Intro To Ebay

Introduction to Buying and Selling on eBay
~ Dr. Jan G. Hogle ~
The Worlds Marketplace

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Intro to Buying & Selling on eBay 2004, Jan G. Hogle
What is an online auction?

A typical auction-style listing works this way:
1. The seller offers an item and sets a starting price. 2. Buyers visit the listing and bid on the item. 3. When the listing ends, the high bidder or bidders buy the item from the seller for the highest bid.
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Reasons to Buy Online

Bargains Selection Worldwide customer base Easy Payment options
eBay Auction Types

Length: 3, 5, 7, or 10-day
7-day auction is common Shorter length for Hot items Longer for better exposure
Fixed Price and Real Estate Ads

No bidding, set price
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Auction Options
Buy it Now
Disappears after first bid or reserve is met Buyers must qualify
Reserve Price
Seller sets a hidden minimum-selling price Reserve price not shown, only whether its been met Winning bid must meet or exceed the reserve price No sale if reserve price is not met
Private Auction
Bidder Ids are not revealed
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Fixed Price Auctions

Works like Buy it Now
No bidding Set Price
Sellers must qualify

ID verified or minimum Feedback rating
Real Estate Ads are usually Fixed Price
Real Estate Ads

Asking price is listed No bidding takes place Interested buyers fill out a contact form Property lists for 30 or 90 days Revise your item any time No feedback on Real Estate Ads
Aim is to generate leads rather than a single high bidder
Dutch Auctions
Sell multiple, identical items All winning bidders pay lowest successful bid
For a listing with 10 available items and 2 bidders: Bidder A bid for 3 items at $5 each. Bidder B bid for 8 items at $6 each.
In this case, the lowest successful bid is $5. So the outcome of this listing is: Bidder B wins 8 items at $5 each. Bidder A wins 2 items at $5 each.
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What eBay Costs

Buyer
Pays for the item Pays shipping
Seller
Pays insertion fee when item is listed Pays listing fees when item is listed Pays final value fee to eBay when item sells Pays fee to Payment service, if used
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What You Can Sell?

Personal Items
Spring Cleaning Purchases you cant return Vehicles Real Estate
eBay Stores
Almost anything not illegal or dangerous
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Is My Item Allowed?
Prohibited
Not allowed, Period.
Handout
Questionable
May be listed under certain conditions
Potentially infringing
May violate copyrights, trademarks, licenses
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How to Buy on eBay

Register Find the item you want Bid or Buy it Now Pay for the item Leave Feedback
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Getting Started: Registration

Enter personal information
Name, address, phone Birthdate (you must be 18+) Create ID & password
Agree to terms Confirm email
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Buying on eBay: Finding Items

Browse by category Search by key word Power Search using filters Save favorite searches Email results: Let eBay search for you Save items of interest to My eBay
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Viewing Search Results
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Terms You May Encounter

B&W BBC, BC, NC CC CONUS FB FVF LTD MIB, MIMP, MIP, MNB, MOC, MOMC, MONMC, MWBT, NM
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MIJ, MIC NBW, NIB, LNIB, BNIB, NOS, NRFB OEM OOP PM, USPS S/O TM VHTF WYSIWYG
Website
Bidding Process
How much to bid
Research the items value Decide on your maximum bid Dont bid early Use odd bid increments
Proxy bidding
Let eBay bid automatically, up to your maximum
Sniping
Bid in the last few seconds
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Completing the Sale

Contact the seller
Ask the Seller a Question Contact Prior to bidding
Checking out
Contact Seller promptly Pay promptly
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Paying for the Item

PayPal
Online Payment service Part of eBay Credit Card or Bank Withdrawal
Website
Money Order or Cashier's check (by mail) Cash or Personal Check (local sales) Other online payment services
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PayPal: eBays Payment Service

Easiest & safest way to pay on eBay Can pay with credit cards or check Anyone with an email account can send or receive PayPal payments No fee to send money (Buyers) Small fee to receive money (Sellers) Simplifies International sales
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Leaving Feedback
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Software Tools
My eBay eBay Toolbar (for Windows PCs) Internet Explorer Auction Manager (for Macs, too) Management software:Many available Sniping software: Many available
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Website
Website
Safe Buying Tips

Before bidding:
Ask Seller questions before you bid Check refund/return policies & shipping costs Confirm authenticity & value of item Avoid cash-only deals
Handout
After winning:
Use payment method with buyer protection Verify Seller contact info Keep careful records
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Create a Sellers Account

Verify buyer registration info Establish Proof of Identity
Need Credit/Debit card & Bank Account or Get ID Verified ($5 fee) eBay checks personal info against credit accounts Need ID Verify for BIN, large bids, mature area Cant change contact info for 30 days
Select how to pay sellers fees

Deduct from bank account (US banks only) Charge to Credit Card
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Sellers Checklist
Get ready to sell Create a listing Get the details Payment and shipping info
Handout
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Sources of Items to Sell

Spring cleaning Friends & family Garage & yard sales Flea markets Estate sales Thrift stores Discount & dollar stores Clearance sales Going out of business sales Classified ads eBay
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Setting a Price
Research the items value Recover your costs
Listing fees Shipping fees Payment service fees Packing materials
Make sure you can live with a single bid

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Listing Options
The auction length The start time Setting a reserve ... or not Buy it now ... or not Public or private Keeping it local Include a picture
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Listing Upgrades
Gallery pictures Bold Highlight Featured Great gift
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Writing a Good Description

Be Honest Be accurate List everything thats included List everything thats missing Include links to manufacturers site, if useful
For manuals or specs Exactly which car models do these roof rack adapters fit, anyway?
Don't steal descriptions or pictures

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Writing Your Listing

Use key words in the title A good description
Include features and benefits Be concise but Use all the space you need Include sales, refund & return policies Include shipping info
Policies shouldnt be longer than description

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Really Basic HTML

 bold italic Line Break: Displaying URLs
http://www.domain.com/folder
Displaying images
<img src="http://www.domain.com/images/cat.jpg">
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Using Pictures
Take a picture of everything thats included Scan an image from a manual or package Borrow if you can but don't steal Keep it simple & clean Show any flaws Fill the frame
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Uploading Pictures
Upload your image(s) to eBay Use another Web host to include photo(s) within your description Format pictures for eBays standards
Save as jpg 400 by 300 pixels (w x h)
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Managing Your Auctions

Using My eBay
Monitor your current auctions Daily updates from eBay
Website
Using other software

Many available for tracking sales, writing ads, bulk listings
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Updating Your Listing

Can change most info if no bids and 12 hrs or more left Can add info if you do have bids and 12 hrs or more left Limited revision if less than 12 hrs See eBay help for full details
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Canceling an Auction
Reasons for ending listings early include:
Item is no longer available Error in the starting price or reserve Error in the listing description Item was lost or broken
If there are bids, you can:

Cancel bids and end the listing early Sell item to high bidder(s) and end listing early
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Completing Your Sale

Contact the winning bidder Send an Invoice through eBay checkout Ship only after receiving payment Packing and shipping Leave feedback Handling complaints and problems
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Packing Supplies
What you need
Boxes, tape, labels, packing peanuts/excelsior Scale for weighing package Include invoice/receipt in package
Free materials
Free Boxes, tape at USPS Free labels at USPS, UPS, FedEx with accounts Recycle & garbage bins (Ask!)
Office supply stores

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USPS, WalMart, OfficeMax, Target, The UPS Store, etc. Intro to Buying & Selling on eBay 2004, Jan G. Hogle
International Customers
PayPal can convert to US $ for a small fee In shipping policy, request that buyer contact prior to sale for shipping costs Visit wcoomd.org for world customs info
Comply with export laws Dont sell to buyers in banned countries
Avoid duty: select gift on customs form

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Shipping
Determine shipping costs before listing Choose a primary shipper before listing Ship large and heavy items by FedEx (usually) Electronic postage
Prepay shipment & print labels with accounts USPS offers free delivery confirmation online
Track your shipment Insure most items

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When the Item Doesnt Sell

Re-list a second time
If it sells on second listing, insertion fee is refunded (not if eBay store or Real Estate) No refund for subsequent re-listings
If you choose to re-list:

Use a different title Lower the starting price Add a more detailed description
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Bidders Who Dont Pay

Contact the unresponsive buyer File a nonpaying bidder alert Request fee refund Leave negative feedback Give other bidders a second chance Re-list your item
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Safe Selling Tips

Accurately represent your items Respond promptly to questions Clearly state return and shipping policies Ship with tracking numbers & insurance Document everything Dont ship until payment is complete
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Rules to Remember:
Be Nice Be Honest Communicate! Consult eBay Help Document Everything
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Intro To Ebay

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Introduction to Buying and Selling on eBay

~ Dr. Jan G. Hogle ~

The Worlds Marketplace

What is an online auction?

Reasons to Buy Online

Intro to Buying & Selling on eBay 2004, Jan G. Hogle

eBay Auction Types

Fixed Price and Real Estate Ads

Fixed Price Auctions

Sellers must qualify

Real Estate Ads are usually Fixed Price

Intro to Buying & Selling on eBay 2004, Jan G. Hogle

Real Estate Ads

Intro to Buying & Selling on eBay 2004, Jan G. Hogle

Intro to Buying & Selling on eBay 2004, Jan G. Hogle

What eBay Costs

What You Can Sell?

How to Buy on eBay

Intro to Buying & Selling on eBay 2004, Jan G. Hogle

Getting Started: Registration

Agree to terms Confirm email

Intro to Buying & Selling on eBay 2004, Jan G. Hogle

Buying on eBay: Finding Items

Viewing Search Results

Intro to Buying & Selling on eBay 2004, Jan G. Hogle

Terms You May Encounter

Intro to Buying & Selling on eBay 2004, Jan G. Hogle

Completing the Sale

Intro to Buying & Selling on eBay 2004, Jan G. Hogle

Paying for the Item

PayPal: eBays Payment Service

Intro to Buying & Selling on eBay 2004, Jan G. Hogle

Intro to Buying & Selling on eBay 2004, Jan G. Hogle

Safe Buying Tips

Intro to Buying & Selling on eBay 2004, Jan G. Hogle

Create a Sellers Account

Select how to pay sellers fees

Intro to Buying & Selling on eBay 2004, Jan G. Hogle

Intro to Buying & Selling on eBay 2004, Jan G. Hogle

Sources of Items to Sell

Intro to Buying & Selling on eBay 2004, Jan G. Hogle

Make sure you can live with a single bid

Intro to Buying & Selling on eBay 2004, Jan G. Hogle

Writing a Good Description

Don't steal descriptions or pictures

Writing Your Listing

Policies shouldnt be longer than description

Really Basic HTML

Intro to Buying & Selling on eBay 2004, Jan G. Hogle

Managing Your Auctions

Using other software

Intro to Buying & Selling on eBay 2004, Jan G. Hogle

Updating Your Listing

If there are bids, you can:

Completing Your Sale

Office supply stores

Avoid duty: select gift on customs form

Track your shipment Insure most items

When the Item Doesnt Sell

If you choose to re-list:

Bidders Who Dont Pay

Safe Selling Tips

Intro to Buying & Selling on eBay 2004, Jan G. Hogle