# Another ebay Question **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 14, 2000, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-ebay-question/33119 "2000-09-14T03:02:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Gazelle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Gazelle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gazelle)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2000, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-ebay-question/33119/1 "2000-09-14T03:02:31Z")
I bought a guitar on Monday and have not heard from the seller. I’ve written to him twice. It’s only been 2.5 days but in the past I have heard from people by now. Ebay allows members to request the phone numbers of sellers/buyers who cannot be reached via E-mail. What would you Dopers consider “a reasonable length of time” to be? I’m _dying_ to get my guitar! ---
**Author:** ![mblackwell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5fc32e/32.png) [@mblackwell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mblackwell)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2000, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-ebay-question/33119/2 "2000-09-14T03:12:32Z")
I think you should give the seller about a week to respond. I know somone who sent the money and heard nothing for over 50 days. He did eventually get the item, but the moron seller gave him bad feedback for complaining about the wait. ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2000, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-ebay-question/33119/3 "2000-09-14T03:23:47Z")
eBay does say the buyer and seller should be in contact within 3 days. But a week is reasonable. I once had my ISP go down and that slowed me down. I wouldn’t phone it may make the seller mad (oops the guitar was damaged in transit I’m not responsible) ---
**Author:** ![Gazelle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Gazelle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gazelle)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2000, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-ebay-question/33119/4 "2000-09-14T03:28:50Z")
Thanks for the advice, guys. **Markxxx** , you wouldn’t call _ever_? ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2000, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-ebay-question/33119/5 "2000-09-14T03:30:14Z")
I usually hear from sellers within two days, but I’d wait a week before taking any action. ---
**Author:** ![yosemite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/3ab097/32.png) [@yosemite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yosemite)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2000, 8:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-ebay-question/33119/6 "2000-09-14T08:15:45Z")
Wait maybe two weeks, then call. Though I really think you’ll hear from them pretty soon. I buy and sell semi-frequently on eBay, and I have been known to wait 3 days before writing. I’m a flake sometimes. So I really think you’ll hear from this person pretty soon. My sister has requested the phone numbers of people who had not written her back after _weeks_, and usually nothing bad came from her doing that. She was really nice when she called. Sometimes they had family problems, or were very busy, or whatever. The transactions went through fine after she called. And remember - this person is selling something to you. They _wanted_ to sell it, they put it up for auction! And they will be getting MONEY for it. I doubt they will be pissed because you are eager to give them money! ---
**Author:** ![Lazarus7](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/67e7ee/32.png) [@Lazarus7](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lazarus7)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2000, 10:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-ebay-question/33119/7 "2000-09-14T10:02:00Z")
My rule of thumb is two weeks … that is more than enought time to deal with any potential communication problem. I might get more antsy if I have already sent money … but that has yet to happen ---
**Author:** ![Gravity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gravity/32/14322_2.png) [@Gravity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gravity)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2000, 11:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-ebay-question/33119/8 "2000-09-14T11:08:54Z")
I’d wait a week before giving them a call, e-mailing them all the while. I’ve never had to call anyone, but I have had to request info on folks. Usually, that gets them off their butt because e-bay sends notification to them that they’ve given out the info. K.