Silk Road forums

Discussion => Newbie discussion => Topic started by: tonyd3333 on September 22, 2013, 01:44 pm

Title: Possible Private Messaging Malfunction??
Post by: tonyd3333 on September 22, 2013, 01:44 pm
I have had good/great luck so far in my first two months, until just recently. Two vendors in the last 2 weeks, and two orders that I had issues with. I FE'd for both (I know, I know... NEVER FE), and then tried to contact the vendor to ask status. One vendor says all over his profile that he ALWAYS replies to emails, that he ALWAYS ships within 24 hours, and that he ALWAYS tells the buyer if there's an issue that held up an order. He said if requested, he'd provide tracking, so I requested that when available, and he wrote back and said that he would provide it by the next day.

I read through other reviews from other buyers, and they are all generally the same... "Great as always!" or "FAST SHIPPER! ANSWERED ALL MY QUESTIONS AND WAS TOTAL PRO ALL THE WAY AROUND!"

I never got a tracking number, and for the next five days I sent him one message per day asking for updates. Each message I was a bit more upset than the last, but stayed civil... My last message, six days after I'd heard from him last, basically told him I had no other recourse than to leave him a bad review and go to the forums with his profile info to warn others, unless I heard from him by the next day.

I'm getting to a point here... promise... :)

When he didn't reply again, I left him a pretty blunt review, stating what I wrote here for the most part. No communication, no tracking number, no shipment, even though I FE'd in good faith. He THEN wrote me back and sounded shocked that I would blast him openly like that. I was confused and replied with, "Dude, read your messages, I tried to contact you all week and gave you chance after chance to get back... I warned you about this."

I also noticed that all of the messages I'd sent him in my SENT folder still showed them as UNREAD in bold type. Is it possible that there's a malfunction that kept him from getting those messages from me? One reason that makes me think so, is wouldn't my messages to him have appeared as soon as he started to message me? Wouldn't that action have marked my messages to him as READ?

Then I noticed that the other vendor that I also seemingly have had bad luck with, my SENT messages to him are also UNREAD... but I haven't left him a bad review yet and he hasn't written me, as the order with him allowed for longer shipping times.... he's got another two days until it's officially "late". But makes me wonder if there's something keeping some of my messages from being delivered.

Sidenote, I have communicated with OTHER vendors during this same time and had no issues. Any ideas?
Title: Re: Possible Private Messaging Malfunction??
Post by: Yoda on September 22, 2013, 02:01 pm
1. Some vendors get very busy... and get a ton of messages.

2. I imagine many vendors that get a message from a customer every single day, will be more than annoyed and ignore them.  (I don't blame them)

3. Many vendors don't like to give out tracking info...

4. If a vendor screwed you, they aren't going to bother to read your message. 

Calm down... give the packages some time.  Give the vendors some space.  Nothing is wrong with the PM system.
Title: Re: Possible Private Messaging Malfunction??
Post by: tonyd3333 on September 22, 2013, 02:28 pm
1. Some vendors get very busy... and get a ton of messages.

2. I imagine many vendors that get a message from a customer every single day, will be more than annoyed and ignore them.  (I don't blame them)

3. Many vendors don't like to give out tracking info...

4. If a vendor screwed you, they aren't going to bother to read your message. 

Calm down... give the packages some time.  Give the vendors some space.  Nothing is wrong with the PM system.

Thanks for the reply... However...

1. His profile is based on being a "fast shipper" and "always responds".

2. Reason for message every day was because last I'd heard, he was to provide a tracking number on a particular day. It was important to have that, as I have a window of time I can receive a package at the address I provided. It was one of the reasons I chose this particular vendor, because he offered "FAST SHIPPING" and offered "Tracking numbers will be provided to anyone who requests it, you should always know where your package is." This is on his profile, not a promise he made to me.

3. As stated in #2, it was offered by him in his profile.

4. That was my initial thought, that's why I left a bad review.

5. I'm calm. The big reason I question the PM system is due to the messages still marked UNREAD even though he sent me a message after those were sent. Am I incorrect in thinking that in the process of sending me a message, the PM system opens my messages to him and those would have been marked as "READ"?

I appreciate your input very much. I've given it time, it's well past "late" at this point. Again, my window at this address is closing, and I ordered from this vendor with plenty of time to spare, based on the services that were offered.

Thanks again.
Title: Re: Possible Private Messaging Malfunction??
Post by: Yoda on September 22, 2013, 03:35 pm

1. His profile is based on being a "fast shipper" and "always responds".

2. Reason for message every day was because last I'd heard, he was to provide a tracking number on a particular day. It was important to have that, as I have a window of time I can receive a package at the address I provided. It was one of the reasons I chose this particular vendor, because he offered "FAST SHIPPING" and offered "Tracking numbers will be provided to anyone who requests it, you should always know where your package is." This is on his profile, not a promise he made to me.

3. As stated in #2, it was offered by him in his profile.

If that's the case... yeah, sounds like you're getting screwed.  Sorry.  Happens to the best of us though.


5. I'm calm. The big reason I question the PM system is due to the messages still marked UNREAD even though he sent me a message after those were sent. Am I incorrect in thinking that in the process of sending me a message, the PM system opens my messages to him and those would have been marked as "READ"?


No... I don't think the PM system would mark all your PM's to him as read, from him just PM'ing you.  And I'm not even clear if someone were to read a PM, then remark it unread, how it would show up to the sender.  I'd like to think once a msg is opened, it will tell you, even if they remark it unread... but idk.
Title: Re: Possible Private Messaging Malfunction??
Post by: tonyd3333 on September 23, 2013, 02:11 am
Thank you for your feedback. I think you are right.
Title: Re: Possible Private Messaging Malfunction??
Post by: cryngie on September 23, 2013, 02:21 am
It seems that people dont realise that things get lost in the mail and instantly label a vendor a scammer
Title: Re: Possible Private Messaging Malfunction??
Post by: tonyd3333 on September 23, 2013, 03:09 am
It seems that people dont realise that things get lost in the mail and instantly label a vendor a scammer

Ever the champion to the vendors, eh? I love the vendors too, the good ones, but there are scammers out there.

Look, I'm not trying to label anybody a scammer. I asked the question about the PM because I want to believe there's a mistake in the system rather than him just ignoring me.

But if the facts are the A) my package didn't arrive and B) the vendor didn't give me a tracking # as he said he would and C) is ignoring my messages... I have to consider the possibility that it never got sent to begin with.