I sat down to make this list because I'm a new seller and I wanted to avoid the things in my own auctions that bother me as a buyer but I thought that maybe other sellers might appreciate a few reminders too. Most of the sellers I've dealt with have been wonderful but I see a fair amount of auctions where there are things that could be improved, even among sellers who have been selling for some time. Simple, common sense things that can make all the difference as to whether or not your item is going to sell and whether or not you will get repeat business. I'm definitely no expert at selling but I've been buying for years under my other ID so I hope this helps.  

1. List shipping and handling up front. When I'm searching and I see "unspecified" in the column where shipping is normally listed or can be calculated then unless it's something I really want, I bypass it and don't even click on the ad to see if perhaps it's listed somewhere in there.

2. Describe your items in a little bit of detail. It's amazing to me how many times I have clicked on an ad only to find just one or two sentences about the item. It's less work for you the seller AND the buyer if they don't have to do bunches of emailing. That can get old fast, especially if the item is ending soon. When you're listing an item think: "What would I want to know if I was buying this item?". Your buyers can't pick it up and look at it or read the label and oftentimes unless you've included something in the photo that shows scale, they can't know the true size. Please keep that in mind when doing the description. 

When it comes to clothes, new or used, for goodness sake MEASURE! I can't come to your house and try it on and it's useless to me if it doesn't fit. Women's clothing sizes can vary greatly from brand to brand and even within the same brand. Ask the big online retailers how many times they get returns for items that don't fit. I bet it's the number one reason for a return by far and away because normally they have a "cookie cutter" listing of sizes somewhere on their site and unfortunately due to manufacturing differences, that's just an estimate at best.

Please include the bust, waist, hip measurement of your garment and the length from the shoulder seam to the hemline. There have been many times that I might have bought a clothing item but didn't because I already had to email 6 other sellers for measurements within the past hour and when I made it to your auction I was tired of emailing. I don't mean to be a grouch but believe me, your item will sell better if you'd just include a bit more vital information. Even if you're selling new clothing items that come in a package, I believe the buyer would rather you opened the package and measured rather than receive an item that didn't fit.

3. Please leave me feedback in a timely manner. I don't mind if you wait until I leave you feedback first. I value my buyer feedback just as much as you value yours as a seller. I NEVER buy twice from someone who failed to leave me feedback or who took days to get around to it. I also check the seller's "feedback left" and if they are lazy about it then I'm probably not going to buy.

I'm sure I'm not the only buyer who expects to receive reciprocal feedback within no more than 2 days. If you sell a lot of items then there are ways to make it so that automatic positive feedback is left after positive feedback has been left for you. Also, you are heading off emails from buyers asking "where's my feedback?" and thats less work for you.

4. If I paid for priority mail then PLEASE mail my item within two days. It irks me no end to pay the higher shipping only to finally receive my package a week or more later and see that you didn't bother to mail it for DAYS after the sale. If I paid priority then I'm expecting to receive my item in no more than 5 or 6 days after. 

If you only ship once or twice a week then state that clearly in the auction and I'll understand why I didn't get my item in the time frame I expected. I know at times that it's not the sellers fault how long the post office takes to deliver but when I check the postal stamp and see that it wasn't mailed for 3 to 4 days or more and nothing was stated in the auction that the seller only gets to the post office once or twice a week then that's when it's a problem. More than likely I'm not going to buy from that seller again, even if it is not their normal practice. Most buyers are not going to look at your sales and see that you've had a good week in sales and are getting to it as quickly as possible. All they are going to notice is THEIR sale.

5. Communication is key. I like to know upfront what you expect of me as a buyer (please couch it in courteous, friendly terms) and what I can expect from you as a seller. I appreciate an email letting me know my item was shipped but only about half the sellers I've bought from do that. It's a nice touch and will head off problems should the post office be slow in delivering. 

Answering messages about your auctions in a timely manner is a very good thing. You want to sell and obviously they are interested or they wouldn't have bothered to message you. Try to answer those as quickly as possible. We all lead busy lives and sometimes it's hard to get to everything, but as a buyer, if you haven't returned my message within 12-24 hours or so then chances are that I've moved on.

6. A good photo is GOLD. Good lighting, pleasing presentation. Lord knows we all have many things that require our attention and not enough hours in the day to always take care of every thing but honestly, I don't want to see your dirty dishes in the background or Rover licking himself (I did actually see such a picture on eBay a couple of years ago) or the fact that your house is a mess. On the opposite end of the spectrum, I'm not too wild about the standard "catalog" photos some sellers use. I know it's necessary if you're selling a very high volume of things and taking pictures takes more time but if you can take your own photos then I would definitely recommend it.  

If your initial photo is a good one and your description is....well....descriptive, then you don't necessarily have to have more than one photo depending on what you are selling and that has the potential to save both the buyer and seller money. If you are selling jewelry then the supersize photo feature is GREAT. A photo that shows the item clearly and a concise, honest description will go a long way toward a sale. 

7. Try to inject friendliness in your ad. I want to buy from a friendly, honest, courteous person. I can't hear your tone of voice obviously or see the smile on your face. Also, watch your spelling. Everyone makes mistakes at times but if I see lots of misspellings then I'm going to wonder about how professional you are. I don't necessarily think it reflects on your intelligence, but studies show that many people do think that.

8. Watch the negatives you leave for buyers. For the protection of all of us I know it is necessary to leave a negative at times but watch the language used. I won't buy from you if you've resorted to nasty feedback or name calling.

Everywhere you post on eBay can be a potential sale, even if it's on the boards. Other sellers are buyers too. If your board message is.....how do I put this?....if it's less than "courteous" then some people may not want to buy from you. Even if you are courteous in your auctions that one message on the boards can lose potential sales for you.

9. Too much HTML is TOO MUCH. There are still plenty of people out there who either don't have access to high speed connections or because of cost, choose not to use them. Try to make your page user friendly to all your potential buyers. Also, it can be tremendously distracting. You want people to notice your item, not all the "bells and whistles" on the page. It's okay to have a "pretty" page using templates and HTML but I've seen lots and lots of pages that needed to be much less busy.

10. Regarding printing out your invoice and including it in my package: I rarely look at those and after discussing this with a few friends who also buy, they said the same thing. I know what I bought. Why not instead include a small note or post card that you had printed up or can print up from your computer. Say "Thank You" and include your website address if you have one. Printer cartridges can be expensive. I would think that would be much more cost effective than printing off the entire invoice page and also it's a nice touch to let me know you value me as a customer. 

You can include a note stating that if the buyer is not happy to please email you prior to leaving a negative because I see lots of negatives being left by new buyers (and even some old hands) who just don't know better. A partial page or "post card" (like the one's your dentist sends you to let you know it's time for a visit) doesn't have to be unfolded to be noticed and it doesn't necessarily have to be printed on card stock either. This saves you on ink, paper and time if you print out several on one sheet of paper and it can still be presented in a professional but friendly manner. Much better than just the standard printing out the invoice page.

11. Last but not least, your "about me" page. Please have one and don't make it just another ad for your store or the items you're selling. Sure it's good to include that information, but what I'm wanting to know is YOU. I want to feel a connection to you. You don't have to tell me your whole life story but a few words about yourself and not just your business would be terrific!

I wish I'd kept track of a few of the really good "me" pages I've seen. I dislike the ones that are just an ad for me to buy more from the seller or have loads of clickable icons that lead to other people's stores or is too busy with a template/HTML.Quite frankly, I see enough "commercials" in my every day life and don't really appreciate seeing them on your "me" page.  Sorry, but it's the truth.

I'd love it if you included a photo of yourself or your pet or a photo of something you've gotten off eBay that you adore or even a photo of flowers in your garden. Something that makes you human and not just a seller/stranger. I think buyers are much less likely to leave a negative to someone they feel they know just a bit or feel a connection to. They are also more likely to come back and buy more from you.

I think listing this out has helped me as a seller and I hope it does others as well. I'm off to look for a guide to "tips for being a courteous buyer". Happy hunting here on eBay everyone!