As anyone who reads this blog regularly, like the President of Hair Club for Men, I’m not just an eBay seller, I’m also a buyer. I have been on both sides of the fence and, if you aren’t a buyer on the same marketplace you sell on, you are making a big mistake.
Take a moment and look at your listings. Try to turn off your emotions and ownership and look at it as a potential buyer.
In your listing text are you making threats (about bad feedback, non-paying bidders, or anything else)? Excuses (I have a bad back so I only ship on Tuesdays, etc)? Demands (you better leave me 5 stars)? Complaints (I have to charge a handling fee because eBay fees are ridiculous)?
Worst yet.. are you whining?
Look, I am The Whine Seller and I whine a blue streak sometimes. But I do it on my blog. The blog that is totally separate from my business. I sure as hell don’t whine about my customers to my customers.
We all need a place to vent our frustrations but the listing text is the very first thing your customer sees about you and, trust me, nothing is more off putting than a seller with a chip on his/her shoulder.
I don’t care if you chip is about bad buyers (you got burned in the past and preemptively hate all buyers since you assume they will burn you) or if your chip is about eBay changes, it turns a potential buyer off. Period. It is not only unprofessional but shows you to be petty, angry and, in some cases, a little nuts.
I was doing some eBay shopping a few weeks ago and encountered a listing with a full out rant in the middle of the description about how eBay used to be a fun hobby and now its so much money and work and DSRs are ruining their business and blah blah blah, wah wah wah, Mommy, eBay is being mean to me!
There is no way for this to reflect positively on you as a seller. What are you hoping to gain by airing your issues in an item you are trying to sell? Lose it.
Trust me. If you are making threats, excuses, demands, or complaints, I can tell you one thing you won’t be making…. money from me.
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Three cheers!!
Three cheers!!
Just to say, I read you every day from Tenerife Island (SPain). I have started on ebay in 2006 (been very happy with the business), then start my own store online. But I have started again to deal on Ebay here in Spain. It is clear Ebay Spain is very different than Ebay in the USA or UK, but I can see there is still oportunities. Good Blog anyway!!! It helps a lot!
Just to say, I read you every day from Tenerife Island (SPain). I have started on ebay in 2006 (been very happy with the business), then start my own store online. But I have started again to deal on Ebay here in Spain. It is clear Ebay Spain is very different than Ebay in the USA or UK, but I can see there is still oportunities. Good Blog anyway!!! It helps a lot!
So, so, so true! Instead of crying about not getting sales, the first thing any seller should do is put on their buyer hat and look at their listings from that perspective. Alas, a lot of sellers seem to think spending their time whining and ranting in blogs (seen AuctionBytes comments lately?) is going to help their businesses.
So, so, so true! Instead of crying about not getting sales, the first thing any seller should do is put on their buyer hat and look at their listings from that perspective. Alas, a lot of sellers seem to think spending their time whining and ranting in blogs (seen AuctionBytes comments lately?) is going to help their businesses.
Wow…isn’t this the truth!! I stay way clear from those ebay sellers who do this kind of thing in their listings. And I also stay away from the ones who tell me what I have to do in order to buy their stuff (or certain rules and disclaimers) just because they may have had a snag with a previous buyer. I don’t like feeling as if I’m walking on eggshells when I’m trying to spend money.
One time I saw a seller’s ad where he stated, and I quote….” Some of you out there are holding me to retail store standards with feedback and the quality of the product. I am NOT a retail store. Please remember that when leaving your feedback”.
LOL
Wow…isn’t this the truth!! I stay way clear from those ebay sellers who do this kind of thing in their listings. And I also stay away from the ones who tell me what I have to do in order to buy their stuff (or certain rules and disclaimers) just because they may have had a snag with a previous buyer. I don’t like feeling as if I’m walking on eggshells when I’m trying to spend money.
One time I saw a seller’s ad where he stated, and I quote….” Some of you out there are holding me to retail store standards with feedback and the quality of the product. I am NOT a retail store. Please remember that when leaving your feedback”.
LOL
I never understood that kind of “selling” either. I especially stay away from those that have only two lines of description and a three-foot long TOS! It truly amazes me that some have been on eBay as long as they have, or have the sales that they do! Just last week I saw what had to be at least six whole-page “scrolls” worth of explanation as to why they deserve five stars in each category and how they don’t want you bidding on their stuff if you’re not going to give them five stars — ALL BEFORE they even bothered describing the item they’re selling! Ugh!
I never understood that kind of “selling” either. I especially stay away from those that have only two lines of description and a three-foot long TOS! It truly amazes me that some have been on eBay as long as they have, or have the sales that they do! Just last week I saw what had to be at least six whole-page “scrolls” worth of explanation as to why they deserve five stars in each category and how they don’t want you bidding on their stuff if you’re not going to give them five stars — ALL BEFORE they even bothered describing the item they’re selling! Ugh!