eBay

sin-n-dex · ‎12-30-2024

This isn't a complaint about not liking the format, I have an actual problem.

I have a customer that wants to be notified whenever I get empty stamp albums, pages or what not, and I send him a message (I tried from his feedback page and it opened the last messages we exchanged in July).

When I try to send, it says "something went wrong, try again later". I've tried like 10 times already, and revised the message several times in case I said something AI doesn't like. I don't know what else to do, there's no point in posting these for sale without knowing what sizes of stamp pages he wants, or if he's interested in the brands of albums I have.

My message:

Hi XXXXX, I have a lot of Vario/Anchor pages, some might another brand, but they are the black pages with the clear slide on each side.

I have all sizes except 7 rows. Some are nearly new, others had a souvenir sheet in them that I repacked and now I have the page.

I also have a bunch of hagnar pages (one sided, they're cardboard), you can have these as a bonus when I ship your next package.

Let me know if these are of any interest.

wastingtime101 · ‎12-30-2024

When you go through his feedback page, are you selecting "this is not about an item"?

GLORIOUS!

sin-n-dex · ‎12-30-2024

@wastingtime101 wrote:
When you go through his feedback page, are you selecting "this is not about an item"?

Yes, and I have a message history with him from July that is "not about an item".

eBay's using AI for everything, so all you have to do is use a word like "money" and they censor you.

C.

sin-n-dex · ‎12-30-2024

@sin-n-dex wrote:
@wastingtime101 wrote:
When you go through his feedback page, are you selecting "this is not about an item"?
Yes, and I have a message history with him from July that is "not about an item".

eBay's using AI for everything, so all you have to do is use a word like "money" and they censor you.

C.

I don't think it's the content. I tried to delete the message history, but it only deletes it from search, when I go to send him a new message "not about an item" I get the history of messages with him. I changed the message to just say "Hi any interest in vario/anchor pages?" and nothing else, and it still won't send.

I never had problems messaging with the legacy system.

C.

wastingtime101 · ‎12-30-2024

Do you have any recent transactions? Try messaging through the TX and see if the message goes through,

GLORIOUS!

sin-n-dex · ‎12-30-2024

@wastingtime101 wrote:
Do you have any recent transactions? Try messaging through the TX and see if the message goes through,

There was one other thread from April (the last time he bought) and I tried messaging from that message history and it didn't go through there either.

I think what I'm going to have to do is mail him a postcard or something to ask him, since I see no other way to get ahold of him. I don't have his email address. I always offered him stuff and send him a link to the listing to buy it on eBay. There was never any need to communicate outside of eBay.

C.

sin-n-dex · ‎12-30-2024

@wastingtime101 wrote:
Do you have any recent transactions? Try messaging through the TX and see if the message goes through,

I found a transaction that was purchased in July, and eBay has removed his name, street address, and the email address they make up where I can contact him.

Thankfully I've saved copies of every sales record with that email address on it, so I tried sending an email to it with my message. I guess I'll have to let you know if he replies. If he doesn't reply, I think it's going to be safe to assume he didn't read it because he would tell me if he's not interested in something so I can do something else with it.

C.

reallynicestamps · ‎12-30-2024

So the only way to communicate with the customer is to take the sale off eBay.

Even though both buyer and seller want to stay on eBay.

Sounds like an unanticipated result of some programming.

How about: I have some of the pages you enquired about. Shall I list them for you?

pennpicker · ‎12-30-2024

How about sending just a picture (photo of pages you wish to sell) without any text?

12345jamesstamps · ‎12-30-2024

ebay might think you are selling off the platform...emails between a seller and a buyer is probably the only time a 'real person' looks at it in regards to selling something off the platform...if exchanging any personal information...and eBay keeps these emails for future references...for maybe a few years.

sin-n-dex · ‎12-30-2024

@reallynicestamps wrote:
So the only way to communicate with the customer is to take the sale off eBay.
Even though both buyer and seller want to stay on eBay.

Sounds like an unanticipated result of some programming.

How about: I have some of the pages you enquired about. Shall I list them for you?

I modified my message to say "any interest in vario/anchor pages?" or something like that, and it still won't send.

I got the email ID from the sales order I saved (since I save them within 15 days of the sale to get that info), and tried emailing there. If I don't hear back in a few days I'm going to predict he didn't get it and send him snail mail. It's only going to cost me $1.26, and I'll do major dehoarding to get rid of those pages. I didn't realize I had so many, but I went through them tonight and I have 100s... I only need a few for my personal stamp collection and would be happy to get 25 cents a page for the rest.

C.

sin-n-dex · ‎12-30-2024

@pennpicker wrote:
How about sending just a picture (photo of pages you wish to sell) without any text?

I didn't try that, but I don't think I photo is worth 1000 words in this case... I think I'm in favour of snail mail and a business card, he can email me. I'm still going to list them here because I like to keep all sales on Ebay for everyone's protection, but eBay is not letting me tell him about the thing I want to list (and I was only going to list the sizes he wanted).

C.

sin-n-dex · ‎12-30-2024

@12345jamesstamps wrote:
ebay might think you are selling off the platform...emails between a seller and a buyer is probably the only time a 'real person' looks at it in regards to selling something off the platform...if exchanging any personal information...and eBay keeps these emails for future references...for maybe a few years.

All previous messages with him included a link to the Ebay listing and he bought it. I never exchanged personal info between him in message. Also the "something went wrong" was pretty automated, too fast for a person to have read it. So unless a person reads it and blocks me from contacting him, that's the only thing I can see.

I did see eBay removes buyer name and address from the sales order after a while (I checked other sales, it's not just the one with this guy that the info is missing). Perhaps the fact the sale is old is why it won't let me send a message, but when I go to his feedback and try to send a message it pulls up the last thread from July and then won't let me send any new messages.

C.

pennpicker · ‎12-30-2024

Sending a picture only (not for information or to make a sale) simply to test whether or not your message is being blocked because of the text. Undoubtedly your current findings are troublesome, imo, as it stands since it appears a previous sale could hamper future transactions with a return buyer.

Very curious to discover how you are able to remedy this.

nyr134 · ‎12-30-2024

My communications with prior customers are almost all retained/copied on my email server (in my case, Comcast). When I have an item that I believe is of interest to them, I use a reply to an old Comcast message to contact them. Even now with eBay’s new messaging system, they have received these messages. And the new messages show up within eBay.