eBay: Not answering questions?

[Osi Osgood]

I don't run across it too often, but how often do you run into an eBay seller, that you are not allowed to ask questions to? I just ran into one. You click "ask seller a question" and the next screen says "the seller cannot answer your question.". What Question? I wasn't able to ask the question in the first place.

[Gary Sayers]

Osi,
It means that the seller has you on their blocked bidder list. That's the message you get. It not only blocks you from bidding or buying but also blocks any communication between you and the seller. Makes sense I suppose, as you don't want someone you have blocked constantly messaging you for whatever reason.

[Alan Rik]

It could also be that they have not specified shipping to your country. If that is the case EBay doesn’t allow questions to be asked.

[Joe Caruso]

"Ask Seller a Question", then it doesn't allow....how that helps me, I don't know...Need to ask about something particular and since I can't, how would I be able to bid or buy the item? - Dismayed. Shorty

[Dominique De Bast]

Alan, I'm surprised by your post since could ask different sellers through the "Ask a seller" option if they could send to Belgium although it was not specified. I got an aswer. Maybe ebay policy varies from one country (or continent) to another ?

[Gary Sayers]

I was selling some items (not film related) last year and I had set my postal preferences to UK only but I still got asked by a buyer in Mexico if I would ship to him, so it didn't make any difference with the 'ask a question' thing.

As I said upthread, in my opinion, it's from being on the sellers blocked buyers list. It happened to me when I used the 'make an offer' on a listing (again, not film related). The offer was declined by the seller and when I tried to buy at full price, I found I was blocked. Tried to message the seller but got the same response as Osi. Why I was blocked for making an offer is a total mystery to me.

Way around it was to simply let my Son order the item on his account.

[Alan Rik]

Alan, I'm surprised by your post since could ask different sellers through the "Ask a seller" option if they could send to Belgium although it was not specified. I got an aswer. Maybe ebay policy varies from one country (or continent) to another ?

That could very well be. I was trying to ask the seller a general question and It wouldn’t let me. The work around for me was to ask the seller if they ship to the USA. When I did that -the message got through. Strange ways indeed.

[Brian Fretwell]

I had a look last night and there was only a "Contact seller" and that was in a different place to the old "Ask seller a question" option. Strange.