ebay 101 - day 1
TRANSCRIPT
eBay Buying and Selling
What is eBay?
eBay is an online auction website. It has grown so large that you can find nearly anything there.
Course Objectives
Set up an eBay account for buying and selling.
Place items for sale on eBay
Purchase items on eBay
Course Overview
Day 1:Set up e-mail account if necessary
Access eBay from your computer
Set up eBay account
Set up PayPal account
Basics of buying and selling on eBay
Course Overview
Day 2 (Bring something to sell!!!)Buying on eBay
eBay payment options
Taking pictures of items to sell
Preparing items for sale
Posting a new listing on eBay
Course Overview
Day 3 (Bring several more items to sell!!!)Reinforce listing skills
Place more items for sale
Open discussion
Course Overview
Day 4Finalizing the sale
Shipping to the buyer
Keeping track of auction itemsSpreadsheet
Introduction to Turbolister (Free from eBay)
Getting Started
Before signing up for eBay, you are required to have an e-mail account.
Your ISP
Yahoo!
MSN Live/Hotmail
GMail
If you dont have an e-mail account...
My personal choice is GMail.
Easy to set up
Easy to use
Practically unlimited storage
Extremely flexible
Setting up a Gmail account
Go to http://www.gmail.com
Click Create an Account
Fill out all required information
Accessing eBay
http://www.ebay.com
https://www.ebay.com
Google eBay
AOL Keyword eBay
Bing eBay
Make Sure Youre on the
REAL eBay!!!
eBay is a favorite target of phishers creating fake website to steal information.
Set Up An eBay Account
Enter contact and other personal information
Enter e-mail address
Read and accept User Agreement and Privacy Policy
Choose a user ID, password, and secret question
Set Up A PayPal Account
Go to http://www.paypal.com
Choose Sign Up at the top of the page
Select country
Choose Premier
Enter required information
Maximizing eBay Sales
Sell hot items
Price it right
Bold print
Timing
Keywords in the title
Details
Photo
Three Hottest Categories
Movie and TV MemorabiliaVintage JewelryOld Toys
Price It Right
A lower minimum bid attracts more biddersStart the bidding at 10% below everyone else if possible.
Consider setting a reserve or Buy It Now price if necessary.
Bold Print
If the item will sell for more than $20, consider paying the extra $2 for bold print. Your listing will be more likely to be clicked.
Keywords! Keywords! Keywords!
Ensure your auction reaches as many people as possible by packing your item title with as much of a description as possible.
Details! Details! Details!
List as many details as possible in the item description. Most buyers do not want to take the time to email a question to the seller.
Include a Photo
Many bidders will not even bother looking at an item that does not include a photo.
Timing
Many bidders wait until the last minute to bid on an item. Make sure your auction ends when most people have time and are in a buying position: after 5PM on weekdays. Many buyers shop on the weekends and buy during the week.
Things to Know Before Selling
eBay charges a series of small fees to the seller
You should thoroughly research your item on eBay before posting it for sale
PayPal is required to be an accepted form of payment
Things to Know Before Buying
Take advantage of the proxy-bid feature
You should thoroughly research the item before you buy
Check sellers feedback
Be prepared to pay soon after you win
What is Feedback?
Every eBay user has a Feedback Profile where buyers and sellers can inform the community about how well that person was to work with (i.e. paid promptly, shipped promptly, etc.).
Feedback Stars
eBay uses various colored stars to note how many feedback points
a user has.
http://pages.ebay.com/help/feedback/questions/star.html
Searching for Items on eBay
Type two or three keywords that describe what you want in the search bar.
You can further refine your search using the advanced options in the left column.
...but... I WANT IT NOW!
Buyers can post that they are looking for a specific item
Sellers can use the Want It Now section to find what to sell and offer it to interested buyers
Auction Transactions
Require you to be the highest bidder to winAuction-like listings: Reserve-price and private auctions
Second Chance Offer: Under certain circumstances, the seller can offer an item to a bidder other than the winner
Auction Transactions
Multiple-Item Listing: eBay calls these dutch auctions. You can list two or more identical items together.
Specialty Sites such as eBay Motors
Fixed Price Transactions
Buy It Now: Allows buyer to purchase an item without waiting for the auction to end
Best Offer: Allows buyer to suggest the price they would be willing to pay and the seller can accept or deny
Half.com or eBay Stores
Elements of an Auction
Item Name
Item Number
Starting Bid
Current Bid
End Time
Shipping Information
Seller Feedback
Description
Photos
Payment Methods
Assess a Seller Before Bidding
Does the seller have experience selling, or are they new?
Does the seller have negative feedback? If so, why and was the problem fixed?
Assess a Seller Before Bidding
Is the listing detailed? Does it include a good description and photos?
Does the seller respond to questions promptly and clearly?
Is the item really cheap, but the shipping expensive?
How Bidding Works
Bids are SERIOUS
Click on Place a Bid
Pay attention to bidding increments
If you get outbid, you can bid again
Proxy-bidding is VERY useful
Bidding strategies vary
Paying for Your Item
Check payment options before bidding
Dont wait until you win to set up your payment options
The seller will contact you when the auction is over
Dont forget shipping and handling
Feedback
Good buyers and sellers leave feedback
Feedback is permanent
WAIT until you receive your item
Avoid feedback wars
Selling on eBay
Buy first to get acquainted with the system
Necessities:Account
Digital Camera
Photo storage site (i.e. Photobucket)
PayPal Account
Credit card on file
Seller Fees
Insertion Fee: Depends on starting or reserve price
Final Value Fee: Depends on selling price
Optional Feature Fees: Buy It Now, reserve price, listing upgrades, picture services, seller tools
Specialty Services
Being a Good Seller
Complete, detailed, clear listing with photos
Fair shipping prices
Prompt and clear answers to questions
Leave seller feedback for buyers
Resolve disputes through eBays channels