outlawmws
On the Run
OK, it was suggested in another thread to start of on Epay etiquette. I took the liberty of lifting the suggestions others made to start this one, and have included the handles of who made the suggestions, while only spellchecking them. I didn’t change them.
I’ll edit the list with good suggestions (not cracks and comedy) so we don’t have to search the thread to find them all…
Description translations courtesy of Gyusher:
eBay terms (Descriptive)
1)- Near mint = you know the answer to that. . .
2)- Powers up but untested = broke
3)- Scratchy controls = could be much deeper
4)- No lights, easy fix = then why don’t they fix it??
5)- Stereo Light is burnt out = might be much more than a light
6)- Light feather like scratches = lots of scratches
7)- Flea bites = chips or other deep scratches
8)- Cant see it unless you look real close= You see it from across the room
Buying On Epay:
Bookasan:
1) Read the terms carefully.
2) Read the positive and negative feedbacks carefully. I have seen positive feedback that mentions bad things about the seller. You should also take a look at the buyer’s feedback when reading negatives. I have 1 neg from some nutcase who never paid, but claimed he did. Said he had proof and I offered him a full refund plus $100 if he showed me the proof. He never did. He had something like 3 out of 5 negatives, all saying basically the same thing.
Anyone taking the time to read my negative and then looking at his, should be able to see where the real problem was.
Look for patterns. Several negs about poor shipping or defective items is a red flag.
3) If you are not willing to take a chance, don't buy on Ebay.
Vintage TX
(4) Check the other items the seller has, if it's clothes, books and piddly items, big chance they don't know how to pack.
Every auction with a woman running the show, damaged decks or poor packing arrived here. :thumbsdn:
(5) Contact the seller before bidding and ask questions. No answer RED FLAG, don't bid…
Outlawmws:
6) If they don't specifically list the shipping, and won't until after the close, don’t bid, red flag.
7) Wait to bid. Decide what you’re max bid is, then wait till the last minute. Use a sniper engine if you can’t be there personally.
Krimney:
8) Only bid what you can afford to lose. It's kind of like gambling; if you can't afford to lose it don't bet. With Ebay you have some sort of odds based on the feedback, shipping/pickup, type of merchandise. But in the end you have little recourse if you send $ for an item to a stranger for an item you've never seen before.
Gyusher:
9) Ask questions. History? Why are they selling it? 1 Owner? How long have they had it? etc.
10) Do not bid until you completely understand the sellers terms, shipping and packing charges along with full knowledge of the item itself.
11) Do not assume anything. . .Good pics can cover up a ton of problems.
TWantiques:
12) Be especially careful if considering buying from a new seller, there won't be much feedback to rely on. All you can do is ask plenty of questions...or forget about it. :thmbsp: This is a good example of a gamble...not buying anything worth more than you are willing to lose. :yes:
Selling on Epay:
Outlaw:
1) List your terms, be specific, if it’s used, if it works, what payment is accepted. etc…
2) Use the damn shipping estimators (They are free…) . But keep in mind, it’s an estimate. I make a disclaimer…
Retro Stereo:
2a) I normally just use a flat rate for shipping and handling and have NEVER had anyone complain about my rates,
Krimney:
3) keep the description accurate and simple and the better the pictures the higher the sale price.
Bordeno:
3a) More than any single other thing, a well written description, checked for spelling and grammar, with wry humor included, raises the final price of your auction. You are what you say, and buyers are more attracted by a well written description. Other things have an effect on final selling price, especially clear pictures of the unit itself (and nothing else), but from my experience, a top notch description is what gets the bids.
Styler:
4) After many recent selling experiences, i recommend being very clear about return policies, risk of damage in shipping, and requiring insurance (just include it in S/H) Also, no offense to my Canadian friends, but do not undervalue or mark items as gifts for buyers, its against the law (yes its stupid and unfair law) but has ramifications if there is a dispute. be up front on how a dispute will be settled.
piece-it-pete:
5) From a selling view I'll add that I always err on the side of caution in my descriptions. Better to get 5% less and a happy customer than 5% more and a bad transaction.
6) On freight quotes I too add a buck or two, when it comes in less I'll put maybe the actual costs broken down with the packing list, say it's $.72 less, I'll throw a buck in with it. Holy cow do folks like this, will generally look at the item more charitably, and if there are issues will tend to be easier to work with. Plus, it adds a shine on the service end of the deal, which will show through the feedback left.
I’ll edit the list with good suggestions (not cracks and comedy) so we don’t have to search the thread to find them all…
Description translations courtesy of Gyusher:
eBay terms (Descriptive)
1)- Near mint = you know the answer to that. . .
2)- Powers up but untested = broke
3)- Scratchy controls = could be much deeper
4)- No lights, easy fix = then why don’t they fix it??
5)- Stereo Light is burnt out = might be much more than a light
6)- Light feather like scratches = lots of scratches
7)- Flea bites = chips or other deep scratches
8)- Cant see it unless you look real close= You see it from across the room
Buying On Epay:
Bookasan:
1) Read the terms carefully.
2) Read the positive and negative feedbacks carefully. I have seen positive feedback that mentions bad things about the seller. You should also take a look at the buyer’s feedback when reading negatives. I have 1 neg from some nutcase who never paid, but claimed he did. Said he had proof and I offered him a full refund plus $100 if he showed me the proof. He never did. He had something like 3 out of 5 negatives, all saying basically the same thing.
Anyone taking the time to read my negative and then looking at his, should be able to see where the real problem was.
Look for patterns. Several negs about poor shipping or defective items is a red flag.
3) If you are not willing to take a chance, don't buy on Ebay.
Vintage TX
(4) Check the other items the seller has, if it's clothes, books and piddly items, big chance they don't know how to pack.
Every auction with a woman running the show, damaged decks or poor packing arrived here. :thumbsdn:
(5) Contact the seller before bidding and ask questions. No answer RED FLAG, don't bid…
Outlawmws:
6) If they don't specifically list the shipping, and won't until after the close, don’t bid, red flag.
7) Wait to bid. Decide what you’re max bid is, then wait till the last minute. Use a sniper engine if you can’t be there personally.
Krimney:
8) Only bid what you can afford to lose. It's kind of like gambling; if you can't afford to lose it don't bet. With Ebay you have some sort of odds based on the feedback, shipping/pickup, type of merchandise. But in the end you have little recourse if you send $ for an item to a stranger for an item you've never seen before.
Gyusher:
9) Ask questions. History? Why are they selling it? 1 Owner? How long have they had it? etc.
10) Do not bid until you completely understand the sellers terms, shipping and packing charges along with full knowledge of the item itself.
11) Do not assume anything. . .Good pics can cover up a ton of problems.
TWantiques:
12) Be especially careful if considering buying from a new seller, there won't be much feedback to rely on. All you can do is ask plenty of questions...or forget about it. :thmbsp: This is a good example of a gamble...not buying anything worth more than you are willing to lose. :yes:
Selling on Epay:
Outlaw:
1) List your terms, be specific, if it’s used, if it works, what payment is accepted. etc…
2) Use the damn shipping estimators (They are free…) . But keep in mind, it’s an estimate. I make a disclaimer…
Retro Stereo:
2a) I normally just use a flat rate for shipping and handling and have NEVER had anyone complain about my rates,
Krimney:
3) keep the description accurate and simple and the better the pictures the higher the sale price.
Bordeno:
3a) More than any single other thing, a well written description, checked for spelling and grammar, with wry humor included, raises the final price of your auction. You are what you say, and buyers are more attracted by a well written description. Other things have an effect on final selling price, especially clear pictures of the unit itself (and nothing else), but from my experience, a top notch description is what gets the bids.
Styler:
4) After many recent selling experiences, i recommend being very clear about return policies, risk of damage in shipping, and requiring insurance (just include it in S/H) Also, no offense to my Canadian friends, but do not undervalue or mark items as gifts for buyers, its against the law (yes its stupid and unfair law) but has ramifications if there is a dispute. be up front on how a dispute will be settled.
piece-it-pete:
5) From a selling view I'll add that I always err on the side of caution in my descriptions. Better to get 5% less and a happy customer than 5% more and a bad transaction.
6) On freight quotes I too add a buck or two, when it comes in less I'll put maybe the actual costs broken down with the packing list, say it's $.72 less, I'll throw a buck in with it. Holy cow do folks like this, will generally look at the item more charitably, and if there are issues will tend to be easier to work with. Plus, it adds a shine on the service end of the deal, which will show through the feedback left.
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I'm seeing some repeats, but this early that's OK, I'll wait till most of the dust has settled, and do some judicious editing to combine and give it more structure. :yes: I'll think of something to continue to give credit, possibly shared credits as there are variations of a theme in several. I have a couple of thoughts on how to do the credit thing.