eBay is clearly trying to promote free postage items in buyers’ local areas. It’s a good idea, especially with Christmas coming up, to squeeze the last of the festive commerce out. And good to promote eBay wares and British sellers.
Personalised selling recommendations based on previous shopping behaviour and marketplace data are to be welcomed by me. But I’m not sure eBay has quite found the ‘Holy Grail’ yet.
The email I received was titled. “Free Postage on the hottest items in South East?!” If I’m honest, I didn’t open it until a seller got in touch. Here’s the email she sent me. It promises deals in and around your hometown.
(Her email was critical of the garment promoted on the left of the email. But I don’t propose to discuss whether that should be top of the shop in a promo email. However, speaking of my buying history of 17 years, eBay ought to know I have never bought women’s lingerie.)
Her email prompted me to look closer at the one I’d received. You can find a grab of that below. Notice anything?
Although the items promoted in the rest of the email are different, it would seem the top two deals are identical and not all based on your locale. So that’s a disappointment and a little bit misleading.
But delve a bit deeper. Not only are the items not located in either the South East or the East Midlands but they’re both from sellers located in China. Both have delivery times that mean they’ll arrive in the New Year.
Wouldn’t it have been nice if eBay had made good on the rather good premise of the email? British items, perhaps last minute deals for Christmas, located down your way and maybe even available to collect?
Merry Christmas.
20 Responses
I got the same email & the tights are from a Chinese seller, cheers eBay for promoting overseas sellers when its supposed to be a local seller mail shot
Perhaps it’s not based upon buying at all. Dan, you have just been looking at too many shoes.
I am also in ‘East Midlands’ and have the same 2 top items. Those below under ‘items inspired by the way you shop’ are topped by a ‘Genuine’ Apple iPhone …… Data Cable at £3.99 with 0 available, 3586 sold from a seller at 98.2% FB out of 1431 ratings. mmmmm.
But they are UK based.
Not to mention the pseudo-adidas trainers, love ebay’s disregard for intellectual property theft, this one slightly less blatant than the norm but a joke nonetheless.
we think dan in thouse tights would brighten up christmas no end
why, after all this time, do you continue to be surprised when ebay tells blatant lies?
are you really surprised? or do you practice your special shocked face for just such an occasion?
its not like they’ve made any attempt whatsoever to hide the fact they’re a bunch of money-grabbing scroungers & liars.
expect the next email to be
“dont care, dont care, give us your money already. buy this cos we said so, we dont need to give you a reason”
fake trainers, crotchless tights, chinese VAT dodging sellers, listings spammed daft with external ads, incorrect shipping times, location mis-representation, misleading claims. and all in one email.
ebay doing a great job of shifting perceptions.
Quick question – I did not receive his email, but if anyone could tell me where I could purchase those stars from?……I’m sure they would come in handy over the holiday period…….
You (literally) couldn’t make it up.
My 16 year old got the same advert sent to her phone apparently.
****s
This explains the email I got – funnily enough, it had crotchless panties (not the ones pictured here, a different type) and shoes. No, I have never searched Ebay (or anywhere else) for crotchless panties but I did look for shoes a few months ago. I am in Lancashire; well done Ebay!