eBay

password9019 · ‎03-07-2018

I recently had a buyer make a small purchase from me and noticed that the account appears to be only used for purchases.

What caught my eye was the feedback this buyer leaves:

Here's a run-down of what it looks like, for example what has been left for the past 25-30 purchases:

A

_

A

-

T

-

S

_

Su

_

Awesome thanks

Awesome

T

_

Su

_

S

_

S

_

T

-

T

-

A

-

M

_

E

_

E

_

T

_

Su

_

U

-

T

_

Su

_

S

Now, does this make any sense to you? Once in a while, I see actual words. Otherwise, it is a capital letter... but what is curious is the fact that right beneath the letter there is always a hash mark (hyphen).

I am not even sure how the buyer is able to leave a letter on one line and a symbol on the line beneath it, all in one slot for one purchase and the anonymous seller. I thought there was no way to leave feedback on more than one line of how ever many characters maximum are allowable.

What concerns me is the use of these letters. What do they mean? Who other than this buyer knows what they mean? I messaged the buyer asking about this and there was no response (been days since I asked, and I asked the question within minutes of receiving the payment). I think the buyer is using code, and in my opinion, all of that feedback should be removed. It should not be permitted.

Thoughts?

ted_200 · ‎03-07-2018

@d-k_treasureswrote:
Wasn't there a problem on the new feedback page when it was released where it only left the first character of what was copied/pasted in? Or entered? Maybe it's still around on some different way to get into the feedback page.

Any time anything strange, or some problem, comes up it's a good idea to assume the most likely culprit is some eBay dysfunctionality. I suspect this is no different, but I'm still wondering why anyone cares much about this one...

I don't think that this buyer should be permitted to be leaving unintelligible fb, or fb otherwise not universally recognizable to the eBay community. I am not aware of an exact policy on this, but if there is not a similar policy as to such these days, there should be.

Secrecy is not something that should be permitted.

LOL! eBay has done everything they can think of to remove any transparency anywhere it might still exist.

And I see plenty of feedback that is unintelligible on eBay anyhow.

The Floggings Will Continue Until Morale Improves.

password9019 · ‎03-08-2018

itsjustasprain: I think the single letter threw me of on that....I recall that now.

password9019 · ‎03-08-2018

I'm blocking because it is a Canada buyer with a US PO box. That's another thing that should not be allowed, imo.

Live in Canada, purchased FROM Canada? If so, don't come knockin'.

My listings as for "U.S. Buyers only". I get it that the buyer may be a dual citizen, but that's not a guarantee with this purchaser.

US PO boxes should be for US citizens only. If you live on the border and are a dual citizen, than it should be one nation or the other (imo) as far where you want your mail to go.

sockmonkeydave · ‎03-08-2018

@password9019

I live in a university town, with lots of international students.

So you would block a student from Canada, who is going to school in the US ?

And you are selling to a US address, You can't block based on where the buyer registered on ebay.

cardscoinsnmore · ‎03-08-2018

I have a buyer who leaves either R or RE for feedback. I figure that means received, but how hard is it to type out a word?

sockmonkeydave · ‎03-08-2018

@cardscoinsnmore

@cardscoinsnmorewrote:
I have a buyer who leaves either R or RE for feedback. I figure that means received, but how hard is it to type out a word?

I h8t twitter talk uc.

findersltd · ‎03-08-2018

I respect your opinion, but I'm curious as to why it matters.

I've gotten some of those letter only positives, I took as they were entering it on their phone and hit the wrong button and submitted it by mistake. (I've done it when I texted before.) It was a positive feedback, I could see blocking if it was negative.

I understand not wanting to ship internationally, but who cares if they have a US PO box and live in Canada. They are spending their money here, in the USA. It's saves them money having it shipped to a PO instead of paying for international shipping. IMO it's still better than shipping to a US Freight forwarding company, like most do, who will re-wrap it like garbage and then it arrives broken. Or gets ruffled through by a customs agent. Besides, they then have more money to spend towards the item.

I live in Florida, we have Canadians down here during the winter months. They have a US address then. They spend money, lots of it. They buy to take back with them.

a_c_green · ‎03-08-2018

@password9019 wrote:
My listings as for "U.S. Buyers only". I get it that the buyer may be a dual citizen, but that's not a guarantee with this purchaser.

I'm curious as to how you're planning to check the citizenship status of your buyers...?

muttlymob · ‎03-08-2018

US PO boxes should be for US citizens only. If you live on the border and are a dual citizen, than it should be one nation or the other (imo) as far where you want your mail to go.

It has nothing to do with citizenship. I doubt many if any of those buyers in Canada who use US addresses just over the border actually have dual citizenship. They are doing it to save money on shipping.

If you actually could ban anyone but US citizens from getting PO boxes, you aren't going to stop any of the private mail box outfits. Your crusade could be much bigger than you think.

muttlymob · ‎03-08-2018

I'm curious as to how you're planning to check the citizenship status of your buyers...?

He'll figure it out when he cracks that code they're leaving in feedback.

password9019 · ‎03-09-2018

In the hundreds of transactions I have done, I took a keen note of the fact that the one buyer who wanted to give me a hard time over shipping more than anyone else, was someone who lived in Canada but had a U.S. address.

When you set up your blockers on who can and cannot bid or buy, eBay is going only by the delivery address. What eBay ought to be doing is asking for a second address to confirm the member is where they really say they are.

Lately I have had buyers who live overseas, logging into an account shared by a friend or relative residing in the U.S. and registered with eBay in the U.S. but the one doing the buying is making purchases from India. A practice eBay needs to put a serious halt to. Like yesterday or the year before, it should have been done.

sockmonkeydave · ‎03-09-2018

@password9019

Think about what you are saying...

Many people who live in Canada, close to the border have US PO boxes.

They do their shipping from the US, better rates.

They cross the border a few times a week to ship... or to work.

I live in a university town, students from all around the world.

So a student may be registered in China, but has a US ship to address.

I have had this happen before, a buyer out side the contry, has an item sent to

a family member in the states...

It is not a big deal.

thallidguy · ‎03-09-2018

@sockmonkeydavewrote:
@password9019
Think about what you are saying...

After reading this thread all the way through, I conclude that this is not part of the OP's skill set.

monster-deals · ‎03-09-2018

#1stWorldProblems

Only in the USA can someone complain that their positive feedback wasn't positive enough

password9019 · ‎03-11-2018

I have been noticing lately that PO box or not, border member or not, buyer just don't want to pay their fair share for shipping. In fact, a lot of them want a ten or twelve dollar postage amount paid for by the seller with a discounted item price at purchase.

Cheap is all I can say. Then again, people who use eBay in NY know this all too well as a lot of other states whose consumers and property owners pay far less in taxes, don't really get it when it comes to the cost of doing a transaction. People in places where living's expensive get it, but that's not all people.