My Offer Was Accepted. Before I Pay, I Have LOTS of Questions [that the listing already addressed].

[mesodude]

Howdy folks! So my offer for a pricey item was auto accepted early this morning. I'm SO excited! I WON! Yay!  But before I pay, I NOW have questions about the listing that are already fully addressed in the listing I didn't read. LOTS of questions. BOY, do I have questions (and a few random opinions, too)! And I bet YOU have questions for me too. Like, you're wondering why on earth did I make an offer for an expensive item if I had questions about it, right? And you're also probably wondering why I have questions that are clearly answered (multiple times, in some cases) in the listing. Come to think of it, you're probably wondering why I didn't even read the listing, aren't you?

But seriously, are buyers now allowed to place "holds" on items (as if a winning bid or offer is the equivalent of a virtual shopping cart) by first making a winning bid/offer and then making payment contingent upon replies to questions the seller has already thoroughly addressed in the listing? Is this now a thing? This is the second time in less than a month that I've had a buyer making up his own arbitrary transaction rules. Incidentally, I gamely answered all the buyer's questions again several hours ago.

[luckythewinner]

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@mesodude wrote:

Anyone can sit around all day rapid-firing obnoxious and officious responses in various colored fonts and cultivating cheerleaders who virtually high-five everything you post. If you think that necessarily means you post meaningful, useful replies, just keep telling yourself that.

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You asked two questions in your initial post - "can buyers now do this?", and "is this now a thing?".

I posted two paragraphs in response. 

The first paragraph answered the first question directly and factually, and also added additional information that (a) this has always been the case, and (b) pointed out another situation where it was also the case.

The second paragraph answered the second question directly and factually, and added additional information that this "thing" has has always been the case.

The only way that a factual and direct answer to a question would not be meaningful or useful would be if the question itself was not meaningful or useful - and I do not believe that was the case.

[mesodude]

To be clear, I'm the seller. I was just poking fun at the buyer. And I'm not sitting on my hands waiting to be paid. I was just annoyed to wake up this morning to a message from the buyer declaring that he'd made a winning offer but would wait to pay until after I re-answered questions I'd already addressed in my listing. The time to be cautious about paying is before placing a winning bid on the item.

[hillbillymedia]

"In reality I care less about the length of time it takes to be paid than I care that someone's waiting until after they bought an expensive item to ask for answers to questions I carefully include in my listings and possibly forcing me to re-list the item."

I agree.

[gracieallen01]

Personally, I think the base problem that you are neglecting to fully consider is that you are working with 'people'.  It seems that many, many 'people' have their own opinion(s) of how things should be.

[gracieallen01]

Sorry @luckythewinner , I meant it for the OP.

[luckythewinner]

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@gracieallen01 wrote:

Personally, I think the base problem that you are neglecting to fully consider is that you are working with 'people'.  It seems that many, many 'people' have their own opinion(s) of how things should be.

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When answering questions about how or why eBay does things, it seems pretty clear to me that eBay simply does not care about seller's opinions or how seller think things should be. They do what is best for eBay and generally that comes  at the sellers' expense.

That aside, my response to the OP was not in response to 'opinions' or 'how things should be'. I was responding to two specific questions the OP asked about what buyers are able to do and whether this was a recent development.

[luckythewinner]

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@gracieallen01 wrote:

Sorry @luckythewinner , I meant it for the OP.

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LOL then in that case, please ignore my last post!

[mesodude]

"Personally, I think the base problem that you are neglecting to fully consider is that you are working with 'people'.  It seems that many, many 'people' have their own opinion(s) of how things should be."

I haven't forgotten to fully consider anything. I've lived on the planet for over half a century and sold on eBay for a sizable chunk of that time. I get that there will always be people in the world who don't think rules, policies, and laws everyone else follows should apply to them (that's why I always try to bend over backwards to make my listings idiot-proof). Merely knowing that and having others say the equivalent of que sera sera doesn't make it any less irritating when it happens.

[corvettestainless]

If you are selling a "1 of" type item, you have more control. If you have many competitors for the same item, then my direction probably will not work:

Sometimes people just need (whether they like it/want it or not) and 'slap' in the face. 

I have responded similarly when people ask questions 'after' they have purchased

"It states all the information you desire in the detailed written description". If there is some type of information you need beyond that, let me know. If you need to cancel this transaction for any reason, please let me know in the next XX hours." 

Many say "thank you, I'm good" or something of that effect. 

[rixstuff]

NOT AT ALL.  THAT IS JUST NOT HOW BUYING ON EBAY WORKS.  Read the listing, buy it or don't.

[mesodude]

"It states all the information you desire in the detailed written description". If there is some type of information you need beyond that, let me know. If you need to cancel this transaction for any reason, please let me know in the next XX hours." 

While it's annoying, I generally don't get too bent out of shape when buyers ask me to answer questions already clearly and boldly addressed in my listing prior to buying. Nor am I offended when a buyers asks for tracking information (even though they can access that info a number of different ways following their purchase). The buyer in question hit me with a barrage of already answered questions first thing in the a.m. and intimated that, until he got answers, he just couldn't dream of paying.

[this*old*attic]

@southern*sweet*tea 

iPhones hide the description and Item Specifics.

I list, shop, buy and research completeds on my phone and can’t find the info half the time! Obviously I know it’s there SOMEWHERE! How do non sellers and casual buyers find the info if I barely can?

[this*old*attic]

Just to clarify.....

Not only is there NO big blue “Read more” link, the WHOLE DARN FIELD isn’t there!

[mesodude]

"I list, shop, buy and research completeds on my phone and can’t find the info half the time! Obviously I know it’s there SOMEWHERE! How do non sellers and casual buyers find the info if I barely can?"

It's amazing what people can figure out on their own when they know there are costs or penalties with actual teeth if they don't do their homework first.

[lovefindingtreasures2]

@southern*sweet*tea
"It's not a new thing by any means, but it is happening more and more as more and more people think they're entitled to have what they want, how they want it and to hell with anyone else."

Boy, is that the truth! My all-time favorite so far:

"But it's ME!!"

A response to a counter offer that was super low ball from a buyer I had never worked with before 🙂

Thanks parents, job well done, LOL!