*~*~*~* Everything I Know About eBay (Almost) *~*~*~*
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Tips for Selling
- First, check out eBay's Selling Tutorial.
- Take good, clear photos. Resize and crop them so that they load quickly. Several photos showing all views and/or aspects of the item are helpful. Take photos of any flaws if possible.
- Make good use of the wording in the title. Instead of using unnecessary words like "LQQK", use words that actually describe the item. Make especially sure the words are spelled correctly, otherwise, your item won't come up when someone searches for it.
- Describe the item as if there are no photos. Remember that the potential bidders can't touch or hold the item, so you want to describe it as thoroughly as possible. Include dimensions if applicable. On clothing, measure it. A "small" from one manufacturer is often different from another manufacturer's "small". If applicable, show a coin, soda can, or dollar bill beside the item in your photo, to give the bidders a better idea as to the size of the item.
- Mention any flaws or imperfections honestly.
- Don't type in ALL CAPITALS. It's harder to read, plus CAPITALS are the internet equivalent of "shouting".
- State your return policy, as well as your accepted payment methods, in your listings. At the same time, try to keep your terms short and simple. Threatening to leave negative feedback for non-paying bidders is a turn-off to responsible shoppers, and often tends to "challenge" game-players. Stay positive!
- Know the increments where eBay's fees change. If you list an item starting at $10.00, it will cost you almost twice as much as starting the item at $9.99. View eBay's fee schedule. Do note that fees to list vehicles and real estate are different.
- I generally don't use the gallery feature unless my item is unusual or if I think it will sell for more than $10 (that's just my own personal guideline). I *do* always use the gallery in my store, since it's much less expensive for store items.
- There usually isn't much sense in paying extra to "bold" or "highlight" your listing. In my opinion, both are a waste of money.
- Unless your item is truly rare or very popular, you're better off starting it at a price you'll be happy with. If your auction ends at a penny, you are expected to sell it for a penny (assuming there is no reserve).
- Answer bidders' questions as quickly and completely as possible, thanking them for their interest in your item.
- If the item has been exposed to cigarette smoke or pets, please mention it in your auction listing. Many people have allergies, and greatly appreciate this information.
- If you're selling the item for a friend or relative, keep the item in your possession from the time you list it until the time it's shipped. The reason I recommend this is because it's easy for an item to get lost or broken during all the moving around, plus, I recommend that you pack and ship the item yourself in order to make sure it's packaged securely. If your friend is paying you to list the item, it's a good idea to put it all in writing.
- Keep your records organized!
- Prohibited and Restricted Items (stuff you can't sell on eBay)
- Learn About the Different Listing Formats
- Setting a Reserve Price
- Ending Your Auction Early
- Revising Your Auction
- Add to Your Auction's Description
- Second Chance Offers
- Using HTML to spice up your auctions. But don't go overboard with animations, music, etc. Many people use dial-up internet, and it takes a VERY long time for these types of things to load.
- Free Relisting Policy
Accepting Payments
- Deciding on the payment methods you'll accept is a personal choice. Although I can make recommendations, it's ultimately up to you. ;-)
- Generally speaking, money orders are one of the safest payment methods available.
- You can accept cash, but have the buyer conceal the money very well, so that it can't be seen from outside the envelope. Ask that they refrain from sending coins. If the money gets lost in the mail, your buyer will have no way to get it back. For that reason, cash is pretty "iffy".
- Read and understand PayPal's Seller Protection Plan, if you want to accept PayPal.
- Get a PayPal debit card. You'll earn 1.5% cash back whenever you purchase something with it, which will help offset those PayPal transaction fees! Plus it gives you instant access to your PayPal funds.
- If you do not accept credit cards through PayPal, you are not allowed to display their credit card logos. PayPal Help Center.
- eBay's Surcharge Policy - U.S. sellers are not allowed to charge buyers extra for using PayPal or credit cards.
- If you accept personal checks, it's been my experience that a buyer's feedback is little indication of whether their check is good or not. I've had bounced checks from both zero-feedback bidders, and bounced checks from bidders with thousands of feedback comments. That said, the vast majority of my bidders' checks have been good. If you are concerned about the possibility of bounced checks, state in your auctions that checks may be held for bank clearance prior to shipping the item, then wait at least 10-14 days (or longer) for the check to clear. Should you need the services of a collection agency, I've found M.A.D. Agency to be of great assistance.
- BidPay is another form of payment you may want to consider. The buyer uses their credit card to purchase a money order through BidPay, who then sends you the money order on their behalf. It doesn't cost the seller anything extra (the buyer pays the fees). Do wait for the confirmation e-mail prior to shipping.
- After payment is received, let the bidder know when the item will be shipped, and approximately when they can expect to receive it. Send the tracking number, if possible.
- If you have a non-paying bidder, follow the steps outlined in eBay's Unpaid Item process to get your final value fee back. Listing fees are non-refundable. You can use this same process for items returned for a refund, or if you and the bidder mutually agree to cancel the transaction. Here is more information about how to handle non-paying bidders.
Shipping Suggestions
- Be fair on your shipping rates. If you need to charge a *reasonable* handling fee, just add it into your shipping price. (In other words, instead of saying "shipping is $4.50 plus $0.50 for handling", just say "shipping is $5".) eBay has a shipping calculator you can use, which will automatically let you include a handling fee if you need to. You can also calculate the shipping by going to the U.S. Postal Service's website.
- Mention whether or not you are willing to combine multiple purchases into one shipment. Bidders love this, and will often buy more!
- Use Delivery Confirmation on all your packages, so that if a concern arrises, you'll be able to provide the buyer (and/or PayPal) with proof of delivery. Free and/or low cost Delivery Confirmation is available for Priority Mail packages on the U.S. Postal Service's website, or through online postage programs such as Endicia. (Endicia is my program of choice.)
- Saying that you're "not responsible if the buyer doesn't purchase insurance", doesn't usually cut it. If the item is something you can't replace, something that is easily broken, or is more expensive than you can refund, don't make insurance optional. Make it a requirement. In fact, you can just add the insurance fee in with your shipping charge. The reason I say this is because if the bidder pays through PayPal and/or credit card, and the package disappears into oblivion, they can file a complaint with PayPal. You will then have to provide PayPal with shipping information, including proof of delivery, or they will unfortunately expect you to reimburse the buyer (in fact, they'll usually remove the money from your PayPal account "for" you). Insurance and Delivery Confirmation are for YOUR protection, not the buyer's.
- Depending on the weight of the item, the new Flat Rate Priority Boxes can help you and your bidders save money on shipping. You can order FREE boxes, labels, and other Priority Mail and Express Mail supplies from the U.S. Postal Service's Store.
- Packaging and Shipping Tips
Selling Policies and No-No's
Seller Tools
For eBay Buyers
- First, read eBay's Buying Tutorial
- Article on Safe eBay Trading
- How To Find Items - tips on browsing and searching, comparison shopping, etc.
- Read the description thoroughly, and look carefully at the photos. Then read the description again. Don't assume anything. If there are questions that aren't answered in the ad, e-mail the seller prior to bidding.
- Make sure the seller accepts the payment method you prefer, and that the seller ships to your country. Again, if you aren't sure, ask before bidding. Once your bid is placed, unless other arrangements have been made in advance, you've agreed to the seller's terms.
- Read the seller's feedback prior to bidding. If their feedback is 98% or less, that's generally a warning sign! But don't just look at the percentage. Read the first few pages of their feedback to see what the comments actually say. Sometimes positive comments aren't all that positive, and sometimes negative comments are left unfairly. Actually reading the comments will tell you more about the seller, and how they handle any problems that arise.
- Is the shipping cost listed, or is there a shipping calculator? If you don't know the shipping amount, e-mail the seller prior to bidding. There are, unfortunately, some sellers that make a hefty profit off shipping, and if you bid without knowing how much the shipping is, the seller can pretty much charge you anything they like. View eBay's shipping and handling policy, including a link at the bottom to report violations.
- After the auction ends, pay your seller promptly. Sellers love fast-paying, communicative bidders! :-) Please remember that habitual Non-Paying Bidders aren't allowed to continue using eBay.
- If there is a problem once your item arrives, or if your item doesn't arrive in a reasonable amount of time, e-mail the seller right away. Most sellers are willing to work with you, and will correct the situation. Don't be hasty to leave negative feedback until you give the seller ample time to resolve the problem. Feedback is generally permanent, and if you leave bad feedback without giving the seller a chance to resolve the problem, the seller is likely to be less willing to work with you on a solution. You have at least 90 days to leave feedback, so there's no rush.
- If the item arrives damaged, save all the packaging materials and the box for possible inspection by the carrier.
- Read and understand PayPal's Buyer Protection Plan, so that if the seller fails to ship your item, or significantly mis-described it, you'll know what recourse you have. You can also find tons of helpful information on my friend Tessa's page.
- eBay's Buyer Protection Program
- eBay's "Non-Performing Seller" Policy - If your seller doesn't hold up their end of the transaction
- Retracting a Bid - To be used in special circumstances only (doesn't include change-of-mind!)
- Buyer Activity Limits - Limits on buyers with unusual account activity
- Best Offer Option - Some sellers are willing to consider selling their item for a lower price.
- Learn to snipe (bid during the last few seconds), either manually or through a sniping program. You'll usually pay less this way! ;-) I like the sniping program put out by AuctionSage, but there are others out there.
Feedback
- Toolhaus has a handy dandy feedback tool that quickly shows you all the negatives and neutrals an eBayer has received, and has left. This is great for checking the feedback of a person prior to doing business with them.
- eBay's Feedback Policies, including the conditions in which eBay will remove feedback, feedback rules, and how to mutually agree to remove feedback if the problem is later resolved.
- Leave Feedback
- Respond To Feedback You've Received, or Follow-Up to Feedback You've Left
- Private Feedback
- As stated above, don't be hasty to leave negative feedback until you give your transaction partner ample time to resolve the problem. Feedback is generally permanent, and if you leave bad feedback without giving the seller/buyer a chance to resolve the problem, they are likely to be less willing to work with you on a solution. You have at least 90 days to leave feedback, so there's no rush.
- If you receive negative or neutral feedback, first calm down, and then leave a professional, emotionless response to it. Depending on the circumstances, you may wish to attempt to resolve the situation and perhaps mutually agree to have the comment removed, or you may wish to leave appropriate feedback for your trading partner. Please use good judgement, as returning a negative comment may be seen as retaliation, which could make you look unprofessional.
Communication is Critical!
- Communication -- by both parties -- is the key to successful trading, and to avoiding feedback problems.
- Make sure your e-mail works! A bad e-mail address can be a major issue when trying to complete a transaction.
- If you don't seem to be receiving your messages, check your spam filter and it's settings before assuming that your transaction partner is "ignoring" you. Many times, good e-mails are misidentified as being spam, and your e-mail provider puts them in your spam/bulk/trash e-mail folder.
- Also, make sure your e-mail box isn't full. Some e-mail services place a limit on the number of e-mails you can have on their server, and once you've reached your limit, no new e-mails can come through. You'll need to delete some of those old messages to make room for new ones.
- You can also Request Your Trading Partner's Contact Information, and give them a phone call, if you are unable to reach them via e-mail.
- False or Missing Contact Information - Please remember that eBay requires your contact information, as well as your e-mail address, to be correct and functional.
eBay Policies & Tips Applicable to All eBay Members
Miscellaneous Helpful Goodies
Keep Your eBay Account and Computer Safe!
- Don't give out your password. Make it something that's difficult to guess, and use a combination of letters and numbers (and symbols, if possible).
- Have you received an e-mail that appears to be from eBay, but wants you to click on a link and/or provide personal information? Don't do it! It is most likely a scam to steal your personal information, and potentially your identity! Instead, forward the e-mail, including header information, to spoof@ebay.com and they will verify whether or not the e-mail is truly from them. Other ways to spot phony e-mails are spelling and grammar mistakes, sentences that don't make sense, graphics that don't show up, etc. More Information
- Protecting Your eBay Account and Identity
- What To Do if Your eBay Account is Stolen/Hacked
- What To Do if Your eBay Account is Suspended
- Run a virus scanner (AVG has a free version!) on a regular basis to help keep your computer virus-free.
- Run Ad-Aware and SpyBot (both have free versions) regularly to remove any tracking cookies, spyware, and malware from your computer. There are computer programs out there which can log your keystrokes, ultimately gaining access to your personal information, credit card numbers, and passwords, so it's a good idea to make sure your computer is clean.
Auction Communities
Auction Tools and Related Services that I Personally Use & Recommend
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