In this site...
Picture Power
To attract the most buyers, include a clear photograph of the item
you are selling.
Protect Your Privacy
EBay and Paypal will never send you an email asking for personal
information. If you receive an email that says it is from eBay or Paypal, and
asks for personal information such as credit card numbers, social security
number, User ID's, and passwords, you can be sure that it is fraudulent. Do not
reply to it and do not click on any links within it. If you are in doubt, sign
into your eBay and Paypal accounts, or contact their customer service
departments. If there is a problem with your account, they will usually notify
you within your account section after you have logged in.
Insure & Confirm
Whenever possible, purchase delivery confirmation and insurance when
shipping items you have sold. The US Postal Service offers both for a nominal
fee or for free, depending on the shipping service. Delivery confirmation serves
as proof that the item has been delivered, and insurance covers damage caused
during shipping.
Ship Efficiently
If you are just starting out with eBay and are confused about
shipping methods, visit the following sites to research your options:
USPS.com
UPS.com
Fedex.com
Print Your Own Labels
EBay and Paypal partner with the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) and UPS,
allowing sellers to purchase and print shipping labels from their computers.
After a buyer has purchased from you, select "Print Shipping Label" next to the
auction title in your My eBay screen.
eBay Primer for Sellers
by Brenda King
What is eBay?
How can I become an eBay seller?
How much does it cost to sell on eBay?
What is My eBay?
How does the bidding work?
What happens after an auction or fixed price listing ends?
What about shipping?
What payment method does the buyer use?
What is Paypal?
What if the buyer refuses to pay?
What is feedback?
What items can be sold on eBay?
What is eBay?
EBay is an online marketplace where you can purchase or sell almost anything. Items are usually sold in one one of the following formats:
- Fixed Price Listing - The seller asks a specific selling price, and the first person willing to pay that price wins the item.
- Auction Listing - The bidding opens at a price specified by the seller, and the auction remains on eBay for a certain number of days. At the close of the auction, the person with the highest bid wins the item. A "Buy it Now" option may be added to an auction listing, which allows buyers to choose to pay a fixed price instead of bidding, if the item has not received any other bids. Once someone places a bid, the "Buy it Now" option becomes unavailable.
You will first need to register with eBay and create a seller's account. During registration EBay asks for basic contact information such as name, mailing address, email address, and date of birth. In addition, when creating a seller's account you will be required to provide a debit or credit card number, and bank account information. EBay uses this data to verify your identity. For more information on how they safeguard your information, see their Privacy Policy.
How much does it cost to sell on EBay?
Sellers pay a small fee to list (insert) the item, and then another fee if it sells:
- Insertion Fee - Determined by the starting price of an auction listing, or by the list price of a Buy It Now item. If the item does not sell the first time, but sells after being listed a second time, the second insertion fee is refunded.
- Final Value Fee - Determined by the selling price. Sellers pay no final value fee if the item does not sell. Additional fees may also apply, depending on how many extras the seller chooses to add to the listing. Examples of extras are a bold-faced auction title; additional pictures; offering a "Buy it Now" option along with a traditional auction listing; and placing a reserve price on the item.
What is My eBay?
My eBay is a powerful tool that helps you track and manage all of your eBay buying, selling, account information, and more. The My eBay pages can only be accessed after you log in with your eBay user id and password.
How does the bidding work?
For auction listings, eBay uses a bidding system called proxy bidding. Proxy bidding allows a buyer to enter a maximum bid once, and then eBay's system automatically increases the bid only as much as is necessary for the buyer to remain the highest bidder. If the bid amount exceeds the buyer's maximum, eBay sends him an outbid notification.
What happens after my auction or fixed price listing ends?
EBay sends a confirmation email to you and the buyer, indicating the selling price. The buyer's email message includes information on payment methods you accept, and a Pay Now button that leads through a check-out process. The Pay Now button also appears in the buyer's My eBay section, and on the item page.
If at any time the above check-out method leaves unanswered questions, you and the buyer can email each other directly. Email addresses can be found within the confirmation email message.
What about shipping?
Usually the buyer is responsible for all shipping costs. A handling charge and shipping insurance fee may also be applied. To avoid buyer-seller disagreements, be sure to clearly state the shipping and handling charges within your auction listing. (Ebay's listing process will prompt you to do so.) If you are shipping with UPS or the United States Postal Service (USPS), and if the shipping charges are determined by the weight of the item and the buyer's zip code, eBay will give you the option of adding a shipping calculator to your auction listing. This is free for you, and will allow prospective buyers to see what their shipping costs would be by entering their zip code.
What payment method will the buyer use?
When listing your auction, you will be asked to specify which forms of payment you accept. This information will be listed on the item page. The most common forms of payment are Paypal, money orders, and personal checks. Paypal is eBay's preferred payment method. When accepting personal checks, most sellers do not send the item until the check has cleared.
What is Paypal?
It is a system that allows anyone with an email address to send and receive online payments, using their credit card or bank account. When you receive a payment through Paypal, only Paypal sees the buyer's credit card or bank account number; you do not.
What if the buyer refuses to pay?
From your My eBay screen, you can send an invoice as a payment reminder, as well as send an email to the buyer asking for payment. If the buyer still refuses to pay, eBay provides an Unpaid Item Process [Clicking on this link will lead you to eBay's Help pages.].
After a buyer and seller complete their transaction, they should leave feedback for each other regarding the sale. (This can be done from your My eBay page.) Feedback is reflected within each user's profile, and available for other eBay users to see. This provides a measure of honesty for the eBay community, in the sense that it helps users determine whether or not a prospective buyer or seller is reputable. Be extremely cautious when leaving negative feedback; in fact, don't leave negative feedback unless it is absolutely necessary, because once left, it can not be easily undone. For more information, see eBay's Feedback FAQ page.
A huge array of items is sold on eBay, including clothes, books, collectibles, antiques, toys, cars, and much more. There are some things that are not allowed, so before you begin selling, take a look at eBay's Restricted Items list.
About the Author:
Brenda
King is the director of
PositivelyFeminine.org. She and
her husband Mike live in Ohio
and have one son. In her
spare time she enjoys reading,
writing, hiking, and working on
the computer.Photo of mail is by Vullioud Pierre-André