Customer not seeing messages
I have received a nasty, threatening message from a customer asking where his order is. I have sent him three messages to let him know that there would be a slight delay with sending his order, but he says he cannot see my messages and got abusive.
He is now saying he will leave a bad review if I don’t contact him. I asked for his mobile number and we began conversing that way, yet he still insist he cannot see any messages on his account from me.
I then asked for his email address and have sent him screen shots of all the messages (including his nasty one) and am waiting for his reply.
Is it normal that some customers cannot see messages? Are they blocked somehow?
26 replies
Seller_BS5lg2keRs2QO
Yes some customers don’t see the messages. You cannot contact a customer using their phone number - it is a breach of rules.
Summary
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Proper treatment of customer phone numbers:
- Print on labels to comply with carrier requirements.
- Dispose of any customer phone number data that you retain after you have processed the customers’ orders.
- Monitor who in your organisation has access to customer phone numbers – protecting this data is your responsibility.
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Improper treatment of customer phone numbers:
- Never contact a customer using their phone number. To contact a customer about their order, only use [Buyer-Seller Messaging]
- Never share customer phone information with an external party.
- Never pass along customer information of any kind, including phone numbers, outside of Buyer-Seller Messaging.
Seller_j4qOx3FnSoENm
It can happen,
If you go to messages and it says
" The buyer opted out from receiving this message, for more details click here."
Then they’ve blocked messages.
What I tend to do with anything important is reply to the message via my email client and prefix the subject with [Important]
Seller_9Oh0YpHc3a7NZ
Do Amazon ever suspend customers accounts or just the sellers?
I don’t know if he is rude, stupid or what!! 
I’ve explained numerous times why there is a delay and that he can cancel his order for a refund if he wants to buy it elsewhere, but all he says is “where is my cot, I want it by 26 May”??!!
If I cancel his order does that leave a bad impression on my seller account?
Seller_9Oh0YpHc3a7NZ
Yes my husband just said the same!
He must be seeing the messages then - it’s got me so wound up I don’t think I’m thinking straight 
I’m going to go back through the messages and re read them.
Yes I have read the email from Amazon about the changes as of 1st June.
Seller_prNRYzgZJre6A
Its normal for customers not to see messages, as Amazon’s default settings are to block seller messages. We use (Important) at the start of a message and it seems to work most of the time, but not all. We also call the customer if there is an issue with their order. No point the customer thinking we are ignoring them if they are not getting a message, so often a quick call resolves the issue.
Seller_n33KwLeg9XOvi
really not a good idea - you have no back up that way / and amzn do not allow
Seller_Xpg0j76yeJ7rb
Had a similar problem. The customers email provider simply bounced the messages.
I did ask Amazon for their help… they were not able to send a message to the customer on my behalf (but obviously are happy to contact them to leave reviews etc, etc)…
It is frustrating…
Seller_oqY6BLduZEGox
Most buyers dont know where to find there messages as it is not clearly displayed. Finding your way around amazon can be hard even for experienced people
Seller_bhSWqoVh7Pn98
I have read all comments to date. It could be some messages had got through, and others had not. Perhaps check the one that got through, I assume the one where they wanted you to phone, etc.
AMAZON publish your phone number, you can also provide it in an email to the Buyer, so the Buyer can speak to you over the phone, you just cannot initiate a phone call to the Buyer.
I would ALWAYS though after each call summarise with an email via Amazon. Saying the Buyer phoned, to confirm discussed …
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BUT, you have said ‘there would be a slight delay with sending his order’ - that is unacceptable. Do not advertise something that you do not have ready to ship by the due date. If it is not on time for the delivery, then rightly as you did not even ship on the set date, then you should get bad feedback, that is not being nasty, it is not good service, I would not be happy either. You would not need any emails, phone calls etc if the Buyer had their item on time.
If you have confirmed shipment, so you have the Buyers money, even worse. If I were you now, I would then immediately refund the Buyer, explain that you are doing that, and when you do have it ready, readvertise it and then inform the Buyer to reorder and send the same day/next day on a very fast delivery as goodwill (I’d even give at a discount for the issues). It will cost you to refund, as Amazon charge to do that. The Buyer may still leave bad feedback, as he paid and then you had to refund his order, but as you refunded, you may get away with it (the longer it goes on, if I was the Buyer, the more I’d give you bad feedback, as it is annoying).
If you have not shipped the order, then cancel the order, as long as done today, it will not count against you, from June it will count against you. If you cancel, no payment has been taken, and again update the Buyer and ask to reorder when ready to send (I’d still give at a discounted rate, or free something extra as goodwill, after all this is your fault, not that of the Buyer).
What you have done is bad for all Sellers. Buyers need to be confident with all Sellers that they will supply as advertised and on the dates shown. If an order comes in and for whatever reason you cannot ship within the dates set, then you should email the Buyer to expalin the issue and then cancel the order (that will count against you from June), even that is not good, but can happen occassionally. Still annoyng when you are the Buyer, say the last one was broken as an example but more coming back in, then email to let them know that as well.
You can also set longer delivery times if it takes longer to ship, then you are still within times and all ok to the Buyer and Amazon.
I think bad feedback has been unfair when a delay in delivery by a courier, but not if late shipping, the rest of us have had to work harder to ensure all shipped ontime during this difficult time. Put on holiday mode if you are not working, etc.
Seller_9Oh0YpHc3a7NZ
Thank you to all of you with constructive responses to my original question “Is it normal that some customers cannot see messages? Are they blocked somehow?”
I now know that I shouldn’t have initiated contact outside of Amazon. However when I reported him for threatening and bad language (which I have not posted on here) the reply from Amazon was;
'I have checked buyer seller messaging, where in buyer used inappropriate language due to late delivery. I would request you to resolve it mutually with the buyer."
So the only way I could actually contact him was outside of Amazon as he didn’t respond to any of my messages and couldn’t see them ( or so I believed at the time).
I now know about putting [Important] into the message for customers to see - thank you for pointing this out to me Take_Eat_Away_Ltd. 
With regards to other comments about delays with his order etc etc etc - I use a company for drop shipping and according to their latest inventory the item was in stock, when I sent the order to them they then said the item was out of stock so I immediately contacted the customer.
I do not confirm shipment until the warehouse tell me they have sent it out and they give me a tracking code to pass onto my customers.
I am not going to respond to any further comments on this thread as I asked for advice and believe some have given me this, which has helped the situation - thank you.
I have responded to Amazon after reporting him and they have opened a case which is ongoing.
Thank you.
