Once you have an account, you can log in to My eBay and track your auctions, view bids and send and receive emails. Put some thought into the name you choose for your eBay user ID. This is how you’ll be known in the eBay community. Pick something that’s memorable but not weird, inoffensive and positive.
As someone who’s new to selling on eBay, you’ll probably want to operate under the standard fee agreement. You’ll pay no insertion fees on up to 50 listings per month and be charged a flat 10% final value fee when your item sells. There are three paid subscription accounts available on eBay. Each comes at a slightly different cost per month (from $15. 95 to $179. 95), a different number of no-insertion-fee listings per month (from 150 to 2,500) and final value fees that range from 4 percent to 9 percent.
It’s not required that you have a PayPal account in order to sell on eBay, but it can be difficult to succeed without one. Almost 90% of eBay users have a PayPal account. There’s a feature on eBay that allows users to search for auctions by checking a box that says “only show sellers who take PayPal. ” It’s a popular choice for people who don’t want to be bothered with writing and mailing a check or using some other form of payment.
Ebay offers an online tool called “Selling Inspiration House. " Use it to navigate through a sample home and click on items you could sell and see how much you might earn for everything from shoes to computers. It’s also a good idea to look around on eBay to see what other people are selling and at what price. Check to see how many “bids” an item has to try to gauge its popularity. Sell what you know. Not only will you need to write a detailed description of your item, but potential buyers may contact you with questions. It can be difficult to thoroughly explain the benefits of a product and answer detailed inquiries if you’re not all that familiar with the item yourself. Determine what sells well and look for more of it. Local garage or estate sales can be a good way to buy things inexpensively that might sell for more on eBay.
Like any new enterprise, selling on eBay may present you with some unexpected challenges, and you’re bound to make a few mistakes–everybody does. Begin by selling just a few items so you can familiarize yourself with the responsibilities that come with being a seller. To become a truly successful seller, you need to have lots of positive feedback. When you’re first starting out, you won’t have any. Build your business slowly and give great customer service so that you can earn positive feedback. That way, you’ll earn the trust of buyers, who will be more likely to do business with you once they see you’re an established and honest seller.
Traditional auction. If you list your item auction-style, you establish an opening bid and then allow a set number of days for buyers to submit their own bids for your item. Whatever the highest bid is at the end of the auction period, that is the final selling price of your item. The hope, of course, is that interest will be high and the price will rise over the auction period so that you come out a winner. You can set an auction to last 3, 5, 7 or 10 days. Sellers with a feedback rating of 10, will also be given the option of a 1-day auction. Many buyers watch items for a while and think about them before placing a bid, so a longer auction could be to your advantage. [1] X Research source This choice may not be a good one if you’re faint of heart as you have to contend with the stress of watching and waiting to see if the selling price will go up and if you’ll break even or ideally make a profit on your item. While it may bring a bit of unwanted drama to your life, using the traditional auction method could pay off. eBay says buyers are twice as likely to buy an item when it’s listed auction-style. [2] X Research source Reserve. If you want to ensure that an item you list for auction doesn’t go for a price you can’t live with, you can set a Reserve on the item. A Reserve is the minimum bid you must receive in order to sell your item. If you set a Reserve, be aware that interested buyers may be in touch to find out your Reserve amount, so you may be spending some additional time answering questions. eBay also charges a fee for adding a Reserve. Buy It Now (BIN). The BIN feature lets you set the price you want for an item right from the get-go. Buyers who look at your listing will immediately know the price, and they can purchase straight out. BIN gives you the opportunity to perhaps sell your item quickly for the price you want and be done with it or move on to your next listing. You can list for 3, 5, 7, 10 or 30 days or choose the “Good ‘Til Cancelled” option for your Buy It Now listing. You can add a BIN option to an item you have listed for auction. Best Offer. You can add a Best Offer feature to a BIN listing. That way, interested buyers can submit to you a price they’d be willing to pay for your item. You do not have to accept any Best Offer bids that come in unless you want to. You can hold out to see if anyone will purchase your item at the BIN price.
You can set an auction to last 3, 5, 7 or 10 days. Sellers with a feedback rating of 10, will also be given the option of a 1-day auction. Many buyers watch items for a while and think about them before placing a bid, so a longer auction could be to your advantage. [1] X Research source This choice may not be a good one if you’re faint of heart as you have to contend with the stress of watching and waiting to see if the selling price will go up and if you’ll break even or ideally make a profit on your item. While it may bring a bit of unwanted drama to your life, using the traditional auction method could pay off. eBay says buyers are twice as likely to buy an item when it’s listed auction-style. [2] X Research source
You can list for 3, 5, 7, 10 or 30 days or choose the “Good ‘Til Cancelled” option for your Buy It Now listing. You can add a BIN option to an item you have listed for auction.
It’s important to look for items that are similar to yours in as many ways as possible. That means condition, age, color and a variety of variables should be taken into account when comparing your item to those that have recently sold. You can see information about items that have sold within the last 90 days and for items that didn’t sell within the last 30 days. When determining how much to charge for your item, use an eBay profit calculator. It’s important to do this so that you will factor in all the costs involved such as fees, shipping, packaging, cost of the item. An item may sell at a loss if calculations are not completed prior to setting a price.
When taking photos of your items, keep your background as simple and clean as possible. Set them up against a white or neutral background. Try clipping a piece of white poster board to a stand and bending it onto a table to serve as a backdrop. If your item sparkles (it’s a piece of jewelry, for example) place it on a black background instead. Don’t use lighting that creates shadows, hot spots, reflections or gray areas. Avoid using the flash on your camera. Opt instead for soft, natural light or diffused light created by a lightbox or by putting a sheet, gauze or frosted glass in front of your light source. Put your camera on a tripod. No matter how steady you think you can hold your camera, you’re better off setting it up on a tripod for taking photos; that’s especially true for close-up shots. Blurred images won’t show buyers what they want to see, and they’ll quickly move on from your listing. Take multiple shots. Take not only a straight-on shot of your item, but photos from multiple angles as well. Be sure to include close-up photos of important details on your item. With the exception of cars, you can post 12 photos per listing for free.
You can choose “calculated shipping” when you list your item. When you do so, shipping costs will be automatically calculated for your buyer based on the buyer’s ZIP code, the weight and the dimensions that you enter for the package. [4] X Research source You can preview what shipping costs will be using eBay’s Shipping Calculator. You’ll enter detailed information about your package (weight, dimensions) your zip code and what shipping services (USPS, FedEx, UPS) you want to use. Offer free shipping. Free shipping allows you to attract more buyers and get higher placement in search results. Also, once a free-shipping transaction is confirmed, it’ll earn you a 5-star rating on your “Shipping and Handling Charges Detailed Seller Rating. "
Create a clear title. Say what you’re selling using appropriate keywords and adding any useful information that might catch a reader’s attention (brand name, designer, color). Don’t try to be cute or clever; instead, be clear as to exactly what the item is that’s up for sale. Write all the pertinent information. Include the item’s color, size, model names or numbers, if it comes with accessories, whether it’s new or used and if used, how old it is and what kind of condition it’s in. Refer to the photos you’ve taken to write an accurate and complete description. Talk about benefits. It’s not enough for potential buyers to know all the features of your item, they need to understand how those features can benefit them. For example, if the the boots you’re selling are waterproof, be sure and say “your feet will stay warm and dry. "
Be sure to confirm the following information with the buyer: total price, tax (if applicable), accepted forms of payment, shipping cost, shipping method, expected delivery date and a tracking or Delivery Confirmation number.
If you fail to receive payment from a buyer, do your best to work it out between the two of you. If your efforts fail, you can go to eBay’s Resolution Center and submit an “unpaid item case. "
eBay gives you the option of creating a shipping label and packing slip on its site. Get a provide your seller with a tracking or Delivery Confirmation number, doing so can protect you if a buyer claims they never received the item. If you created a shipping label on eBay, the tracking or Delivery Confirmation number is available to you and the buyer in My eBay.
Check your email frequently so that you can give prompt responses to questions about your items or inquiries regarding payment or shipping. Considering downloading the eBay app to your smartphone so that you can manage your communications more easily. Be friendly in your emails. It’s always a good policy to treat people with courtesy. On eBay that can earn you repeat customers and great feedback.
Unless a transaction was particularly horrific, come up with something positive to say to your buyer. Even a simple “Thank you for your business” is better than not leaving any feedback at all.
Be an active member for 90 days. Average a minimum of $1000 in sales per month for three consecutive months. Maintain a minimum of four average monthly listings for three consecutive months. Have an overall feedback rating of 100, of which 98% or more is positive. Have an account in good financial standing. Uphold the eBay community values, including honesty, timeliness and mutual respect Comply with all eBay listing and marketplace policies.
