Contacting a seller

The main way to reach a seller is the Message button on their listing. It opens a private conversation on the site, and the seller gets an email with your message. Some sellers also choose to show a phone number or email address on their ad.

How do I message a seller?

1. Open the listing.
2. Tap Message followed by the seller's first name (or Message the seller), in the box under Posted by.
3. Sign in if you're asked.
4. Write your message. The box starts with a suggestion, "Hi, is this still available?", which you can replace.
5. Tap Send message.

You're taken straight to the conversation, and the seller is emailed your message. Their replies show up in Messages. See Messages overview.

The same button works on Wanted ads: it messages the person who's looking, so you can offer what you have.

Do I need an account to message a seller?

Yes. If you're signed out, tapping Message shows "Sign in to message" with Sign in and Create account buttons. As the page puts it, an account keeps both sides accountable and lets them reply to you.

After you sign in, go back to the listing and tap Message again. See Creating an account.

You don't need an account to call, text or email a seller who chose to show their phone number or email on the listing.

What does the seller see when I message them?

• Your username, not your email address. Your email stays private.
• An email with the subject "(your username) messaged you about "(listing title)"", the heading "New message from (your username)", the listing title, a preview of your message (roughly the first 300 characters) and a Read and reply button.
• A new conversation in their Messages inbox, marked New, with the listing's photo and title.
• An unread count on their chat bubble (or the Messages tab on a phone), and on that listing in their My listings page.

They don't get a notification bell alert for messages. Messages show on the chat bubble and by email instead.

Can I call or text the seller instead?

Only if the seller chose to add a phone number. When they did, the listing shows the number with two buttons:

• Call starts a phone call on your phone.
• Text opens your messaging app with a first line already written: Hi, is your "(listing title)" on Underground Aquarium still available?

On a computer, these buttons open whatever app your computer uses for calls or texts, if any. You can always just dial the number shown.

If there's no phone number on the ad, the seller didn't add one. Use Message instead.

Can I email the seller?

Only if the seller ticked Show my email on the listing when they posted. Then their email address appears on the ad, and tapping it opens your email app with the listing title as the subject.

Most sellers don't show their email. On-site messaging keeps both addresses private, so it's the safer choice for both of you.

What if I already messaged about this listing?

You get one conversation per listing. If you tap Message on an ad you've already asked about, you go straight back to that same conversation instead of starting a new one. Keep all your questions for that ad in one place.

Messages about different listings from the same seller are separate conversations. A direct message to them from their profile is separate again. See Starting a conversation.

What's a good first message?

Sellers get a lot of "is this available?" messages. A few details help you stand out:

• Say what you want and how many ("I'd like 6 of the ember tetras").
• Say when you could pick up ("I'm free Saturday morning").
• Ask anything that matters before you drive over (size, age, water parameters, whether equipment has been tested).
• Mention roughly where you're coming from, so they know it's a realistic trip.

Messages can be up to 4,000 characters. Press Enter to send, or Shift + Enter for a new line.

Can I send photos in a message?

No. Messages are text only. If you want to show the seller something (your setup, a similar fish), describe it, or point them to a tank or post on your profile.

What does the seller's listing tell me about them?

Under Posted by, the seller's name links to their public profile. There you can see when they joined, their public tanks and their other live listings. A seal next to their name means they're an Underground Aquarium Society member. See Your public profile.

What if I'm the seller? Can I message my own listing?

No. On your own listing, instead of a Message button you'll see "This is your listing." and a note that buyers contact you by messaging you here, and it lands in your inbox. If you added a phone number or showed your email, those are listed under "You also chose to show:" so you can check them.

You'll also see Mark as sold (or Mark as found for a wanted ad) and Manage this listing. See Marking sold and deleting.

Can I keep talking after the listing sells?

Yes. An existing conversation stays in Messages and you can both keep replying after the ad is marked sold, expires or is deleted. At the top of the conversation, the price line adds "no longer listed" when the ad is off the market, and the listing name is replaced with "Listing removed" if the seller deleted it.

What you can't do is start a new conversation about an ad that's no longer live.

Common problems

I tapped Message and ended up on the Classifieds page. The listing is no longer live (it sold, expired or was removed), or the seller has messaging turned off for that ad. If the ad shows a phone number or email, use that. Otherwise, look for similar ads in the area.

I tapped Message and ended up back on the listing. It's your own listing. You can't message yourself.

It says "That listing isn't available." The ad went off the market while you were writing. You can't start a new conversation about it.

It says "This poster has messages turned off." That seller isn't taking messages on this ad. Use the phone number or email on the ad if there is one.

It says "You're sending messages very quickly. Take a short break and try again." To stop spam, each account can send up to 25 messages in any 10 minutes. Wait a few minutes and send again.

The seller hasn't replied. They get an email, but some people check the site only now and then. Give it a day or two, then send one short follow-up in the same conversation. If an ad seems abandoned, keep browsing: ads expire on their own if the seller doesn't renew them.

More fixes in Messages troubleshooting.