Messaging a business
Ask a business a question before you buy, and keep every conversation in one inbox.
Ask before you buy
Got a question about stock, options, lead times or anything else? You can message a business directly — no need to place an order first.
- Open any shop page or product page.
- Click Message in the shop's Contact panel (or Ask a question on a product page) — you'll need to be signed in.
- Type your message and hit Send question.
Messaging is always available, so you can reach a shop this way even if it lists no phone or email. The business gets an email and replies in the same thread. Your questions to a shop all stay in one conversation, so nothing gets lost.
Your messages
Everything lives in your inbox under Messages in your account menu:
- Pre-sale questions you've asked businesses, and
- Order messages once you've bought something.
Each conversation shows the latest message and who sent it (a "You:" prefix means you spoke last), and an Awaiting reply tag while you're waiting to hear back. Use the tabs to filter:
- All — every conversation.
- Sent — threads where your message is the most recent (awaiting a reply).
- Inbox — threads where the business has replied most recently.
A badge shows how many unread replies you have — both on the account icon in the header (so you spot replies while browsing) and inside the account menu. Open a thread to read and reply; sending always emails the other side so they know to look.
Tip: for items marked Enquire for price, messaging is the way to get a quote — there's no fixed price to add to a basket.