eBay

richard1rst · ‎06-10-2023

We all get those dumb questions. You know, you put the dimensions in the listing, then someone asks how big is it. Or the feedback that says "It was smaller than I thought".

This one, I thinks, tops them all.

I offer a jigsaw puzzle for sale. RIGHT IN THE HEADLINE it says 1000 pieces. I just got an email asking me how many pieces are in the puzzle. (And it says the same thing in 2 other places)

H L Mencken was right:

Nobody ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American public.

"Laissez-faire capitalism (AKA The Great Material Continuum) is the only social system based on the recognition of individual rights and, therefore, the only system that bans force from social relationships." ~ Ayn Rand

2013grotz · ‎06-10-2023

@richard1rst wrote:
I offer a jigsaw puzzle for sale. RIGHT IN THE HEADLINE it says 1000 pieces. I just got an email asking me how many pieces are in the puzzle. (And it says the same thing in 2 other places)

I think this is actually very common on the site. I don't know if the ebay app hides a lot of details but most of the questions I get asked by buyers are of this nature, not asking anything that isn't supplied already by the listing itself. Usually I just bite my tongue and instead of saying "read the listing", repeat the information in response (usually that I remind myself of by reading the listing). Seems to just be one of those things.

stainlessenginecovers · ‎06-10-2023

@2013grotz wrote:
@richard1rst wrote:
I offer a jigsaw puzzle for sale. RIGHT IN THE HEADLINE it says 1000 pieces. I just got an email asking me how many pieces are in the puzzle. (And it says the same thing in 2 other places)
I think this is actually very common on the site. I don't know if the ebay app hides a lot of details but most of the questions.....

But...But....But....

This was RIGHT IN THE TITLE!!

Has NOTHING to do with 'being on an app' or 'being on a computer'.....

toysaver · ‎06-10-2023

Some buyers ask any old question because they want you to reply with an offer and get the item cheaper.

inhawaii · ‎06-10-2023

Q: How long will it take me to put this puzzle together? 😉

Sea Of Love - The Honeydrippers

transamcc · ‎06-10-2023

Frustration will occur in many environs, but when you let chagrin overcome civility in your reponses or planned responses to those "stupid" buyers and potential customers, you are shooting your own toes off.. A flippant or sarcastic reply to me as a potential buyer will ALWAYS turn me away from your listings until eternity is completed. They may not, for some reason, be able to see details of the listing on an app as even some sellers have posted here in such recent threads as "details are missing from all my listings" and subsequently find out that such does not occur on a desktop browser, just the app. The only "stupid" question is the one that was not asked.

inhawaii · ‎06-10-2023

I've actually heard that some buyers will ask a nonsense question just to see how and how fast the seller will respond. That determines if they will buy the item.

Sea Of Love - The Honeydrippers

luckythewinner · ‎06-10-2023

@richard1rst wrote:
Nobody ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American public.

I have made the same sort of mistake before.

I do not consider myself stupid without bounds.

byrd69er · ‎06-10-2023

Response: Hi...there are actually 1001 pieces....I think.

maxine*j · ‎06-10-2023

@richard1rst

Hello,

I see that your listing says that the puzzle is 1,000 pieces. Have you counted them?

Thanks,

Gormless P. Buyerguy

maxine*j · ‎06-10-2023

@transamcc wrote:
Frustration will occur in many environs, but when you let chagrin overcome civility in your reponses or planned responses to those "stupid" buyers and potential customers, you are shooting your own toes off.. A flippant or sarcastic reply to me as a potential buyer will ALWAYS turn me away from your listings until eternity is completed. They may not, for some reason, be able to see details of the listing on an app as even some sellers have posted here in such recent threads as "details are missing from all my listings" and subsequently find out that such does not occur on a desktop browser, just the app. The only "stupid" question is the one that was not asked.

You are absolutely correct. The customer is always right; or, treated as though he were, regardless. But sometimes, just hanging around the water cooler with other sellers, it's fun to talk about encounters of the head-shaking sort, such as the time I was negged because the buyer of a book thought the novel was poorly written and ended badly. 😄

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