The BrickOwl email addresses problem

My original suggestion can be found here: https://www.brickowl.com/forum#/discussion/8429/disclose-email-address-of-seller-to-the-buyer-and-vice-versa

I use SendCloud to create my shipping labels with the major carriers. With some carriers, SendCloud couldn't create the label ("something went wrong at the carrier"). After much research (together with the SendCloud support staff), we found out some carriers don't accept the long email addresses BrickOwl generates for the user, or refuses to accept some non-common characters (like dash, underscore). We didn't investigate in detail the exact reason, but when changing it to a common name@provider.com email address, it got accepted. The email address basically limits my carrier options.

I still don't understand what the problem would be by disclosing the actual email address of both buyer and seller on the order. If the buyer pays with PayPal, it's disclosed on the PayPal payment detail (luckily))
But if BrickOwl really doesn't want to disclose the real user email address: at least make it shorter and limit to alfa-numeric characters (maybe even change the extension "message.brickowl.com" to "msg.brickowl.com").
If I'm correct, 5 alfa-numeric characters allow for 60 million combinations (36 power 5). I think this should be enough for the BrickOwl user list?

Someone might respond that according to the official email format specifications, BrickOwl generates correct formats. Even if that's the case, it doesn't remove the reality that some carriers and other services don't accept them (format, length).

Comments

  • 9 Comments sorted by Votes Date Added
  • Could you also clarify why the real email address is not supplied? It’s quite annoying as your competition and eBay does supply it.
  • We have the same problem with our shipping provider.

    Also @Brikomania explains it at the end of this thread:
    https://www.brickowl.com/forum#/discussion/comment/41555?t=1599738452022&remote=https://www.brickowl.com/forum&locale=

    PD: I understand that the email provided by BO enables the system to capture the email and send a copy through the website messages, but it is too long for some shipping companies...
  • Part of the problem on BL is that some users do bypass the messaging system when communicating with other users, which leads to threats, extortion and other dishonest and disreputable behaviour, which, whether we like it or not, has the potential to discredit and tarnish the entire platform. I like the idea of everything going via BO as this should moderate such behaviour to some degree, and if and when there's a problem, it can be reviewed by admin and whatever appropriate action taken. That said, I'm sure it should be possible to shorten the email addresses and remove any non-standard characters.

    Regards limiting your shipping options, until and unless there's a solution forthcoming from BO, can't you just put your own email address?
  • I like the fact that all communication is logged in BrickOwl and I wouldn't like that to change.

    But I also second the creation of shorter, less exotic e-mailaddresses.
  • edited September 2020 Vote Up0Vote Down
    I certainly agree the consequences with the third party companies not accepting the emails is unfortunate. The email addresses need to be complex as they uniquely identify both the sender and the recipient. We could certainly shorten them by changing the sub domain, but ultimately this is an issue with third parties ignoring the RFC email address standard.

    You may want to check if you are able to not provide an email, or provide your own.
  • Isn't it an option to use the UserID number in the mail adresses? I see 6 digits for a user, so 12 for sender and receiver, maybe some random characters to fill it to 20, that should be no issue with carriers.
  • I wasn't aware it's actually unique based on sender/recipient combo. Quite a dangerous approach, since anyone sending to this unique combo will simulate a message from that sender/recipient. But now I understand the reason why it's such a "randomized unique code" (guid-like) field, so the chances of anyone guessing it, is slim.

    Putting my own email adres is of course a valid option (just like I sometimes do when phone number is required), but will of course remove the possibility for shipping updates from the carrier.

    Still, as all commerce platforms and marketplaces do share the direct contact buyer/seller.
    I know I will not convince BrickOwl to change this, but I do want to share some reality checks and compare with other, major marketplaces and commerce stores.
    - I haven't been harassed by a buyer or sell ever, because they knew my email address (or my home address).
    - I haven't had ever case where the seller tried to convince me to buy "outside of the marketplace" to avoid his commission (nor have I asked a buyer to do so). As a seller, I gladly pay my commission when the platform offers me good value for it. Why would I go into direct selling via emails?
    - If the problem would be the view BrickOwl wants to keep on all communication because of mediation roles, why not offer a functionality specifically for complaint/issue tracking, instead of insisting on following ALL communications (which would make BrickOwl now a data processor of all user generated content).

    Just my 2 cents.
    Sorry for the long text.
  • Hey together,
    I have the same issue with the long Brick Owl email address. My Api to Deutsche Post for the shipping fee always generates an error with the Brick Owl User Email. I have changed my program that the user email is not provided while preparing the shipping fee labels.

    On the one hand I understand the philosophy of Brick Owl to protect both parties - buyer and seller. Anyhow I get the other personal data from the buyer to fullfill my contractual part - shipping items to them. In my opinion this is also not very consequent.

    As Gaston.La.Brick said I have also never been harassed by any user here at Brick Owl or on other sites.

    By the way, these days I have received an Email from Ebay that they also want to change the transfer of the personal data of the buyer to the seller. They do not want to show anymore the real email address, it will be than also an ebay randomized email. Let's wait what will going on there.

    I do not like making such a big secret from the email address. It's part of the personal data and it's protected in all General Terms and Conditions of Brick Owl and the other sites.

    If this won't be changable - I have / will live with it.

    Have a great time,
    Oliver.
  • I understand that it's most likely "other companies' fault" for not adhering to XXX standards, however, when we are the small fish, unfortunately I think that we need to adapt to them, as they will not do otherwise.
This discussion has been closed.