Steps

1. Assuming you haven’t yet signed up, go to eBay’s Main Pageand then click on register at the very top of the page to create an eBay account.

2. Once you’ve signed up, you’ll want to log in and go to Sell either in My eBay or on the Main Page at the top.

3. After picking a category you’ll then be asked to enter the title and description. Be VERY detailed about your product, and include a picture unless it is impossible. Not including one will deter some buyers from your item.

4. Continue to go through the options, and be sure to look everything over very carefully. There’s a lot to look through and you’ll want to make sure everything is correct.

5. Be sure that when you’re done with everything at the end (you’re at the overview page) to double check and press submit. If you don’t press submit it won’t be entered. You’ll then get an e-mail confirming that your product was placed on eBay.

6. Once the item has been shipped, and they have left feedback for you, you should leave feedback for that person.

Tips

* You need to have excellent feedback to sell well on eBay. Sell inexpensive items to build up your feedback first.

* As long as you follow the directions and press submit at the end, your product will be viewable to everyone.

* Always answer a customer’s questions promptly. Be clear, direct, and friendly.

* Be sure to choose the correct category and keywords…the easier it is for your customer to find you, the better it will sell!

* You will have to ship the product out on your own, so you’re going to have to add shipping into the price, there’s a section where you set the shipping.

* You can always go back and edit it if you don’t like something. Just go into “My eBay” and go from there.

* All of your questions can be answered in the “Help” section.

* Keep good communication with your customer, they’re interested in your product and you want to be ranked as a good seller in the end, so be a good seller!

* Try and have it so your auction ends on a Sunday. Avoid ending auctions on Friday or Saturday when people are not home to bid.

* Avoid using “reserve price” auctions. These auctions are a form of shill bidding where the bidders are bidding against the seller himself. A reserve auction makes some buyers angry because they have no idea what the buyer wants. Instead, set the opening bid at the lowest amount of money you would be willing to sell the item for.

* Help keep the feedback system honest by only placing honest feedback and avoiding the “trading” of positive feedback. A seller should leave positive feedback if the buyer pays promptly. A buyer should leave positive feedback if the item arrives in a reasonable time and is as advertised. A seller who waits for a buyer to leave positive feedback is really trading feedback. Such a practice skews feedback ratings.

* Use USPS Priority Mail for shipping. It is usually faster and buyers will have less anxiety about sending payment to you because their waiting period is shortened. It is also usually cost-effective, and shipping boxes are free! Besides, THEY usually are paying for their products shipment.

* People will look at things that have cheap or free shipping, so include the shipping price in the total price (or min bid) and people will be more inclined to buy. If you offer it, make sure they know that you’re offering it.

* SHIPPING is key in selling for eBay–understand the basics of using the postal service and services such as UPS and FedEx, such as postal rates, types of services, incurance, and office hours.

* Packaging is also important. If items are fragile, improper packaging can end up in broken items and unhappy customers! Also keep in mind the price YOU pay for shipping: the box, padding, etc., to decide on a reasonable price or add it to shipping and handling fees.

* Payment will be vital. PayPal is an extremely popular payment service on eBay, and as a seller, you will want to understand how it works and quite possibly sign up. Offering this service also may help attract buyers, because payment is instant and simple. Checks and money orders are also popular, but by nature take time. Also, be aware that payments from buyers by check does not necessarily mean they have sufficient funds! So consider what your comfort level is with these different payment types when you list your item.

Warnings

* Do not sell illegal items. Doing so can bring heavy consequences upon you.

* Negative feedback can lead to buyers cautious of you and makes sellers think twice about selling to you. Follow up any negative feedback with accurate facts. Do not call names.

* Be careful when sending feedback. You can be sued for making dishonest statements on the feedback page, so keep in mind that you are responsible for your remarks. Keep it honest and professional, and above all, don’t make childish and angry remarks.

* Don’t overcharge for shipping and handling. A reasonable amount for your materials and effort is okay, but buyers don’t want to pay $15.00 for shipping and handling and then see on the postage label that it only cost you $3.85 for shipping.

* NEVER put the starting price lower than what you can afford to lose by selling it! You need to consider the fees eBay, Paypal (if you offer a PayPal payment) and shipping. It is entirely possible to lose money on an item if you put a starting price that is too low for you to at least break even if only one person bids on it.

* Be careful of selling overseas. Most items are perfectly fine, and can increase your bidding pool. However, what may be perfectly legal in the US may be illegal in New Zealand, Turkey, or Japan (or vice versa).

eBay is the world’s largest and most frequently used online auction site. You can use it to buy and sell all sorts of items, from old records to upcoming sports tickets. Here’s a short primer on how to use eBay and its features.

Steps

1. Register with eBay. You will be required to provide your name, email address, and other information that will help to identify you as a user of the site and allow you to bid on items. You will also need to create a username and password.

2. Search the site. Now you’re ready to get started with bidding. In the search box at the top of the page, type the name of an item or type of item that you are looking for (e.g. Beatles records, or simply The Beatles). You can do a general search, or search within several categories such as Music, Sporting Goods, or Books.

3. Sort your results. Many searches, particularly for popular items, will show several pages of results. In order to find what you want more quickly, you can sort the items by price, time left in the auction, date of listing, or payment options available.

4. Find out more. By clicking on an item in the list, you can find out further details about the item, such as where it ships from, the seller’s feedback rating from previous customers, and a picture of what you would receive.

5. Make a bid. If you decide that you’d like to try and buy the item, you can bid on it by clicking “Place Bid”. Most auctions will require bids in increments of at least 50 cents (for example, if the most recent bid is $7.00, your bid will have to be at least $7.50.). You can also type in a maximum bid amount, and eBay will continue to bid for you up to that amount. This is helpful so that you don’t have to sit online and continually watch the item.

6. Monitor the auction. Every once in a while, you will want to check on the progression of the auction and see who else has bid. If you are not the high bidder, you can raise your bid up to the end of the auction in order to win the item.

7. Pay for your item. If you win what you were bidding on, you will receive an email notifying you of the sale. From there, you should either contact the seller to discuss details of payment and shipping, or wait for him or her to contact you. It is considered polite to complete this part of the process as soon as possible. Paypal is the most common payment processor used by eBay buyers and sellers to send and receive payments, so you should consider signing up with Paypal aswell at www.paypal.com

Tips

* Some auctions will have an icon next to the price of the item that says “Buy It Now”. This means that you can purchase the item for a certain price without having to get into a bidding war with another person. Be warned: this price can often be higher than you might otherwise have paid.

* Many items have “Reserve” prices, which mean that the seller will not sell the item unless the bids have reached a certain level.

* If you don’t win an item, sellers will often direct you to similar items they are auctioning off, or you can do another search yourself. Ebay is a huge place, so don’t get discouraged if you don’t get what you are looking for right away.

Warnings

* Do not make bids that you can’t actually back up financially. Each bid you make on eBay is considered a binding contract, and you will be given a poor rating (or possibly worse) if you back out on a winning bid.

* Beware the snipers. Many bidders wait to the last few seconds of an auction to make a bid. This can lead to you paying more than you expected or losing the bid.

EBay charges seller fees for using eBay to sell your products. However if you don’t pay your seller fees, you may end up with your powerseller status getting affected. Moreover you may not become a powerseller again, even if you pay your outstanding balances.

With your not paying eBay seller fees, eBay will suspend your account. And when regular customers see that you have been suspended, they may not come back to your store.

Not paying your fees will lead to the phrase ‘not a registered member’ ending up next to your name, to indicate that you have been suspended.
Some buyers may not be aware that this is a temporary suspension, and may never come to your store or auctions again. So ensure that there is always money in your bank account or credit card to cover your eBay bill.