eBay Dos and Don'ts:
Best Practices and Worst Practices on eBay
Whether you're buying or selling, eBay presents endless opportunities to do very smart and innovative things, as well as endless opportunities to make some very big mistakes. Here are a number of dos, don'ts, and gotchas that you should keep in mind on eBay, whether you're buying, selling, or just passing through.
Don't Fall Prey to 'Tough Times' Mistakes
In tough times sellers face an unusual array of temptations. Keep your head about you and your business model sound with these eight tips to help you navigate troubled marketplace waters successfully.
In tough times sellers face an unusual array of temptations. Keep your head about you and your business model sound with these eight tips to help you navigate troubled marketplace waters successfully.
Don't Use Risky "No Overhead" Techniques
Drop shipping and other types of "no overhead" selling can be tempting for sellers, but for sellers who don't take them seriously enough, such techniques are like playing with fire. Be sure that as a seller, you don't burn your buyers or yourself in the process.
Drop shipping and other types of "no overhead" selling can be tempting for sellers, but for sellers who don't take them seriously enough, such techniques are like playing with fire. Be sure that as a seller, you don't burn your buyers or yourself in the process.
Don't Compete Against Your Own Auctions
eBay may reach a global audience of buyers, but it's also an auction format sales site with a lot of sellers. List too many items at once and you could drive down the price of your own goods.
eBay may reach a global audience of buyers, but it's also an auction format sales site with a lot of sellers. List too many items at once and you could drive down the price of your own goods.
Don't Price Yourself Out of the Market
By selling too high, you might earn no sale at all, while by selling too low you chould cheat yourself.
By selling too high, you might earn no sale at all, while by selling too low you chould cheat yourself.
Don't Keyword SPAM or Miscategorize
eBay buyers rely on categories and keywords when they search for items to buy. When you miscategorize or use unrelated keywords, you don't make friends with buyers and you make eBay harder to use.
eBay buyers rely on categories and keywords when they search for items to buy. When you miscategorize or use unrelated keywords, you don't make friends with buyers and you make eBay harder to use.
Don't Avoid Filing Disputes
eBay buyers and sellers often complain that as eBay grows, there are more and more problem eBay users. Are you doing your part to ensure that problem users are removed from eBay? If you're not filing disputes in response to bad experiences, you may not be.
eBay buyers and sellers often complain that as eBay grows, there are more and more problem eBay users. Are you doing your part to ensure that problem users are removed from eBay? If you're not filing disputes in response to bad experiences, you may not be.
Don't Quietly Sell Defective Items
Sellers who knowingly sell defective items but mention only that they are "AS-IS" or "condition unknown" are risking negative feedback and worse.
Sellers who knowingly sell defective items but mention only that they are "AS-IS" or "condition unknown" are risking negative feedback and worse.
Don't Reregister After Getting Suspended
If you've been suspended from eBay, you may be tempted to simply open a new account. Don't! eBay will very likely figure out who you are, suspend you again, and lock you out permanently. Here's what to do instead.
If you've been suspended from eBay, you may be tempted to simply open a new account. Don't! eBay will very likely figure out who you are, suspend you again, and lock you out permanently. Here's what to do instead.
Don't Start a Business Without a License
eBay makes it so easy to sell that it can also be easy to accidentally transition from casual seller of used personal items to professional seller for profit. Don't do this without first registering yourself as a business.
eBay makes it so easy to sell that it can also be easy to accidentally transition from casual seller of used personal items to professional seller for profit. Don't do this without first registering yourself as a business.
Five Tips for Better Feedback
Too often eBay traders take feedback for granted or assume that there's nothing additional that they can do to enhance their feedback. Not true! These five easy to execute tips will help you to improve your feedback scores.
Too often eBay traders take feedback for granted or assume that there's nothing additional that they can do to enhance their feedback. Not true! These five easy to execute tips will help you to improve your feedback scores.
Don't Create Drab, Boring Listings
No buyer is going to remember, much less try to return to a bid on, an uninformative, unenlightened listing.
No buyer is going to remember, much less try to return to a bid on, an uninformative, unenlightened listing.
Don't Add More Features Than Your Item's Worth
Promotional features are powerful tools, but there is a definite limit to the kind of return that they can provide.
Promotional features are powerful tools, but there is a definite limit to the kind of return that they can provide.
Don't Steal Photos From Other eBayers
Photos used to sell goods on ebay, like photos in any other industry, are copyrighted works belonging to the photographer that took them.
Photos used to sell goods on ebay, like photos in any other industry, are copyrighted works belonging to the photographer that took them.
Don't Let Your Friends and Family Bid on Your Auctions
Your friends and family can not bid on your auctions. It's not only unethical, it's against eBay rules.
Your friends and family can not bid on your auctions. It's not only unethical, it's against eBay rules.
Signs Your eBay Account Has Been Stolen
Stolen accounts are one of the most serious, and regrettably one of the more common, problems in the eBay community. Find out how to recognize a stolen account problem and what to do to fix it.
Stolen accounts are one of the most serious, and regrettably one of the more common, problems in the eBay community. Find out how to recognize a stolen account problem and what to do to fix it.
Avoiding Counterfeit Items on eBay
eBay is full of rare, interesting, and popular items. While most of them are legit, some of them just plain aren't, and it can be a bad investment to buy a counterfeit product.
eBay is full of rare, interesting, and popular items. While most of them are legit, some of them just plain aren't, and it can be a bad investment to buy a counterfeit product.
Phishes and Spoofs
How messages that fraudulently appear to be from eBay can be used to commit crimes in your name, take your money, or steal your identity--and how to stay safe.
How messages that fraudulently appear to be from eBay can be used to commit crimes in your name, take your money, or steal your identity--and how to stay safe.
Nine Small Business Pitfalls to Avoid
Are you running a small eBay business? Have you taken steps to ensure that you don't turn any of these necessities into a management gaffe or pitfall?
Are you running a small eBay business? Have you taken steps to ensure that you don't turn any of these necessities into a management gaffe or pitfall?
Ten Clues You Don't Want to Bid
Big red flags to avoid when bidding on eBay auctions.
Big red flags to avoid when bidding on eBay auctions.
Don't Leave a Premature Negative
Before you leave negative feedback, exhaust every avenue to resolve the dispute with your trading partner. Don't rush to leave a negative from the start.
Before you leave negative feedback, exhaust every avenue to resolve the dispute with your trading partner. Don't rush to leave a negative from the start.
Don't Expect What a Seller Doesn't Offer
Before getting upset after being disappointed with an eBay purchase, read the item description carefully to be sure that your expectations were fair.
Before getting upset after being disappointed with an eBay purchase, read the item description carefully to be sure that your expectations were fair.
Don't Contact Anyone You're Not Trading With
Nobody wants to hear unsolicited requests or sales pitches from strangers, so don't contact other eBay members unless you're trading with them.
Nobody wants to hear unsolicited requests or sales pitches from strangers, so don't contact other eBay members unless you're trading with them.
Don't Spend Too Much Time on eBay
eBay shopping may be fun, but if you're not gaining anything by doing it, it may also be addiction.
eBay shopping may be fun, but if you're not gaining anything by doing it, it may also be addiction.
Don't Get Caught in Bidding Wars
Sometimes the best way to win is to let someone else win, especially if there are several listings that feature the item you want to buy.
Sometimes the best way to win is to let someone else win, especially if there are several listings that feature the item you want to buy.
Don't Leave Retaliatory Feedback
When you get an unfair negative rating, it can be tempted to leave one in return. Doing so, however, doesn't help you, either in the short term or in the long term.
When you get an unfair negative rating, it can be tempted to leave one in return. Doing so, however, doesn't help you, either in the short term or in the long term.
From eBay: Avoiding Spoofs and Phishing
This eBay guide explains how to identify the all-too-common email messages that claim to be from eBay but are actually be harmful to your computer, your eBay account, or your bank account. Read it carefully!
This eBay guide explains how to identify the all-too-common email messages that claim to be from eBay but are actually be harmful to your computer, your eBay account, or your bank account. Read it carefully!
Spoof Emails a Growing Problem
This document from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) discusses spoof emails of the type often seen by eBay members and gives details on how to detect them.
This document from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) discusses spoof emails of the type often seen by eBay members and gives details on how to detect them.
Tips to Avoid Getting Scammed
This quick and dirty guide from Consumer Fraud Reporting gives a few basic points on how to avoid getting scammed on eBay and other auction sites.
This quick and dirty guide from Consumer Fraud Reporting gives a few basic points on how to avoid getting scammed on eBay and other auction sites.
Sniping on eBay, Revisited
Many readers took umbrage at our earlier article on eBay auction sniping, so it's time to revisit the issue and answer the two concerns that figured most prominently into user feedback.
Many readers took umbrage at our earlier article on eBay auction sniping, so it's time to revisit the issue and answer the two concerns that figured most prominently into user feedback.