Question
This week I asked a seller a question about shipping to Australia, using my normal writing style and signing my name (which I think is polite and appropriate). Unfortunately the seller answered through the auction, and because it is too obviously "me" that asked the question, I am discouraged from bidding with my less known bidding ID, because I know that some of my buyers are likely to also bid on the same auction (plus they now know the shipping charge)..... I just left a nominal bid using my seller ID and will not bid again on that auction.
This begs the question whether it has become innappropriate to sign one's name to an email when asking the seller a question. I prefer to communicate by name, but most buyers no longer use their name when communicating. It is a trend I find discomforting, but probably to be expected.
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I now also wonder exactly how some sellers use the "Ask a Seller a Question" facility. When I receive a question, I almost always reply directly to the user - if there is pertinent information appropriate to most buyers (and not "betraying" the enquirers request), I will also answer through the system so that the pertinent information goes onto the auction. In any case, I always receive the email address of the person enquiring.
When I make enquiries, I make sure that I have not ticked to remove my email address - I recently asked for further pictures of an interesting and wrongly described arts and crafts tea set, and fdor further information about the item. The seller has replied in full onto the auction and asked where to send the pictures in that reply. Rudely, I did not respond any further. If the seller can not work out to send the pictures to the reply email address, I do not want to give him further information that may go onto the auction.
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I am also amused by just what replies a seller will put onto their own auctions, and how much can be learned about some sellers when they do this. I was looking at the completed auction of a very nice sign which ultimately sold in the area of $1500..... there were three questions to the seller on the auction page:
Q: Hello, would you be prepared to sell the ***** sign right now??? I am a genuine buyer/collector and can settle immediately. If so, what would you be prepared to sell for? I would be able to make arrangements for transport etc. Regards Jim.
Answered on Dec-07-04
A: Hi Jim...I may be prepared to end auction early if i'm tempted...Paul
Q: Postage costs to ****
Answered on Dec-05-04
A: Hi...ball park figure for freight by courier is around $35.00
Q: Any idea of cost to freight to Sussex U.K.?
Answered on Dec-05-04
A: Hi...No idea sorry, it is a large sign and does weigh a fair sum. It may be too cost prohibitive to send. Best if you get a price from your post office or off the internet.
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So, buyers are effectively told:
(a) that they may be wasting their time bidding because he will close the auction if the "right" price is offered outside of auction.
(b) that the seller is too ignorant to work out the cost of shipping on a serious international enquiry for a valuable item. How the UK post office will know how much it will cost to send a sign that weighs "a fair sum" from Australia is beyond me - and at $1500 the sign was probably well under market value (a well known name and an attractive early design I have never seen before).
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The "Ask The Seller A Question" facility on the auction page does certainly have some advantages, but I suspect that showing just how ignorant some sellers are was actually an "unintended consequence".......
Cheers, Kevin
P.S. I am not suggesting that the first example is ignorant, it is only a highlight of a problem that evolves from the way this system has been designed.
Answer
Kevin,
Having been online long before the Web even existed, the one thing drilled into my head early, and learned well is NEVER input any personal information into a computer with a modem that you do not want the world to know.
I dislike even writing my name on a computer.
Its bad luck.
That said, ebaY is seriously attempting to put a monkeywrench into the works by screwing with buyer/seller communication, and that stoooopid 'feature' about posting emials directly into ads is absolutely insane.
Sellers should regard email as sacrosanct. And definitely should conclude deals outside of ebay if they are so inclined. They paid for the ad, so screw ebay. But they should never violate basic confidentiality by posting emails.
That is simply bad manners.
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Yes Kevin, I agree that this feature can create a few dicey situations.
I think it is important to know how all these features operate. The only thing that we can control is what we put out there. Knowing that, it is our responsibility to act accordingly or else risk the "unintended consequences" from the situations you describe.
But you have to remember: this "enhancement" was probably the result of an overwhelming request by eBay users.
The ONE thing I do like about it is that it allows me to easily keep with eBay stuff while I'm traveling without having to access e-mail all the time.
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I have seen some of the dangdest(being polite ) emails and responses on the auctions. I've backed out of many without even considering a bid, have laughed at a "fair sum" of them, and had to shake my head at a few.
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As a buyer, I use my buying ID to ask questions and NEVER include my name, etc. A cheery "thank you!" is as polite as I get. I felt funny about it at first, but ...
As a seller I've received many ASQ's that included names and even street addresses. I make sure not to respond in the listing to those. It's often a shame, too, because it always seems like those are the questions that would help other bidders!
I don't understand at all why eBay would even consider putting email addresses into the listings. Why is that even an option, and why do we have to make sure to opt out of it by unchecking the box?!
I wonder if buyers really understand that their questions are potentially public? I'll have to look carefully next time I do an ASQ and see if there are warnings about that.
Makes it difficult, don't you think? When I could ASQ 'privately' to the seller, I was much more likely to ask questions.
I'm beginning to think I need a third ID, just for asking!!
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okay, now I'm confused. I thought the check email box was for the seller's email address to be displayed on return email sent to buyer and that I only had to make sure display question on listing box was unchecked if there was identifying info on the question.
My policy is to always respond in email from my address, but also through ebay since I have had so many failures at contact through normal email. I don't want anyone to think I'm ignoring their question.
If there is no identifying info in the question and it is relevant to all, I will then check to have it displayed on the listing. To me, only a first name.....such as thanks, Dan, doesn't identify anyone............but if the ebay id is there I won't respond on the listing.
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I don't get too many questions on my items; mostly requests for postage quotes for international shipping, so I tend to answer directly through Ebay's system and not have the answer posted on the auction.
But some of you have mentioned requesting or receiving requests for information that would be of interest to all bidders. I think in that case I'd reply to the bidder privately, but do a revision to the auction with the relevant info summarized. I know not everyone scrolls all the way down, but some folks may..
With regard to asking questions, Kevin, I agree that it seems more polite to give your name but since we can't be sure that it won't be publicized, I don't have any problem with just using a bidder ID. Or if you're concerned about competitors, make up a name!
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When I could ASQ 'privately' to the seller, I was much more likely to ask questions.
There is another aspect to this as well. The answer to a well targetted question from someone with a specialist knowledge can reveal "all" about a valuable item. In the past there was a remote chance that the seller may add the details to the listing, now the chances are hugely greater, and it really must discourage some types of questions. I have to wonder whether a work around is to ask a "dumb" question, just so that one can get the email address and ask the pertinent question outside the system so that the answer is not just dumped onto the auction listing. If the seller doesn't answer dumb questions, though, you miss out....
I really have no inclination to do all the work for the other bidders, and that makes it discouraging to ask pertinent questions at all.
I don't understand at all why eBay would even consider putting email addresses into the listings.
Ebay does not put the email addresses onto the listing - however if I write: "Please send further pictures to me at xyz*yahoo.com " and the seller responds with a copy onto the auction the email address does go up.
Cheers, Kevin
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Myself, I have NEVER answered a Question to the Seller by anything other than direct reply email to the inquirer. If they have failed to register their current email addy with eBay, or haven't yet figured out how to use their email screens, I'm really not interested in having them as a buyer because it guarantees that post-auction correspondence will be difficult if not impossible. I don't need the headache.
If someone asks a question that I feel is, or should be, of interest to all, I too use the Add to the Item Description feature, and if it's too late to use that, well, it's just too late.
Edited to ad: When asking a question, I generally sign with my initials, and I always request a direct email reply, feigning some difficulty about accessing anything but email for a day or two...
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When I make enquiries, I make sure that I have not ticked to remove my email address - I recently asked for further pictures of an interesting and wrongly described arts and crafts tea set, and fdor further information about the item. The seller has replied in full onto the auction and asked where to send the pictures in that reply. Rudely, I did not respond any further. If the seller can not work out to send the pictures to the reply email address, I do not want to give him further information that may go onto the auction.
I received a request for additional closeup pictures of an item in my eBay store. When I examined the item more closely while taking the photos, I realized it was a scarce variety, not the ordinary type usually found as I had originally thought. I sent the photos directly to the buyer, but I also ended and re-wrote the listing to include an updated description, along with the appropriate photos, and an increased price.