Do you usually contact your buyers before posting an item?

[DaftApeth]

I'm lacking in experience when it comes to bidding on ebay. Have only bought 'buy now' previously.

Anyway, I decided to bid (too much wine!) and won an item at the weekend and paid by Paypal straight away. Had an email from Paypal confirming payment.

I've not heard anything from the seller despite emailing to say that I had paid her by Paypal.

I've just clicked on 'contact seller' from the You've won ebay email and the Get Answers says that the seller received my payment on 22nd and gives estimated delivery of 30th Nov- 2nd Dec. Is this an automatically generated message or would the seller have posted it?

Should I have heard anything from the seller? Am I worrying for nothing?!

What do you think experienced ebayers?

I do buy and sell on ebay and I always contact buyers to say thanks for payment and confirm when and how I will be posting - I also send a quick email to confirm it has been posted and how much it cost - but that is probably overkill!

However I know lots of sellers who dont email anything at all, the items just eventually turn up- the information you saw on the get answers thing of expected arrival date is generated by the turnaround time stated by the seller - when you list things now you have to state how many days you have between payment received and posting so the answers things just goes on that.

I wouldn't be worrying yet although worth thinking about when you come to rate the seller for communication!

HTH

i dont normally get an email about being posted, i just wait for the parcel
if it takes longer than expected i would contact and ask

Thankyou both of you.

Sounds as though I shouldn't worry yet then

The seller has very good feedback from others, so will hope that all is ok and she is just a busy seller!

I try to, just to make them give me 5 stars for communication!

That's how I would think too.

How can you give 5 stars if there is no communication!

Sometimes I email, sometimes I don't! It often depends how many items I have sold in one go. I always mark item as dispatched (when I've sent it) and if the buyer contacts me I always reply as soon as I can. Also, if item is being sent by courier I contact the buyer first to see if there's any day that's most convenient for delivery.

I was given a poor star rating by one buyer for all categories despite sending lots of emails updating, topping up P&P because I had underestimated, sending item out the day payment received. I couldn't have done anymore and I still got a rubbish rating which is why I don't take a huge amount of notice of the whole FB thing.

If you pay by Paypal, do you consider the funds have been cleared immediately? Or does the money take a few days to reach your account?

i.e. would she have received payment on the day that I paid?

Blimey, I never think to check that! I always assume if I have the message from Paypal saying I've been paid, then I have. Usually it's when they pay with echeque thingies that it takes a while to go in.

We click the 'item despatched' icon next to the sale so the buyer can see it's been sent

The funds in Paypal have 'cleared' immediately. If the buyer didn't have enough in their Paypal account to cover the item they would be billed separately by Paypal from their own bank account/credit card a couple of days later.