On bidStart, this is generally used to block buyers who don't pay. On HipStamp, that shouldn't really be an issue for store items, because if you want to checkout for store items you're purchasing - you're required to pay at that time (otherwise the sale won't go through). However, for auctions and offers, payment is of course due afterward (so blocking a buyer would be relevant here). I'll keep an eye on this one, and see what the feedback we receive is.
Sometimes two people will not be compatible with each other. No matter how one tries hard to please. The 'Block' is a feature that prevents 'accidental' shopping and future turmoil. Please ADD the blocking feature.
After all, look how the world tries to get along. No matter how much one gives, the other will still take.
maybe some of the sellers here need lessons on how to be professional and how to treat buyers with a tiny bit of respect. Example.. not leaving feedback even after a buyer leaves it first. What is going to happen is this site will fail due to no buyers because of a few sellers' attitudes and actions - lack of. I'm sure this is a minimal of sellers here but those that act this way are screwing all the other sellers over, in the long run.
Jerry, that leaving feedback does work both ways. I leave FB to a buyer and a lot of them do not leave FB for me. To me, it is a way of saying, yes, I received my order and all is well. Otherwise, I'm always wondering if they did get it in the mail. I know it's just a little thing, but sometimes it could be a big thing. And FB is only a number. But it's an important number. But this thread isn't about FB, it's about blocking buyers that maybe we have had a situation and don't want it repeated.
that was your intent for the thread Luree but.. they are related. :-)
i have bought numerous items here and left feedback and still not received feedback. I did write a few members and ask why they were to lazy to do this (i did not use the word lazy). My point being blocking sellers and yes buyers is a tool that is useful but i think first a few sellers here need to try to act professional and this would eliminate them alienating the extremely few buyers on this new site . I suspect a few sellers here left ebay at ebay's request for exactly this reason.
I can also see the block feature as a way for a seller to respond to being a bad seller. like selling faulty or miss identified stamps and refusing to resolve it in a proper manner. Or refusing or failing to honor and mail out goods in a timely fashion. I am not against block features on Ebay as that site has a lot of buyers and it really does not matter overall. Here, it would matter for the other sellers if you run off a buyer by intimidating them with a block. this means in many cases the buyer simply leaves to go back to ebay.
I think what i am trying to say is a block feature is great if really needed and maybe a request to the Boss here would be better in those certain circumstances? Else 50%+ of the time it would be used to cover up the fact that a seller used it to retaliate for a situation they screwed up on. This hurts everyone here.
Lost in the mail items that were refunded is a good valid reason for a block as are many other reasons I'm sure. Perhaps a form to submit to Mark and Staff for approval - with the reason for the block would be a solution?
I do not believe that a seller should need to "get permission" to block a bidder/buyer. The last one I blocked on Bidstart told me he was going to place an order for (1) 20 cent stamp but would not pay more than the cost of the stamp for shipping and handling so to invoice him for 69 cents. If I wait to block a bidder like that it gives him the opportunity to place an order and give me negative feedback. Why should I put myself at risk for that? I take a lot of pride in the 6500 plus feedback here and over 2750 on Ebay (including my original account) at 100% - why should I be forced to jeopardize that by having to seek permission. I am responsible for my own business and I have my own customers. They are my customers. That is what was wrong with the Gibbons model - they felt that our customers were their customers.
I would like to be able to block certain buyers. I had one that would pay but if a stamp was not too his liking (i.e. a small thin) - instead of sending me a message and I would glady refund him for it - he would immediately give me negative feedback. I just do not need to deal with nasty folks like that. I did not realize that the block buyers did not come over here - I would have to figure out who they were again. Yuk !
The customers belong to the site and to all the sellers, not just one. The site also provided those buyers to purchase from you. If you have a website like many do including myself it is a little different. This is my opinion and I feel that thinking otherwise fails to consider the picture is a lot bigger than one seller regardless of the amount of listings you have. In the end it is up to Mark to make a decision but I thought i would offer a different view than most. my post is simply my opinion but certainly worth looking at. Blocking on a small tiny site like this will most likely cause a buyer to leave. In some cases this may be good :-) but generally not.
I'm a little confused. We are not asking to have the buyer banned from purchasing on the website, just blocked from purchasing in our stores. That buyer might have a great rep with other sellers, but for some reason, as Clyde mentioned, we just don't mesh with all people/sellers/buyers.
Now, that's not to say that a buyer might start playing games with several sellers. Then, yes, Mark would be involved and he could make that decision to ban him/her.
I remember on SW/BS, when we had a questionable buyer, we would message other sellers as to the situation so we could be on the lookout. It helped several of us when that person would try to purchase from us. And at that time, if the questionable person was deemed to make it to my list of blocked from my store, then it happened.
What's that old saying? Once bitten, twice shy? Yeah, I don't want a buyer to scam me more than once!
While that is true that the biggest reason for blocking bidders is the non payment issue,sometimes you do end up with other issues that can cause problems. I just had an order that came back to me from 2 months ago because the buyer refused to pay their customs and duties on the order. (I did have a few on Bidstart that were blocked because of that issue) It doesn't happen that often but it does happen with a few buyers here and there.
Now does that mean this buyer should be banned from the site or just my store because a of a particular problem? The buyer may have no problems with buying within the EU,but I am not so sure I would want to continue to have to deal with this issue if the buyer forgets for some reason that he should not be buying items shipped from the US.
I've yet to hear Marks' response to the query of poster Paul Malloy; "Will we have the option of blocking a seller when searching or browsing? ". It has been asked on other threads as well.
Comments
On bidStart, this is generally used to block buyers who don't pay. On HipStamp, that shouldn't really be an issue for store items, because if you want to checkout for store items you're purchasing - you're required to pay at that time (otherwise the sale won't go through). However, for auctions and offers, payment is of course due afterward (so blocking a buyer would be relevant here). I'll keep an eye on this one, and see what the feedback we receive is.
After all, look how the world tries to get along. No matter how much one gives, the other will still take.
Clyde
P.S. Kudos to you Mark and all.
i have bought numerous items here and left feedback and still not received feedback. I did write a few members and ask why they were to lazy to do this (i did not use the word lazy). My point being blocking sellers and yes buyers is a tool that is useful but i think first a few sellers here need to try to act professional and this would eliminate them alienating the extremely few buyers on this new site . I suspect a few sellers here left ebay at ebay's request for exactly this reason.
I can also see the block feature as a way for a seller to respond to being a bad seller. like selling faulty or miss identified stamps and refusing to resolve it in a proper manner. Or refusing or failing to honor and mail out goods in a timely fashion. I am not against block features on Ebay as that site has a lot of buyers and it really does not matter overall.
Here, it would matter for the other sellers if you run off a buyer by intimidating them with a block. this means in many cases the buyer simply leaves to go back to ebay.
I think what i am trying to say is a block feature is great if really needed and maybe a request to the Boss here would be better in those certain circumstances? Else 50%+ of the time it would be used to cover up the fact that a seller used it to retaliate for a situation they screwed up on. This hurts everyone here.
Lost in the mail items that were refunded is a good valid reason for a block as are many other reasons I'm sure. Perhaps a form to submit to Mark and Staff for approval - with the reason for the block would be a solution?
If I wait to block a bidder like that it gives him the opportunity to place an order and give me negative feedback. Why should I put myself at risk for that? I take a lot of pride in the 6500 plus feedback here and over 2750 on Ebay (including my original account) at 100% - why should I be forced to jeopardize that by having to seek permission. I am responsible for my own business and I have my own customers. They are my customers.
That is what was wrong with the Gibbons model - they felt that our customers were their customers.
Now, that's not to say that a buyer might start playing games with several sellers. Then, yes, Mark would be involved and he could make that decision to ban him/her.
I remember on SW/BS, when we had a questionable buyer, we would message other sellers as to the situation so we could be on the lookout. It helped several of us when that person would try to purchase from us. And at that time, if the questionable person was deemed to make it to my list of blocked from my store, then it happened.
What's that old saying? Once bitten, twice shy? Yeah, I don't want a buyer to scam me more than once!
While that is true that the biggest reason for blocking bidders is the non payment issue,sometimes you do end up with other issues that can cause problems. I just had an order that came back to me from 2 months ago because the buyer refused to pay their customs and duties on the order. (I did have a few on Bidstart that were blocked because of that issue) It doesn't happen that often but it does happen with a few buyers here and there.
Now does that mean this buyer should be banned from the site or just my store because a of a particular problem? The buyer may have no problems with buying within the EU,but I am not so sure I would want to continue to have to deal with this issue if the buyer forgets for some reason that he should not be buying items shipped from the US.