I have been selling on eBay for about 4 years now and here is my list of do's and dont's:
DO sign up for PayPal as alot of buyers prefer it.
DON'T upgrade to a 'business' or 'premier' account. PayPal makes these sound so sweet and all they do is drain funds from your pockets. The only difference is that you can accept credit/debit card payments on a premier/business account. They charge you $.30 plus 2.9% for each transaction. Once you have upgraded, the fees apply to ALL of your transactions, not just the cc pymts. Total waste of money and I've never had a single complaint in 4 years that I didn't accept credit cards (cc's). If people want the item, they can and WILL pay with their checking account or PayPal balance.
DO accept money orders, cashiers checks and even personal checks. This increases your chances of having more bidders. On personal checks - deposit them in your bank account, wait at least 14 days and then ship the item, that way you know the check has cleared. Make sure to state the 14 day delay in your auction terms. That way if they don't want to wait for shipping, they can get a money order.
DO give very detailed descriptions. This cuts down on the number of emails you will have to answer regarding questions about your item and also makes bidders want to bid on your item instead of looking for a 'better' (described) one. Some people don't want to wait for an email reply. Remember, we all want it NOW.
DON'T have automatic payments of eBay fees deducted from your credit card or checking account each month. Pay your fees with your paypal balance. eBay has been known to charge way in excess of your actual account balance to your CC or checking account which could cause overdraft charges for you. This has been happening quite frequently with the use of their new billing system. Some people have been charged THOUSANDS more than what they owe. Imagine trying to fix that mess!
DON'T overcharge on shipping and handling rates. This is a huge turn-off to buyers and they will just buy another auction with better S&H fees. I usually charge actual cost plus $.50. You will learn with time what the costs will be on an item. It will get easier to guess at it. Or you can go to USPS.com and find out for sure as long as you have the weight and measurment of th package.
DO time your auctions to end on a weekend. More people are home on the weekends to be able to see your auctions. Plus, most people get paid on Friday - so they have money to spend.
DO make sure your items are clean and in good condition. If there are any flaws, be sure to state them.
DON'T go into this thinking that you will always have 100% feedback. While some do manage this trick, for the most part, you are always going to have a bad apple that doesn't care about your feedback rating and will leave you a negative no matter how hard you try to please him. Always try to work out problems beforehand.
DON'T be scared to leave a negative feedback for fear that you will get one in return. Chances are - you will. But buyers KNOW this and will run over you. If you just don't leave that person any feedback and the transaction went sour then the next seller who sells to this person was not given fair warning. If you get a negative in return, chances are, that most ppl who read the feedback will see right through it.
DON'T use the eBay discussion boards unless you are related to God. These boards are ruled by a certain group of eBayers who think their opinion is law. They are rude and not very helpful. Instead of posting my own question, I just read through eBays FAQ or other posted questions to get my answer. I don't care to deal with a group of ruthless sharks. You WILL get trashed if you ask the most simple questions on these boards.
DO try to sell ANYTHING. I have shipped a goat skull to Switzerland. So anything will sell. My father owns a slaughterhouse and he throws them away. I now sell them for around $35 each. You never know.
DO sell clothing in LOTS instead of single pieces. It saves the buyer on shipping that way and makes it worth more to them.
DO have fun. eBay is nothing but extra money. I personally only accept mailed payments because there is nothing better than going to the mail everyday and getting checks and money orders. It's like my own business. I do accept paypal on enough auctions to cover my ebay fees each month, but the rest I require to be mailed to me.
If you have anymore questions, just ask. I'll be happy to assist.
~HMF~
