I do eBay sales on a highly irregular basis but I bought Auction Wizard a few years ago to make the process easier and go more smoothly. But, lately, I feel less sure about its usefulness, especially in regard to the e-mail problem which has been brought up here.

My last couple of eBay Sales (back in early May) were problematical. On the first one, the buyer wrote to me (through the eBay Web site) shortly after the auction ended asking for an invoice. I had already sent my usual e-mail invoice through Auction Wizard and, after receiving her e-mail, sent the message out again. The next day she sent another request so I gave up and sent the invoice through the eBay Web site (and it was difficult to make it fit within the character limitations of their messages).

On the second auction, although I had the buyer's e-mail address through e-mails he wrote to me (again, via eBay's Web site), my responses bounced, and, again, I had to send messages to him through the eBay Web site. (By the way, neither of these e-mail addresses were Yahoo, Hotmail, or AOL.)

The transactions were completed but all that back and forth-ing to the Web site and copying and pasting rather defeats the usefulness and function of Auction Wizard. I realize eBay wants to make claims as to greater security and avoidance of spam but they are also trying to keep people attached to their Web site as much as possible. But, as I say, this is a serious drawback to the usefulness of Auction Wizard. And your suggestions of leaving notes in packages or reminding buyers to put your e-mail address in the "Accept Messages from" list doesn't do any good when you're sending out initial messages after an auction has ended and the message doesn't get through!

In another area, I set up two auctions today and had a very difficult time getting them uploaded to eBay. On the first auction, the program would frequently stall on "downloading timestamp.html" so I would abort the upload and start again. If it got through that problem, it would upload the first picture but not the second one. The screen was just ticking down seconds and didn't appear to be doing the upload (even slowly) but there was no real information as to what was going on so I ultimately had to abort that process, again, after several tries. I finally gave up and loaded the auction through eBay's Web site which is a fussy and cumbersome process.

The second auction took a long time to upload (with only one photo) but it finally happened. It took almost an hour to process these two auctions and they're for small items so hardly worth that much effort. As I say, I don't sell a lot of items, but when I do, I expect Auction Wizard to make the process happen more quickly and smoothly than having to go through all the steps manually. But these recent experiences make me wonder if Auction Wizard is really keeping up with how things are working out there, especially this problem with the e-mail rendered quite ineffective.

Hi,

Thanks for posting. Let me see if I can help clear up some of the issues you have brought up. I am sorry you sales have been problematic. But the issues are not an Aw2000 problem but rather buyer's not maintaining current records at eBay.. OR the buyer's email filter/junk mail settings (and they probably don't know how to change them either )

First the email filtering is not in any manner unique to AW2000 and its email module. It is rather people's email filter settings. Seller's using Seller's Manager Pro, Turbo Lister, BlackThorne, Channel Advisor, Kyosou, etc all experience the exact same thing happening to their emails. I dare say that you have a filter on your email which filters email. That filter has probably caught emails before which you really didn't want to go in there. and you probably didn't catch the email the first day. Or sometimes see it at all.

Emails bouncing have nothing to do at all with AW2K. The buyer had not updated their email record at eBay. So at the conclusion of the Auction, you were supplied with a bad email address. When that happens to us, we print off the "Returned email" message, hand write on the message a brief note telling our buyer we could not communicate with them, suggesting they update their information and stick the note in their package.

I do not use "My Messages" to communicate with my buyers. I solely use AW2000 software, email as well. It is inefficient to log into eBay, go to My Messages to communicate. The notes in packages does help. Most sellers do include those type notes in their packages along with Thank you notes, packing slips with the seller's email address on it, etc. Other sellers using other software, including eBay's own tools, are facing the exact same issue. And seller's on other sites face the same email issues. It is a fact of the Internet email world. Not the auction management tool.

The image upload is not AW2000 but your computer security settings or your webspace provider. You need to run the FTP test and see if it passes. My first instinct tells me you have an Internet security firewall like Norton or McAfee running and you have not added AW2000 to the exceptions/allowed. Or you have not configured the Windows firewall for AW2000 in the exceptions tab. So run the FTP test, If it hangs up, send the FTPlog.txt to AW2000 tech support at info@auctionwizard2000.com

But I can tell you the AW2000 image upload utility works great when properly configured. I upload hundreds of images at one time sometimes several times a day without a hitch. Be sure your webspace is still compatible too. Some of the providers like comcast has made changes that shut down most users here a few months ago. Your internet connection could also have a problem like a proxy server which is a pain in the neck. I am on Embarq, and they changed to proxy servers a few months ago.. What a total pain in the neck to get around the proxy server. I can't hardly publish my company website even using WS_FTP. It times out.

The issues you are describing have nothing to do with the functionality of AW2000 but rather email use in general and your webspace provider and internet connection.

With the recent changes to the Shipping carrier and cost requirements on eBay, it is a rarity you should have to actually invoice a buyer. As the buyer's simply go through the eBay checkout immediately after they win the Auction(s).

Here is what we do when we have a buyer send us the "Please send me total amount due" notices for a combined shipping discount. We associate the email in AW2000 and extract the buyer's name/addresses into their Invoice.. I have an email template for notifying the buyer we will return an Invoice later that day, thanking them, etc, etc. When we hit the "reply with template" button, we alter the subject line slightly and include their Invoice number in the subject line. It is an extreme rarity the buyer does not receive that email.

When we Invoice them from AW2K, we send out two.. One as a reply to the "Please send me total amount due" email and a stand alone Invoice (follow up with total due). We tell them we are sending them two just to be sure they receive it. And the buyers use the Paypal link we have inserted in our Invoices to pay. We do not send out two if the buyer has emailed us directly. Meaning the buyer simply created an email message in their email client instead of using My Messages. If that is the case, easy as pie because since they have emailed me, I know my emails will go to them. And using the "Ask me a question" link in my listing template has helped immensely.

You might consider adding an "Ask me" hyperlink in your Listing template. You can add it in the "footer" area.. Currently eBay is allowing the "Ask me a question" hyperlinks in listings. It works very very well as the buyers will use that link far more than the "Ask seller a question" because of all the hoops the buyer has to jump through to use it.. Pick a subject, type in the letters, etc etc.

So you might consider when the buyer emails requesting an Invoice, to send your AW2000 out as a reply to the buyer email. That is what we do and it works very well.

So rather than giving up on the best Auction management software program available, let's see if we can't get you all fixed up and running smoothly again.



Judy/blue

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Although AW2K's email reader is quickly becoming obsolet, it really doe snot matter that much anymore.

The reason is that Ebay is soon goinbg to force buyers and selklers to only communicate on their site.

That will imrpove communication as filters will not be able to touch those message sanymore.

It will divorce our emails from our data though, an integration which was the great unique strength of AW2K. Once that is gone I am not sure what the software will be good for as compared with others.

By the way, if you have performance issues (liek slowness), it is usually not AW2K.

Verify the setting of your security software and make sure it is set NOT to scan your main AW2K database (of course keep scanning your email dbs and attachments).

Also, sometimes the slowness can be due to your images host. I switched by host (away from Yahoo host) the other day and suddenbly both images and emails were zipping around.

Last but not least there is Ebay of course, which is a total shambles off late. They have many major bugs and have not kept their API users up to date of their changes. There is nothing onbe can do about that.

Peter
THE LEEFLANG ARCHIVES

I had not sene this post before, but I have to disagree.

AW2K uses old authetication technology as I stated before.

Newer authetication methods allow for more mail get bthrough by default.

OF course there will always be teh default filter setting that limits reception as well, but that is another issue.

In the end we may all end up having our own webbbased email only page where others can leave messages for us.after going through an access routine ::-(

Or we coudl finally start my suggestionn of death penalty trials and public executions for hackers and spammers to set a deterring example.

Peter
THE LEEFLANG ARCHIVES

Hi, all,

Allow me to clear up some misconceptions concerning the anoyomized email addresses eBay is going to introduce.

The ONLY email communications which will be anoyomized are the emails prior to the successful close of an Auction. When a prospective buyer emails in an inquiry to the seller now, we all must respond using our email clients or whatever you use to the inquiry. There isn't any invoice or buying activity to associate the inquiry with, etc. So it really isn't going to change much in the way we handle things. Other than no email addresses will be allowed to be sent prior to the auction close in the emails. Email addys will be stripped out.

Once a buyer has won an Auction or used the Buy It Now, eBay releases the buyer's email address to the seller. Those using third party software will be provided the buyer info just as we get it now, via the API.

All email communication prior to the sale will be routed through eBay just like it is on craigslist or eBid. After the sale, the seller can then communicate as usual with the buyer.

The email system has to be setup like that in order for the new email campaign programs to work. Meaning, all email after the close of a sale cannot be forced through the eBay email system. Email campaign software will not work properly if that is done.



Judy/blue

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http://stores.ebay.com/bluepennylady?refid=store
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Peter,

I think I am in favor of dragging spammers down the street buck naked behind my horse

In all seriousness though, the spammer thing is just about to get out of control as well as the junk email thing. I finally gave up and turned on the junk mail filter on my own domain email at pair.com.. There are days I get almost 500 junk mail messages.. It was overwhelming. So once a day I log into my junkmail account at pair.com and clean up junk mail.

One of my favorite tasks of the day



Judy/blue

Visit my eBay store!
http://stores.ebay.com/bluepennylady?refid=store
Visit our website too!
http://www.pennyworthsales.com

Judy,

That is not how we work with AW2K. AW2K is our CRM.

It allows us to attch any emails to one customer, unless he has not bene withb us before (25% is a repeat though).

We also use it to create new buyers in AW2K who ask questions and want to get on our wish list (by creating a fake new invoice).

If Ebay/Paypal stops providing us with the email addresses of the buyers and also stops sending us copies of mesdsages (which is what will happen), then AW2K becomes obsolete.

Ebay is heading for becoming a place where sellers manage their sales entirely ON Ebay. They are heading to become a 'closed box'.

It shoudl also be interesting to see how Endicia etc. handles this, as we won't be able to email buyers anymore that their item is shipped, for lack of email addresses. So Endicia will be forced to hook up with the Ebay API to stay alive, just like Redroller already did.



Peter
THE LEEFLANG ARCHIVES

Judy,

I did the same thing.recently.

My desperate buyers had already started filtering quite a while ago.

So now we are all missing lots of each other's emails.

Some ISPs are even know to filter AMY email coming from Ebay!

And my 'communication' DSR' ratings will now get dented of course.

I guess this is what it is to live in total anarchy.





Peter
THE LEEFLANG ARCHIVES

Peter,

We use AW2000 to glean new customers as well. And create not only fake invoices but invoices for customers who simply email us requesting product. That is done on a daily basis. And I didn't mean it insinuate we don't attach emails to buyers as we do.. We associate all emails to invoices. Only way to keep things straight.

I use an email campaign tool (Mail bomber) for email list management as we create some text email campaigns and some HTML campaigns. I have one "wish or requested items" list. When we have a new product line come in, I send out emails to all the customers on the "Wish or requested items" list.

I did suggest to AW2000 tech that they consider creating a stand alone email list management software which would allow export of select Invoice records. That way if a buyer wants to be on a seller's private email list, all we have to do is hit an "Export record or records" button on the toolbar. And boom the record is in the email campaign/management software. I would use it that is for sure. I use MailBomber right now. It is super simple to use, resides on my computer and can handle unlimited email lists. I can create email campaigns however, you like and import the email into the software, hit the send button and it is done. It works very well. But I would love to have a software for email lists that is compatible with AW2000 so I don't have to do the copy/paste thing... I know,, lazy I am!

In working with the teams who are developing the anoyomized email address project, I don't see Paypal or eBay stopping the sellers from gaining the buyer email address after the sale. There are some huge technical issues that come with that restriction as well as that restricts all the third party providers like Constant Contact, I'm in sales click, etc from the marketplace.

But now is the time for sellers and buyers alike to let their opinions be made known to eBay about these kind of issues. How it will affect them, etc. Use the suggestion box. Anoyomizing email addys has been pushed back twice. Personally I think eBay is beginning to rethink how they will handle it as there has been so much noise made by sellers, buyers and all the companies affiliated with eBay.

we will still be able to communicate with our buyers even if they do a total anoyomizing email addy thing. The emails will just go through the eBay email servers. But I don't think that is a good idea to rely on a single method or eBay's servers. They are not that dependable

Overstock tried this email thing about two years ago, and it is not working very well at all. So they are changing some things again. eBay tried the anoyomized email addys before, and it didn't work at all. Removing the ability for a seller to effectively communicate with their buyers does not promote a stable marketplace.





Judy/blue

Visit my eBay store!
http://stores.ebay.com/bluepennylady?refid=store
Visit our website too!
http://www.pennyworthsales.com

Peter,

yes that is what happens at pair.com... Sometimes they filter out the ebay messages.. But I think I finally this past week managed to add every single eBay.com email addy into the accepted email.

I have never ever figured out what would cause just a random few of the eBay email messages to end up in junk mail. It was so inconsistent..



Judy/blue

Visit my eBay store!
http://stores.ebay.com/bluepennylady?refid=store
Visit our website too!
http://www.pennyworthsales.com