Auction Selling Secrets

Whether you are a new buyer or an experienced buyer, a new seller or an experienced seller, or a visitor, you need to remember that we are all just people.

Before make a comment or ask a question, pretend that you are talking to a real person that you can see. You will find that your tone will be better.

If there was a problem with an auction, you can nicely let the other person know about the problem and let them tell you what they know. Writing in an accusing or angry tone is usually unnecessary and can end up with a worse attitude coming back at you.

If you are asked a question by a newcomer, look at that person as a potential new customer and not a bothersome person that should have read every word on the auctions help section before they dared to ask an old-timer.

Lots of us find great steals on auctions. Common courtesy should come into play here. Don't turn around and relist it immediately. Give it at least a month. And, don't even think about relisting it until after you give the original seller nice feedback.

Auction etiquette dictates that the seller should email the buyer first. Buyers should allow the seller to email you first - and the seller has three days in which to do this. Excited buyers are wonderful, but sending email immediately upon the end of the auction is like yelling "I'm first, I'm first!" when you walk into a bank full of customers. There are others in line ahead of you, and sellers sometimes have several things to do before they can give you a price. Many sellers first want to get your address so they can find your exact shipping (to eliminate surprises later). If you are in a terrible rush for some valid reason, you may write the seller right after the auction if you specify your need and also give your full name and address. The buyer should respond quickly with their name and address whenever the seller asks for it. Payment should be sent in one or two days. The seller should acknowledge the payment and mail the item within one or two days of receiving payment. The buyer should let the seller know that the item arrived safely the day it arrives, if possible. And, the seller should send a thank you.        

If you think that you got such a steal in an auction that the seller just might "forget" to write you at all so the time limit lapses, do write the seller before the three-day deadline is up. You can simply say that you are sending your shipping information in case your auction had gotten lost in the shuffle.

Buyer's remorse is not an excuse for any bad behavior on ebay. Your time for thinking ended when you put in your bid. If you regret the purchase, you need to bite the bullet, be polite, send emails in a timely fashion, pay quickly, and say thank you. Then you can turn around and sell the item yourself, give it away, etc.

Both parties should give feedback as soon as possible and with care. If the deal was not your most pleasant but nothing crooked occurred, you can probably find something nice to say. If not, you can simply say thanks for the item in your feedback.

When there is a problem with an item when you receive it, don't jump in and give negative feedback right away. Ask the seller questions first. In fact, if the item seems incorrect, read the description again first. We sometimes only see what we want to see when reading a description. If things still cannot be resolved to your satisfaction, negative feedback may be necessary.

Sometimes giving negative feedback is the polite thing to do - if you are sure you have found a "slimy" seller that others should be aware of, not giving others any warning is not very polite.