Wanted: eBay stories.

[valis2]

The good, the bad, the ugly. Bring it on.

I just realized, you see, that I've never purchased a single item on eBay, and I'm wondering if I'm packaging things correctly, or doing things that most eBay sellers do. I've pretty much just muddled through, and invented rules as I went along. It could be that I'm doing this whole thing backward, for all I know. I'd really like to see this from a buyer's perspective.

So tell me what you like in an eBay seller. What do you expect? What do you dislike?

Comments

[ms-hecubus.livejournal.com]

I like a seller who ships promptly, at least once a week. One who communicates when things go wrong and doesn't try to jerk me around forever. I like a seller who packages things so they don't break and doesn't charge me 10 times the actual shipping cost. Also, one who leaves feedback based on how I acted as a buyer.

I have had sellers leave me negative feedback in retaliation for me leaving them negative/neutral feedback. Feedback, I should add, was completely deserved. I mean, do they think I'm going to leave positive feedback when I had to file a fraud claim with ebay? Or they were going to get good feedback when it took over a month for my item to ship (not receive, but ship) because they were "snowed in" while living in So Cal and couldn't bother to return my emails when I questioned the hold-up? Idiots.

Anyhow, bad sellers are few and far between. Most of my ebay transactions have been purchases and I can only think of 3 times I was unhappy in over 200 transactions. Be honest, do the best you can and most people will be satisfied.

[florence-craye.livejournal.com]

I'll echo pretty much everything ms_hecubus just said! Communication is great and prompt shipping is a must. Something that will keep me from buying an item is overcharging for postage. I understand that sellers need to pay for envelopes and stuff, but it shouldn't be that much more expensive than the actual postage. I also like getting notified when someone has shipped my package. It's good to hear from sellers that the transaction did go through and they are taking care of things.

I just had someone leave me neutral feedback in retaliation for the neutral feedback I left. That's not how it's supposed to work. I paid the next day with paypal, so I should get positive. Sellers should be more professional than that.

[melusinahp.livejournal.com]

MMM, good, polite communication will make me forgive almost anything. Recently, a top I ordered never arrived. I didn't even have to contact the seller, she contacted me to see if I'd received it. When I told her I hadn't she sent me a refund, looked into it, found out what had happened and offered to send the top again. Fortunatley, I never cashed her cheque.

Rudeness will always piss me off. Taking too long to respond to emails will piss me off. Items that are lame or unusable will piss me off.

[chazpure.livejournal.com]

Communication is *key*. I like a seller to acknowledge receipt of payment and answer my e-mails promptly, telling me when things will ship. If there's a problem and there's going to be a delay in shipping, I want to know that ASAP, as the item may be time-critical (gift or project-related). I've been lucky, for the most part, but several people I know have been jerked around by eBay sellers who never shipped and never responded to inquiries, or claimed to have shipped and couldn't provide evidence of shipping when the items never arrived.

I like a seller to post good, clear pictures and honest descriptions, with scale indicators where appropriate (e.g., include a ruler or a penny or something in a picture of a bead lot or a fabric swatch, etc.) The items should be packed so they won't break, and shipped by a reputable carrier - USPS, UPS, FedEx, DHL, etc - not Joe Blow's Trusty Sometime-This-Century Shippers. A tracking number is much appreciated.

[(Anonymous)]

Clear info, good pics. Info on shipping times, costs and combined shipping availability.

As regards delivery I want items packaged appropriately and as cost unless specified. Appropriate levels of wrapping (even if homemade using newspaper, plastic bags etc) and honest postage are very important.

Excess communication is not required if all the above are fulfilled, but of course email enquiries should always be responded to promptly.

[valis2.livejournal.com]

I think the two main questions I've been considering are this:

1) Do you expect anything in the package besides the item(s)? Like an invoice? A doodle? A catalog?

2) Do you expect an email when the seller ships the item(s)?

[valis2.livejournal.com]

What do you think is a fair shipping cost for a fragile item that must be packed in a 4x4x6 box?

And you do like getting notified when the item is shipped? Ah. That's something I've never done, because I always thought it looked silly, like, hey! I'm doing this! now I'm doing that! notice me!!, but it seems like it's something people want.

Will try to do that from now on.

[valis2.livejournal.com]

Y'know, I never communicate at all, unless there's a problem, or I suspect there's been a problem. I just send the item(s) out, usually within two days, so I figure it's not worth sending out an email, too, but I'm really getting the picture...that it's definitely a good thing to do.

[valis2.livejournal.com]

Hmm. I've never included anything for scale before. That might be a good idea. I mean, I always include the dimensions, but still, I thought that putting pennies in the photos looked a little weird.

Now it's settled. I definitely am going to start emailing buyers to let them know their items have shipped.

[valis2.livejournal.com]

I'm always using my extra plastic bags as shipping material. heh. Good to know that people aren't weirded out by that! I just hate to throw them away.

[chazpure.livejournal.com]

You can use a ruler if a penny in the pic looks weird to you - or if you're shipping internationally and think your customers won't recognize the scale. *g* A lot of people just don't *read* descriptions carefully, or don't grasp scale unless they see it. I once bought some accent garnets through eBay that I somehow had convinced myself were going to be larger, even though the description said 2mm, and I *know* 2mm is tiny. The description was accurate, but a scale in the picture would have made it much more meaningful.

And I *always* appreciate a message from the seller telling me something has shipped. It's disconcerting to win an auction, pay and then just...wait...with no way of knowing if anything's going on at the seller's end or if you've just tossed your money down a black hole.

[ms-hecubus.livejournal.com]

1) Nothing but the item.

2) Not so much when it ships, but I like getting an email to confirm you got my payment. I usually use paypal within minutes of the auction closing and if I don't hear anything I can sometimes worry. The usual email says something like, "Your payment was received. I will be shipping by Fri/Mon/etc."

[cactus-wren.livejournal.com]

No over-inflated shipping, clear descriptions, someone who takes something besides Paypal (as I won't use Paypal) whether it be a credit card, money order or personal check. Good communication is a must - I recently bought two items from two different sellers, have mailed payment and haven't heard a peep from either of them. Both payments should have reached them by now and I've heard nothing. Granted, they will want to wait for the checks to clear, but at least let me know the payment reached you.

[valis2.livejournal.com]

1) I've been putting an invoice in, just because I print it out anyway to keep track of stuff, so I'm glad that it's just a bonus.

2) I never thought of sending a payment confirmation. Boy, this is going to get complicated...I'm going to be generating emails by the hundreds, at this rate.

[valis2.livejournal.com]

Ah, I see. I'll try to get a little ruler, then. That's a great idea, thank you.

And I'm going to start sending out emails for shipping confirmation...today, in fact. Just shipped out thirty packages, after all. Thank you so much!!

[valis2.livejournal.com]

What do you think would be a fair shipping charge for a relatively light item, but one that can't be shipped in an envelope?

Hmm...unfortunately for me, Paypal is really something I like to use, and I've been very leery about money orders.

Hey, does this mean you've been using credit cards to pay for things, but not through Paypal? How does that work? Is it still through a system in eBay, or is it a separate thing? PLEASE let me know, because I actually can accept credit cards in RL, but hadn't tried through eBay because I just figured people wouldn't trust it.

I'm definitely going to start emailing people after I've shipped items.

[florence-craye.livejournal.com]

I guess it depends on how much it weighs and also how much I'd paid for it. I've seen people sell small things for $.99 and then charge $10 for s&h. I'd rather they start it at $6.00 and then charge $5 for s&h. Don't underprice so greatly and overcharge for shipping just to know you'll get the bid. It seems crooked, for some reason. (Not that you do that, of course.)

As someone noted below, at least telling someone you got their payment and will ship in the next few days or so is fine as well. It's good just knowing the seller received the money and that a purchase is being taken care of. Plus, if a buyer has questions that gives them a good way to contact you about it- they can just reply to that message.

[valis2.livejournal.com]

I've been charging $2. Most of my items are very small and light, and usually it costs $1.11-$1.35 to ship them first class. The box costs $0.25, and I print an invoice, and there's usually a bag involved, so all in all I usually break even or lose a little on shipping.

I've found the bulk emailing thing, so this is going to be a lot easier than expected. Yay!

[cactus-wren.livejournal.com]

I would think several dollars would be sufficient shipping, wouldn't it? I just hate when I want to buy a book or something and I can get a good deal on the book, but the shipping is like $4.50. I've shipped books to friends and only paid a couple dollars. Hell, I shipped a big hardcover book to a friend in New Zealand and only paid around $12 to get it there.
My problem with Paypal is that I cannot access my account with them, they are rejecting my password, and I don't feel like jumping through hoops to try and rectify things with them over the couple dollars that is in there.
I have definitely used my credit card to pay for items on Ebay. I don't think it was 'through' Ebay, it was a person or store that was set up to take credit cards. I **really** like those sellers, because they get payment fast without me using Paypal, and I get to pay right away, rather than mailing something.

[valis2.livejournal.com]

Shipping is a double-edged sword. It's what makes me the most miserable out of everything in eBay (well, that and the crazy people). Seriously, I hate calculating shipping.

I sold about fifty books one at a time, and I charged $2 per book for shipping, and just about lost my shirt. I really can never seem to get the shipping right. Usually I'm too low, but then sometimes I go the other way and overcharge, and then I have to go through the hassle of sending a refund.

Wait...are you saying it was an eBay Store? Or just that the seller was a store?

I'm always leery of taking credit cards, because I think people won't trust enough to bother, but now you're making me reconsider. There are a lot of other people who hate Paypal, too, and I know I'm making it more difficult on myself by only limiting to Paypal.

[florence-craye.livejournal.com]

That's quite cheap! :) I wouldn't even mind paying $3.00 for that, actually. I'm talking about when something cost $1.30 to ship and they charged me $5.00. You just know the envelope and paper didn't cost $3.70. lol I always look at the postage amount and try to figure out the actual cost including the paper and box or envelope. I don't want a seller to lose money on shipping, but I also don't want them to up the cost outrageously.

Hooray for bulk email programs! :D

[cactus-wren.livejournal.com]

I don't think they were stores, I think they were just high volume sellers who were set up to take credit cards. I suppose there is probably a way for me to go back and check through my account on how I paid on stuff in the past. I would rather do the credit card, personally, if something ever went wrong, I could just challenge it through the credit card company.
There are whole websites dedicated to Paypal-hatred, and I'm with them. I've never been ripped off by Paypal, but they *have* been holding on to the few bucks in that account for the last three years. When I look at items, if the seller is Paypal only, I close the window and don't bother reading any further. I'd think there are other people who feel the same way, but I could be wrong.

[ms-hecubus.livejournal.com]

If a seller sends out an email confirming payment I don't usually hear from them again.

I just like to hear something from the seller, it doesn't really matter what. I know it doesn't mean I'm not going to get screwed, but it still reassures me.

[ms-hecubus.livejournal.com]

It seems crooked because it is crooked. The reason they do it that way is to avoid paying ebay fees.

[florence-craye.livejournal.com]

*light of comprehension dawns on my face* Oh, that makes sense!! I don't know why I didn't figure that out before. lol Thanks.

[gillieweed.livejournal.com]

That paypal password thing happened to me a while back, then suddenly started working again for no apparent reason and hasn't given me any trouble since. I have no idea what went on. I KNEW I had the right password all along!

I like half.com's method of shipping, books anyway, they basically slap on a flat fee-usually media mail but you can choose to "upgrade". They figure it out for you. It allows the seller a little extra for materials, for instance when I sell books I always send them in a nice new clean bubble padded envelope. I get them in packs of 10 but they cost a dollar or so each at least.

I also like that half.com notifies your buyer when you "mark as shipped" so you don't have to do that too.

I hate the ebay method--it's completely user unfriendly at both the buying and selling end. As far as I'm concerned everyone loses the way they've got their shipping stuff set up.

[bell-witch.livejournal.com]

Others have it. Clear descriptions--I read them and have only rarely contacted anyone. I expect the e-bay advert to sell me the item, not talking with the seller. I don't buy much and I like a decent picture that shows me what I'm getting--I don't have to worry about scale generally.

Open communication. Prompt shipping--and saying "I ship once a week" so that I know I won't be getting the item for a while is considered prompt--as long as I know and am not just kept waiting. Not overcharging for shipping. That's one of the first things I look at. When I sell, I pretty much know how much it's going to cost to ship my item and round up to the nearest dollar. They're paying for shipping not anything else. I ship a lot of stuff mediamail, which is cheap. Charging $5 to ship a CD is not right. It doesn't cost that and I won't pay it unless I can get the CD itself for double dirt cheap. Basically, so many people inflate shipping massive amounts above what it needs to be. When I see a price like $10 for shipping origami paper, I click back and move along.

Be clear and fair in the ad, talk to me and let me know what's up. Ship the item--a packing list is fine but not required. A packing list for combined auctions would be great (I only did this once.)

I don't expect communication after the acknowledgement of payment received. I feedback after I get the item, never before. I've never had any problems and have been lucky in this regard.

[cactus-wren.livejournal.com]

I checked one of the sellers I've used before and they take "Paypal, money order, AMEX, MC, Visa and Discover". And they're not a store, just a high volume seller.

[valis2.livejournal.com]

I used to send everything Priority Mail. At that time it cost a minimum of $3.85, and I charged $5.

Eventually so many people bitched about the cost that I started sending everything 1st class. I hate it when people get bitchy, you see.

I did receive a bit of "neutral" feedback from someone who apparently hadn't read the description. Afterwards, I tried to explain that it costs $3.85 to ship, plus the box (at that time) cost $0.35, plus there was bubble wrap and an invoice...but it fell on deaf ears. Apparently you can penalize people because YOU can't read. It made me fume.

It's a delicate balance, trying to guess. Sometimes it really backfires, honestly.

[valis2.livejournal.com]

I do accept credit cards in real life, and I always wanted to on eBay, but I was always afraid to. I just don't know how to handle it so that there's no danger of the customer's information getting into the wrong hands.

Money orders, though, piss me off royally. A lot of people will contact you, purchase the item, and then wait ages to send you the MO. I just hate keeping track of those accounts, which is why I don't advertise that I accept MOs.

I'll have to look into options on eBay to see if this is something I can hook up with.

[valis2.livejournal.com]

EBay is totally unfriendly. I couldn't agree more. Until I finally started using Turbo Lister I used to have to go through FIVE SCREENS for each listing. Even Turbo Lister is not very intuitive, honestly.

I usually use a flat fee (as you already know), but sometimes it backfires.

[valis2.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the info. This is just what I'm looking for. I hate the thought that I've pissed people off and not even known about it.

[cactus-wren.livejournal.com]

That's why I'm always quick with my money orders. I know it's inconvenient for the seller, so I always get them out the next morning.
And both of the things I bought had the money orders sent out the next morning, that's why I'm a little frustrated right now that I haven't heard from those two sellers. One money order went out on 11/8, and one on 11/13. Both have had enough time to get where they were going, and I'd like to hear that the sellers have received them and will ship soon.

[cactus-wren.livejournal.com]

I'll have to look at half.com for books, thanks for the info!

[valis2.livejournal.com]

Yeah, that I understand. Thank you so much for all the info! It really helps.

The only thing I could find on eBay about processing your own credit cards is that you either have to have them email you their information (in two separate emails to guard against difficulties), or you have to set up an external checkout, i.e., they have to go to your website and have it processed there.

I'm still trying to decide what to do, but it does help hearing that some people are turned off by Paypal.

[(Anonymous)]

you have to set up an external checkout,

Yes! That's right, now I remember, you click the button on the item page after you've won and it took you to a separate site and processed the credit card.

[cactus-wren.livejournal.com]

Duh. That was me.

[harry-crazy.livejournal.com]

Sometimes it's nice to get an invoice or a little note. I have purchased the same item from different sellers, and without invoices, it's hard to determine which item(s) has arrived and which hasn't.

I don't really need an email when the item ships. It's just another inbox clogger.

[harry-crazy.livejournal.com]

Well, since I've bought and sold items, I know that it's customary to charge more than the actual shipping. Especially when you are letting an item sell for a ridiculously low price.

To determine the cost ahead of time, just purchase a little scale--even a kitchen type--and notate that in the shipping area of your auction. Then the postage calculator will determine the price for them. You can add on a bit of extra weight to cover your mistakes, or you can add it a handling charge in the box available on the shipping screen. Just be sure you don't under-weigh the package 'cause you'll get stuck paying the extra shipping costs. I've done that too!

Feedback: I used to leave feedback right away as a seller. But then so many buyers didn't leave feedback that I now state that I will reciprocate their positive feedback (if all goes well, of course). I too, have had the unfortunate jerk leave me retaliation feedback. When that happens, you are able to post a reply right under it for other buyers/sellers to see. A bit of an explanation.

[harry-crazy.livejournal.com]

You can let them calculate the postage themselves with the calculator. You are able to put in three different options. I usually put in first class, priority and then the even faster one (can't recall name at the moment). It also gives the option of shipping UPS. This way, the buyer can see what the shipping will be, and can't complain about it later!

Again, on the neutral feedback--use the follow-up option to notate on your feedback the actual circumstances.

[harry-crazy.livejournal.com]

It's not crooked to charge "handling" with your shipping. You are basically running a business and it's not a crime to pass on the cost of the ebay fees to the buyer. Especially when using paypal--since they are going to charge you also. Nothing "crooked" about recouping your fees--if you feel bad about that--sell it at a garage sale instead where you expect everyone to want the item for a quarter!!

[harry-crazy.livejournal.com]

Well, yes and no. I often purchase so many things at once, that I don't want to hear from everyone that they've shipped! I guess it depends on your audience--or your buyers.

I agree, though, that politeness is always appreciated and I have been fortunate to experience it as a seller and a buyer.

[harry-crazy.livejournal.com]

IF you are only selling a few items at a time, I guess it won't be too much of a bother to send those emails.

As far as scale--definitely ALWAYS include measurements--that should be enough for most people, instead of a ruler thing...but there are those out there that don't understand measurements, so--just make sure you cover yourself either way. Also, I prefer auctions that have a picture in the gallery. Can't stand having to open the auction to determine that it's not the item I want. I think that's rude. Multiple pictures are appreciated too, for the backs, bottoms, nick-marks, etc.

I always wrap the item in white tissue paper and then in the protective stuff. It's just nice to pull out the item from a clean wrapper, not covered in bits of white popcorn or newspaper. Once I received an item wrapped in a lightly-scented tissue, which I thought was nice. But I don't do that since some may be allergic.

Also, if you smoke or have pets, please notate that in the auction. Nothing worse than pulling out the item and getting a large whiff of cigs as I pull it out! Boo.

[harry-crazy.livejournal.com]

Instead of having to send all those emails, you could just note in your auctions that you ship "fill in here" Saturdays, the day after payment, etc.

It will just get overwhelming for you to send all those emails out! 30?!?! Goodness.

[harry-crazy.livejournal.com]

OMG!! Can't stand sellers who won't take paypal!! Paypal means I'm covered, it means the payment arrived right away--I can even check my account for sure...it's the only way! I steer away from sellers who want checks of any kind. It's just another hassle, to get it together, go to the post, blah, blah. Paypal is great. They even cover me if there's a problem Paypal is great, can't say enough about it. I am a "HUGE" buyer and this is how I've done it for the last 5-or-so years.

As far as accepting money orders--it's safer for you as a seller to take these than personal checks! You must wait for PCs to clear, etc, but money orders or cashiers checks clear instantly!

[valis2.livejournal.com]

Wow, thanks for all of the comments! I'm only going to respond to one, just to make this easier (am in the middle of writing, yergh).

You've covered a ton of stuff here, and I totally appreciate it! Many of the things you've mentioned are very smart, common-sense kinds of things. Luckily, I have no pets, and I don't smoke, and I'm pretty careful about enclosing items in plastic bags.

I'm very interested in what you're saying about the shipping calculator. I had no idea that you could input weight...that does change things. A lot. I think I will research into this and then begin to use that calculator. However, I only ship via USPS at the moment, so I'll have to check to be certain about that. I don't want to add UPS to the mix...I'm already investing so much time into eBay that I would rather not add to it.

I don't mind taking MOs, but I really don't want to take PCs. The problem I've had with the few MOs I've accepted is that people take FOREVER to mail them out. Also, I don't check the PO box until I'm mailing things, so that adds another delay.

I've looked into taking cards on my own (I already have a merchant account with Visa, Mastercard, and Discover), but it means I'd have to have the buyer send me their info, or shunt them into an external checkout program. Either way, I'm not really excited. They both have drawbacks (too many emails to go through, and too expensive), and I'm still kind of sorting through it.

Thank you so much for all of the advice! I really appreciate it.

[harry-crazy.livejournal.com]

when you are using the shipping calculator for books--remember to offer MEDIA MAIL. it's slower, but cheaper!!

[valis2.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I won't be making that mistake again! MM is the way to go for books, you're absolutely correct.

Hey, are you going to PR? I'm signed up for it, can't wait!