Emailed all my old eBay customers the past couple of days. Overwhelmed!

[iphone_seller]

Being booted from eBay blows.

The business we have been running on there faultlessly over the past 11 years came to an immediate end 2 weeks ago, no warning - now here I am (Askpin!).

I have been extremely grateful to receive the help and advice of this forum since then. Among the tips and steps to get back on my feet, here I have learned of the many (many) others that are also in my shoes, or have been in my shoes. I have been taken back at the volume of sellers this really is on here, and the volume of sales eBay is potentially neglecting, in us.

Anyway I realised a couple of days ago that I have the email addresses of hundreds (actually thousands) of past very happy iPhone customers of ours, from the past 11 years.

I sent them in stages a blanket email (never done this before - fearing repercussions by eBay of off site sales!) saying we are edging away from the platform, setting up our own site and here is our current stock in the meantime.

We have now sold out everything in those 48 hours. All paid direct (bacs'd or to our existing still standing PP account).

We were overwhelmed with the response from our old customers, some from years ago saying how grateful they were we got in touch, lost our details etc. Some said they had since tried elsewhere buying a phone on eBay, and been burned badly from that experience etc etc.

Anyway it just served as a reminder that we are actually one of the good guys believe it or not lol - despite being treated by eBay to be scum frankly in this last 2 weeks.

We just want to get back on to a platform where we can get selling again. And with a lot of effort and this forum I think its possible.

Cheers again, glad this place exists!

P.S. anyone who has just been booted from eBay too, I would highly advise doing what I have just done. Great stock clearer for a fresh start.

[Bunneh]

gratz hun, nice to hear its working out well for you after all the drama you had

[iphone_seller]

Originally Posted by Bunneh

gratz hun, nice to hear its working out well for you after all the drama you had

Thank you - I am very much at the beginning of my stealth journey though. I hope to be still here and one of those thousand poster' (pro) Askpin members like you in a few years time!

[Anthonio]

Good job buddy! Keep going! Go and earn that money!

[AK81]

Its actually nice to read this, although eBay have decided to **** you in the back your hard work, dedication and actual meaning to provide excellent customer service is probably why you have had such a great response.

A little SEO and promotion, setup your own site, continue to offer your great service and your reputation will be far beyond what eBay could of granted you. Not to mention, no fees other than the payment processors?

Best of luck to you my friend.

[iphone_seller]

Originally Posted by AK81

Its actually nice to read this, although eBay have decided to **** you in the back your hard work, dedication and actual meaning to provide excellent customer service is probably why you have had such a great response.

A little SEO and promotion, setup your own site, continue to offer your great service and your reputation will be far beyond what eBay could of granted you. Not to mention, no fees other than the payment processors?

Best of luck to you my friend.

Thank you - yes developing own independent presence is an aim over the next few years, should be for all of us really.

[shootemup321]

That's good I started my website in January when my eBay went down and it is nice just paying the PayPal fees. I probably would of never created a website if I didn't get banned so I'm happy and I'm back on eBay. It was just a minor setback but better for the long run. I do have some clientele because I had some of the regulars phone numbers from eBay but u gave me a good idea about sending out emails. I'm just thankful that your PayPal doesn't get limited when ur eBay goes down that would of been a major setback.

It seems like all sellers on eBay will one day be stealth.

[dallis]

Only the smart ones

[iphone_seller]

Originally Posted by dallis

Only the smart ones

Indeed, keep thinking how naive I was before with just the one eBay account. All eggs in one basket.

Gonna take me months to get back on my feet with established stealths but at least then I will know I am more secure going forward

[yankee]

So the ultimate lesson learned is that your new ebay business is mostly farming customers from ebay. Kudos!

[yankee]

If you have all the notifications of payment from paypal in a folder somehwere, responding directly yo that works like a dream! not all payments have the email but many do and nearly all old payments do. It is slow process but works. Nearly all my wholesale buyers came from ebay.

[yellowprintdirect]

How did you grab all those email addresses in one go is there a tool for that ?

[iphone_seller]

Originally Posted by yellowprintdirect

How did you grab all those email addresses in one go is there a tool for that ?

I used the seller manager download tool /app thing on my old eBay shop, the one that is on the website on your 'my ebay > selling' page (we have it on eBay UK anyway) -it gives you really detailed records of your sales history.

You have to remember to make a download request every 3 months on it though as that is how long eBay keep those detailed records for. So if you haven't been using the tool on the website periodically and consistently you will not be able to get those records.

Unless you did it the hard way of course i.e. trailing through your email inbox / PayPal history.

I mainly downloaded all those records so it made life easier for my tax return but it storing the email addresses has proven to be real gem so far. Kind of makes me think I might actually have an independent presence one day - not wholly reliant on eBay.

Anyway hope this helps, probably didn't again unless you kept up with the eBay on site app

[shootemup321]

I just search PayPal on email and I have all the buyers right there click on there email and you can send email right there if your on gmail. Come up with a message and copy and paste.

[yankee]

good thread! Lots of useful information for motivated marketers!

[yellowprintdirect]

Originally Posted by shootemup321

I just search PayPal on email and I have all the buyers right there click on there email and you can send email right there if your on gmail. Come up with a message and copy and paste.

Could you message me please mate to explain further.

[Elliot]

Thanks for posting this- it's nice for a reminder like this, that some businesses can be moved from the Fleabay platform. And also a nice reminder that customers remember places that they got good service from.