eBay Users: T‬he Importance of Knowing and Following All eBay Rules

Are you an eBay member?  If so, do you consider yourself to be a relatively new eBay member?  If you have just recently started buying or selling on eBay within the past few months you may be.  As time passes, you will likely become more aware of how eBay works. For instance, if you are an eBay seller, you may find new ways to improve your eBay listings or if you are an eBay buyer, you may find new ways to get great deals.  One thing that you will likely do, overtime, is learn more about eBay’s rules.

As you likely already know, eBay is considered one of the world’s most popular online marketplaces.  eBay gives internet users, like you, the option to buy and sell online.  While giving all internet users the ability to buy and sell is nice, it can make for some problems, particularly concerning security or inappropriate content.  That is why eBay, like all other online marketplaces, has developed a set of rules or guidelines that you must follow, whether you are an eBay buyer or an eBay seller.  You should not only familiarize yourself with those rules, if you haven’t already done so, but you also need to follow them.

If you are an eBay seller, one of the most important eBay rules that you need to abide by is prohibited items.  Although just about anything can be sold on eBay, there are a few restrictions.  For instance, alcohol, drugs, pornography, and stolen merchandise are just a few of the many items that all eBay sellers, including you, are prohibited from selling.  Another eBay rule that you must follow, as an eBay seller, is to pay all of your eBay fees on time.  eBay has a set pay schedule, which you will be notified of in advance.  To be able to keep on making a profit selling merchandise on eBay, you will want to make sure that you pay your eBay fees on time.

If you are an eBay buyer, instead of an eBay seller, you will also have to know and abide by all eBay rules.  One of those rules is bidding only on items that you intend to buy.  If you place a bid on an eBay auction or if you agree to buy an item listed in a “Buy It Now,” listing format, you must do so.  That rule is stated in eBay’s guidelines.  If you do not feel that you can pay for the items that you bid on or agreed to pay for, it is best if you stay away from eBay for the time being.  Another eBay rule that you must follow is being honest with your purchases.  If you don’t receive an eBay purchase, it is fine to report that, but give it a few extra days for your item to arrive. Although eBay scams are often associated with sellers, many buyers are beginning to stir up trouble.  This involves reporting that they had not received an item, when they actually did; thus resulting in a refund, as well as the purchased item.

In most cases, you will find that it is relatively easy to get caught breaking eBay’s rules. That is why it is advised that you not only know all of eBay’s rules, but that you also abide by them. Should you not, you may end up suffering the consequences.  One of those consequences involves having your eBay account temporarily suspended or even permanently suspended.  In rare, but serious cases, the authorities may be contacted or legal action may be taken against you.  In all honesty, the action taken depends on the parties involved.
Despite the varied consequences for breaking eBay’s rules, it is extremely important that you take the time to examine all of eBay, including the sites rules, restrictions, and guidelines, before you get yourself into trouble that is difficult to get out of. For more information on eBay’s rules, visit their help center, speak to an experienced eBay user, or try and contact eBay’s customer service department.

eBay University – What Is It All About?

eBay University is the learning program that eBay  established to help people become successful eBay  merchants. For convenience, eBay classes are held  in many locations throughout the United States, and  classes may also be completed from home, using  your computer.

You should note that all of the information you will  learn through eBay University can be found on the  website – for free. However, understanding that free  information isn’t always easy. eBay University will  teach you how to open a seller’s account, how to  conduct research and create listings, how to improve  listings for greater success, how to integrate Paypal  with eBay, how to monitor your auctions, and how to  complete transactions.

Once you’ve finished the Selling Basics course, you  are ready for the ‘Beyond the Basics’ course. This  advanced course will teach you how to start and  grow an eBay business, how to choose and create  listing formats that sell, how to use all of the eBay  resources, how to market your business, how to  pack and ship your items, and much more. Both  courses are reasonably priced, and well worth the  short amount of time that it takes to complete  each course.

eBay Success - How to Price Your Items

Many new sellers don’t realize how important pricing is when it comes to eBay auctions. Many don’t even realize that ‘pricing’ needs to be done. eBay is an auction site after all! But eBay auctions are not quite the same as the auctions you attend in the offline world. In fact, quite a bit of work goes into determining and setting prices.

 Essentially, there are only three prices that can be set for an eBay auction: the ‘buy it now’ price, the reserve price, and the starting bid price. Of these three, the starting bid price is the only one that is required for an eBay auction. The reserve price and the ‘buy it now’ price are optional. The starting bid price is fairly simple – never set it higher than $50 or so – no matter what your item is really worth.

This low opening price will get bidders to your auction. Setting low starting bid prices creates the need for a reserve price. A reserve price is the absolute lowest price that you want to get for your item. You may sell the item below the reserve price, but you will not be required to. In other words, if you set your reserve price at $100, and your highest bid is only $50, you do not have to sell the item to the highest bidder. You can close the auction without any negative feedback or repercussions. Set your reserve price at the absolute lowest price you are willing to sell your item for. Keep what the item is worth, as well as what it cost you in mind. The ‘buy it now’ option will allow you to set a price, and buyers can buy the item immediately, without bidding, for that set price. This option can be used for any type of item, and it should be set to match your reserve, give or take a few dollars. This option is great if you have multiple identical items to sell. Shipping has a price, and potential buyers take this into consideration when they are looking at an auction. If you can see your way clear to offer free shipping, you will find that people are placing more bids. Make sure that your potential buyers realize that you are offering free shipping! Before setting any prices, you need to determine what the item is really worth. The value of the item in different markets might be quite high. However, you are selling on eBay, and it is a different world altogether! Find out the price that similar items sold for on eBay before setting any prices. If it is a collectable, or a high ticket item, have the item evaluated to ensure that you aren't going to lose money!