CHAPTER 6 - FOLLOWING AND ENDING THE AUCTION
HOW ARE MY AUCTIONS DOING?
eBay™ has included a user lookup in their search
section. Simply click on "SEARCH", go down to the area that says
Seller e-mail and enter your e-mail address, as well as the options that
they list, such as current auctions only, how you want the results sorted,
etc. Hit "STATUS" and you will receive a complete listing of all
of the items that you have up for auction. These include the item numbers,
the starting date of the auction, the ending date of the auction, the
current price of the item, the item title, and who the high bidder is.
THE AUCTION'S OVER, NOW WHAT?
Well, you’ve sold your first items on eBay™, and you
are excited!! Now, you see that this stuff can really make you some money.
The first thing you do is send an e-mail out to the winning bidder, letting
them know where to send the money and any other special instruction that
they may need.
Let them know that you will notify them when you receive
their payment, and also that you will let them know when the item has been
sent. This will accomplish two things, first it will help your money arrive
more quickly, and second it will make the buyer feel more at ease. Everyone
is a little cautious when dealing with someone new for the first time, so
good communications are a must. If you are delayed in getting an item out
for any reason, let the buyer know via e-mail.
Once you receive the buyer's payment, it is only fair to
leave them some positive feedback on the system. After all, a lot of people
use this factor to decide if they want to do business with someone. If they
have been good to deal with, please let other people know, and perhaps they
will do the same for you in return!
WHAT IF THE HIGH BIDDER BACKS OUT?
There is not a lot you can do if a bidder backs out on
you. What you can do first is contact eBay™ and let them know that the
item did not sell for the high bid. Remember that eBay™ takes a percentage
of the highest bid, so let them know that the highest bid backed out on you.
If the high bidder refuses to respond to e-mail inquiring
about their reasons for backing out on the bid or is rude, then, by all
means, leave negative feedback about the user on eBay™. Most problems can
be settled via e-mail, so be sure before you affect the online reputation of
a buyer through negative feedback. The buyer's hard drive could have crashed
or have been shorted out by lightening. Family emergencies can also cause
users to be away from their computers. Also remember, that if you need to
re-list your item on eBay™, you can probably do it for free! Just look at
the link that eBay™ points to in the e-mail it sends you after the auction
is over if for any reason you need to re-list the item.
Here is one of the most fun things that you can do besides
make money, and that is spend some of that money!! Whether you are looking
to buy at eBay™ for personal use or to resell, it can be a really fun
experience! In this section, I will inform you of a few things that you will
need to know in order to be a success at this auction stuff.
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