lindajean
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posted on December 27, 2003 12:01:00 PM new
I don't want to use the Vendio invoicing system because I don't use checkout. I tried using Ebay but I have to go in one at a time to invoice and with over 1,000 listings for FLD I am looking for an easier way to handle the aftersale management.
I just went in and turned on the Paypal invoice but wanted to see if others use it and if they like it?
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Shamoy
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posted on December 27, 2003 12:09:55 PM new
I used to use the Paypal WBN's and liked them alot....but then they got really unreliable for me and so I shut them off. I turned them back on again and the same thing...unreliable. The notices used to go out as soon as the auctions ended but then after a while they wouldn't go out for 2 days. By that time I had already completed the transaction with the buyer and then they'd get another notice. *shaking head* Now Paypal's WBN's are shut off and I send my own notices. Of course, I'm not dealing with as many auctions as you are tho....but I hope they work fine for you. Good luck!
~Shamoy~
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lindajean
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posted on December 27, 2003 12:41:19 PM new
That's what I was afraid of
Their website said they would go out within 1 hour, but I figured that was too good to be true.
I usually only have 100 or so end a day and only sell 25 to 30 of those so it isn't that big a problem doing them individually. But, with the FLD I was hoping PP could take care of it for me.
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MAH645
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posted on December 27, 2003 03:28:07 PM new
I like the Vendio's because it includes the shipping charges.
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chimpchamp
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posted on December 27, 2003 04:54:58 PM new
I had a similar problem with the PayPal invoices. I sell a number of items dutch auctions with BIN. The transaction would be complete but at the end of the acutal auction listing the buyer would receive another invoice from PayPal. It was confusing and I had several snippy mails from buyers. I use eBay invoice with a cut and paste personal thank you message in the text box. It works better for me.
~S~
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stonecold613
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posted on December 27, 2003 11:05:36 PM new
As a buyer, I completely hate those automated invoices. You want to talk about confusing and vague. AURRRGGGG! I make all sellers e-mail me direct with there info before I will pay via any method. Seems like so many sellers want to hide behind those automated invoices to the point you wonder if you pay, will you really get your item.
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lindajean
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posted on December 27, 2003 11:11:26 PM new
Stonecold: Got news for you. The invoices I send out through CA look like personal notices. They come from my email, have my heading and my information. You wouldn't ever know it was automated.
Problem with them is I am now using Vendio for listing because it is soooo much faster so the invoices from CA don't have the shipping in.
Anyway, I don't think most people care one way or the other. I have about 20% of mine pay when the auction ends with PP before I ever get a chance to send out a notice of any kind Then, there is the other 20% who claim they never get my notice and then the balance are nice and easy.
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lindajean
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posted on December 27, 2003 11:13:09 PM new
MAH645: Maybe I am missing something. When I tried to use the Vendio email notice I couldn't find a way to put the total with shipping in. All I could see was the information for checkout so they could go there and find it out.
Can I customize the Vendio email with that information? I don't want Checkout.
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neglus
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posted on December 27, 2003 11:32:58 PM new
There is no way to send a Vendio invoice without check-out . THat is high on my VD wish-list. Seems like Vendio is behind in technology here. There was a time when the check-out was invaluable - saving both buyers and sellers time. That time is over with the improved eBay checkout and integration with PayPal!!! Buyers now are used to the "PayNow" button and that is why sellers using VD checkout are meeting resistance.
I think PayPal is more reliable now that it was before in delivering the WBN. I still use it and send the eBay invoice just to make sure. January 2nd is going to be a nightmare without some type of automated invoice!! If I were you, I would turn on the PP automated invoice and then send the eBay one as you can.
One idea about sending a Vendio "invoice" of sorts would be to edit the variables in another step of the post-sale system that you don't use (maybe step 6 - shipping?). You can completly change the text of the notification, put in your address and add variables such as sales price and then state your shipping (I don't think you can make it total and it won't automatically combine). THe good thing about it is that you can mass send the notice and it will come from your email address and look like a personal notice. I haven't tried it yet but am seriously thinking about using it on Jan. 2. The bad thing about it is that there is no record of it having been sent! You don't get a copy in your email and as far as I know you can't even view the specific notice you sent to the buyer, and of course not having a total is less than perfect. I WISH VENDIO WOULD GET IT TOGETHER HERE!
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lindajean
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posted on December 27, 2003 11:39:01 PM new
Thanks for the information Neglus.
Yes, it is going to be a nightmare. I may have to use the CA invoice but I will have to go into every one of them and update the shipping before mass sending them so don't know if that will work. It depends on how many sales I wind up with.
Guess I will just have to wait and see.
Vendio has poor invoicing (or none) And, CA has wonderful invoicing and aftersale management but only the 3 page online listing program that takes forever to make 1 ad
I have looked at Auction Works but it looks like they demand checkout too so that leaves Andale and from what I have seen it isn't worth the money.
Spare Dollar can't handle my volume. So, guess I will stick with CA and Vendio together for now.
I wish I could find one that would work for me to start the new year off. It will be my first stab at keeping 500 listings a week going and I need all the help I can get.
[ edited by lindajean on Dec 27, 2003 11:40 PM ]
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pelorus
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posted on December 28, 2003 10:15:56 AM new
lindajean -- I use Vendio invoicing and it works fine. You can set your Vendio account settings so shipping is automatically added in. Some buyers report that they don't like the invoicing, others say they love it. You can never make everyone happy, but Vendio makes it easy for me and that's good enough. BTW, you can put a standard shipping amount in your account settings, or set the shipping individually as you create the auctions, and you can offer more than one shipping alternative.
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neglus
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posted on December 28, 2003 10:24:31 AM new
but pelorous..is there an autiomatic Vendio invoice that does not require checkout??
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lindajean
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posted on December 28, 2003 11:04:57 AM new
Pelorus: That info isn't on the invoice is it? I can't make the actual invoice show my total due.
It only leads the customer to the checkout which I refuse to force them to do.
If I am missing something, and I can send them an invoice with everything on it (not just a link to checkout), I would be very happy, and could save the $29.95 I spend on CA just for that.
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cherishedclutter
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posted on December 28, 2003 11:46:05 AM new
Lindajean
If all of your auctions have the same shipping charge, couldn't you just edit the Vendio WBN to say something like "please add $2.00 for shipping and handling"
For some reason, I can't access the "my account" tab right now. But I think you can make your Vendio WBN say anything you want. You could even add a sentence telling people to please ignore the link to checkout.
I realize it's not exactly what you want, but I thought it might help you get through the flood of auctions that you are going to have ending on the 2nd.
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sanmar
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posted on December 28, 2003 11:55:31 AM new
I use eBay's invoice & it works great for me. Just had a BIN on 4 cups & saucers to the same bidder, sent 1 invoice with S & H added for combine sale. Maybe this doesn't work for high volume sellers.
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lindajean
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posted on December 28, 2003 12:54:25 PM new
Sanmar: Did the S&H actually show up added on the invoice? Or did the customer have to go to checkout to find it?
Cherished: Thanks for the suggestion. That would possibly work for the majority of my customers. And, would definitely beat trying to do it one at a time. Of course, I expect a very very low sell through since all of these were listed in November during the FP FLD and it usually takes at least 3 months to get a new audience for the post cards. But, even 200 will be more than I have ever handled at one time so I am keeping my fingers crossed
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neglus
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posted on December 28, 2003 03:06:42 PM new
Sanmar - I agree! I love the ebay invoice! I just wish there were an automated way to send it! Everything is there and it combines great - the only thing I don't like about it is that it restates my payment instructions from the listing and I would prefer to be able to have another message there. I paste in a new message and send it out manually - I, like Lindajean, am just getting a little nervous about notifying everyone on January 2nd that tedious way!
Has anyone used eBay's sales manager recently? DO they have automatic WBN? Might be worth the $9.95 to use it for a month.
Edited to add: I just took another look and Sales Manager doesn't have automatic WBN (click and send one by one) for $ 4.95/month and Sales Manager Pro has click and send up to 500 WBN's at once for $15.95...SIGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!
While Cherishedclutter's idea might be ok I think buyers will be confused by the instructions to ignore the VD checkout link.
Linda - you can check and send Payment reminder notices in bulk through VD Post Sale (and edit them in post sale preferences to be WBN of sorts instead of payment reminders) They will have no total but you can state the winning bid amount and s/h $ amt there - there will be no reference to VD checkout at least. I listed many items as Fixed Price so I am spreading the work load out a little at least
[ edited by neglus on Dec 28, 2003 03:23 PM ]
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lindajean
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posted on December 28, 2003 04:04:07 PM new
I might have to look at the sales manager pro on Ebay. It is half of what I am paying CA to keep track of after sales items.
I just wish I could find one service that did it all.
And, see my post under the question someone asked about power seller email.
Ebay invoices do not pick up the second line of the street address. I had mine:
Linda Hatchett
xxxx windmill Lane
PMB Box xxx
Las Vegas, Nv. 89123
It sent out all the invoices without the PMB info and now they are all getting returned to sender 65 of them
When you click on send invoice you don't get to see the portion that shows your address so I just assumed (wrong, I know) that it would be correct. The address info the customer gets if they use Ebay checkout is correct showing all 4 lines, but not the invoice when the seller sends it. And, Ebay said they "knew" it and were "working" on it, so why haven't they warned us? I did go in and make it all one line but the Post Offices etc. I use doesn't like it to come that way either.
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lindajean
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posted on December 28, 2003 04:05:56 PM new
CA lets me put whatever I want in the WBN but since my listings come from Vendio the shipping isn't on them and it takes forever to go in and change each invoice, save it, and then send them all.
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neglus
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posted on December 28, 2003 04:10:08 PM new
LOL I was answering that thread while you were writing here....My address just has 3 lines and all appear in the invoice ( I just sent one and copied myself to make sure). Here is what it said:
If you want to mail your payment, please send it and include a copy of this email to:
Mary Ann XXXX
XXXXXXXXXXX Street
Maple Grove, MN 55311
United States
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neglus
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posted on December 28, 2003 04:21:57 PM new
Linda - you can get Sales Manager Pro for free trial to get you through Jan 2 anyway..I tried Sales Manager earlier so I think I blew my free trial (I didn't like Sales Manager at all - it really screwed up "My Ebay" and I have to admit to a "My Ebay" addiction). I might have to take a second look - maybe the Pro is better.
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lindajean
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posted on December 28, 2003 04:30:53 PM new
Yes, yours would be fine. It is someone with 4 lines that is messed up. I just wondered why it worked on checkout but not on invoice? And why in the world Ebay would be aware of this and not tell us????
Maybe they think the mailing address isn't an important part of the invoice
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lindajean
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posted on December 28, 2003 04:40:27 PM new
I just went through the whole thing with registering for Sales Manager Pro which includes the disclaimer that nothing is guaranteed, Ebay is responsible for nothing, it is not available 24/7 (wonder what that means?) and that it could be discontinued any time.
Still thought it would be worth a try so went through the registration step by step only to find the last page says:
Selling Manager is not available.
Guess it's just not my day!
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neglus
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posted on December 28, 2003 04:50:53 PM new
WOW~! Do you think they dropped Sales Manager or is it down now? Anyone else using it?
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neglus
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posted on December 28, 2003 04:55:58 PM new
I went to the Sales Manager Pro discussion board at eBay..looks like they still have it..also looks like it had a few FLD problems.
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MAH645
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posted on December 28, 2003 06:40:21 PM new
I like the vendio for combining auctions,there is a place to click for apply shipping for this order only. You just combine the auctions and put in the shipping amount for that order and send the invoice. Most of my buyers go to Paypal and pay right after the auction,they don't use the check out. The only ones who do are the ones sending a payment. You can set the shipping amount for each auction which is included in the WBN when its sent out.
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tomwiii
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posted on December 29, 2003 02:23:23 AM new
lindajean: if you are only using CA for PSM, why donna ya try eBud for same -- far cheaper & just about as good:
http://tinyurl.com/269a5
I haven't used eBud for a while because they used to force ya to swallow ePoster, but they have now separated everything, & eBud is now $11.99/mo
Ralphie loves Mr Blonde:
"Are you gonna bark all day little doggie, or are you gonna bite?"
http://members.ebay.com/aboutme/vidrat/
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lindajean
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posted on December 29, 2003 08:29:02 AM new
I just reviewed all the Auctiva items and since I am still looking for 1 service to "do it all" I glanced through their other items as well.
I'm confused on the Auctiva Poster plan for $9.95 a month. It says photos free using Auctiva FastPix but then says something later about buying a plan that gives you 3 mb of storage?
Are the photo's free or are they not? I already have over 150mb used at CA and probably that much here at Vendio so need a lot.
I also glanced at the power program. Not too bad at $109 a month with unlimited photos, listings etc. A little more than I am paying now for both CA and Vendio, but not more than I will be paying if I get to the 100 a day listinsg I hope to have.
Has anyone used Auctiva? Do you like it?
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neglus
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posted on December 29, 2003 09:31:06 AM new
Linda- Have you looked at Vendio Variable Power Plan? At $30 month plus 1.5% fvf you have to have sales of $7000+ to cost as much as the Auctiva Power program...and of course in the summer or times when listings are down you pay far less. You know I am not a Vendio cheerleader, but I still haven't found anything better
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lindajean
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posted on December 29, 2003 10:48:34 AM new
Just did. Guess I will go with Vendio for listing and maybe ebud for emails etc.
It looks pretty good but I hate having to test it out with all these closings
I did go in and refresh with 30 days data so I could have a record of unpaid items. Then, deleted everything shipped so it was easy to get current.
Now, if it will just run smoothly when these end. I don't like that I had to manually go in and add my shipping.
Any other ebud users? How in the world do you handle that if you don't have a default shipping total? Since I charge $1.50 each for postcards that is fine, but if I go back to selling records it won't work at all unless I am missing something somewhere.
Think I will start an ebud thread so maybe someone else can clue me in.
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