eBay.com is managed by eBay Inc, which was founded by French Iranian born computer programmer Pierre Omidyar.
When he originally created this website, he was going to name it echobay.com but he found that the name was already registered so he then chose eBay.com.
This man has created a service industry that allows you to buy and sell just about anything. This company grew fast and today it is a multibillion dollar business. They have localized websites throughout the globe.
In this website the consumer is able to see the different arrays of wholesalers, what they offer and allow them to find the best price for the goods they need to open or maintain their businesses. This is the hot spot of all times; here you can do a side business on line. You don’t have to really do much advertising, just place your item on auction.
You would be surprised as to what can be sold. Here are a few examples of items you would not think to find on eBay. Some are actually funny:
- In June 2005, the wife of a famous British radio DJ sold his Lotus Esprit sports car with a Buy It Now price of 50 pence after she heard him flirting with a model on air. The car sold within 5 minutes, and it was requested that the buyer pick it up the same day.
- A partially eaten, 10 year old grilled cheese, which bore the image of Virgin Mary, sold for $28,000.
- a small town in California, Bridgeville, was sold on eBay in 2002 and since then has been up for sale three more times.
- In 2007, when Britney Spears shaved all her hair off at a Los Angeles hair salon, it was listed on eBay for $1 million dollars before the auction was removed.
eBay throughout the years has changed, and to be honest, not always for the best. As a seller you should know what you are getting into. It use to be an easy way of doing business but thanks to those that always try to pull a fast one, things have gotten a little more complicated.
PayPal is the best and safest way to get paid for the item you sold. To use PayPal just follow the rules they have. Trust me, if you do anything out of the ordinary or you don’t comply with their rules and regulations, you will be left with nothing. They can be so picky that it can be annoying. What is we are trying to do here is just give you tips on how to proceed with selling on eBay, at no time is this a way to sell you information as some do on eBay. There are those who sell information on how to make money. To do research, we checked their feedback and found they had sold many of these auctions so we decided purchase one.
To be honest, it was ridiculous. It was information that really wasn’t helpful and this type of information could be found just by doing normal research. It was just a PDF file with basic information and links you can easily find on the internet. Basically it shows you how easy it is to fall prey to someone else’s desire to make money. Why do we tell you this? Well, if you feel you need information on what to sell, what to buy, how to get it, just do your own research. Best place to do research for anything is Google.
Here are a few tips that will be helpful to you when selling on eBay:
IMPORTANCE OF ACCURACY
When you do a listing, be accurate. Give as much detail as possible about the item such as size, color, if there are any marks, new, etc. If you place an auction and the information is not accurate, trust me, you will never do it again. There are people out there looking for this type of problem so they can make your life a living hell. They use this information to get the item for free or for less money.
PICTURES
Whenever you take a picture of the item you are selling, be sure to note on the auction that the pictures can sometimes be a little off. For instance if it is a navy blue color, it will look black. Let them know it really is navy blue. Try to take pictures in different angles so that they know what they are getting. That way there are no issues with the item itself.
SHIPPING
Many of us do this as a side business so we don’t immediately ship the item. Always note on your auction that it will take anywhere from 24 to 72 hrs to ship the item. This gives you enough time to get the item out. Also, don’t forget to note how long the package may take to get there, for instance, first class mail takes 5 to 7 business days. This is a good detail to note on your auction, that way they have an idea how long before they need to contact you about their package if it has not arrived. If the address shows as unconfirmed, take the time to contact the buyer. Make sure they confirm that the address is really correct. Try to include a tracking number if you can, that way you can see it has been received and you can show eBay or PayPal it was shipped should there be any problems. On high ticket items, always include insurance and signature confirmation. As noted before, there is always someone out there trying to take advantage of anyone they can.
FEEDBACK
Nowadays a seller can’t give any negative feedback should they encounter problems with a buyer so what do you do? Try to give the best customer service you can. Answer your messages as quickly as possible. If it has taken you a little longer than usual to answer their message, apologize, let them know you are sorry for the inconvenience. To get positive feedback, ship the items quickly, make sure it is the correct color, size, shape, etc. If you want, take the extra step and let them know you are shipping their package and give them a tracking number. Do all you can to get that positive feedback. The more good feedback you have, the better, it will increase your business.
PRICE
Competition is fierce on eBay. Before you list your item, check the competition. There is someone out that is selling the same item you are. You want to draw attention to your auction. Once you do some research on eBay, offer them a fair price and if possible free shipping. Remember, people are going to eBay to find a bargain; they are not planning on paying full price for an item they can easily get at the stores. eBay is like a flea market, where you can get used and new things at a bargain price.
ITEMS TO SELL
Before you sell on eBay, do a little research on the item. As mentioned before, there are many out there selling the same item but the worst ones to compete with are those selling from China. Since in China they can buy just about anything for a few cents, they can sell it just as cheap. It can be hard to compete with these sellers. Try to find items that are not sold by them to sell on your auction. Should you decide to compete with them, be ready to sell your item real cheap.
EMAILS OR MESSAGES
Just like anything else, there are scammers out there. Never answer any questions you receive from a potential buyer or buyer from your email. Answer them all from eBay. There are many reasons why you should do this. First, this is a record you can keep. You can prove you have complied with all rules and regulations. Second, you will receive messages that look authentic. They look as though they really came from eBay and when you respond to them, they hack into your system pulling your personal information. If you get an email with a message from eBay with a question, check your eBay account to see if it is real. If you don’t see it there, forward it to spoof@ebay.com. They will look into it and put a stop to any scammers there may be out there. Remember if they are not aware of these emails, how can they help you.
LIVE HELP
eBay provides you with a service that is called Live Help. The purpose of this is to help you with any problems you may have. It is a real person on the other side that chats with you. Now as good as an idea this may have been, it is not always a very useful tool. More than 80% of time you ask them something, they end up sending you somewhere else. All you get is links, links and more links. You would be a lucky person if you actually received an answer and your problem resolved immediately. It is a frustrating tool. Just do your own research before trying to contact them.
Final thoughts on eBay, it is a good company to start a small business. You have fees to pay (much more inexpensive than renting a booth at the mall) but you reach millions and millions of users from all parts of the world. There is a lot of competition but you will sell your items, just be fair and smart. If you follow these simple tips, it will work for you.