TOS - terms of service

What is a TOS. A TOS is simply the "terms of service" by which a seller will sell to a buyer on eBay.

Some sellers have lengthy TOS, so much so that they quite possibly lose sales because of it. Others have none.

I'm somewhere inbetween. :)

What does a TOS mean to a buyer

If you don't like the TOS in an auction, you should not bid on that auction. Trying to strongarm a seller into changing their TOS after you have won the auction is not a good idea. First of all, you agreed to the TOS when you bid, therefore the seller expects you to abide by it. Not doing so is a breach of the contract to buy.

The seller no longer has to sell to you if you don't follow their TOS. They can start the nonpayment process to recoup their final valuation fees from eBay because you refused to honor the TOS.

So READ the TOS and be sure you understand it BEFORE you bid.

What Does a TOS do for a seller

A TOS can be very simple - as in no TOS at all. Or you could have special conditions under which you will allow certain things and not under others. For example, I will sometimes allow bidders to have me ship to an unconfirmed address for them if they paid by paypal. BUT it is stated in my TOS that they are to ask before they bid. This is something that is at my discretion and it is all carefully spelled out in my TOS.

Not asking first means either they didn't read the total auction - or they figured it didn't apply to them. Guess what? It does.

WHAT NOT TO PUT IN A TOS

Leave out those negatives! Don't say things like "if you don't plan to pay, don't bid". It doesn't apply to your good buyers, and the deadbeats don't care.

WHAT TO PUT IN A TOS

This is such an individual thing that it is impossible to give anything other than vague outlines. Check out mine if you like and feel free to use it if you like. You have my permission. :)

Check out other sellers TOS also and when you see one you like, try to incorporate the positives of that TOS into your own. But never copy it word for word unless the seller has given you permission.