eBay's messages

[ms.piercing]

Here is a message i got from eBay (i get them ocasionaly and never read them completly untill today).

Can someone let me know if it's even a proper English? 

"The item should now be delivered and once you have received it please issue the buyer with a refund by Oct 23, 2017.

When the refund is complete, you will automatically receive a credit for the final value fee and other applicable fees."

1. "please issue the buyer with a refund" - "with a refund" Is it how it's said? I was always issuing just a refund with out "with" part 🙂

2. "When the refund is complete" - should not it  be "When the refund is completed" or they mean "complete" as in "full refund'?

3. "The item should now be delivered and once you have received it" - I guess English is okay,  just a bit confusing on "delivered and once you have received it"?  I guess i would say "delivered and once you inspected it"  cause i guess that is what they mean. In my word "delivered" and "received it" sort of means same thing, at least i won all cases when tracking shows delivered but customer says "has not received it" 🙂

PS: I am not the one to throw stones, just curious. 

[reallynicestamps]

I spent a good part of my career as a writer and editor with the Canadian public service.

The wording might be a bit prolix,but it is not incorrect.

My workmates mostly had English as a second language, and I spent a lot of time reassuring them that their grammar was fine and English is a very flexible language.

Oooh-- here's a fun meme I've seen doing the rounds on the interwebs:

Insert the word "only" before  each word in this sentence.

She said that she loved him.

See? Flexible.

[slippinjimmy]

#1 is a bit odd, it would read better to me as "provide the buyer with a refund"

#2 They mean complete as in you have sent it and it has reached the intended target

#3 I doubt "inspected" was intended. This sentence would be more readable with a couple of more words because it's actually a two part message (with the same net result). First part assumes the return has been received, the second part assumes it has not yet but will be soon.

"The item should now be delivered and [or if not] once you have received it......"

In my experience, writing concise and understandable instructions is not as easy as one might think and it can get even harder when you have input from multiple writers as is often the case in corporate situations.

[rolenboy01]

That sounds strange to me, my messages are always worded:

"You should have received the (Insert Name of Item) from (Insert Buyer Username). Once you inspect it, please view the return details to issue a refund right away.

When you issue a refund, the buyer may have to confirm that they have received the refund in certain cases. When the refund is complete, you will automatically receive a credit for the final value fee and other applicable fees.

Please issue a refund by (Specified Date) to close the return."

[gracieallen01]

The way that is written, I'm not sure if it was BY a person for whom English was not a first language, or FOR a person for whom English is not a first language.

My guess would be that it was composed by someone native to the Mid-east, Asia or the Western Pacific, where there is/was a presence of British/European English.

(personal opinion - your mileage may vary)

[mrv71]

This is definitely not a proper English, it may be a scam from an overseas buyer fishing for an undeserved refund.

[luckythewinner]

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@ms.piercing wrote:

3. "The item should now be delivered and once you have received it" - I guess English is okay,  just a bit confusing on "delivered and once you have received it"? 
 In my word "delivered" and "received it" sort of means same thing

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Although tracking may show an item as being "delivered", the recipient may not actually have it in his possession.

This happens to me all the time when something is shipped to my post office box - it is scanned as delivered when it is put in my box, but I have not "received it" until I go and pick it up. 

I think you are reading far too much into this.