Click here to view the embedded video.

Tip #31: Be Nice

Remember that you’re dealing with another human being, someone who has feelings that can be hurt. A little bit of common courtesy goes a long way. Say please and thank you, be understanding and tolerant, and treat your trading partner in the same way you’d like to be treated. Follow the golden rule; do unto other auction traders as you would have them do unto you.

Tip #32: Ship Promptly

Ship promptly after you’ve received payment (and after the check has cleared). Nobody likes to wait too long for something they’ve paid forand you don’t want to gain a reputation as a slow shipper.

Tip #33: If Nobody Buys, RelistWith a Different Description

If you didn’t sell your item the first time, try it again. eBay lets you relist unsold items at no additional listing charge; even if you have to pay again, you still want to sell the item, right? But remember that if it didn’t sell the first time, there was probably a reason why. Was your asking price too high? Was your description too vague? Was the title too boring? Should you have included a picture or used HTML to spice up the listing? Whatever you change, change something to increase your chances of selling your item the second time around.

Tip #34: If You Get Stiffed, Ask for a Refund

When your high bidder does a vanishing act, file an Unpaid Item Dispute and request a refund of the auction’s final value fee. There’s no sense paying eBay for something you didn’t get paid for!

Tip #35: Use eBay Second Chance

If you run up against a nonpaying bidder, you can try to sell the now-unsold item to the next highest bidder, if he or she is still interested. It never hurts to ask, in any case; just use eBay’s Second Chance Offer feature and see whether the bidder bites.

Tip #36: The Customer Is Always Right…

Although many sellers take a hardball attitude and refuse any discussion of refunds, I recommend a more customer-friendly approach. When I have a dissatisfied buyer, I offer a full refund.

Yeah, some buyers might try to take advantage of you, but most are honest. So if you have a buyer with a complaint, you can generally assume that it’s a legitimate beef. You’ll get better feedbackand sleep easier at nightif you have the customer return the item and refund the purchase price. It’s the right thing to do!

Tip #37: …Or All Sales Are Final

If you choose not to offer a “satisfaction guaranteed” policy, be sure to state that “all sales are final” in your item listing. (Alternatively, you can say that your item is “sold as-is” or that there are “no returns.”)

Tip #38: Accept Credit CardsVia PayPal

One of the easiest ways to increase the number of bids in your auction is to accept payment via credit card. Unless you’re a real business with a merchant bank account, this means signing up for PayPalwhich is extremely easy to do.

Tip #39: Wait for the Check to Clear

The reality is that many buyers prefer to pay by check. That’s okay, as long as you wait a good 10 business days for the check to clear. Don’t be stupid and ship an item before the check proves goodyou’re bound to get burned!

Tip #40: If It’s a Business, You Pay Taxes

This book isn’t meant to offer tax advice (and you’d be foolish to consult me for such!), but larger eBay sellers need to be aware of the tax issue. In general, if you’re an individual who classifies as a casual eBay seller, you probably don’t have to worry about collecting sales taxes or reporting taxable income. However, if you’re a business or an individual at the power seller level, the Internal Revenue Service will want their share. The best advice here is that no matter what level your eBay sales, you should consult your accountant or a similar tax expertand never, never try to fool Uncle Sam.

Tip #21: Slow Down in the Summer

For whatever reason, eBay traffic slows way down in the summertime. (Lots of potential buyers are on vacation, and even more are outside enjoying the sunshine.) If you want to maximize your bids, you’ll get a higher price when fall and winter come along.

Tip #22: Promote Your Auctions

Let people outside eBay know about your auction. Mention your auction in relevant newsgroups and mailing lists, feature it on your personal website, and send emails about it to all your friends. Include your item listing’s URL in everything you do so that anyone interested can click the link to view your auction. Do anything you can think of to draw traffic to your listingand thus increase your chances of selling it.

Tip #23: Use My eBay to Track Your Auctions

Don’t let your auction activity get away from you. Use My eBay to look at all your auctions daily, or use auction management software to track your auctions automatically.

You can also use My eBay to track your favorite auction categories, as well as your feedback ratings and account status. Personalize your My eBay page the way you like and then bookmark it; it’s a great home page for the heavy auction trader.

Tip #24: If You Sell a Lot, Use eBay Selling Manager

My eBay is great for tracking your auctions, but when it comes to managing your end-of-auction activities, consider subscribing to eBay Selling Manager. For just $4.99 per month you get assistance in sending emails, printing invoices and packing slips, and leaving feedback. It’s great if you run a lot of auctions simultaneously.

Tip #25: Avoid Premature Cancellation

Know that many bidders wait until the very last minute to place a bid. (It’s called sniping, and it really works.) If you cancel an auction early, you’ll miss out on the bulk of the potential bids. So don’t cancel!

Tip #26: Avoid Deadbeats

You don’t have to sell to just anybody. You can stipulate that you won’t sell to bidders with negative feedback or with feedback ratings below a certain level. If you receive bids from these potential deadbeats, cancel them. If the deadbeats continue to bid (after being warned off via email by you), block their bids. You want to sell to someone who will actually consummate the transaction and send you payment; bidders with negative feedback are more likely to leave you high and dry.

Tip #27: Include All Your Shipping Costs

When figuring your shipping and handling costs, be sure to factor in all your costsnot just the shipping itself, but also the cost of the packaging, the labels, and the packing tape. Don’t gouge your buyer (this isn’t meant to be a profit center), but don’t cheat yourself, either. If actual shipping costs are $3.50, think about charging the buyer $4 to cover your additional costs. And, when you’re figuring the item’s shipping weight, remember that you don’t just ship the itemyou also ship the box and all cushioning materials. These items have weight and must be included when you’re weighing your item for shipment. (Those free Priority Mail boxes are especially heavyand can easily increase your cost of shipping.)

Tip #28: Use a Middleman for Expensive Items

If you’re selling a high-priced item, consider offering the buyer the option of using an escrow service. It’s a good deal for you; the buyer pays for the service (in the neighborhood of 5%, typically), it provides a level of peace of mind for the buyer, and it lets you accept credit card payments that you might otherwise not accept.

Tip #29: Document Everything

In case something goes south, it helps to have good records of all aspects of your transaction. Print copies of the confirmation email, plus all email between you and the buyer. Be sure to write down the buyer’s user ID, email address, and physical address. If the transaction is ever disputed, you’ll have all the backup you need to plead your case.

Tip #30: Communicate QuicklyAnd Clearly

When your auction ends, get in touch with the high bidder immediately. Don’t wait until the next day; send your post-auction email within minutes of the auction close. Remember, the faster you notify the high bidder, the faster you’ll get paid.

And here’s something the best sellers do. Email the buyer again when you receive payment and once more when you’re ready to ship the item. The more everyone knows, the fewer surprises there are.

Also, remember that not everyone reads his or her email daily, so don’t expect an immediate response. Still, if you don’t receive a response, send another email. If you’re at all concerned at any point, get the buyer’s phone number or physical address from the auction site and call or write him. A good phone conversation can clear up a wealth of misunderstandings.

The list of eBay’s international sites includes the following:

• Argentina (www.mercadolibre.com.ar)

• Australia (www.ebay.com.au)

• Austria (www.ebay.at)

• Belgium (www.ebay.be)

• Brazil (www.mercadolivre.com.br)

• Canada (www.ebay.ca)

• China (www.ebay.com.cn)

• France (www.ebay.fr)

• Germany (www.ebay.de)

• Hong Kong (www.ebay.com.hk)

• India (www.baazee.com)

• Ireland (pages.ebay.com/ie/)

• Italy (www.ebay.it)

• Korea (www.auction.co.kr)

• Malaysia (www.ebay.com.my)

• Mexico (www.mercadolibre.com.mx)

• Netherlands (www.ebay.nl)

• New Zealand (pages.ebay.com/nz/)

• Philippines (www.ebay.ph)

• Singapore (www.ebay.com.sg)

• Spain (www.ebay.com.es)

• Sweden (www.ebaysweden.com/)

• Switzerland (www.ebay.ch)

• Taiwan (www.tw.ebay.com)

• United Kingdom (www.ebay.co.uk)

Although these sites were designed for trading within a specific country, there’s nothing keeping you from searching them for items to buywhich will put you on the opposite side of the international buyer/seller argument!

One of the issues with selling outside the United States is in dealing with foreign currency. First, you have to convert it to U.S. dollars. (How many lira to the dollar today?) Then you have to receive it in a form that is both secure and trusted. (Do you trust a personal check drawn on a small Spanish bank?) Then you have to find a way to deposit those fundsand convert them to U.S. dollars. (Does your bank handle foreign deposits?)

The solution to this problem isn’t always easy. It’s one thing to say you should send non-English-language emails back to the buyer, requesting communication in English. But if the buyer can’t read or write English, how is he supposed to read your request? This problem is a tricky one.

I have found, however, that communication goes more smoothly if you keep your written communications short and simple. Use straightforward wording, and avoid slang terms and abbreviations.

In addition, you have to deal with the time difference between the United States and many other countries. If you’re dealing with a buyer in the Far East, you’re sleeping while he’s sending emails, and vice versa. This introduces an unavoidable lag into the communication that can sometimes be problematic.

The only advice I can give you here is to be aware of the time differences, and plan accordingly. Don’t expect an immediate response from someone on a different continent, and try to avoid the kind of back-and-forth communications that can go on for days and days.

The pros of opening your auctions to non-U.S. bidders include the following:

• You might be able to attract additional bidders and thus sell more items at (presumably) higher prices.

• You can offset some of the seasonality of the U.S. market; when it’s winter here, you can still be selling swim suits to the summer market in Australia.

• You establish a reputation as a hard-working global trader.

• It’s fun (sometimes) to interact with people from different countries and cultures.

The cons of selling outside the Unites States include the following:

• You might run into difficulties communicating with bidders from outside the United States.

• You might have to deal with payment in non-U.S. funds, on non-U.S. banks.

• You’ll have to put extra effort into the packing of an item to be shipped over great distances.

• You probably won’t be able to use your standard shipping services which means investigating new shipping services and options.

• Shipping costs will be higher than what you’re used to and will need to be passed on to the buyer.

• You’ll need to deal with the appropriate paperwork for shipping outside the United Statesincluding those pesky customs forms.

• If there are any problems or disputes with the item shipped, you have an international-sized incident on your hands.

Just looking at this list, it may appear that the cons outweigh the pros. That might not always be the case, however especially if you’re a real “people person.” Many eBay sellers get great joy from interacting with people from different cultures, sometimes turning foreign buyers into lasting friends. I can vouch from my limited personal experience that most non-U.S. buyers I’ve dealt with are exceedingly polite and tolerant of the extra effort required to complete an international transaction.

If you decide to sell outside the United States, you’ll want to state this in your auctions, along with a line indicating that “shipping and handling outside the United States is higher,” “listed shipping charge is for United States only,” or something to that effect. If, on the other hand, you decide not to sell internationally, state that in your ad alsowith a “U.S. bidders only” type of notice.

My personal opinions on international sales are sure to invite argument. No offense to non-U.S. users, but I don’t ship internationally, period. I’ve done it in the past, and the hassle factor simply isn’t worth it. Even if the transaction goes smoothly (and it often doesn’t, all things considered), the big issue is that the procedures involved are just too different from what I have set up for my normal day-to-day auction activities. In other words, international auctions are unusual transactions that mess up my normal domestic auction production line. My apologies to buyers outside the United Statesmost of whom I’ve found to be wonderful people to deal withbut I can’t let my normal activity be jeopardized by these high-maintenance shipments. (I do, however, make the occasional exceptionprimarily with small items shipping into Canada that can be handled without much additional paperwork or hassle.)

For that reason, you want to be very sure of yourself before you leave negative feedback about a user. Some overly zealous users might retaliate by leaving negative feedback about you even if it wasn’t warranted.

Unfortunately, there’s not much you can do if you receive negative feedback; under normal conditions, feedback comments cannot be retracted. (There have been some exceptions, when the feedback has been obscene or slanderous in nature.) What you can do is offer a response to the feedback, which you do by going to your My eBay Feedback page and clicking the Review and Respond to Feedback About Me link. When the feedback comments list appears, click the Respond link next to a particular comment and then enter your response. Your new comment is listed below the original feedback comment on the Feedback Profile page. Just try not to get defensive; the best response is one that is calm, clear, and well-reasoned.

Feedback Tips:

• You can use feedback ratings and comments to judge the trustworthiness of other eBay users.

• For quick reference, different levels of feedback ratings are indicated by a different color and type of star.

• You can view other users’ feedback by clicking on the feedback rating numbers next to their user names.

• At the end of every auction, you should take the time to leave feedback about the other useralthough you should be cautious about leaving negative feedback.

Recommended eBay Feedback

Transaction	Feedback	Comments
Transaction transpires in a timely fashion.	Positive	“Great transaction. Fast payment/shipment. Recommended.”
Transaction goes through, but buyer/seller i s slow or you have to pester the other user to complete the transaction.	Positive	“Item received as described” or “Payment received,” accompanied by “a little slow, but otherwise a good seller/buyer.”
Transaction is very slow (over a month to completion).	Neutral	“Very slow payment/shipment;” if you’re buying, follow by “item received as described.”
Other user backs out of transaction, but with a good excuse.	Neutral	“Buyer/seller didn’t follow through on sale but had a reasonable excuse.”
Other user backs out of transaction without a good excuse, disappears off the face of the earth before paying/shipping, or bounces a check.	Negative	“Buyer/seller didn’t complete transaction avoid!”
Transaction goes through, but item isn’t what you expected or was damaged in transit; seller refunds your money.	Positive	“Inaccurate description of item” or “Item was damaged in ship-ping,” followed by “seller refunded money.”
Transaction goes through, but item isn’t what you expected; seller won’t refund your money.	Negative	“Item not as described and seller ignored my complaintavoid!”

As you can see, there’s a proper feedback and response for every situation. Just be sure to think twice before leaving any feedback (particularly negative feedback). After you submit your feedback, you can’t retract it.

Don’t get too upset if you receive the occasional negative feedback; it happens to the best of usespecially those that run a lot of auctions. You can’t please everyone all the time, and sometimes you make mistakes that justify a negative feedback response. Just try to work out as many issues with other users as you can, and don’t let the occasional negative feedback get to you.

You can also use the Member Profile page to read feedback comments about you just click your own member name on any page. (Even more convenient: Go to your My eBay Feedback page.)

The Member Profile page, includes a lot of information you can use to judge the trustworthiness of other users. At the top of the page is the user’s Feedback Score, followed by the Positive Feedback percentage. You’ll also see the raw numbersthe number of members who left positive feedback, and the number who left negative feedback. Recent feedback ratings are summarized in the Recent Ratings table.

To the right of the Recent Ratings Table are links you can use to find out even more about this userhis ID History, current Items for Sale, a link to his eBay Store (if he has one), and a similar link to his About Me page (again, if he has one). Below these links is a Contact Member button; click this to send an e-mail to this user.

Below the summary information is a list of all the feedback comments for this user. You can click a tab to view All Feedback Received, just those comments From Buyers or From Sellers, or comments that this user Left for Others.

You can leave feedback from any item listing page; just click the Leave Feedback link. When you see the Leave Feedback page, you can choose to leave Positive, Negative, or Neutral feedback, along with a brief comment (80 characters maximum).

Make sure your feedback is accurate before you click the Leave Feedback button; you can’t change your comments after they’ve been registered.