Using the “ask the seller a question” feature offered by eBay can be one of the potential customer’s best tools to help determine the likelihood of a successful transaction with an eBay seller.  Sellers who respond quickly, but in a businesslike manner will often be the same sellers who ship your items quickly, well packaged and who communicate well throughout the transaction process.

Now, asking the RIGHT question is as important as asking a question about something you actually want to know.  What do I mean by this? Many members do not want to “show their hand” to the seller, fearing they will be less successful in getting a “good deal” on their item of interest.  Therefore, it can be just a beneficial to ask questions about items for which you have no interest.

An example of this might be the following:

Browsing through Judy’s Corner, I notice that she has a LOT of ladies size 6 career outfits for sale at a price that will fit into my budget.  I am returning to the office after some “home with the kids” years, and need to have some professional clothes, but haven’t earned my first paycheck yet…so my budget is tight.  I am interested in this lot of career clothing.

I notice she also sells separate pieces (lots of them).  So, I make my decision to ask a question about one of the single items, rather than the lot.  I read the listing carefully and note the following.  The item is in LIKE NEW condition, costs $9.00 in Judy’s Corner store Inventory, carries a shipping cost at a flat rate of $6.00, will be shipped within 1 business day of receipt of cleared payment, combined, discounted shipping is available and combined orders over $100 ship free to the US.  The picture of the item is clear and all measurements are given for this item.

Asking the Question:

So, what’s left to ask?  Well, you can and should start by asking a question that is already answered in the listing.  The seller’s response to this type of question can be very telling.  I think a good question in this case would be something like this,

“Hi, I notice you say the dress is blue, but I cannot tell from your photo whether it is a royal blue or a darker blue.  Also, could you please provide shipping costs to Long Beach, NC?”

Getting a Response:

Now your seller has a few options.

• They can ignore your question.
• Answer quickly, with a good response. Ex.
  “Thanks for your inquiry. The dress is a royal blue and I will be happy to take more photos if you would prefer.  The flat rate shipping for this dress is $6.00 but, should you choose to purchase more than one item I do combine shipping as follows: total packaged weight of combined order is entered into the shipping calculator.  For all combined orders, a $1.50 flat handling fee is added. You will be offered three shipping choices based on the results of the shipping calculator, and they will include this handling fee.  Typically, the three choices will be USPS Parcel Post, Priority Mail, and UPS Ground. Thanks again for your interest. – Judy”
• Answer quickly or slowly with a “rude” response Ex.
  “Royal blue. $6.00 as I state in my listing”
• Answer slowly, but with a good response. Ex.
  “Thanks for your inquiry. The dress is a royal blue and I will be happy to take more photos if you would prefer.  The flat rate shipping for this dress is $6.00 but, should you choose to purchase more than one item I do combine shipping as follows: total packaged weight of combined order is entered into the shipping calculator.  For all combined orders, a $1.50 flat handling fee is added. You will be offered three shipping choices based on the results of the shipping calculator, and they will include this handling fee.  Typically, the three choices will be USPS Parcel Post, Priority Mail, and UPS Ground. Thanks again for your interest. – Judy”
  

Judy's Buying Practices:

As I customer, I have a set of practices that I use to help me decide whether to purchase an item from a particular seller.  My practices include the following:

• Check comparable prices on the item for sale (know both cost and availability)
• Check shipping and handling charges (reasonable charges for the WEIGHT of the item, not the COST for the item)
• Check the feedback of the seller of the item. (this lets me know how satisfied other customers have been. If my seller has a LOT of feedback, I like to use toolhaus.com where I can very quickly view ONLY the neutrals and the negatives left for my seller)
• Check feedback seller leaves other customers (this can be VERY important as I can start to see patterns of retaliatory feedback practices – not something I am interested in getting involved with.)
• Check the customer’s return policy. (This can be important, particularly if the return policy states that shipping will not be refunded and the shipping is $20.00 for a 99 cent item.)
  Finally, I ask the seller a question, like the one stated above.
  I look for the response to my questions to be in a nice tone which is personable, unhurried, and makes no indication that I should have taken more time to read their listing. 

CAUTION: 

I do NOT use the “ask the seller a question” on any item with less than 12 hours before auction end.  I believe in having the courtesy to give my seller a reasonable amount of time to get my question and answer it. I cannot fault my seller for “ignoring my question” or “answering in a hurried manner” if I have waited until the last minute to pose my question.

Conclusion:

Buying on eBay can be a very rewarding experience if I take my time to perform the best research I can BEFORE entering into the transaction.  Afterwards, it is too late.  Sellers and customers alike should understand that once the bid has been placed, they have entered into the contract.  Changes after the fact are generally not reasonable to expect.

Such a simple tool to help you make the most of your buying dollars should never be overlooked. Take as much care with your questions as possible, ensuring you are not simply antagonizing your seller. 

Finally, I like to thank my seller for taking the time to answer my question. 

I thank YOU for taking the time to read my guide. I hope you found it useful