Would like to block from buying, but don't want to block messages...

[sin-n-dex]

I got an INR yesterday. I don't like it when people wait until one day past the expected date of delivery to file an INR (it's a standard letter, so tracking may or may not show delivered when it finally gets delivered).

I would like to block this buyer from being able to buy until this is sorted out, but if I block him he can't contact me when he gets it and offer to repay me for it (like lots of buyers do on ESE when they file an INR).

I suspect being that it's a new buyer the INR was filed in an attempt to reach out to me and inquire about his item not received yet, but following prompts turned it into a request. It's insured anyway if I refund, but I don't want to sell any more to someone until the situation is sorted out in this type of case.

So this is another case of blocking messages not being ideal... I can either let him buy again, or block him and potentially prevent myself from being paid if the buyer is honest. Another package that was shipped the same date just arrived today, so I think it's just delayed.

Another complaint is that eBay doesn't provide enough time for items to arrive when mail is busier or things are happening. I put economy shipping on my listings but it's still not giving a very long time for items to be delivered before buyers can file an INR.

C.

[lacemaker3]

OK, it has been about 45 minutes since @sin-n-dex's last message, so I'm going to proceed with the next trial. If you get a message, reply to me through eBay messages, so I will know that you got it please.

I will make additional notes below, so that the notes stay in chronological order.

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@lacemaker3 wrote:

@sin-n-dex,

I will try several ways, if the first attempt doesn't go through, to try to be thorough.

Trial 1: from the cancelled transaction in my purchase history  (sent at 8:40 am PST, 11:40 am EST)

Let me know if you get it, or if it doesn't arrive within maybe a half hour or so?

ETA: it looks like it went through the message center anyway. It is adding on to the messages I sent you back in October. FYI (for others) the earlier messages don't show the date except at the very top ... they were sent about 6 weeks ago.

---

The first trial shows up in my message center, but I will make the 2nd trial from the message center anyway.

If this doesn't work, I will try again from Sin's feedback profile page, which is the only other way I can think of. If that doesn't work, I want to make one more trial after being unblocked, to find out if the blocked messages show up then or not.

Here's a screenshot after I sent the 2nd message for Trial 2 (about 54 minutes later):

[wastingtime101]

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@lacemaker3 wrote:

I want to make one more trial after being unblocked, to find out if the blocked messages show up then or not.

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They won't.

[lacemaker3]

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@wastingtime101 wrote:

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@lacemaker3 wrote:

I want to make one more trial after being unblocked, to find out if the blocked messages show up then or not.

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They won't.

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I'm wondering what will happen if I send another message from the same thread that we have continuing from October ... I can see the new messages in the message history, but so far Sin can't see them.

After I'm unblocked, if I send another message on that thread and she gets it, will the message history look different to each of us?

I'd like to see if that happens.

[wastingtime101]

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@lacemaker3 wrote:
After I'm unblocked, if I send another message on that thread and she gets it, will the message history look different to each of us?

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Yes, it will. You'll see the messages sent while blocked, and Sin won't.

We tested it before.

Disclaimer: I believe this was before the new message format. I don't think the new format will affect the outcome, though. Let us know for sure once you test.

[lacemaker3]

It never hurts to repeat an experiment. As you say, it might be different this time (but probably not).

[sin-n-dex]

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@lacemaker3 wrote:

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@wastingtime101 wrote:

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@lacemaker3 wrote:

I want to make one more trial after being unblocked, to find out if the blocked messages show up then or not.

---

They won't.

---

I'm wondering what will happen if I send another message from the same thread that we have continuing from October ... I can see the new messages in the message history, but so far Sin can't see them.

After I'm unblocked, if I send another message on that thread and she gets it, will the message history look different to each of us?

I'd like to see if that happens.

---

I have to step out for lunch right now, you're still blocked, and this is what my inbox looks like right now:

Last message 4 hours ago, no messages from @lacemaker3 

@wastingtime101You appear to be correct, but I'll leave this alone for another hour or so while I grab lunch and come back later in the afternoon. I'm assuming once I unblock lacemaker3 I won't suddenly get all the lost messages (but would be interesting if I did).

C.

[sin-n-dex]

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@wastingtime101 wrote:

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@lacemaker3 wrote:
After I'm unblocked, if I send another message on that thread and she gets it, will the message history look different to each of us?

---

Yes, it will. You'll see the messages sent while blocked, and Sin won't.

We tested it before.

Disclaimer: I believe this was before the new message format. I don't think the new format will affect the outcome, though. Let us know for sure once you test.

---

We did test this before, but @lacemaker3 bought from me in October, so we have a transaction. The test was to see if someone who bought from me recently would be able to send a message if I BBL'd them. Another poster in this thread was insisting with a recent transaction the BBL and message block did not apply. By testing it we have info we can give to future people who ask questions about the BBL and messaging.

C.

[wastingtime101]

Right - but I'm saying we specifically tested whether or not the messages would appear after unblocking. It was tested by sellers on this forum with their buyers that were not on this forum, and both of those sellers had recent transactions with their buyers. When those sellers unblocked the buyers they did not get any of the messages sent while block was in place - they stayed lost to the ether.

As I said, that was with the old message format so if nothing else you'll all have a test with the new message format, but I'm sure nothing will have changed.

The other poster on this thread insisting BBL message block didn't apply was either mistaken on the timing, or there were comms through an INR which is different - in fact, I think I saw that seller say in a later post that an INR was involved.

[lacemaker3]

Sent Trial 3 message after about another 2 hours with no results.

Additional notes added below, in order.

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@lacemaker3 wrote:

OK, it has been about 45 minutes since @sin-n-dex's last message, so I'm going to proceed with the next trial. If you get a message, reply to me through eBay messages, so I will know that you got it please.

I will make additional notes below, so that the notes stay in chronological order.

---

@lacemaker3 wrote:

@sin-n-dex,

I will try several ways, if the first attempt doesn't go through, to try to be thorough.

Trial 1: from the cancelled transaction in my purchase history  (sent at 8:40 am PST, 11:40 am EST)

Let me know if you get it, or if it doesn't arrive within maybe a half hour or so?

ETA: it looks like it went through the message center anyway. It is adding on to the messages I sent you back in October. FYI (for others) the earlier messages don't show the date except at the very top ... they were sent about 6 weeks ago.

---

The first trial shows up in my message center, but I will make the 2nd trial from the message center anyway.

If this doesn't work, I will try again from Sin's feedback profile page, which is the only other way I can think of. If that doesn't work, I want to make one more trial after being unblocked, to find out if the blocked messages show up then or not.

Here's a screenshot after I sent the 2nd message for Trial 2 (about 54 minutes later):

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Trial 3, I sent a message from the seller's feedback page, choosing "this is not about an item".

What's different: this starts a new thread, sent at 12:07 pm PST or 3:07 pm EST.

@sin-n-dex, let me know if you get anything.

[sin-n-dex]

@lacemaker3 

No messages from you, this is what my inbox looks like (I got one message about an error in a listing while I was at lunch).

This is what my exchange with you looks like:

So it's looking like despite a transaction somewhat recently (end of October, so less than 60 days ago), the block is immediate. So that means the buyers I had problems with in the past few weeks and blocked would not be able to reply to my messages.

If you're done with the trials, I can unblock you and confirm the messages don't later arrive and are lost in cyberspace.

C.

[lacemaker3]

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@sin-n-dex wrote:

@lacemaker3 

No messages from you, this is what my inbox looks like (I got one message about an error in a listing while I was at lunch).

This is what my exchange with you looks like:

So it's looking like despite a transaction somewhat recently (end of October, so less than 60 days ago), the block is immediate. So that means the buyers I had problems with in the past few weeks and blocked would not be able to reply to my messages.

If you're done with the trials, I can unblock you and confirm the messages don't later arrive and are lost in cyberspace.

C.

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I can't think of any other way to try ... messaging from the seller's feedback profile was the old workaround, but I didn't think it would still work. I honestly didn't expect any of these to work, but I was attempting to try every way that I could think of.

Let me know when you have unblocked me, please.

[sin-n-dex]

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@lacemaker3 wrote:

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I can't think of any other way to try ... messaging from the seller's feedback profile was the old workaround, but I didn't think it would still work. I honestly didn't expect any of these to work, but I was attempting to try every way that I could think of.

Let me know when you have unblocked me, please.

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@lacemaker3 

I've unblocked you. Did not receive any messages as a result, but wasn't expecting to.

C.

[lacemaker3]

Thanks @sin-n-dex 

Now I have responded to the last message I sent you about an hour ago (Trial 3). Let's see what you get!

First message sent 12:07 pm PST (3:07 pm EST), second message sent 1:09 pm PS (4:09 pm EST).

[sin-n-dex]

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@lacemaker3 wrote:

Thanks @sin-n-dex 

Now I have responded to the last message I sent you about an hour ago (Trial 3). Let's see what you get!

First message sent 12:07 pm PST (3:07 pm EST), second message sent 1:09 pm PS (4:09 pm EST).

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I replied to that last message (the one that came after I unblocked you). I didn't receive any other messages, and the most recent message started a new thread.

C.

[lacemaker3]

OK, @sin-n-dex 

So ... your reply started a new message thread as it appears to me. This one has the 2nd message I sent (where I included a quote of the first message just in case) together with your response:

My actual Trial 3 message thread is still there, but the thread has been severed into two parts, one from when I was blocked and one from after I was unblocked. The message I sent after I was unblocked got severed or removed from the message thread where I actually sent it (the one you can't see) and then it starts the beginning of the new (next) message thread (the one you can see, which you responded to).

This is what that message thread looked like to me, before you responded to it (and after you unblocked me). The second message got split off, or removed, and used to start the next one that you responded to.

Anyway, bottom line.

This confirms that a user who has been blocked can't send messages to the seller who has blocked them. It will look to the potential buyer like the messages have been sent, but they disappear, are not delivered to the seller, and the seller has no way to retrieve them, and no way to know that they were ever sent.

This confirms that the results of earlier testing also apply if there is a recent transaction (within 60 days) between the two users involved.