Archive for May, 2007
Spam it’s not for Dinner anymore! and Bad Packing Angers Buyers
May 11th, 2007 | 
Author:
Dear eBay Queen;
I have been a long time buyer and a sometimes seller on eBay. I am so sick of sellers using keyword spamming, either in their title or in their description. I don’t know why they do it, and it is just as much a waste of space as using "rare, wow" or any of the other often seen words. A lot of so-called experts will tell you it’s good practice, but when someone tells you that, all they are doing is showing they don’t know much about eBay or the people who buy there.
A couple of the most often-used spam phrases I see are "Eames Era" and "Shabby Chic". Why do they do this? Maybe you could let other sellers know that no one is going to bid on their item just because you have "Eames Era" in your title. People don’t set out to buy things from the "Eames Era". They look for products designed by Eames. The same goes with Shabby Chic, they are looking for items designed by Rachel Ashwell.
Eames Collector
Dear Eames;
I understand your frustration, but I don’t think these sellers are trying to make you mad. I believe they are trying to describe their item in the style of the person that invented it. Charles Eames http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Eames and his wife were both great architects and designers in the Arts and Crafts period. Many people have tried to copy their style. I believe by putting “Eames Era” in the title the seller wants to show the buyer it is in the style of Charles Eames. There are many people who love the Arts and Crafts period but can not afford to decorate their homes in original Eames pieces.
In order to relieve your frustration I would consider searching for your Eames antiques in a different way. Instead of having “Eames” in the search box, consider putting “Eames -(era)” in your search box. The minus in front of the word in parenthesis tells the search to not bring up any titles with “era” in the title.
.Dear eBay Queen;
I am not sure how to handle this. After winning the auction for a McCoy vase, I had a customer email me the following note.
“I am sorry for having to write this, but I have had numerous problems with the way items are packed and shipped. Too many eBayers do nothing to protect the items from shipping damage. Please pack this item so it is cushioned on all 4 sides of the box. Please make sure I receive this in the condition I bought it. I will ask for a refund if items are not properly shipped and are damaged in transit. I do not want to offend you.”
He doesn’t want to offend me, but he did! I would really like to refund his money and not ship the item to him. It is like I have a problem even before I’ve shipped it. What would you do in a situation like this?
Offended Shipper
Dear Offended Shipper;
I completely understand why you are offended. It’s like you have made a mistake before you’ve even started working. Try to step back from the situation and look at it from his point of view. He has probably purchased breakable items from other sellers who were less than careful with their packing and shipping. Can you imagine how frustrating it would be to purchase an item you loved and collected only to have it broken because someone didn’t pack it correctly?
If this were my customer, I would email him back and offer him a little peace of mind. Tell him how it will be wrapped in bubble wrap, with peanuts or newspaper as cushioning. Offer to double box the vase, and if he paid enough for shipping costs go ahead and follow through with it.
Strange eBay item of the week: eBay item 150116892423 (enter this number in the eBay search box in the top right corner of the home page). I’ve always wanted to go to the Holy Land. I think it would be cheaper for me to go instead of reading about it. 1842 Robert’s Holy Land and Egypt Large Folio 3 Volume set Sold $29,254.64 http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=150116892423
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: angry buyer, bad packing, keyword spamming, spam | 
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Feedback 2.0 Are you Serious?
Dear eBay Queen;
I received some information on the new Feedback 2.0. What is the deal with this new feedback system? I’ll admit I wasn’t a fan of the old system, but I am definitely not a fan of the way this new one works. What do you think of Feedback 2.0? Are you going to be changing the way you handle buyers? Isn’t this new-updated 5 star system just going to be like what Amazon.com currently uses?
Disappointed
Dear Disappointed;
Feedback 2.0 is rolling out on the U.S. site the first week in May. It has been tested on the 8 other international eBay sites the last couple of months. The current system is not really changing, but it is evolving. You will still be able to leave feedback the way you always have done; with the positive, neutral or negative marks. Some of the changes being made I feel will have a positive impact on buyers and sellers. You will now be able to see the item title and price in the comments section of the Feedback Profile page. This will allow the person evaluating feedback have a quick look at the amount the item sold for and what the item was.
The negative of this new system is the addition of the star ratings. eBay calls this the “detailed seller ratings”. Buyers will now be able to leave these Detailed Seller Ratings (or stars) for the seller on four aspects of a transaction.
1. Item as described.
2. Communication
3. Shipping time as described
4. Shipping and handling charges
These new seller ratings will allow the buyer to more accurately rate a sellers performance. I am all for this aspect of the rating system. What I don’t like about the star system is its anonymity. So, while you as a seller will know who gave you feedback and for what, you will not know what kind of performance rating you were given. For me as a seller, I want to know what I did wrong or right with a transaction. This system wasn’t put into place to really help the seller become better at their job. I believe eBay put this in place to improve the buyer experience. Many buyers are afraid to leave negative or neutral feedback for fear of retaliation. This new detailed seller rating will allow the buyers to rate the seller without fear of retaliation.
The other aspect of this rating system is that some people believe “3 stars” is good, and in order to get a “5 star” rating you would need to spin straw into gold. Others might be afraid to leave their true feelings in the traditional feedback system, and give the seller a positive feedback and then “ding” their stars.
I have evaluated the way I communicate with buyers, and my shipping and handling policy. I have changed my invoice to reflect the USPS shipping times and I will be adding a new line to my thank you insert I put into every box. I don’t have my wording exactly down yet, but I think I will say something like, “We hope our service was 5 stars for you!”. Amazon.com does have a similar star system, but it does not have the four areas of grading. <http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=537774#info>
I am not Feedback 2.0’s biggest fan. I think it has some real issues that need to be addressed, but you should probably know that eBay doesn’t consult their Queen before they make changes she would not approve of. For more information on the new feedback system check out <http://pages.ebay.com/services/forum/fb-faq.html?ssPageName=CMDV:AB>
Strange eBay item of the week: eBay item 110111170119 (enter this number in the eBay search box in the top right corner of the home page). I know my mind has been on flowers this year. I thought I needed a new plant stand, but unfortunately I just don’t have the money for this one. 1982 Albert Paley Plant Stand Forged Steel. Sold $40,000.00 <http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=110111170119>
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 Uncategorized |
Tags: ebay becoming Amazon, Feedback 2.0, no negative feedback for buyers |
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