received or not as described - hopefully this should NEVER happen

Buyer's remorse is not an acceptable reason for requesting a return/refund!  

Why the ten-day shipping/handling delay on the Estimated Delivery date? I have a screwy work schedule and sometimes have to make sudden out of town trips or work crazy hours six or seven days a week.  This unfortunately means that while usually I can mail out your item within a few days, sometimes it will be slower - up to a full week or occasionally even longer. Our local post office also has extremely limited hours and is rarely prompt after receiving packages – they can sit there, untouched, sometimes for 2-3 days before going to the USPS distribution center. 

My usual eBay mailing days are on Monday & Tuesday

Send me a separate email via Contact Seller if you require expedited shipping!

USPS has recently raised its US and Overseas mail shipping rates again… and significantly. Also, for some reason using online postage it costs me exactly as much to mail to Canada as anywhere else in the world!