Being a good seller & buyer = fabulous feedback & easy, trouble-free transactions!

I've been buying on Ebay for over 2 years & selling for nearly as long & I have found that the best transactions have a few things in common. Communication, informative listings, clear payment & shipping instructions are key to having positive experiences.

First, let's start with being a good buyer. Read the complete listing instead of just skimming it over & then asking the seller about information that is all ready included in the ad. It wastes your time & theirs. Always scroll down to the end of the page. Maybe someone else has all ready asked that question and your answer can be found just under the pictures. Or perhaps the shipping info you need is listed at the very bottom of the page. Please let the seller know in a prompt manner your payment intentions. Whether you're paying by Paypal, check or money order most sellers greatly appreciate knowing how you intend to pay a.s.a.p. It helps speed the transaction along. Also, please be patient when waiting for delivery of your item. If the seller hasn't emailed you letting you know when shipment was made, then by all means ask, but give it at least a week before contacting the seller again. Most items will show up in less than 2 weeks. If you have had some type of problem with the transaction always contact the seller before leaving feedback! Most times negative feedback can be avoided. Try to work something out that you both can live with. Remember that you usually get what you give. Leave a negative-receive a negative. Who will the bad feedback hurt more? You or the seller? Think hard before leaving any unpleasant comments.

Being a great seller means more than just quick shipping, although that is always much appreciated by buyers. Do you shop? Of course you do. What makes you want to buy? First of all, make your listings easy to find. Use appropriate keywords to help buyers find your item. What would you type into a search if you were looking for what you're selling? Chances are whatever keywords you use, so will others. Be specific.

Take the best picture you can! A great picture can save alot of time in uneeded questions & vastly increase your chances of a sale. Make sure the room is well lit & that you use a flash. Crop your pics. so potential customers don't see unsightly & unrelated background objects. Rotate your pictures!! Who wants to try to cock their head in an uncomfortable position to try to view your item? No one, that's who! Ebay has a fantastic system when loading your pictures that can easily help you with this. Remember, haste makes waste! Take time with your pictures. Your customers don't have the luxury of picking up & turning around the object in their hands as they would in a brick-n-mortar store. They're trusting you & your picture!

Be as detailed as possible when describing your product. Again, if you were looking to buy it what questions would you have? If you describe the item as accurately as possible you will get less questions (saving you valuable time) & hopefully, a good selling price.

Be very specific about shipping costs & return policies. Many people lose countless sales by not providing flat or calculated shipping rates. Most buyers add shipping to the cost & simply will not buy if they do not know the entire price. Do not make buyers find out shipping rates for themselves by stating the weight of the item along with your zip code. You are supposed to be servicing them-not the other way around! Whether insurance is optional or not always list the cost of this as well. If you accept returns or not is up to you, but clearly state this in your listings to eliminate any confusion.

Try to take at least 2 forms of payment for your product. Remember, you want to make it easy for someone to buy your item! Add Paypal to your listings. It is worth the extra fees. You're protected as well as the customer, payments are quick & organized, you can easily accept foreign currency, and the vast majority of customers ( 90-95% ) prefer to use it over money orders & checks.

Don't wait a week to ship. For most sellers on ebay it's not necessary to ship everyday, but shipping within 48 hrs. of payment is a good policy to have. As stated earlier, this is much appreciated by the customer & is usually reflected in positive feedback. Use the correct shipping material for the object. Padded envelopes, bubble wrap, peanuts, sturdy boxes are all necessary to insure safe delivery. Cheap & shoddy packing methods leave you open to refunds, unhappy customers, and ultimately, less sales.

Lastly, be patient & flexible. Problems will & do occur. This is where communication is key. Email your customers to see if you can further assist them. Work with them if they are somehow disappointed in the transaction. No one wants bad feedback & most times it's unnecessary if buyer & seller are open to various solutions.

I hope this has been of help to you. For some examples of listings why not visit my store Olde Trading Post ?