I am just about ready to stop using eBay altogether. Their level of customer support is so limited, you can't send them a message and get a response, you have to talk to them in real time on the phone, when you have a problem like this. I had been unable to use the shipping calculator because there were too many variables involved. So I was trying to tell the buyer what the shipping choices are. I typed my information and hit Send, and got this snotty, condescending little note back:
Your message wasn’t sent because we’ve noticed that it might suggest a purchase outside of eBay.
We realize that you may not have known this, but eBay members should not use the site to contact each other about offsite sales. This policy is in place to make sure that you are covered by eBay protection programs and feedback policies.
Please edit your message and remove anything that indicates buying or selling outside of eBay.
To learn more about our Offers to buy or sell outside of eBay policy, please see: https://pages.ebay.com/help/policies/rfe-spam-non-ebay-sale.html
And the offensive message?
Hi ___.
The case is packaged and ready to go. Canada Post wants C.72 for Small Packet Surface, or C1.10 for small Packet Air. Neither provides tracking.
The next one up that provides tracking is International Parcel - Surface at C3.10, which is way too much for a 99c item! (Even if you value it for 0 and they lose it, you're still down about 0 :-)).
So, if you can paypal me the amount /tmp/id.99 + one of the above shipping rates I shall send it out to you ASAP (Post office is closed tomorrow (Monday) for Easter national holiday).
Or if you want the formality of a PayPal invoice please tell me which shipping choice and I will invoice you.
Do you see anything about selling outside of eBay? Neither do I.
So then I set out to use their "Send an Invoice" mechanism hoping that their idiotic borked censor feature didn't apply there so much.
Of course a different one did. After I butchered the message to fit the tiny messge box in the Send An Invoice form, I got this:
2 characters left. HTML cannot be displayed.
Message too long.
I did finally send it, by shortening, but I really think it's time to drop off the eBaytanic and start over.
Reply from Anonymous at 2013-06-24 14:41:13.892
Have you looked into https://www.craigslist.org/about/sites#CA