posted on March 21, 2010 12:17:24 PM new
I was ahead of EBay by about 6 months with the PayPal only policy. I had decided to do that as being in Canada I kept receiving Money Orders that were not cashable in Canada. Most of my Buyers used PayPal anyway so I had switched already when the Policy came in.
I am flexible however have only had two people in all this time who have requested to send either Money Order or cash. I agreed both times and it worked out just fine.
This morning I received a Message through the ASQ system from a man who wanted to purchase a small item but said 'I don't do PayPal' will you accept a personal check or Bank check. I replied directly to his e-mail address as I always do because I do not like the EBay Message system. I had always felt it was too 'open' and I prefer the personal touch!
I replied that I was sorry I could not accept either form of payment as it was too difficult to cash those in Canada.
He replied and asked if I would accept cash.
I agreed and we completed the sale.
The ONLY message that went through the System was the first ASQ. The Message came into my mail box at 7.40am and I happened to be at my computer.
For some reason, I don't know why...I had a look at 'My Messages' Inbox at approx. 11am and there is NO sign of his Message now! It is GONE...POOF!
I know that EBay has said in the past that they do not look at Member's Messages but what other explanation could there be?
PayPal will be losing out on a HUGE transaction here....the item was a spoon for $5.99 plus $2.50 shipping!
They are constantly on about Buyer Satisfaction well so am I and I wanted to satisfy my Buyer!
posted on March 21, 2010 12:33:11 PM new
I accept money orders if the buyer requests them. I have 2 regular buyers that have no bank account or credit card. I just tell them that I can accept any money order except the US postal one that says "negotiable in the US only", I have never had a problem changing them. I agree with you, I don't like to use the eBay message board, it's obvious that it is policed in some way. The problem is, some buyers don't send the message with the option of their email address, so you have to be very careful when replying.
posted on March 21, 2010 12:55:00 PM new
As long as you didn't offer "alternative" payment, eBay has no say in the matter. You've followed their rules by offering only on line payment.
posted on March 21, 2010 02:34:07 PM new
Yes, I have followed the rules and even refused the offer of a Cheque. I just don't want to be bothered with them. I was following the PayPal rule before they even MADE it a rule because that was my own preference.
What bothers me the most is that EBay must have picked up the word Check in the Buyer's question and deleted the message.
If I had not seen it and answered then the prospective Buyer would call me a bad Seller because I didn't answer their question!
Maybe some of the posts on the EBay Boards about Sellers not answering questions and therefore being branded as poor Sellers have some basis in what has just happened to me today.
I do wish EBay would just leave the Sellers and the Buyers to sort out their own relationships!
Edited for typos!
[ edited by otteropp on Mar 21, 2010 02:35 PM ]
posted on March 21, 2010 03:21:42 PM new
it's not paranoia I have been experiencing, but rather the reality of the truth... eBay is no longer viable for small to medium size sellers. eBay and Paypal are two evils that are getting out of control... and it is only going to get worse.
posted on March 22, 2010 04:54:10 AM new
I am under the impression that we cannot ask for cash, money order or checks. However, if a buyer request it we can accept it. I do so thru the eBay message system and say: While it is eBay policy that sellers offer Paypal or credit card processing payment, I will of course accept your preferred payment method of ...fill in the blank..ie., check.
posted on March 22, 2010 06:38:21 AM new
eBay needed a house cleaning. There were 10s of 1000's of sleezy sellers listing stuff who bilked millions of customers and eBay out of many millions of dollars. Most of the these buyers are gone forever. Mixed into this were the the 100's of media reports of buyers being scammed. Very bad for eBay's rep.
One can only guess at the number of emails and phone calls eBay got on a daily basis from angry customers, I suspect they numbered well into 5 figures each requiring an answer and in most cases eBay could do nothing about it.
The logical way to attempt to fix the situation is try to make eBay a safer place to shop. Sadly the rules designed to send scammers and crooks packing also effects the good and the honest. Of course as we well know the new rules have unleashed a bunch of crooked buyers, what will the bay do about them? So far not much, that will have to change.
