Messages from buyers sometimes not appearing on eBay messenger

[ducatimondo]

Have seen a few times that we have had a message from a buyer about an item, at or around the same time as they have ordered something that are not in the eBay messenger on our eBay account.

This is very frustrating, as it is usually in relation to changing something with their order as they have rushed placing it. Can be I need the one for the other side, I need a different colour or my favourite, I have used the wrong delivery address...

This is something that needs a look at, as it is one of a very long list of things that annoys both buyers and sellers.

marco@ebay 
katie@ebay 
anita@ebay 
dave@ebay 

[bravergrace]

Is the problem that the messages aren't getting saved (for instance, messages sent at checkout), or that they aren't getting sent via eBay messages, or just via e-mail?

[4_bathrooms]

I think you will find the "missing" messages in the "Notes to seller" box in the sales record.

[ducatimondo]

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@bravergrace wrote:

Is the problem that the messages aren't getting saved (for instance, messages sent at checkout), or that they aren't getting sent via eBay messages, or just via e-mail?

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Buyer is placing an order and separately sending a message to say they have realised there is an issue with the order for some reason.
They are arriving as a separate email to the email account associated with the eBay account, but only receiving the email and no message can be found in eBay messenger. They are definitely not sending it as a message to seller during checkout.
So you click the link to reply in the email and it takes you to the message in messenger. Can then reply to it no worries. So the message is there in messenger, else you could not click the link in the email to reply to it.
If I search for the message from that user in the eBay messenger inbox, there is no message found, even after sending a reply to it, the message is still not found.

Just lucky that we have caught a few in between the emails we do get.

The point of the thread was to highlight yet another technical issue that the eBay team will almost certainly not acknowledge and probably tell me is working as planned or that no one else has an issue with it if I mention it in the weekly chat. It would be quite difficult for most members to mention that they are not receiving messages that they do not know have been sent to them and also have not arrived in their inbox on eBay though...
I very much doubt anyone from eBay will even reply to this thread, even though I have tagged 4 of them in the OP.
This thread is however posted so that members can look at their emails as they may be missing messages from buyers that are not shown in messenger, as that is just something else that also does not seem to work properly.

[4_bathrooms]

Just a thought but are you sure the email messages are coming from eBay and not directly from the buyers? As you're a business seller your email address is visible on your listings. If the email messages are coming from eBay they will be from @members.ebay.co.uk addresses. If they're coming from Hotmail, Gmail, Outlook etc. the buyers are emailing you directly outside of eBay which would explain why there is no corresponding message in your eBay messages. 

I'm not discounting something being wrong with eBay's messages but I always check my email client for eBay messages first. I have it set to filter messages from eBay members into a specific folder and I've never known a message that was sent from another eBay member (via eBay) that did not arrive in the eBay inbox as well my email inbox.

[4_bathrooms]

Oh, wait...if I'm reading correctly you said you replied by clicking a link in the (email) message that took you to exactly the same message in eBay's messages even though a corresponding eBay message can't be found if you just go directly into eBay's messages.

The context of the messages is interesting; i.e. they seem to get dropped when the buyer is requesting something other than what they actually purchased or asking for the item to be sent to a different delivery address. How do you normally handle such requests? Do you normally acquiesce and accept the risk of an INAD/INR case? Or do you offer to cancel the order so they can reorder selecting the correct option and/or providing the correct delivery address? I'm wondering if eBay's automaton is attempting to block such messages like they do when a message contains contact details.

Just another thought...are you using the old messages format or the new one? If you're using the old one you'll likely see a "We've updated messaging. Try it now" link at the top-right of the messages inbox.

[bravergrace]

Re: requesting a change in delivery address.  This is now a breach of eBay policy on the buyer's part.   It's a "reportable offence".

Someone at eBay might be deliberately blocking these messages - if somewhat incompetently - and short-sightedly, since blocking or half-blocking them will obviously result in more failed deliveries and INRs.

[anita@ebay]

Hi @ducatimondo, thanks for your post.

Can you please share an example of this, and I will look into it. I will need an item number and the screenshot of the email from the buyer including date (please cover any personally identifiable information).

Having said that, if the buyer has placed an order for the wrong item (wrong color, side, especially wrong delivery address), they should request to cancel the sale and make a new purchase, choosing the right product/address. Sellers should only ship to the address stated in order to protect themselves and may cancel the order choosing ‘Issue with buyer’s address’, if they receive a request to ship to a different address. We'll also protect the seller against the negative feedback should they receive one for this reason.

Thanks,

Anita

[tech-tonix]

I suspect that sometimes there's a Bot of some kind blocking certain messages, maybe programmed to suppress what it's programmed to consider as off-Ebay purchase attempt

[the-nutwood-collection]

A bot blocker may be a recent 'improvement', but in the past I've had numerous messages asking me to change the delivery address.

I know I shouldn't, but I do change it, and I've never had a problem.  However, I would just like to point out that I sell wool, not desirable consumer electronics or trainers.  My messages are from twits that have forgotten they've moved house or job.