Well this is new - buyer e-mails

[wastingtime101]

I looked up order details to get a buyer's e-mail so I could send a PayPal invoice for a post-sale requested shipping change. Instead of showing the buyer's e-mail it now shows a string of random letters and numbers @members.ebay.com

Now the only way to get a buyer's e-mail to address these situations is to ask them for it through eBay messages.

I checked some past orders and I can see real e-mails through orders placed 8/19. As of 8/20 things changed.

[american-photography]

Why would you have to deal with them outside of Ebay?  Then you lose any protections if something goes wrong.

Also, why should you be able to use Ebay's platform to sell outside of it and not pay your fair share of fees like every other seller?

Ebay gave you access to the buyer to make a sale and you should pay them appropriately for that.

[bigdeals.etc]

I suspected something like this was going to happen as MP rolls out. Of course ebay wants it so that there’s absolutely no way we can have the buyer’s email address. I’m even surprised they still allow their phone numbers to be shown to us. 

Ebay doesn’t want sellers poaching buyers for any reason. We’re lucky that we have their shipping addresses, haha.

[donsdetour]

explains some thing thanks.

[inhawaii]

I used to be able to ge them 2 ways.

The shipping label page.  Make like you're going to edit the customer's shipping address.  You will sometimes find it there.

Log in to paypal and you used to be able to get it from the paypal transaction. 

[simply-the-best-for-you]

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@american-photography wrote:

If you send a message through Ebay messages, they also get a copy sent to their email address so there is no need to have a buyer's personal email address.

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Only if they have their settings set to receive emails.  Most don't IME. 

[simply-the-best-for-you]

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@american-photography wrote:

Why would you have to deal with them outside of Ebay?  Then you lose any protections if something goes wrong.

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For many reasons that have nothing to do with invoicing.  I use it to let buyers know about the shipping issues right now.   I use it to trade pics sometimes b/c the Ebay messaging system has such small photos.   I have lots of repeat buyers who want to know when I get a certain type of item.  I use it to let them know that I just listed one of whatever they're looking for.  

Most buyers don't regularly check their Ebay messages, but they DO check their emails.   Buyers do NOT necessarily get Ebay messages in their emails.  Also, there's often no current item to send a message through, like if it's been 6 months since a transaction, but a buyer wanted to know when I got another widget in, of a certain type.   There wouldn't even be a way to message them anymore via Ebay's system. 

Lastly, not sure if this applies anymore, but you used to in some cases get an automatic 5 stars for Communication if you have none.  But if you have it, then it opens it up for a rating.   You were essentially punished for having communications with your buyer.  It was all over the boards, at the time. 

There are a myraid of other reasons, as well.   Since 97, I've never had a problem communicating w/buyers directly, so I'm not worried about 'losing my seller protection'.  I want to communicate in a way that I know they'll receive it ASAP. 

[coffeebean832]

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@bigdeals.etc wrote:

Of course ebay wants it so that there’s absolutely no way we can have the buyer’s email address.

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That would be fine if we could send post-sale invoices through eBay for things like re-payment after an INR refund, payment for shipping a second time when packages are returned to sender, or payment for post-sale buyer-requested shipping upgrades. In the first example eBay doesn't offer any options to handle the situation except for telling sellers to invoice through PayPal.

[aldente28]

Same here. New as of today.

Does emailing that address work?

Buyers often request a post office hold for their orders. USPS requires that I enter their email address, and they send the buyer notification that (a) their package arrived, and importantly, (b) where to pick it up.

[aldente28]

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@american-photography wrote:

If you send a message through Ebay messages, they also get a copy sent to their email address so there is no need to have a buyer's personal email address.

All communication and invoices to buyers can be sent through Ebay.

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I need the buyer's email address to do a post office hold for pickup on their orders.

Their email is required by USPS, and USPS notifies them by email when the package arrives and where to pick it up.

It's kind of important. And by "kind of important", I mean critical. Can't do a PO hold without it. Can't sell perishables without the option for post office hold.

[aldente28]

Can anyone confirm that emails sent to these new cloaked email addresses actually get forwarded to buyers?

Feels like I can't go 24 hours free of one major issue or another.

[slippinjimmy]

I can still see the email addresses here:

On the Order Details Page

In the PayPal payment email (reply to address)

In the Orders Report download

From the API

[wastingtime101]

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@slippinjimmy wrote:

I can still see the email addresses here:

On the Order Details Page

That will soon change. It's a phased rollout. See post 12.

In the PayPal payment email (reply to address)

Not relevant to sellers in Managed Payments.

In the Orders Report download

See point 1.

From the API

Again, this has changed. Even my 3rd party shipping providers are showing the masked e-mail addresses.

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Reply comments in blue.

[wastingtime101]

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@aldente28 wrote:

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I need the buyer's email address to do a post office hold for pickup on their orders.

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For that purpose there should be no issue using the masked address that eBay provides.

The problem comes with sending PayPal invoices, and I assume with sending attachments, as well. Like product manuals I've sent to buyers in PDF format post-sale.

[bigdeals.etc]

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@coffeebean832 wrote:

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@bigdeals.etc wrote:

Of course ebay wants it so that there’s absolutely no way we can have the buyer’s email address.

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That would be fine if we could send post-sale invoices through eBay for things like re-payment after an INR refund, payment for shipping a second time when packages are returned to sender, or payment for post-sale buyer-requested shipping upgrades. In the first example eBay doesn't offer any options to handle the situation except for telling sellers to invoice through PayPal.

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Yup. Totally agree with you here as I run into many of these problems due to buyers initially not providing a valid address. Fortunately ebay isn't really forcing us to go into MP quite yet.

[aldente28]

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@slippinjimmy wrote:

I can still see the email addresses here:

On the Order Details Page

In the PayPal payment email (reply to address)

In the Orders Report download

From the API

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It's gone now.

This doesn't exist any more

I didn't check these as I can't generate a downloadable report every time I process an order. I already work 20 hour days.