Archive for February, 2007
Reserves and a Buy It Now & Selling Children’s Books
February 28th, 2007 | 
Author:
Dear eBay Queen;
I listed a very rare book on eBay yesterday and put a high “Buy it Now” price on it. I am not sure how much it may be worth to someone who really, really wants it. I put a BIN price of $399.98 and a reserve of $125. I’d be happy to take less if someone emailed and offered to BIN for $250. Admittedly, the BIN is kind of pie-in-the-sky wishing, however I do have the much lower reserve prominently displayed on the listing.
I received this question today: “Is this a mistake or is this book really 399.98? Thanks”
Would you even bother to answer this question? If so, would you just write that it’s not a mistake without any explanation for why, or would you explain that it’s a very rare book?
I couldn’t find the book on Google, Bookfinder, Biblio, Amazon or Half.com. There is one old listing from a few weeks ago on eBay, but that book is not in as good of condition as mine is. There are no real price references for me to go off of on pricing.
Diana
Dear Diana;
When it comes to eBay questions, I try to answer everyone, no matter how odd or out of line they may be. I think it’s important to try to answer all potential buyers questions. When you do this, you validate your buyer, and get a personal opportunity to “sell” your item to them. I admit some buyer’s questions could be answered if they would just read the eBay ad, but I try to look at all questions as the opportunity to sell my eBay business, the item and myself.
I would email the person back, and let them know where you bought your book, and the research you did to figure out it was rare. If you have any background on the author, or insight into why it is such a rare copy I would include that also. You may just sell your book at the “Buy it Now” price.
Dear eBay Queen;
I sold a lot of 58 children’s series books on eBay. They sold for $72.90 plus shipping. I shipped them out last week. Yesterday I received a message from the buyer saying they received all the books but 2 of them. I have an uneasy feeling about this, considering this person is also a seller of books. Don’t you think this is odd? I know I shipped them all. What should I do?
Book Seller
Dear Book Seller;
That is very odd. When this happened to me, I double-checked my wrapping area, and the shelf where I stored my items. I found my missing item, right on my wrapping table under some newspaper. If this happens to you, email your buyer and tell him your sending them right out.
If you have looked everywhere, and know beyond a shadow of a doubt you sent the books; then offer to partially refund his money. I know you are suspicious of him, and I would be a little bit too. Since there is no way to prove either of your cases, it is best to error on the side of the buyer. When there are multiple items involved, take the end price ($72.90) and divided it by the number of items they purchased (58). Since he did not receive 2 of the books, I would refund him $2.52, which ends up being $1.26 per book. I think this will keep your buyer happy, and shouldn’t affect your bottom line.
I know this type of problem can really make a seller wary of other eBayers. Try not to let this get you down.
Strange eBay item of the week: eBay item 270092150814 (enter this number in the eBay search box in the top right corner of the home page). Breyer Horse collectibles have always been a hot item. Check out this auction for a Breyer Test Proud Arabian Mare Horse by Bainbridge. SOLD $4349.99 http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=270092150814
Suzie Eads is a nationally known eBay marketer and eBay trained Education Specialist. She lives in Rantoul. Do you have a question for the eBay Queen? E-mail: questions@asktheebayqueen.com .
Posted in Auction, Buy it Now, General eBay Help, Product Help | 
Tags: Buy it Now, Odd eBay Questions, Reserve price, Selling children's books | 
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First Time eBay Seller & How to Mutually Withdraw a Transaction
Dear eBay Queen
I took the plunge and put a few items up for auction on eBay. I don’t know what I was thinking by listing them. Now, they have bids! They end this Saturday; do I send them an email invoice? It seems like I remember that eBay will send them an invoice, is that true? I would appreciate any help you can give me. Is there anything special I should include?
Cindy; Louisburg
Dear Cindy;
The first one is always the hardest. It will get easier after this week. Before you know it you’ll be a pro. You didn’t say in your note if you had a Paypal account. If you are a member of Paypal, you can set up your account to automatically invoice your buyers. Follow these simple steps to automate your invoices:
· Go to www.paypal.com
· Log in
· Click “Auction Tools”
· Click” End of Auction email”
· Enter your eBay user ID
· Select ON for “Select your preferences…”
· Customize your “End of Auction” email
You can also use eBay’s Invoice system to send out emails. This can be done manually through “My eBay”. Follow these steps to send out invoices:
· Click on “My eBay” at the top of any eBay web page.
· On the left hand side under the title “ALL SELLING” click on “Sold”
· You will see all the items you have sold within a 60-day time period. Click on the “Send invoice”
· Scroll down to the “Enter payment Instructions and Personal Message”.
· Review the information and click Send.
Congratulations on becoming an eBay seller!
Dear eBay Queen;
I was the high bidder for a lovely sterling silver Reed and Barton Teapot. I thought the price I paid was fair, and the seller had excellent feedback. About 30 minutes before the auction ended, the seller emailed me and told me the teapot had a dent in it that she had not seen before. She was very nice, and let me know I did not have to complete the sale if I didn’t want the item. I emailed her back and asked if I could have a photo of the dent in the teapot. I didn’t hear back from her for over a week.
Then I received a” mutual withdrawal from the transaction” email from eBay. What exactly does this mean? She never sent me a photo of the dent. Does she not want to sell the teapot? If I agree to withdraw the transaction, can she leave me negative feedback? Why do you think she’s doing this? I’ve always completed my transactions, and I am still interested in this teapot, even with the dent, it will complete my grandmother’s set.
CM, Ottawa
Dear CM.;
To mutually withdraw an eBay transaction, means that you are not obligated to pay for the item, and the seller is not obligated to sell you the item. The seller is also refunded their final value fees from eBay.
If you still want the item, I would email your seller one more time through the “ask the seller a question” form on eBay. Tell her you would really like to see a photo of the dent. Once she sends you a photo of the teapot, evaluate whether or not you feel it is worth your bid amount. If you are still happy with the teapot, pay your seller, and complete the sale If the dent is more than you bargained for, follow the instructions in the eBay email, and withdraw from the sale.
When you withdraw from a transaction, you can still leave feedback. I can’t imagine why the seller would leave negative feedback for this transaction. You have done nothing wrong.
I hope you work this out, and the teapot looks wonderful with your grandmother’s sterling set.
Strange eBay item of the week: eBay item 330085892516(enter this number in the eBay search box in the top right corner of the home page). What were you doing November 22, 1963? Here was your opportunity to own a piece of history. John F Kennedy Assassination Shooters Perch Window SOLD $ 3,001,501.00. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=33085892516
Suzie Eads is a nationally known eBay marketer and eBay trained Education Specialist. She lives in Rantoul. Do you have a question for the eBay Queen? E-mail: questions@asktheebayqueen.com .
Posted in Auction, General eBay Help, Product Help |
Tags: first time seller problems, help with eBay, mutual withdraw |
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How to Compare Two Items on eBay & Will The Post Office Really Pick Up my Boxes?
Dear eBay Queen
I know there is an eBay rule about comparing items you are selling, but I looked and couldn’t find it. I have a car I am going to sell, and I wanted to know if there were any rules about comparing one vehicle with another vehicle in the same car class. Can I show the cars side by side in photos, pointing out the differences? Do you have any suggestions to help my car sell fast?
BW
Dear BW;
Selling your car or truck is easy to do. eBay has created an online tutorial http://pages.motors.ebay.com/howto/howtosell.pdf to help you understand the ins and outs of selling your vehicle. I have bought and sold a few cars on eBay, and to me, really good photos of the vehicle are so important. Cars are a major purchase. Many times a buyer across the country will be looking at your vehicle. Try to have your photos make them feel as though they are looking at the car in person.
Sometimes on the Internet a comparison can become keyword spamming. Keyword spamming is when brand names or other inappropriate keywords are used in a title or description for the purpose of drawing bidders into their auctions. eBay wants the words used in listings to be relevant to the item being sold. For instance, a keyword spamming title would be “2002 Honda Civic not Element Low Miles”. The correct title should be “2002 Honda Civic Red Low Miles”.
Within your auction descriptions, you can make relevant comparisons between models and types. But make sure your comparisons are really about the item you are selling, and don’t appear you are just trying to draw in people with extra words.
Dear eBay Queen;
I’ve been selling for about 2 years. I’ve always taken my boxes into the post office to be weighed and have the postage put on. My husband said I should print the postage online, and have the post office pick up my boxes. What kinds of postage printing services are available? Does it cost more money? Will the post office REALLY pick up my boxes?
Allison; Ottawa
Dear Allison.;
Dear Allison.;
Yes, as long as there is postage on your boxes, the post office will pick up them up. The carrier pick up program has been in place for a while now. It is simple to use, just fill out the online form, telling the post office how many boxes you have, and they will pick them up the next business day. To schedule a pick up just go to: https://carrierpickup.usps.com/cgi-bin/WebObjects/CarrierPickup.woa
There are several companies you can use to print shipping labels, delivery confirmations, and postage. Some of these companies charge, and others are free. Keep in mind that some of the free sites do not have all of the services, such as international mail, and media mail available.
- Redroller.com FREE and you can compare different shipping services all on one page.
- Paypal.com FREE easy to use with your Paypal account. Paypal works for a lot of sellers and is good for eBayers just starting out, even with moderate volume sellers.
- Click N Ship is owned by the USPS. https://sss-web.usps.com/cns/landing.do FREE, but you cannot use all classes of mail.
- Stamps.com free 30 day trial cost 15.99 per month
- Endica.com free trial for 30 days, priced any where from $9.95 to $34.95 per month. This is for sellers that ship more than 20 items per week.
When you use an online postage service you will get a label, delivery confirmation and postage all in one shot. Priority mail delivery confirmations are free, and for all other classes of service the delivery confirmation is only .14 cents. Keep in mind all Paypal payments must have a delivery confirmation. I hope one of the services listed will meet your needs.
Strange eBay item of the week: eBay item 120082370329 (enter this number in the eBay search box in the top right corner of the home page). Valentine’s Day is over, but the love for old Valentines is still strong on eBay. Wonder Woman Early Image on a Valentine Sold for $228.50. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=120082370329
Suzie Eads is a nationally known eBay marketer and eBay trained Education Specialist. She lives in Rantoul. Do you have a question for the eBay Queen? E-mail: questions@asktheebayqueen.com .
Posted in General eBay Help, Product Help, Shipping |
Tags: Clink N Ship, Compare eBay items, Endica, PayPal, Post office pick up, red roller, Stamps.com |
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