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Published: February 24 2009, 12:19:00 PMUpdated: September 05 2022, 8:20:27 AM

What API should I use to reply eBay member messages?

 Summary

   By going to one of the URLs as below, an eBay member can send a message to another eBay user. 

Contact Member for communicating with any eBay member:   http://contact.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ContactUserNextGen&recipient=={MemberUserID}

Ask Seller a Question for an active listing:   http://contact.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ShowCoreAskSellerQuestion&Mode=1&redirect=0&iid={ItemID}&requested={SellerUserID}

Trading API AddMemberMessageRTQ call enables a seller to reply to an Ask Seller a Question type message or Contact Member message. 


Detailed Description

 

To anwser such messages,  one needs to:

  • call GetMyMessages API as below to retrieve SenderExternalMessageID, MessageID, ResponseEnabled and ItemID
 <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<GetMyMessagesRequest xmlns="urn:ebay:apis:eBLBaseComponents">
  <Version>1267</Version>
  <DetailLevel>ReturnHeaders</DetailLevel>
  <RequesterCredentials> 
   xxx  </RequesterCredentials>
</GetMyMessagesRequest>

 

 

  • Exam each Message container, if Message.ResponseDetails.ResponseEnabled flag is true and  Message.Replied is false ,  then make another GetMyMessage call with the Message.MessageID  and <DetailLevel>ReturnMessages</DetailLevel to obtain the complete message for the Message.MessageID in question.
 <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<GetMyMessagesRequest xmlns="urn:ebay:apis:eBLBaseComponents">
  <Version>1267</Version>
    <DetailLevel>ReturnMessages</DetailLevel>
   <RequesterCredentials>
    <eBayAuthToken>AgAAAA** ....</eBayAuthToken>
  </RequesterCredentials>
  <MessageIDs>
    <MessageID>2908767529</MessageID>
  </MessageIDs>
</GetMyMessagesRequest>

 

 

 

  • Pass the data obtained in the step1 and your answer into AddMemberMessageRTQ  as below:

 

 <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<AddMemberMessageRTQRequest xmlns="urn:ebay:apis:eBLBaseComponents">

     <Version>1267</Version>
    <MemberMessage>
    <Body>YOUR ANSWER</Body>

 <ItemID>{GetMyMessagesResponse.Messages.Message.ItemID}</ItemID>  <--- only if it is returned in the step 1 !!!! -->
    <ParentMessageID>{GetMyMessagesResponse.Messages.Message.ExternalMessageID}</ParentMessageID>
    <RecipientID>{GetMyMessagesResponse.Messages.Message.Sender}</RecipientID>
  </MemberMessage>
  <RequesterCredentials>
    xxxx  </RequesterCredentials>
</AddMemberMessageRTQRequest>

 

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