An eBay Seller's Checklist.
Being a seller is a lot of responsibility, and sometimes you might feel like
you're not doing everything you should be. This simple checklist will help you
keep on top of things.
Have you found out everything you possibly could about your items? Try typing
their names into a search engine - you might find out something you didn't know.
If someone else is selling the same thing as you, then always try to provide
more information about it than they do.
Do you monitor the competition? Always keep an eye on how much other items the
same as or similar to yours are selling, and what prices they're being offered
at. There's usually little point in starting a fixed price auction for $100 when
someone else is selling the item for $90.
Have you got pictures of the items? It's worth taking the time to photograph
your items, especially if you have a digital camera. If you get serious about
eBay but don't have a camera, then you will probably want to invest in one at
some point.
Are you emailing your sellers? It's worth sending a brief email when
transactions go through: something like a simple "Thank you for buying my item,
please let me know when you have sent the payment". Follow this up with "Thanks
for your payment, I have posted your [item name] today". You will be surprised
how many problems you will avoid just by communicating this way.
Also, are you checking your emails? Remember that potential buyers can send you
email about anything at any time, and not answering these emails will just make
them go somewhere else instead of buying from you.
Do your item description pages have everything that buyers need to know? If
you're planning to offer international delivery, then it's good to make a list
of the charges to different counties and display it on each auction. If you have
any special terms and conditions (for example, if you will give a refund on any
item as long as it hasn't been opened), then you should make sure these are
displayed too.
Have you been wrapping your items correctly? Your wrapping should be
professional for the best impression: use appropriately sized envelopes or
parcels, wrap the item in bubble wrap to stop it from getting damaged, and print
labels instead of hand-writing addresses. Oh, and always use first class post -
don't be cheap.
Do you follow up? It is worth sending out an email a few days after you post an
item, saying "Is everything alright with your purchase? I hope you received it
and it was as you expected." This might sound like giving the customer an
opportunity to complain, but you should be trying to help your customers, not
take their money and run.
Being a really good eBay seller, more than anything else, is about providing
genuinely good and honest customer service. That's the only foolproof way to
protect your reputation. Of course, you might be wondering by now whether it's
really worth all the hassle to get a good reputation on eBay. Won't people buy
from you anyway, and couldn't you just open a new account if it really comes
down to that? Our next email will set you straight.
