October 8 – 9, 2007 Fargo, ND
eBay Selling Basics
Agenda
eBay Overview Becoming an eBay Seller Preparing Your Listing Creating Your Listing Completing the Sale International Trade Summary Q&A
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Welcome to eBay
A people’s market that contains anything you can imagine A revolutionary way to buy and sell Where trust, honesty, and efficiency are rewarded Where over 1.3 million sellers make a part- or full-time living selling on eBay!*
*ACNielsen International Research, June 2006
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eBay Safe Trading Features
Feedback
Your eBay reputation
Buyer Protection Program
Up to $2,000 (on qualified items with PayPal)
PayPal Seller Protection
Against fraudulent chargebacks
Security and Resolution Center
www.ebay.com/securitycenter (link on bottom of all eBay pages)
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Register on eBay
1. Go to www.ebay.com 2. Click Register Now 3. Create a user ID and password 4. Enter information 5. Check email for confirmation
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Becoming an eBay Seller
1. Sign into My eBay. 2. Click Personal Information under My Account. 3. Click Edit next to account information. 4. Sign in if necessary.
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Create Seller’s Account
5.
6.
Click on the Create Seller’s Account link. Then click the Create Seller’s Account button on the following page. Enter your credit or debit card information.
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Completed Listings Search
1. Click Advanced Search 2. Enter keywords
3. Check Completed listings only 4. Click Search button
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Matching Completed Listings
Results page shows: • Number of bids • Final price (in green) • Shipping cost • If price is red, it was not sold (either no bids or reserve was not met)
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Seller Fees Overview
There are 4 basic fees for listing and selling on eBay:
1. Insertion Fees—To list an item 2. Listing Upgrade Fees—To promote your listing 3. Final Value Fees—Commission based on final price 4. PayPal Fees—For collecting payment through PayPal
Complete and up-to-date fee schedule:
HELP > Selling > Fees
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Listing Preparation
Create an effective title including searchable keywords Prepare a good description Take good photographs Set competitive pricing
Based on your research
Sign up for PayPal at www.paypal.com
To accept online payments
Pack and Ship preparation
To determine shipping cost or use the shipping calculator
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Title & Description
Title should include ONLY keywords
Effective Cannon Powershot S110 Digital ELPH 2.1 MP Digital Camera Ineffective L@@K best camera on eBay… Wow!
A good description:
Includes complete item details Includes detailed terms of service Is professional, positive and friendly
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A Professional Photo
First try… Not Good
Better
Problems… • Background visible • Inadequate light
Add… • Backdrop • More light
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Pricing Considerations—Auction-Style
Mandatory Set as low as $0.01
Low starting bids tend to encourage first bids
or
Set as high as needed but…
High starting bids tend to discourage bidding
Insertion fee determined by starting bid
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Auction-Style with Reserve Price
Optional Hidden Your minimum selling price Encourages bidding by keeping starting bid low Incurs a fee (fully refunded if reserve is met)
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Auction-Style with Buy It Now
Your “sell it now” price Optional Helps encourage quick purchase Disappears once a bid is placed (or reserve is met) Incurs additional fee
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Fixed Price Format
No bidding Best for one or more commodity items Single insertion fee Fixed Price presented as BIN to buyers Must have 10+ feedback for single item and 30+ feedback score for multiple or ID Verify Eligible for Best Offer and eBay Express
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Pricing Tips: Keep in Mind…
Low starting price Encourages bidding Leaves seller vulnerable
High starting price Protects seller May discourage bidding
Reserve price Insures selling price May discourage bidding Incurs a fee (refunded if item sells)
Buy It Now Suited for “commodity” items Can help sell an item faster May be eligible for additional exposure on eBay Express
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Sign Up for PayPal
Accept online payments from buyers immediately Secure, trusted
Over 100 million accounts!
Part of the eBay team
Integrates seamlessly into eBay listings Buyer simply clicks the button Sign up for a Business or Premier account at www.paypal.com
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Multiple Currencies With PayPal
Receive payment in 16 currencies from around the world. Log into your PayPal Profile and toggle on the currencies you want to receive payment with. A competitive advantage for your business!
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Pack & Weigh Your Item
Visit the Shipping Center to learn how to:
Pack items properly Use the eBay shipping calculator Print shipping labels & Customs Forms with PayPal Ship internationally Track packages Obtain FREE shipping boxes Ship heavy or large items (Freight Center) Find other shipping resources
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Selling Your Item
Click Sell Enter keywords to find a selling category Choose a category Enter your item title Upload photos Paste and format item description Set Pricing Choose Payment Method Select Shipping options Insert Return Policy and other instructions Review and Submit
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Starting Your Listing
1. Click the Sell link 2. Enter keywords 3. Click Sell It
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Choose a Category
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Add a Descriptive Item Title Using Keywords
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eBay Picture Services
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Description
eBay description editor Only available in Windows using Internet Explorer Copy and paste text into the Standard pane Use description editor toolbar to format highlighted text:
Bold Underline Font color and size Bulleted lists Insert a link to other listings
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Choose Pricing Based on Research
Enter: Starting price Duration Start time Optional: Reserve Buy It Now Donate percentage of sale
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Choose Payment Methods
Enter your PayPal email address in the box provided Check off your other accepted payment types Cash okay for pickups or deliveries only! Never ask for payment through Western Union or a MoneyGram
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Select Shipping Options: Flat Shipping Rate
Choose Flat: Same cost to all buyers Select up to three shipping options and costs for domestic shipping Select up to three shipping options, locations, and costs for international shipping
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Select Shipping Options: Shipping Calculator
Choose Calculated: based on buyer’s address Select weight and size Select up to six shipping options (three each for domestic and international)
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Return Policy and Checkout Instructions
Check Returns Accepted Select duration Select refund type Enter detailed policy Acceptable reasons:
Item not as described Doesn’t fit, doesn’t work, just not happy, etc.
Who pays return shipping? Enter Checkout instructions
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Review and Submit
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Completing the Sale
My eBay After the listing ends Unpaid item process Evaluate/Relist Payment with PayPal Shipping Methods Leaving & Receiving Feedback
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My eBay: Your Personal Dashboard
All Selling to manage:
Current, sold, unsold, and scheduled listings My Account to change: Personal information eBay preferences Seller account information Other eBay features
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My eBay: Items I’ve Sold
Send Invoice View Payment Status Second Chance Offer Leave Feedback
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If Your Item Didn’t Sell
Determine why
Wrong time of year Opening bid/reserve too high Wrong category No discernible reason
Next steps
Make changes to description/photos Change or add photos Adjust starting bid or reserve amount Consider another selling format Second Chance Offer (for unmet reserves) Relist using the Relist button in My eBay > Selling
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Unpaid Items (UPIs)
What are UPIs?
Sold items for which payment is not received
What should you do with a UPI?
My eBay > Selling Related Links > “Unpaid Item” Offer item to under-bidder with Second Chance Offer
How does eBay handle UPIs?
Payment reminder at each buyer sign-in Three UPI strikes = suspension
Help prevent UPIs.
Use Immediate Payment option Include clear payment instructions Provide flat shipping amount or eBay shipping calculator Fully integrate PayPal
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Your Item Sold
Collect payment Print shipping label Leave feedback Ship the item
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Invoice the Buyer if Necessary
Send a manual invoice if: You haven’t set up eBay and PayPal
automatic invoicing You are combining and discounting shipping per request for multiple purchases to one buyer
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There’s Money in Your Account!
If you listed your item with shipping rates and PayPal, your buyer could pay you instantly!
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Accessing Funds in Your PayPal Account
Use the money in your PayPal account to pay for your own eBay purchases, or transfer the money to your bank account.
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Printing Shipping Labels with PayPal
In My eBay: Items I’ve Sold Locate the option for Print Shipping Label
under Action
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Leave Feedback
Feedback is important!
Building blocks of every eBay member’s reputation Buyers want and expect positive feedback
Who goes first? It’s not official but…
Sellers usually leave feedback when they receive payment Buyers usually leave feedback when they receive the item
Dispute? Try to work it out first!
Feedback is permanent Always give buyers the benefit of the doubt Exhaust all options before leaving negative feedback
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The International Component - eBay
Think about this…if everyone in the US had an eBay account and a computer, what’s your total potential market? And if everyone in the world had an eBay account and a computer? eBay has 27 websites in markets all around the world By shipping internationally, your listings will appear on other eBay websites where you agree to ship with currency conversions appearing for local buyers
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The International Component - eBay
One of eBay’s best protection systems for international trade is the feedback system. Check your bidders’ feedback scores. If someone in the UK has 10, 50 or 100 positive feedback, why not transact with them? Customs paperwork is not as scary as you might think. Beware bidders asking to under-report the value of items or to mark them as gifts
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The International Component - PayPal
You can receive payments in multiple currencies You’ll see a summary of different currencies, as well as a US Dollar balance if you converted all funds on that day Convert when you like into US Dollar Balance or at time of withdrawal…you can agree to the conversion amount or hold the funds in the currency for conversion another time
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The International Component - PayPal
Seller Protection
There is risk involved in transacting internationally…that’s not just for eBay and PayPal PayPal can help you manage that risk Seller Protection against chargebacks for US, Canada and UK transactions. More than you might receive through other merchant processors Other factors to mitigate risk
If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is Shipping address and PayPal address don’t match **If you see a PayPal shipping address in Texas and you’re being asked to ship to Transylvania, beware Money is no object for expedited shipping
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The International Component - PayPal
PayPal’s not just for eBay. You can also incorporate domestic and international payments into your website. Click on the “Merchant Services” tab in PayPal to learn more. PayPal can build HTML for you for payment buttons and also has both a shopping cart and solutions for integrating PayPal into existing shopping cart programs.
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The International Component – eBay & PayPal
You may feel better walking away from a transaction if your high bidder has set off warning flags.
Refund payment through PayPal by clicking on the status link of the specific payment. Scroll down to Refund. You may want to block a bidder. Do this through your “My eBay” in the “Selling Resources” link.
Remember, 99.999% of all eBay transactions go off without a problem.
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But Wait…There’s More
After today’s show, here are some resources for you to investigate: www.ebay.com/education - A number of ways to expand on your learning www.ebay.com/griff - Connect to eBay Radio www.paypal.com/securitycenter - How to protect yourself as a buyer and a seller when transacting online www.paypal.com/paypalradio - Connect to PayPal Radio
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Summary
eBay offers a revolutionary way to buy and sell Spend time up-front
Sign up for PayPal Research pricing Think about what you want your listing to say Take photos that look professional
Monitor your listing using My eBay Pay for postage and print labels online with PayPal Ship item promptly and in secure packaging Don't forget to leave feedback International Sales are easier than you think and open up a much larger marketplace No sale is 100% risk free, but eBay and PayPal help you manage risk
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Please complete your evaluation.