Getting Started with eBay
Safeguard Your Private Information
You can go to a web site such as eBay or PayPal and register once; then log-in for each visit. NEVER respond to email asking you to supply information that eBay or PayPal already knows. Never respond to an unexpected email by logging in or typing your password. Never respond to an email asking for your Social Security Number. If your account has a problem, eBay or PayPal will contact you directly by name.
What you need to get started BUYING on eBay
Reliable computer access An email address Money
What you need to get started SELLING on eBay
An eBay account An active VISA, MasterCard, or Discover credit card Something to sell A way to add photos to your auctions Envelopes, boxes, packing materials A method for determining shipping fees / postage Optional, but recommended – A PayPal account Optional, but recommended – Positive Feedback from being a good eBay buyer Optional – The ability to “cut and paste” text into an item description
Web sites addresses Registration Process
eBay = www.ebay.com
PayPal = www.paypal.com
Email address: You'll need to enter an email address that you can check immediately. After you complete your registration form, eBay will send you an email, which contains instructions on how to complete registration. In the future, if you get a new email provider, you can change your email address that’s on file with eBay. You will be asked for the answer to your secret question if you forget your password. Examples: “What was your first pet’s name?” “What elementary school did you attend?” You also will be asked to enter the four numbers at the bottom of this form gives eBay added security. If your registration does not arrive within 24 hours, try re-registering with the same email address. If you still do not receive the registration email, check with your Internet Service Provider to see if there are any technical problems and then try to register again. Select a country: United States
Getting Started with eBay (page 2)
Credit card information: Your card will be used for identification only and will not be charged by eBay Your personal information is protected by eBay's Privacy Policy and encrypted by SSL software. If your card wasn't accepted, you should: Make sure that your card number is correct. Check your address - it must match your monthly statement. For debit cards, only use those with VISA or MasterCard logos. You might need to enter a different email address: If you don't have a different email address than falls under eBay's acceptable email types or if your declined, you'll need to place your credit or debit card on file. Your card will be used for identification only and will not be charged by eBay at any time. Your personal information is protected by eBay's Privacy Policy and encrypted by the industry software. You’ll choose a User ID – your unique nickname you use to identify yourself on eBay When you register, choose a User ID that you like and that you'll remember. For example: You might use words identifying your favorite collecting area, your business, or occupation. You could refer to your hometown and call yourself georgia_peach. Or refer to your own sense of style and choose happyhal. User IDs: May contain letters (a-z), numbers (0-9), and/or some symbols Must be at least two characters long Can't contain spaces Can't be obscene, profane, or violate eBay's guidelines Can't be an email address or Web site Can't be the same as another sellers' eBay Store name Cannot include: The @, &, ‘, <, or > symbol URLs (for example xyz.com) Consecutive underscores "__" An underscore "_", dash "-", or period "." at the beginning of a User ID Spaces or tabs The word "eBay"—only eBay employees may use "eBay" in their User IDs The letter "e" followed by numbers Because spaces are not allowed, use a hyphen to represent a space in your User ID. You can only change your User ID once in a 30-day period. Keep in mind that your User ID is a feedback rating. eBay users will come to recognize you by your User ID, so choose one you'll want to use for the long term. valuable asset, like your at any time.
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eBay Bidding and Buying Basics
The easiest way to learn how eBay works is to be a buyer before you try being a seller. You’ll see first-hand how bidding works. You can learn about PayPal. You’ll accumulate positive Feedback and show potential buyers that you’re a good eBay-er. How do I win something on eBay? – an overview
1. Find an item. Search by typing in a keyword for an item you're interested in, or browse through our categories. 2. Learn about the item you found. Read the item description carefully, and look at the picture(s). If you have any questions about the item that aren't answered in the item's description, you can ask the seller about the item by clicking on the 'Ask Seller a Question' link. 3. Review the seller's feedback. Look at the seller's feedback score and percentage of positive feedback on the item page. Also, you can read the comments left by the seller's previous buyers. 4. Bid or Buy It Now. You can place a bid or purchase the item instantly using Buy It Now. Some items are sold only in auction-style listings that require you to place a bid, while others include the Buy It Now option. This allows you to buy the item instantly. 5. Pay for the item. After you've won or purchased the item, send your payment to the seller. If the seller accepts PayPal payments, click on the Pay Now button, and you can pay immediately. 6. Leave feedback. Here's your chance to show other eBay users your experience with this seller. You can leave feedback for any eBay member with whom, you've bought from or sold an item.
How do I find an item or category of items that I want to see?
You can browse by subject categories. eBay has divided its web site listings into broad categories. You can search by specific words or descriptions – sometimes called “keywords” eBay “saves” your search words from one visit to the next
How do I bid? What are the different methods of bidding?
Single Bid You see an item, and you’re willing to pay only the current price. Place your bid. Wait to see if you are the winner. Proxy Bidding – also called Auction Style Bidding Proxy Bidding allows you to enter the maximum amount you’re willing to pay for an item. You don’t have to watch the item listing to increase your bid. eBay monitors the item for you and bids in your behalf until you have either won the item or until another bidder places a bid higher than the maximum amount you set in the system. (To increase your proxy bid amount, simply place another bid in the bid box for a higher amount than your original bid. This will let our system know that you are raising your proxy bid.)
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Buy-It-Now When you see the icon next to a listing or see a Buy It Now price listed on an item page, you have the opportunity to buy that item right away without waiting for the auction to end. A Buy-It-Now option is shown on listings only until an item receives its first bid. On a Reserve Price Auction, Buy-It-Now is available only until the reserve is met. Reserve Price Auction An auction may have a reserve price, a hidden minimum price, on the item. How it works: A reserve price is the minimum price a seller is willing to accept for the item. As a buyer, you are not shown the reserve price, only whether or not the reserve has been met. The seller is not obligated to sell the item if the reserve price is not met. Until you see that the reserve price has been met, there have been no successful bids in the auction. Once the reserve has been met, the item will sell to the highest bidder when the auction closes. The winning bidder must meet or exceed the reserve price and have the highest bid. Dutch Auction When you see a quantity of two or more on an eBay auction, that's a Multiple Item Auction (Dutch Auction). This means the seller is offering multiple, identical items for sale. Unlike a regular eBay auction, Multiple Item Auctions can have many winners. When you bid on a Multiple Item Auction, you specify the number of items you're interested in and the price you're willing to pay. All winning bidders will pay the same price: the lowest successful bid. For multiple item auction listings, you cannot enter a proxy-style bid. The amount of your bid is the price you pay, (if yours is the winning bid). For example, if there are 10 items available and the opening bid is $4, and there is one bidder who bids $20 for 10 items, that bidder pays $20 for each item. Much of the time, all buyers pay the starting price in Multiple Item Auctions. However, if there are more bids than items, the items will go to earliest successful bids. To beat another bid, yours must have a higher total bid per item than other bids, regardless of how many items you are bidding on. Reducing this total bid value in subsequent bids is not permitted. Example: 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. Winning bidders have the right to refuse partial quantities. This means that if you win some, but not all, of the quantity you bid for, you don't have to buy any of them. In the above example, Bidder A bid on 3 items but won only 2 of them. Bidder A can refuse to complete the purchase, as he or she didn't win the quantity they bid on. Bid Retracting As a general rule, you can’t retract or cancel a bid. When you place a bid, you agree to pay for the item if you’re the winning bidder. However, honest mistakes sometimes occur. You can retract a bid if you have a valid reason for doing so as defined by eBay policy and you retract the bid within the required time period. Valid reasons for retracting a bid include: You accidentally entered the wrong bid amount due to a typographical error. The item’s description changed significantly after you entered your last bid. You can’t reach the seller by telephone or email. Changing your mind is not a valid reason for retracting a bid. Before bidding, be sure to carefully review the listing.
Sniping When someone waits to place a bid until the last possible moment before the auction ends, it’s called “sniping”. As frustrating as it can be to lose an item you really wanted, sniping is part of the eBay experience, and all bids placed before a listing ends are valid - even if they're placed only one second before the listing ends. One way to help avoid disappointment is to ensure that the maximum bid you enter on the item page is the highest price that you're willing to pay. eBay automatically increases your bid up to the maximum price you specify, so entering a higher maximum may help prevent you from being outbid in the closing seconds of a listing.
eBay Selling Basics
Make your auction attractive and informative
Research the auction value of your item Before you list your item, check eBay to see the asking prices for comparable items. You can see what’s listed currently. You can also see the final prices (or lack of sales) for completed auctions. Select the right listing category Select the appropriate category to help buyers find your item as they browse on eBay. Use the "Find Selected Category" feature on the selling form if you need help deciding on a category. Include a picture Photos or scanned images really show off your item to the potential buyer. Take a photo or make a scan of the item. Add one or more pictures to your auction listing. You need to be able to store a photo in your computer and “tell” eBay where the photo file is found. EBay has pictures and descriptions for items that have a UPC# or ISBN#. Choose an inviting starting price Start at the lowest price you’re willing to accept. You may want to set a Buy-It-Now price, too. A high opening bid can discourage bidding on your item. Setting a reserve price can often have a negative effect. Create a title A descriptive item title is an important attention-grabber. Think about words in your title that a buyer might type into the search box. Don’t use throw-away words – gorgeous, LOOK, Cheap, No Reserve – Your potential buyer can see these qualities (or lack of qualities) for himself/herself. Create the item description Describe your item accurately. Be sure to include important information such as: • Color and texture • Item size or dimensions • Brand or manufacturer • Year the item was made • Item condition (new, used, antique, broken) • Any additional information specific to your item that makes it special or unique
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Include your payment options Do you want to accept personal checks? Do you want to accept money orders? Checks and money orders from outside of the USA may cost you a cashing fee. PayPal is owned by eBay and is a safe way to expedite instant payment from all USA customers and from most other nations. eBay research shows that 75% of buyers prefer to pay via PayPal. Provide shipping options and prices Include the price of your shipping materials along with the mailing costs. Weigh your item and know for sure how much it will cost to ship. The US Postal Service provides FREE cartons, packing tape, and address labels for items that are shipped by Priority Mail/ UPS has special pricing offers for eBay shipping.
How soon will your newly listed items visible on eBay?
Immediately When you list an item, eBay immediately records the item number and your User ID. Using the item number or your User ID, you can search eBay immediately to find the item. An hour or so later The keyword(s) and browse categories take longer to be recorded into the search system. This system is updated several times each day. Once eBay has updated, your item can be found by searching the keyword(s) or category.
When Your Auction Ends
Communicate with your buyer EBay sends an automatic notice to your successful bidder. It’s a nice courtesy to send a personal email, too. State the item number plus auction title along with the total due for auction-end price plus shipping. Thank the buyer and ask how the buyer plans to pay. Complete the Feedback form When your buyer has paid, you should post the positive feedback. Some sellers wait until the buyer has posted feedback first. I prefer to post it when the payment is received. Send the item to the buyer IMMEDIATELY Especially if the buyer has paid you via PayPal, you should send the item the following day. If you do mailing only on specific days, be sure to share this information with the buyer. If weather conditions have slowed the delivery process, email the buyer to let him/her know.
Tools for Sellers can be found on the eBay website
eBay Turbo Lister is a free listing tool for medium to high volume sellers. Save time and sell more by creating professional looking listings and uploading thousands of items in bulk. Use it alone or in combination with a sales management tool, including Selling Manager and Selling Manager Pro. eBay Selling Manager is an online sales management tool for medium to high volume sellers. Track and manage all your sales - right from My eBay. No download required.
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eBay Selling Manager Pro is the online professional tool for a high volume seller or for running a small business. Selling Manager Pro combines multiple item listing and smart sales management in My eBay. No download required!
Rules to know before listing your item
Listing items that violate eBay's policies will result in a formal warning, the ending of all violating listings, or even temporary or indefinite suspension of a user's account. eBay will consider the circumstances of an alleged offense and the user's trading records before taking action. In most cases, eBay will credit all associated fees when a listing is ended. Choice listings A seller may not allow buyers to choose from a selection of dissimilar items. General admission tickets to any event Sellers may list up to 20 identical listings. Tickets fro resale – Check laws in various states eBay permits resale of tickets to sporting events, concerts, and plays. Various US states and Canadian provinces limit event ticket resale prices. For events in these locations, eBay will limit trading by users who are residents of the regulated event location and insert an automated disclaimer in the item description explaining the applicable restriction to potential bidders. Want ads or trades Listings communicating a desire to buy or trade items not up for auction are not allowed in any category (except nonbinding bid categories such as Real Estate). Giveaways, raffles, or prizes Listings that promote giveaways, drawings, or prizes are not permitted. Payment surcharges Sellers may not charge eBay buyers an additional fee for their use of ordinary forms of payment, including acceptance of checks, money orders, electronic transfers or credit cards. There are three exceptions to this rule: Sellers may add a reasonable shipping and handling fee to the final price of their item, providing that this fee is disclosed up-front in the listing. A shipping and handling fee can cover the seller's reasonable costs for mailing, packaging and handling the item. Shipping and handling fees cannot be listed as a percentage of the final sale price. Sellers may pass along the costs associated with using a third-party escrow service, if the buyer chooses to use an escrow service. Sellers may choose to accept payment in a different currency than the currency listed on eBay. If the buyer chooses this optional payment method, the seller may pass along to the buyer and seller agree to any costs associated with the currency exchange. Profanity eBay does not allow the use of profanity or patently vulgar language Links Summary: eBay listings can only be used to facilitate the sale of the listed item. Listings can't refer to or promote the seller's individual Web site, off-eBay sales or other businesses. On the eBay About Me page, however, the seller may promote their individual Web site or business.
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Bonus items Sellers are allowed to offer a bonus item to bidders as long as the following requirements are met.The seller must state the exact price at which the bonus will apply. In Multiple Item Listings the seller must offer the same bonus item to ALL winning bidders. Multiple Item Listing rules require that all winning bidders receive identical items.
Prohibited and Restricted Items
Some items cannot be sold on eBay because their prices are regulated by laws. Examples: alcohol, wine, tobacco products, prescription drugs, lottery tickets. Some items cannot be shipped via US Mail, UPS, or other carriers. Examples: live animals, batteries, fireworks, Freon refrigerant, pesticides, hazardous chemicals. Items not legally sold in the USA cannot be listed on eBay. Examples: body parts, embargoed goods from other nations, ancient artifacts from other nations, bootleg recordings or videos, counterfeit money or stamps, some classes of weapons and ammunition, illegal drugs, current license plates, pornography, prostitution, stolen property.
Learn More about eBay The “Community” link at the top of the eBay home page leads to four sections of information created for and by eBay members. TALK includes Discussion Boards - Share your interests, get help or assist others. Chat - Post a message or read what members are talking about. Answer Center - Get answers to your questions—fast! NEWS includes General Announcements - Stay informed with the latest eBay news. System Announcements - Find updates on system status here. The Chatter - Read the newsletter for and about the eBay Community. EVENTS includes Calendar - Online or in your town, here's what's happening. Workshops / Event List - Get details on up-in-coming events Charity - Contribute to worthy causes. PEOPLE includes eBay Groups eBay Community Values Member Spotlight - Read stories from eBay members.