Contacting Someone on German ebay
Posted: Mon Nov 30, 2009 7:38 pm
You have to create an account on eBay. Then you should be able to contact the seller.
If your German is weak to nonexistant, the way to go is to write a message in English. Use very simple sentences. Don't use any slang. Run it through one (or more) of the translation services (Babelfish, Google, Alta Vista). Then run the result back the other way and see how it looks. Both translations will introduce errors, but it the retranslated version is way off the tracks, you should consider rephrasing again.
(One problem is that we have many words that have multiple distinct meanings. So do the Germans. The problem is that they're not the same. For example, in English nut is both something to eat and one half of a fastener. In German, there are two words, Nuss and Mutter, respectively. But Mutter also means mother.)
Anyway, I'd send an email with the original English version first and then the translated German version. Between the two the seller may be able to figure out what you're asking.
If your German is weak to nonexistant, the way to go is to write a message in English. Use very simple sentences. Don't use any slang. Run it through one (or more) of the translation services (Babelfish, Google, Alta Vista). Then run the result back the other way and see how it looks. Both translations will introduce errors, but it the retranslated version is way off the tracks, you should consider rephrasing again.
(One problem is that we have many words that have multiple distinct meanings. So do the Germans. The problem is that they're not the same. For example, in English nut is both something to eat and one half of a fastener. In German, there are two words, Nuss and Mutter, respectively. But Mutter also means mother.)
Anyway, I'd send an email with the original English version first and then the translated German version. Between the two the seller may be able to figure out what you're asking.