posted on June 1, 2003 12:47:27 PM newNow, just for my own information can you tell me how you know when a buyer has emailed you asking a question if the program automatially sends the emails?
None of my emails are automatically sent. I have to press the "Send" button and I review each one and personalize as needed. As for the "Question For Seller", those come to my normal email and I have to personally answer them.
posted on June 1, 2003 01:06:46 PM new
"Aworks" is Auctionworks.com - since most of the programs for offline listing are built for PC, everything I do must be done online. This is another reason I like AWorks since it runs MUCH faster than Vendio. I keep my Vendio account mainly for the boards (I have picked up a ton of valuable info here) and for listing on my junk account - unfortunately the speed of use would drive me batty if this was my main service.
Good luck - I think once you play with automated services and find the right one you will be glad you did. I know that there are a lot of different ones used by the different posters here - maybe you should start a thread asking for input on the different ones in terms of ease of use for your specific needs and such.
posted on June 1, 2003 02:09:20 PM new
Before I make a bid I check out the seller's info.
1. I don't bid on volume sellers. If I see the seller has pages and pages of auctions listed, I move on. The only exceptions are sellers who come recommended to me, or with whom I've had ongoing purchasing with over the years, such as cosmeticounter and refbookman.
2. If the seller devotes most of their description to everything they hate about eBay buyers, then I click out.
3. If the seller accepts only money orders and cash, then I click out.
4. If the seller has only one photo, and I can't determine diddley squat from the one photo, and upon emailing the seller I don't get a response with more photos, then I don't bid.
Oh, here is an example of what I mean. Back in late April I was interested in this auciton by seller ipick.
There is only the one photo. There is no photo of the pontil. No photo of the rim, because different 19th century glass makers finished their rims differently and it is just as important to show the rim as it is the pontil. And no closeup photos of the etchings. I email the seller asking for more photos. The seller replies, says she is away from the computer, will relist the item with more photos. There was some bidding, but the reserve was not met.
The seller relists the auction, but still only the one photo.
Again, there is some bidding but the reserve is not met. This is an example of a seller being totally indifferent to what buyers want.
Now all this seller had to do was look at my bidding history and see that I bid seriously, and if I don't win I at least give the seller a higher price. I tend to bid in advance too, not just snipe each and every auction, which helps a seller get more bids.
I guess my point is that I agree with tonimar1 and some of the other posters, that buyers are leaving eBay in droves because of inept sellers. I don't mind automated replies if the auction is set up with shipping and insurance charges and I can click the big fat Pay Now button and Pay Now. Those are the best sellers of all. The volume sellers, nope, won't bid.
I am not hotcupoftea on eBay.
[ edited by hotcupoftea on Jun 1, 2003 02:13 PM ]
posted on June 1, 2003 02:24:56 PM new
Another annoying thing about sellers on eBay are those who put in their TOS for the buyer to email their name and address at the end of the auction, so the seller can calculate shipping charges. Why? This is another example of making buyers jump through more hoops. The end-of-auction email to the seller contains the buyer's zip code. The same information can be found on the auction page in the Bidding History by the seller. The seller can get the zip code, look up shipping charges, and email the buyer with all the information the buyer needs, rather than the buyer being forced to make first contact.
Another thing that really annoys me about sellers is when they say they have to package the item and go to the post office to weigh it. Again why? A seller can buy a digital postal scale off of eBay for under $50, figure out an approximate shipping cost on every auction and have that information stated in the auction. And when this happens to me, and it is a Power Seller to boot, I am super annoyed. It means I get no packing slip inside the box, and I have to wait days for the seller to package and go to the post office before I get final shipping charges.
And finally, I don't understand why some sellers are so obsessed with exact shipping costs. Merely state in the auction, shipping AND handling, put a cost, and if it is over a bit of actual shiping than that is the handling part. But for these sellers who are selling the fragile things I buy, get a clue. Buyers don't want shipping to be exact to the penny. We are more concerned that the seller charges enough to pay for packging materials so that the item survives transit.
posted on June 1, 2003 02:45:17 PM new
Hot - I think that the Exact Shipping Nazis are a direct result of people complaining about inflated shipping charges.
Unfortunately there are sellers that VASTLY inflate shipping prices.... (the seller that called me to save me postage was the one I selected to replace the guy that was charging $40 to ship a $8 Media Mail package). Because of these types a lot of buyers have taken to negging sellers that charge a buck or two over cost to cover packing material. Now you have sellers so afraid of a neg after reading the horror storie on various boards that they have gone to the opposite extreme.
Middleground is a good thing - we must lead them there
posted on June 1, 2003 02:59:57 PM new
What ....Hot is saying is true but at the same time if I'm selling a case that weights 45lbs and the shipping cost is 35.00 to KS, this will need to be adjusted because the person that lives nearer to me would only pay aprox. 18.00 but as you mentioned the zip code is in the end of auction email from ebay so I send them an email giving them the correct shipping to there zip code. I dont expect them to contact me first. But in my listing I need to state that shipping cost is aprox. I do list a shipping cost but just aprox. this is only when I sell case lots. But on individual items I usually just weigh the item and figure aprox cost with packing and box and thats the figure I list for shipping. But again if it turns out to be much less because of the zip code I tell the buyer to send me less, like neonmaina said,
"you don't want to over charge either"
Oh, .....Neonmaina...........a few hours have passed and I still cant get my program to work when it comes to the spread sheet and auto emails. So I had to write to support and find out why this part of my program dose not work..............can it be im doing it wrong..........nah.......lol
posted on June 1, 2003 03:43:26 PM new
:h, .....Neonmaina...........a few hours have passed and I still cant get my program to work when it comes to the spread sheet and auto emails.::
I'm of no help there - I'm an online service user only,,, to me "Spread Sheet" is what you do to smooth the wrinkles out before folding
h, .....Neonmaina...........a few hours have passed and I still cant get my program to work when it comes to the spread sheet and auto emails.::
