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 #1: Research Your Price

Don’t sell without doing your homework first; make sure you know the true value of an item before you put it up for auction. Before you price your item, search for similar items in eBay’s closed auctions. What was the starting bid price? What was the final selling price? You should also research the price of similar items offline; sometimes you can get a feel for relative value if you compare your item to a newer version of the same. Be informed, and you won’t set the price too high or too low; you’ll set it just right.

Tip #2: Make Your Listing Stand Out

Do everything in your power to make your item listings stand out from all the other listings currently online. Work on both the title and the description, and consider using a listing- creation tool (or using HTML formatting) to create a more dynamic ad.

Tip #3: Use Turbo Lister to Create Your Listings

If you list a lot of items for auction, take advantage of eBay’s free bulk-listing tool. Turbo Lister is great for listing multiple items at one time, but also makes it easier to create great-looking listings for just an item or two. Besides, there’s no reason not to use itit’s free!

Tip #4: Get All the Buzzwords in the Title

Make sure you have the right words and phrases in the title of your item listing. If your audience looks for “compact discs,” say compact disc; if they look for “CDs,” say CD. If they look for both, use both. Use all possible words (up to your auction’s character limit) to hit all possible keywords your potential bidders might be searching foreven if some of the words are redundant.

Tip #5: A Picture Says a Thousand Words

Nothing increases your chances of selling an item like including a picture of it in your listing. Take a photo of your item, scan it in, upload it, and include it with your listingeven if it’s just a plain text listing. (And when you take your picture, make sure that it’s a good onethere’s no point in posting a picture if the item is too small and out of focus.)

Tip #6: Be Descriptive

Include as much descriptive text about your item as you can. The better you describe your item, the fewer mid-auction emails you’ll get asking about it and the greater the chance that your ultimate buyer won’t get any unpleasant surprises. In addition, you never know when that single “unimportant” detail is just the thing a specific bidder is looking forso don’t overlook any detail, no matter how small.

Tip #7: Reuse Text That Sells

After you find a winning formula, reuse it! This is especially so if you sell a lot of similar items. Cut and paste descriptive text from your successful listings into additional listings, or use eBay’s Relist Similar Item function so you’re not always starting from scratch. If nothing else, this gives you a head start when creating new item listings!

Tip #8: Include Shipping and Payment Details

Don’t forget to include all the details about shipping and handling (how much and who pays), payment methods, and the like. (That means estimating shipping and handling up front, if you can.) Don’t leave anything open to interpretation.

Tip #9: Be Honest

Be honest in your description of the item. If the item has a few flaws, mention them. If there’s damage or the item is otherwise imperfect, make note of it. Misleading a buyer will only cause you grief.

Tip #10: Promote Yourself with Your About Me Page

eBay’s About Me page is the perfect way to provide more background information about you as a seller, and to drive potential bidders to your other live auctions. Be sure to create an About Me pageand use it to help “sell” yourself and your other items.

The post 10 Tips for Closing More Auctions on eBay – Part 1 first appeared on Tips For eBay Sellers & Buyers.