Hi everyone,
I know that we get a lot of inquiries on this forum from people who want to start selling on eBay, and I've learned a lot from being a seller through trial and error, including some tips that every new seller should be aware of. I'd like to share them so you don't run into problems.
Fees- This is the number one thing to keep in mind on eBay - you will pay fees on everything you sell, and eBay sends you a monthly invoice. Make sure you save enough in your Paypal account to cover them. If you want to know how much you've accrued in fees at any given time, go to My eBay > click "Account" tab > and your current balance will be displayed.
- ADDITIONALLY all purchases involve Paypal fees if that is the payment method you accept. The amount varies by your Paypal account type, but be sure to find our your fee percentage per transaction and price your items accordingly. You CANNOT make the buyer cover any eBay or Paypal fees after the fact.
Money Holding- Paypal will hold your money for up to a month after you receive payment. You cannot access the funds until Paypal releases them to you. This can cause problems if you need to access shipping money - a way around this is to print your shipping labels on eBay, which will charge you the shipping amount when the funds are released. More on this under the "Shipping" heading.
- It can be really annoying to see money piling up in your account that you cannot access, so be prepared to deal with this, and always keep emergency funds on hand just in case there is an issue you need to resolve (such as an item being returned to you because the address was incorrect).
Shipping- I don't know about elsewhere in the world, but here in the U.S. priority rates vary by destination even within the country. Keep this in mind when you are listing shipping prices. Also, be sure to include Delivery Confirmation cost in your shipping prices -
you are responsible for an item until it is confirmed as delivered to the buyer by the post office. At minimum, you need to get Delivery Confirmation or equivalent for all domestic purchases to cover your behind, because even if the item arrives, if there is no independent proof, a buyer can claim it never got to them and eBay will automatically take money from your account to refund the buyer. A receipt from the post office for a package is not considered proof that you sent an item.
- This issue complicates international shipping, which is one reason many people won't ship internationally. International economy shipping does not include any type of delivery confirmation, registration, or insurance options. This means that the cheapest shipping price comes with a lot of risks for you as a seller. If you want added security and confirmation of delivery, shipping prices go WAY up. If you are going to require that your item be sent registered/insured internationally, state this up front in your auction. Buyers are not pleased when they are hit with really high shipping costs when they weren't expecting this. Also, give international buyers a time estimate for shipping. Mentioning something like "please let me know if your item hasn't shown up in two weeks," lets a buyer know that you care about the package arriving safely and promptly. Sometimes buyers start to freak out after the two week mark, especially if they haven't received communication from you. If you haven't heard anything by this time, send a follow-up message inquiring about the item. It really helps to alleviate their stress to know that you are on top of things.
- The best way to calculate shipping is to buy your own digital scale - I bought mine on Amazon for less than $15. The post office also sells scales, but their prices are kind of outrageous. When you have your own scale, you just need to enter the weight, dimensions, and destination of a package into the post office website for a shipping cost.
- The easiest way to pay for shipping on eBay is to print your shipping labels straight from the site. This method is great for several reasons, the primary one being that the payment is taken straight from your funds for the auction, so you don't have to shell out money while you're waiting for the funds to be released to you. Also, eBay offers shipping discounts when you print these labels that you won't get at the post office. All you have to do when you've printed off these labels is drop the packages off at the post office.
- When you list shipping prices on eBay, keep the following things in mind:
+ If you do not include an international shipping option, your auction will not show up for international buyers, period. What I do is include one quote for a European country (usually England), and in my auction text I state that this will be the cost for most western European countries, but if buyers live elsewhere they can contact me for an exact shipping quote.
+ People will buy more items from you if you state in every auction that you happily combine shipping for lower costs. Combined shipping just means that if someone wins two items, you will put them in the same package.
+ Many people think that charging a separate fee for handling is tacky, especially because a lot of sellers use this as an excuse to overcharge. If you need to cover the cost of handling and materials, add that to the item's initial listing price, not to your invoice after the auction.
Customer Service- One of the worst things for buyers on eBay is that so many sellers lack basic customer service skills. Many sellers have never worked in a retail setting, and this shows! Here are some tips to ensure you have happy, satisfied customers:
+ Keep the tone of your auction text professional and friendly, as well as ALL communication through messages. Even when a buyer is being a complete jerk, never respond with anything less than polite courtesy. Often, if someone sends a message where they sound like trouble, if you respond politely but firmly, their attitude will completely turn around.
+ Bend over backwards to make sure your customers are kept informed of any issues and delays. Never ever leave a customer in the dark about this stuff. Even if you have no new information, simply staying in contact is important.
+ ALWAYS send a personalized message as soon as you've shipped an item. It's not enough to just mark an item as shipped and upload the tracking number. Many buyers can't use eBay well enough to see these icons. Send a message to every buyer thanking them for their purchase, notifying them that you've shipped and if applicable, provide the tracking/delivery confirmation number. And be SURE to let them know that if they have any concerns either before or after the item arrives, they are welcome to contact you and you will do everything you can to help.
+ ALWAYS respond to messages in a timely manner. If you can't get on eBay every day, download an app for your phone so you at least get a notification that you have a message. Often a buyer will send a question about an item with less than 3 hours to go on an auction, and if you can't respond quickly you might lose out on a bid.
+ Packaging matters! People don't like to receive ponies wrapped in newspaper or shoved in a paper envelope. Use packing peanuts and bubble wrap - you won't even have to pay for these materials if you save them from items you receive. I also wrap every item I send in tissue paper and send a "thank you" card and/or my business card with my ebay username, email address, and postal address on it. Customers love this kind of thing, because it shows you took time for them and that you care. These things ensure that you will have repeat customers, and frankly these are the best customers you can have! Including a note is very important as well, because it impacts how customers feel when they receive a package. I usually include phrases like "I hope you had a 5 star experience" because it directly relates to feedback ratings. I also always include either in my auction text or thank you card something about "please contact me before leaving feedback if you have any concerns about your item" because this ensures that a buyer will give me a chance to correct any problems with them before they leave bad feedback.
Item Descriptions- BE SPECIFIC! List every single flaw you can find in detail. NEVER couch your description in vague terms or say a pony "may" or "might" have certain flaws - this is a huge turnoff to buyers because it sends the message that you either cannot be bothered to inspect the item you're selling, or the item is in bad condition and you're being purposely evasive about it. Buyers should not have to send you a message asking about specific problems - you should be very clear about the condition of a pony's body, feet, eyes, symbols, and hair in the auction description. This is what differentiates someone who is knowledgeable about ponies from a general toy seller, and people want to buy from someone who displays that knowledge.
- Good pictures are one of the most important things you can have in your auction. If you are not skilled with photography, it's worth it to read some tutorials on photographing items for eBay. A good digital camera is a must (and if you don't want to shell out for a new one, get a used one - used digital camera prices are at a record low, and you can get a good camera cheaply at your local pawn shop or on eBay), as is a display set-up. Some people use light boxes (you can make your own or buy one), I personally have a spot in front of my window that gets plenty of natural light. Using the
subject focus feature on your camera is a must - figure out how to use it! Also, get familiar with your
macro setting, it's great at picking up small details. *IMPORTANT* eBay is about to increase the number of free photos in auctions from one to three (or more, I can't remember off the top of my head). This is great news, because it will let sellers include even more photos of items for free. Take a picture from every angle of a pony - buyers want more than one view, and close-ups of damage.
- Use readable font in your descriptions. Do not type your whole description in all caps. Do not use fluorescent colors. Do not use giant or tiny text. Break up your paragraphs for easy reading. Do not just write a sentence or two - be thorough about your policies and description. You don't need a fancy auction layout to attract buyers, but you also don't want something hideous that will turn people away.
- When you are stating your policies, keep a positive attitude. You can strike a balance between being serious about time limits and being friendly and helpful. No one wants to bid on an auction when the seller sounds like a grump to deal with in the description.
Cover Your Behind- eBay is set up to find fault with sellers. You need to be sure to cover your butt in the following ways:
+ Explain that you are not responsible for international customs fees in your auction (nicely).
+ Explain that the cost of delivery confirmation is not always included in the postage price on a package (so that people don't assume you're overcharging on shipping).
+ Always get proof of shipping for domestic packages, and strongly consider it for international packages. Post office receipts
do not count as proof of shipping. You must get delivery confirmation of some kind.
+ Never delete your messages from buyers. Save them in case there's a problem down the road.
+ If you ever have a case opened against you, keep your responses short and to the point. Do not respond emotionally. Do not respond to any personal jabs. Politely state your policies as they were listed in the auction. Never mention anything about leaving feedback - not only can you not leave negative feedback, but mentioning feedback in any context can be considered an attempt at extortion by eBay. Just don't do it!
+ ALWAYS state your return policy in your item description. I personally don't accept returns for any reason. I state in my auction that I'm either selling an item "as is" so buyers are encouraged to ask any questions before the auction is over, or that I cannot accept returns except in cases of gross misrepresentation on my part. Also, be aware that even if you state that you do not accept returns, eBay can force you to accept a return and offer a refund if someone opens a case in some situations.
+ If a situation comes down to either getting negative feedback or offering someone a partial/full refund, just give them the refund. It's worth it in the long run.
+ If you believe a buyer is trying to cheat you, is lying to you about a problem, or pulling any kind of funny business, don't confront the buyer about it - go straight to eBay.
CALL eBay. Do not use their other customer service features - they suck. Calling gets you a live person.
+ If someone leaves you inappropriate feedback, contest it. The worst that can happen is eBay says no.
+ Before you list an item, check the box that prevents new users, users in non-serviced countries, and users with too much bad feedback or NPB reports from bidding on your auctions. To date I've never had an NPB and I believe this has a lot to do with it.
Your Reputation Matters- I cannot stress enough the benefits of building up a reputation for honesty, excellent customer service, and friendliness. Repeat buyers are my bread and butter; they tend to bid up my items so much that I end up getting more money than other sellers who are offering the exact same item. Why? Because my glowing feedback shows I go above and beyond for people, my auction descriptions are thorough, and I give off an impression that I am a courteous, professional seller. Protect your reputation at all costs.
Pricing Items- Figuring out how to price items can be challenging, and how you price really depends on the item. If I know an item is in high demand, I will usually price it at the lowest amount I can accept, and sometimes I will add a much higher BIN. For items that could benefit from exposure, I will often start them at 99 cents because this attracts a lot of attention. This can be a gamble though! A good way to figure out how well you've priced your items is to note how many watchers you have for an auction. If you have less than 5 near the end, this isn't a good sign and in the future you'll know that something is off with that price.
- Timing matters. Time of year is important - it's generally agreed that pony prices get a bump during tax season in April, and also just before Christmas in December. Timing of day is also important, as banditpony has mentioned. In the U.S. there are several different time zones, so choosing a time when most people are likely to be home is a good idea. Also, make sure your auction won't end on a local or national holiday when people are expected to travel, spend time with family, or be outdoors.
- Don't price an item with the amount you expect it to go for in the end. People LIKE the competition of getting into bidding wars. Price your item so that it's a great deal, and it may very well end up going for more than you were expecting because that great deal will attract people to bid, and those people will then get competitive about bidding and forget about the great deal.
Wow, that was a lot! I'm sure I'll think of more tips though, so I will update in the future. I realize a lot of my tips are U.S. - centric because that's where i'm located, so if anyone has local tips for their own country, please do post them
And any tips at all!
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I'll take some better ones to be the official "before" pictures.
I would love to connect with someone in France with the same setup 
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