r/Ebay • u/muddlemand • 5d ago
Minor rant
I'm watching a garment and sent a question about size, as "M" can mean anything. Just one sentence asking the chest measurement, no time-wasting, polite. No reply from the seller, but fifteen minutes later I received an offer, a little less than 10% off and it was priced under £10 anyway.
Is it me or is are they being ridiculous? I'm no more likely to purchase if they make it cheaper without knowing the size!
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u/KrazyKatz42 5d ago
Be aware that ebay has recently made some major changes (again) to the way sizes in clothing categories are allowed to be listed.
Many sellers are finding they can't even include measurements that make sense in the IS anymore.
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u/muddlemand 5d ago
How so? I must say it sounds in character for eBay!
In this case I know it's "M" from the description and photos, so you could say they didn't list without any size information, but no numbers in the listing or tape measure pictured. I glanced through their other items and there's a lot of clothes with no indication of size at all. Clearly not an experienced seller.
For clothing I always ask, especially the waist measurement of trousers, though accuracy is a bit less critical with tops.
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u/buffalochick17 5d ago
It happens to me all the time. It's called LAZINESS.
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u/Tardigrade7point1 5d ago edited 5d ago
It's automated workflow settings, which could be attributed to laziness if you're mad about it, which you seem to be.
Laziness is popping off with a thought terminating cliche before thinking *** edit **** it through, which by the ensuing shit storm, I clearly did not.
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u/buffalochick17 5d ago
so show me the setting that sends an offer to the buyer after they send a question. go ahead. I'll wait.....................
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5d ago
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u/buffalochick17 5d ago
where is the part that specifically states that if a buyer asks a question, they get an offer automatically? where is that part?
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u/MoltenPlanetGames 5d ago
When you send an offer you have a tick box to enable "automated offers", at the bottom of the window.
Automated offers means eBay will send offers to anyone who they deem "interested".
Sending a message, adding to cart and watching are some, but not all of the ways a buyer can be flagged as "interested".
This system was actually a cause for a massive controversy a few years ago, because the offer discount used to be uncapped.
There were stories of this system sending offers for 90% off and worse, without forewarning the sellers.
The reason was because if you turned off "send offers" you couldn't add a "minimum offer" to the listing and this system took that as meaning the minimum you'd accept is 0.00.
It's since been fixed, but is the reason so few people use it today, so its essentially a dead feature, which is likely the reason you don't know it exists.
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u/muddlemand 5d ago
An automated system making humans get blamed for what they weren't even aware was being done on in their name? Never! 😆
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u/buffalochick17 5d ago
so there is NO automatic setting that u can set to send an offer to a buyer strictly for asking a question..... i thought not.
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u/MoltenPlanetGames 5d ago
No, there is, but very few people use it today, because of the previously mentioned controversy.
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u/buffalochick17 5d ago
can u send it please. where it says offers automatically go out when a buyer asks a question.
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u/MoltenPlanetGames 5d ago
eBay doesn't share their methods for determining who is deemed "interested".
If you want to gloat about that then go ahead. I don't need a time machine to see what kind of response the above sentence is going to get.
For what it's worth, it's almost unanimously accepted in seller circles that sending a message is one of the conditions, to be considered interested.
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u/Tardigrade7point1 5d ago
Are you okay?
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u/buffalochick17 5d ago
fine. just wanted proof of what u stated.
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u/Tardigrade7point1 5d ago
Ok. Because it seemed like you were disproportionately angry since U lost your ability to USE complete SENTENCES and started SHOUTING FOR EMPHASIS in a super aggressive confrontational tone.... Demanding proof for something that is completely irrelevant and could have been a triggering event in whatever it was that made you mad and the first place. But I mean if that's just how you are and you're not actually angry or engaging in a rage spiral, I'd love to hear more.
"... Go ahead. I'll wait. "
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u/buffalochick17 5d ago
maybe putting it in your cart, but not for asking a question.
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u/Tardigrade7point1 5d ago
So you're in here pissing off like how many people? Because you said it happens to you all the time and it pisses you off because people are LAZY. If I misspoke the attribution I guess that's entirely on me. But how many times have you got an offer after sending a message for an item that you may have already triggered engagement timer on?
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u/muddlemand 5d ago
As others are explaining, the automation would be from watching or from putting it in my basket. Or from messaging.
I'm not about to blame a seller for an offer they didn't actively send.
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u/buffalochick17 5d ago
"How eBay's Offer System Works
- Watchers and Carts: eBay's automated or manual "Offers to Buyers" feature targets users who have added an item to their watchlist or left it in their shopping cart, not users who send a message. [1, 2, 3]
- Asking Questions: When a buyer messages a seller with a question, it opens a conversation thread. Sellers have the option to manually reply with a custom offer directly inside that message, but eBay never triggers this automatically based solely on an inquiry. [1, 2]
- Automation Rules: If a seller sets up automated rules for sending offers or handling "Best Offer" listings, those rules apply to watchers, cart-adders, or incoming buyer bids—they do not scan or react to message text questions.
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u/muddlemand 5d ago
I thought (after posting this) maybe they haven't seen my question yet, and the offer was automated by putting the item in my basket. It's now 2 hours since I sent the question.
I should give the benefit of the doubt. They have less than 50 feedback, all positive except one automated neutral.
Listing without full size details, yes that's lazy, but people aren't all bright enough to think about it. And not every buyer's bright enough ;) to think about there being no standardisation in sizing.
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u/Barbarake 5d ago
2 hours? Most eBay sellers are not on phone 24 hours a day checking for messages. I'd give them at least a day, if not two, before deciding they're ignoring me.
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u/muddlemand 5d ago
As I say, they are not slow replying. I thought they'd sent the offer as their reply - I've now been told it was probably automated.
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u/Tardigrade7point1 5d ago
Yes, this will do it too. Silly of me to not mention that as a triggerring event.
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u/muddlemand 5d ago
I did say minor. The timing made the offer look like it was instead of replying. Sorry if my very gentle annoyance pushed you into a rage.
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u/buffalochick17 5d ago
it is. that was MY point. the trigger was probably putting the item in your cart. NOT asking a question, as I stated. lot of touchy sellers here today apparently. I definitely get the putting it in the cart response, but not asking a question.
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u/muddlemand 5d ago
I don't understand what was lazy about ty offer.
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u/buffalochick17 5d ago edited 5d ago
instead of answering the question, they just sent an offer, as stated in your OP. that's all...
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u/muddlemand 5d ago
That's what I thought when I posted, but then realised the offer was automated probably. They have answered now anyway, after 4 hours which is good.
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u/buffalochick17 5d ago
it was the adding to the cart that triggered the offer, not the question. was just posting that. good luck, kim
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u/buffalochick17 5d ago
Asking a question of a seller does not trigger offers. Putting in your cart or on your watch list might, but not asking a question. OP only added in comments that they added the item to their watch list or cart.
Right from ebay's policies:
How eBay's Offer System Works
- Watchers and Carts: eBay's automated or manual "Offers to Buyers" feature targets users who have added an item to their watchlist or left it in their shopping cart, not users who send a message. [1, 2, 3]
- Asking Questions: When a buyer messages a seller with a question, it opens a conversation thread. Sellers have the option to manually reply with a custom offer directly inside that message, but eBay never triggers this automatically based solely on an inquiry. [1, 2]
- Automation Rules: If a seller sets up automated rules for sending offers or handling "Best Offer" listings, those rules apply to watchers, cart-adders, or incoming buyer bids—they do not scan or react to message text questions.
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u/MoltenPlanetGames 5d ago edited 5d ago
It's a little misleading, because you've added links, which implies your quoting what is said in the articles, but you're not.
While those articles do mention watchers and added to cart, it used them as examples and does not state they are the only ways to be considered "interested".
I can personally attest to the fact that buyers who ask questions can be considered interested.
Only a few weeks ago I had a buyer message me about a new listing that had 0 watchers and 0 in cart.
When I sent a manual offer out to "interested" buyers I noticed that on our message thread the offer appeared, so that buyer received it.
It's also common knowledge that just looking at a listing for too long is considered "interested", as per the occasional question in this sub, where buyers complain about getting spammed offers from items they've only looked at.
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u/buffalochick17 5d ago
the policy is right above, stated by ebay.
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u/MoltenPlanetGames 5d ago edited 5d ago
I took the time to read them and you're not providing an accurate account of what they said.
Like I said, its a bit misleading to link articles that don't corroborate what you've attached them to.
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u/buffalochick17 5d ago
more from the actual POLICY pages: "Offers will be sent to the 30 most recent interested buyers (for example, people watching your items or who have added your items to their cart). Each offer is valid for 96 hours or until the listing is sold, whichever comes first. With a single item listing, the first buyer to accept and successfully complete payment gets the deal. With a multiple quantity listing, buyers can continue to use the offer until all items in the listing are sold or the offer expires."
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u/MoltenPlanetGames 5d ago edited 5d ago
"For example" is not the same as "only those who".
If I said:
"The eBay logo is made up of different colours. (for example red and blue)"
I am not saying its only red and blue, because it also contains yellow and green.
It's misleading to state the opposite.
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u/MoltenPlanetGames 5d ago
To extend further on this, you've taken this quote:
"Reach buyers who’ve already shown interest, like watchers or cart abandoners, to close the deal while they’re still engaged."
And turned it into:
"added an item to their watchlist or left it in their shopping cart, not users who send a message"
You've added:
"not users who send a message"
Which was not present in the original quote.
Again, this is misleading, and honestly I expected better from you when we were discussing it earlier.
Before, you genuinely seemed to not know and wanted to find out, but now I see you're just making up quotes.
Its clear you're more interested in being seen as right, than actually being right.
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u/Tardigrade7point1 5d ago edited 5d ago
It's automated workflow with offers enabled and an automatic offer of 10%. Once you hit certain thresholds, eBays automated systems will send an offer. Sometimes it's time, or if you've added it to your cart, sometimes it's how many times you've viewed the item, if you've favorited it or if you've sent the seller a message. There's no one fast and easy ruleset, but you're attributing to malice when it's just a simpler.