Change to Buyer-Seller Messaging options
We've updated our Buyer-Seller Messaging options to better protect buyer communication preferences.
Buyer-Seller Messaging allows you to contact buyers to complete orders or respond to customer service questions, however the tool shouldn't be used for marketing and promotional purposes.
To ensure messaging is only used for critical messages, we've removed the option to add "[Important]" to the message subject line and override buyer opt-out preferences.
You'll still be able to contact buyers with important messages about their orders. If the contact reason is critical to complete the order, your message will be delivered, regardless of the buyer's opt-out status.
For the best experience, we recommend that you use our message templates which automatically include order IDs, translate messages to the buyer's preferred language, and flag messages as [Important] if needed.
For more information, go to Contact a buyer using Buyer-Seller Messages.
For more information on what type of buyer messages are permitted, go to our Communication guidelines.
Change to Buyer-Seller Messaging options
We've updated our Buyer-Seller Messaging options to better protect buyer communication preferences.
Buyer-Seller Messaging allows you to contact buyers to complete orders or respond to customer service questions, however the tool shouldn't be used for marketing and promotional purposes.
To ensure messaging is only used for critical messages, we've removed the option to add "[Important]" to the message subject line and override buyer opt-out preferences.
You'll still be able to contact buyers with important messages about their orders. If the contact reason is critical to complete the order, your message will be delivered, regardless of the buyer's opt-out status.
For the best experience, we recommend that you use our message templates which automatically include order IDs, translate messages to the buyer's preferred language, and flag messages as [Important] if needed.
For more information, go to Contact a buyer using Buyer-Seller Messages.
For more information on what type of buyer messages are permitted, go to our Communication guidelines.
21 Antworten
Seller_HP0CuTSNvJvu9
This will end badly.
Here is my reply from the original announcement months ago, but it bears repeating:
________
I'm going through my emails sent with [Important] flag. This is all of them. Let's see...
[Important] Manufacturer Packaging Error - Refund Issued (There were 6 orders for this product, I sent 6 of these emails out to get ahead of the issue and provide excellent service)
[Important] Quantity Confirmation for your order (Customer ordered 36 cases of 12. I noticed that 36 is divisible by 12. A case weighs 29 lbs. Yep, customer wanted 3 cases. Dodged a really expensive return with that one.)
[Important] Quality Control found damage during shipment - Refund issued (Dock found damage that occured after order was picked while loading the carrier trailer, good to know huh?)
[Important] Amazon Order 000-0000000-0000000 - Suite/Apartment Number Required ($1,600 order missing suite#, need that to ship.)
[Important] Your Requested Return label (customer called for a return, and I offered to send a label. Needed to email it.)
[Important] Information Required for Shipment of your Amazon Order (Freight order, need to confirm if they have a dock or need liftgate service)
MAYBE some of these weren't required, but they were information that the customer felt was important. There's nowhere to type a message on most of the templates, it's already too difficult to communicate with customers. Now you're going to make it all but IMPOSSIBLE.
______
Why not instead have one of your bots read the messages and flag ones that seem to obviously be marketing, and then have some REAL HUMAN BEINGS who are paid on ACCURACY instead of QUANTITY either issue the violations or discard them?
Seller_otDFihTxKiDRD
No sensible seller wants to use the stupid Amazon templates. We are capable of writing and sending our own messages. And without the [Important], multiple messages would never have gotten to the buyers. It seems quite easy for idiots to write policies and procedures that have no affiliation with being an actual seller.
I started selling here in 2007. In the last 8 or so years, I cannot think of a single change that actually helped sellers. Especially booksellers. I am open to reminders of actual helpful things done FOR sellers in the last 5 years. Would really be interested in responses from booksellers.
Thanks for once again hosing sellers.
Yelling into the void,
MJ, the grumpy and irate bookseller
Seller_2ocdeVST6pSqj
The option to flag a message as important was taken away awhile ago, so is it returning?? The whole message system is horrible, 90% of the time the customer does not receive them or respond back, and whos fault does that land on? The seller of course! Honestly it shouldn't be so difficult in 2025. Let us have customer service and contact customers!!! Mods?
Seller_r9wMm8LrE5iKj
Your presumption here is that sellers cannot be trusted, and will abuse any option given to them. Then, you present them with the option to claim that as long as the message is "an important one about an order", they can continue to abuse this system. Eventually, because you are unable to police the huge number of unethical sellers you are onboarding (largely from a country with different cultural ideas about the practicality/ethics of doing whatever the rules allow one to get away with), you will have to take away this option also.
Not every order is a customer with a valid address ordering exactly what they thought they were ordering with no customization or special-case issues. Pretending that everything fits into your small-minded boxes will ENSURE bad buying experiences.
This announcement also contradicts itself (like so many announcements, indicating that no one is thinking anything through). "[important]" will not override opt-out preferences, but you will algorithmically add "[important]" to those messages that need to be delivered.
This will end in a different way than you predict. I don't understand how you're still walking around with all the times you have shot yourself in the foot, often in the same place you shot yourself previously.
Seller_qMgi7qxvEo7f1
Could Amazon opt-in (re-opt-in) text messaging? That was very necessary, yet Amazon removed it. :-(
Seller_CA70ZtA5VBcto
This is just a reminder, that since Amazon changed the messaging here many years ago, customers are no longer receiving our high level support. So it's not about the customer. It's about control by Amazon to take away that small business touch, mainly over greed and jam Amazon's name down their throat. We still offer this on other sites, dot com, marketplaces and communication is fine there. Issues are taken care of fast and efficient.
Back in day we ran with 97%-100% feedback majority of the time on Amazon. Now, there's no point. No one leaves it anymore except for scammers, bullying buyers who damage goods and want free product or customers who don't receive our communication due to this BS message system. It's less than 1% leaving feedback. I have no issues now seeing 81% feedback rating because I know deep down, it's mostly Amazon's fault. Either from communication system or returns system, allowing scammers. Meanwhile eBay is at 99.6%. and also almost no INR cases there. Here, for some reason shipments are delivered with UPS picture proof to right house and poof, magically customer claims non-receipt. So add thousands in loses there too. Won't be manipulated to use Buy Shipping and pay more so Amazon makes more money off us selling labels.
We send a message to each customer on eBay after purchase letting them know to contact us in a damaged delivery event and more than likely a return will not be required. All they need to do is upload an image of box, label and damages. Either refund or replacement sent. We don't lose $1,000s in return fees and time wasted. Even those that open a return, we reach out and practically every single buyer responds. Even 1 buyer feedback accounts handle it well.
On Amazon, upwards of 90% buyers open returns without contacting us on damaged deliveries. We lose money shipping back junk.
All these wondeful changes equate to roughly $7-8K in loses annually that could be avoided with cracking down on scammers and better messaging system. I would of had a new roof on this building by now with the annual loses! I think the opt out thing is ridiculous. Don't buy from small business if you don't want the small business touch. Stick to your big corp, bland buying experiences.
Seller_HP0CuTSNvJvu9
That's because Amazon's customers are Amazon's customers, until they are a problem...only THEN are they YOUR customer.
Seller_HP0CuTSNvJvu9
Amazon would suggest you upload a "refund without return" sheet for all your items. Easy and done.
...except...
Once a scammer sees instant refund without return they are going to order your entire stock and put in a return request for them once they arrive.
Seller_ST1ZvziJTFrIf
Terrible idea. It's likely a small set of sellers abusing the system. Allow customers to report bad actors using [Important] incorrectly and punish the bad actors, not all sellers.
Of course, this is par for the course with Amazon and completely expected. I've been selling on Amazon a long time, and the thing that always irks me most is Amazon intercepting communications. Or, forwarding buyer concerns that Amazon has to handle, right back to sellers.
So the plan to remove all seller communication besides "here's your refund" is going great. And just keep sending me the buyer messages regarding billing inquiries that you're supposed to handle, Amazon. It's not like that's a horrible experience for both buyers AND sellers.
Seller_u7IwWxchoZJ1V
Bump for common sense.
