Tip #31: Be Nice

Remember that you’re dealing with another human being, someone who has feelings that can be hurt. A little bit of common courtesy goes a long way. Say please and thank you, be understanding and tolerant, and treat your trading partner in the same way you’d like to be treated. Follow the golden rule; do unto other auction traders as you would have them do unto you.

Tip #32: Ship Promptly

Ship promptly after you’ve received payment (and after the check has cleared). Nobody likes to wait too long for something they’ve paid forand you don’t want to gain a reputation as a slow shipper.

Tip #33: If Nobody Buys, RelistWith a Different Description

If you didn’t sell your item the first time, try it again. eBay lets you relist unsold items at no additional listing charge; even if you have to pay again, you still want to sell the item, right? But remember that if it didn’t sell the first time, there was probably a reason why. Was your asking price too high? Was your description too vague? Was the title too boring? Should you have included a picture or used HTML to spice up the listing? Whatever you change, change something to increase your chances of selling your item the second time around.

Tip #34: If You Get Stiffed, Ask for a Refund

When your high bidder does a vanishing act, file an Unpaid Item Dispute and request a refund of the auction’s final value fee. There’s no sense paying eBay for something you didn’t get paid for!

Tip #35: Use eBay Second Chance

If you run up against a nonpaying bidder, you can try to sell the now-unsold item to the next highest bidder, if he or she is still interested. It never hurts to ask, in any case; just use eBay’s Second Chance Offer feature and see whether the bidder bites.

Tip #36: The Customer Is Always Right…

Although many sellers take a hardball attitude and refuse any discussion of refunds, I recommend a more customer-friendly approach. When I have a dissatisfied buyer, I offer a full refund.

Yeah, some buyers might try to take advantage of you, but most are honest. So if you have a buyer with a complaint, you can generally assume that it’s a legitimate beef. You’ll get better feedbackand sleep easier at nightif you have the customer return the item and refund the purchase price. It’s the right thing to do!

Tip #37: …Or All Sales Are Final

If you choose not to offer a “satisfaction guaranteed” policy, be sure to state that “all sales are final” in your item listing. (Alternatively, you can say that your item is “sold as-is” or that there are “no returns.”)

Tip #38: Accept Credit CardsVia PayPal

One of the easiest ways to increase the number of bids in your auction is to accept payment via credit card. Unless you’re a real business with a merchant bank account, this means signing up for PayPalwhich is extremely easy to do.

Tip #39: Wait for the Check to Clear

The reality is that many buyers prefer to pay by check. That’s okay, as long as you wait a good 10 business days for the check to clear. Don’t be stupid and ship an item before the check proves goodyou’re bound to get burned!

Tip #40: If It’s a Business, You Pay Taxes

This book isn’t meant to offer tax advice (and you’d be foolish to consult me for such!), but larger eBay sellers need to be aware of the tax issue. In general, if you’re an individual who classifies as a casual eBay seller, you probably don’t have to worry about collecting sales taxes or reporting taxable income. However, if you’re a business or an individual at the power seller level, the Internal Revenue Service will want their share. The best advice here is that no matter what level your eBay sales, you should consult your accountant or a similar tax expertand never, never try to fool Uncle Sam.

The post 10 Tips for Closing More Auctions on eBay – Part 4 first appeared on Tips For eBay Sellers & Buyers.

Tip #21: Slow Down in the Summer

For whatever reason, eBay traffic slows way down in the summertime. (Lots of potential buyers are on vacation, and even more are outside enjoying the sunshine.) If you want to maximize your bids, you’ll get a higher price when fall and winter come along.

Tip #22: Promote Your Auctions

Let people outside eBay know about your auction. Mention your auction in relevant newsgroups and mailing lists, feature it on your personal website, and send emails about it to all your friends. Include your item listing’s URL in everything you do so that anyone interested can click the link to view your auction. Do anything you can think of to draw traffic to your listingand thus increase your chances of selling it.

Tip #23: Use My eBay to Track Your Auctions

Don’t let your auction activity get away from you. Use My eBay to look at all your auctions daily, or use auction management software to track your auctions automatically.

You can also use My eBay to track your favorite auction categories, as well as your feedback ratings and account status. Personalize your My eBay page the way you like and then bookmark it; it’s a great home page for the heavy auction trader.

Tip #24: If You Sell a Lot, Use eBay Selling Manager

My eBay is great for tracking your auctions, but when it comes to managing your end-of-auction activities, consider subscribing to eBay Selling Manager. For just $4.99 per month you get assistance in sending emails, printing invoices and packing slips, and leaving feedback. It’s great if you run a lot of auctions simultaneously.

Tip #25: Avoid Premature Cancellation

Know that many bidders wait until the very last minute to place a bid. (It’s called sniping, and it really works.) If you cancel an auction early, you’ll miss out on the bulk of the potential bids. So don’t cancel!

Tip #26: Avoid Deadbeats

You don’t have to sell to just anybody. You can stipulate that you won’t sell to bidders with negative feedback or with feedback ratings below a certain level. If you receive bids from these potential deadbeats, cancel them. If the deadbeats continue to bid (after being warned off via email by you), block their bids. You want to sell to someone who will actually consummate the transaction and send you payment; bidders with negative feedback are more likely to leave you high and dry.

Tip #27: Include All Your Shipping Costs

When figuring your shipping and handling costs, be sure to factor in all your costsnot just the shipping itself, but also the cost of the packaging, the labels, and the packing tape. Don’t gouge your buyer (this isn’t meant to be a profit center), but don’t cheat yourself, either. If actual shipping costs are $3.50, think about charging the buyer $4 to cover your additional costs. And, when you’re figuring the item’s shipping weight, remember that you don’t just ship the itemyou also ship the box and all cushioning materials. These items have weight and must be included when you’re weighing your item for shipment. (Those free Priority Mail boxes are especially heavyand can easily increase your cost of shipping.)

Tip #28: Use a Middleman for Expensive Items

If you’re selling a high-priced item, consider offering the buyer the option of using an escrow service. It’s a good deal for you; the buyer pays for the service (in the neighborhood of 5%, typically), it provides a level of peace of mind for the buyer, and it lets you accept credit card payments that you might otherwise not accept.

Tip #29: Document Everything

In case something goes south, it helps to have good records of all aspects of your transaction. Print copies of the confirmation email, plus all email between you and the buyer. Be sure to write down the buyer’s user ID, email address, and physical address. If the transaction is ever disputed, you’ll have all the backup you need to plead your case.

Tip #30: Communicate QuicklyAnd Clearly

When your auction ends, get in touch with the high bidder immediately. Don’t wait until the next day; send your post-auction email within minutes of the auction close. Remember, the faster you notify the high bidder, the faster you’ll get paid.

And here’s something the best sellers do. Email the buyer again when you receive payment and once more when you’re ready to ship the item. The more everyone knows, the fewer surprises there are.

Also, remember that not everyone reads his or her email daily, so don’t expect an immediate response. Still, if you don’t receive a response, send another email. If you’re at all concerned at any point, get the buyer’s phone number or physical address from the auction site and call or write him. A good phone conversation can clear up a wealth of misunderstandings.

The post 10 Tips for Closing More Auctions on eBay – Part 3 first appeared on Tips For eBay Sellers & Buyers.

Tip #1: Make the Buyer Pay

Stipulate in your listing that the buyer pays all shipping and handling costs (and you might even want to detail these costs ahead of time in your listing). Also, make sure that the buyer pays for any “extras” that might be added after the sale. If the buyer wants insurance, the buyer pays for it. If the buyer wants to use an escrow service, the buyer pays for it. If the buyer wants expedited shipping, the buyer pays for it. See the trend?

Tip #2: Go Long…

When it comes time to choose the length for your auction, go for the 7- or 10-day option. The longer your item is up for auction, the more potential bidders who will see itand the more potential bidders, the better your chances of selling the item for a higher price. Don’t cheat yourself out of potential sales by choosing a shorter auction.

Tip #3: …Or Create a Short-Term Frenzy

On the other hand, if you have something really hot, create a bidding frenzy by choosing a very short auction length. If you do this, play it up in your item’s title: 3 Days Only! works pretty well.

Tip #4: There’s No Reason to Reserve

I don’t know of a single bidder who likes reserve price auctions. Why use something that scares some bidders away? (Remember, many beginning users don’t understand reserve price auctions, and thus don’t bid in them.) Set a realistic minimum, and get on with it.

Tip #5: Single Items Are Best…

If you’re looking for the highest total dollar, don’t group items together. Multiple-item lots seldom bring as much money as multiple items sold individually.

Tip #6: …Although You Can Unload Some Dogs in a Pack

On the other hand, if you have a lot of things to sell, selling in lots can reduce your personal overhead, as well as help you unload some less attractive items that you probably couldn’t sell individually. (Plus, you get hit for only a single insertion fee!)

Tip #7: Don’t Compete Against Yourself

If five people are looking to buy footstools today, don’t give them five choices all from one person (you). If you have five footstools to sell, don’t sell them all at once. Sell one this week, one next week, and one the week after that. Spread it out to create an illusion of scarcity, and you’ll generate more total revenue.

Tip #8: Start and End in Prime Time

When you start your auction is importantbecause that affects when your auction ends. If you start a seven-day auction at 6:00 p.m. on a Saturday, it will end exactly seven days later, at 6:00 p.m. the following Saturday.

Why is it important when your auction ends? Because some of the most intense bidding takes place in the final few minutes of your auction, from snipers trying to steal the high bid at the last possible moment. To take advantage of last-minute bidders, your auction needs to end when the most possible bidders are online.

If you end your auction at 3:00 in the morning, everyone will be asleep and you’ll lose out on any last-minute bids. Instead, try to end your auction during early evening hours, when the most users are online.

Remember, though, that you’re dealing with a three-hour time-zone gap between the East and the West coasts. So, if you time your auction to end at 7:00 p.m. EST, you’re ending at 4:00 p.m. PSTwhen most potential bidders are still at work. Conversely, if you choose to end at 9:00 p.m. PST, you just hit midnight in New Yorkand many potential bidders are already fast asleep.

The best times to endand thus to startyour auction are between 9:00 p.m. and 11:00 p.m. EST, or between 6:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. PST. (Figure the in-between time zones yourself!) That way you’ll catch the most potential bidders online for the final minutes of your auctionand possibly generate a bidding frenzy that will garner a higher price for your merchandise!

Note, however, that the best time to end an auction can be influenced by the type of item you’re selling. For example, if you’re selling an item that appeals to grade-school or high-school kids, try ending your auction in the late afternoon, after the kids get home from school and before they head off for dinner. Items with appeal to housewives do well with a late morning or early afternoon end time. And business items sell best when they end during normal business hours.

Tip #9: End on a Sunday

When you end your auction on a Sunday, you get one full Saturday and two Sundays (the starting Sunday and the ending one) for a seven-day item listing. Sunday is a great day to end auctions because almost everybody is homeno one is out partying, or stuck at work or in school. End your auction on a Sunday evening, and you’re likely to get more bidsand higher prices.

There are exceptions, however.

As with the time you end your auction, your ending day might also be influenced by the type of item you’re selling. If you’re selling an item of interest to college students, for example, you might be better ending on a night during the week, because a lot of students travel home for the weekend; you’ll catch them in the dorms on a Wednesday or Thursday night. Items targeted at churchgoers might also be better ending during the week so that you don’t catch bidders when they’re at Sunday evening church services.

Tip #10: Don’t End on a Friday or Saturday Night

If Sunday is normally the best night of the week to end your auction, what’s the worst night?

Friday and Saturday are probably the worst nights to end most auctions, because a lot of eBay users are out partying on these non-school nights. End an auction for any item (especially youth-oriented items) on a Friday or Saturday night, and you eliminate a large number of potential buyers.

You should also try not to end your auction right in the middle of a hit television series or any blockbuster sporting events or award showssome potential bidders might find it difficult to tear themselves away from the old boob tube.

The post 10 Tips for Closing More Auctions on eBay – Part 2 first appeared on Tips For eBay Sellers & Buyers.