By
Mark Borison
SeniorNet Intro to the Internet Instructor
Costa Mesa Senior Center
mborison@yahoo.com

I am the Introduction to the Internet Instructor at the Costa Mesa Senior Center's SeniorNet facility. We are currently offering 10 different classes, including classes in Windows (98 or XP) 1 and 2, Word Processing, Printshop, Digital Photography using Photoshop Elements 2, E-Mail, and the Introduction to the Internet. For information please call (949) 545-2356 or stop by the Costa Mesa Senior Center at 695 19th St. and inquire at the desk. Feel free to email me if you have any questions or any ideas for future articles. In October we hope to offer another Buying and Selling on eBay Workshop, if you are interested, call the number above or email me.

1. Register
Go to http://www.ebay.com/ and click on Register
Take the How to Register on eBay Tour
http://pages.ebay.com/education/howtoregister/index.html
After you register on eBay you will have to also Register to Sell on eBay
Sign up to accept PayPal (optional)
2. Take the How to Sell on eBay Tour
http://pages.ebay.com/education/howtosell/index.html
3. Fill out the Sell Your Item form
The Sell Your Item form is where you'll create your eBay listing.
Here are some of the sections you'll find

Choose a Selling Format
Are you selling through eBay's standard online auction format, setting a fixed price, using your own eBay Store, or listing an ad in the Real Estate category?
Select a Category
Explore eBay categories ahead of time to help you choose the best place to list your item. Try searching for similar items and see where they are listed.
Write a Title
Be clear, complete, and descriptive. Your title should include
words buyers would search for when looking for your item.
Item Description
Here's your chance to really describe and promote your item. Be clear and complete, of course. But you can also be creative, telling the history of your item or listing uses for it.
Add Pictures
Show off your item with vivid pictures. You can use eBay Picture Services, or you can click Web Hosting to use your own hosting service.
Pricing and Duration
How long do you want your listing to run? How many items are you selling? What will your starting price be?
Item Location
It's as simple as saying where you are and it helps people near you find your item.
Increase Your Item's Visibility
Explore the many listing upgrades that can help your item stand out from the crowd.
Choose the options that are right for you.
Enter Payment and Shipping Information
How will you accept payment from your buyer when your listing ends?
eBay recommends offering PayPal, the fast, easy and secure way
to accept credit card or checking account payment.
Where will you ship your item and who will pay for that cost? The more details you include on the Sell Your Item form, the easier the end of your listing will be.
Review and submit your listing
Now you'll see a preview of your listing and a summary of its details.
Look this over carefully. If you're satisfied and finished, submit your listing.

Now your listing begins!

Closing the Deal: Overview
The end of your listing may be a busy time for you as a seller.

If your item sells successfully, there's a lot to do, from contacting
your buyer to accepting payment to shipping the item.

If you don't receive any successful bids or something goes wrong with your high bidder, you can use the many tools and options available to solve problems and keep trying to sell your item.

Getting in touch to complete your sale

When your listing is over, it's time to get in touch with your winning bidder or Buy It Now buyer. If you're using Checkout, some or all of the information will be emailed to your buyer. If not, you'll need to email your buyer to exchange information. The buyer's email address will be provided in the email announcing the end of your listing.

Ask the buyer for:
The address they'd like the item shipped to

Tell the buyer:
Shipping cost
How you will ship the item to them
When to expect it
Which payment options you accept
The total price
Tax (if applicable)

Leave the buyer feedback:
eBay's feedback system helps create a trustworthy community for everyone. Your feedback about your buyer is important information for other sellers!

You're done! It's so much fun, you'll want to sell again right away.

Building Your Reputation: Overview

At eBay, as in any community, your reputation is
important for doing business and making friends.

There are several ways to build a good reputation for yourself at eBay

Your User ID
Other eBay members will come to recognize you by your User ID,
so it's a good idea to choose one you'll want to use for the long term.

Your feedback profile
Made up of comments and ratings from users who have traded with you, your feedback profile
is the most important aspect of your reputation at eBay. Be the best and most responsive
buyer or seller you can be, and good feedback will follow.

How it works
The feedback rating system is easy. You receive:
+1 point for each positive comment
0 points for each neutral comment
-1 point for each negative comment

When to check it
Before you bid on an item, you can check the seller's feedback rating by clicking on the number next to the their name, or from the view feedback request form. Sellers may also want to view the feedback profiles of bidders to see how reliable they've been in the past.

How to leave it
After you make a sale or purchase, remember to leave feedback for the eBay member you bought from or sold to. This helps everyone in the community know what it's like to deal with that member.
See a list of all the sales and purchases you still need to leave feedback for.
Feedback cannot be erased. The feedback you give is permanent, so be sure to make only fair and factual comments.

Developing a Positive Feedback Rating
Initially by buying a number of items, also a great way
to learn about how successful sellers deal with their customers

Utilize You're My eBay Page
Take the How to use My eBay page Tour
http://pages.ebay.com/education/myebaytour/index.html

Your About Me page
Create an About Me page to tell other eBay users about yourself and your interests.
Selling Fees
Insertion Fees
There is a non-refundable Insertion Fee for listing your item on eBay. Insertion Fees vary by the type of listing:

Single Quantity, Online Auction Listings
The Insertion Fee is based on the starting price for your item.
Reserve Price Auction Listings
The Insertion Fee is based on the reserve price of the item you list for sale.

When you list a Reserve Price Auction, you will also be charged a Reserve Price Auction Fee, which is also based upon the reserve price. Reserve Price Auction Fees are fully refundable. At the end of the auction, if your item sells, the Reserve Price Auction Fee is refunded to your account. This also applies to Real Estate.
Starting Price,Opening Value orReserve Price Insertion Fee
$0.01 - $9.99 $0.30
$10.00 - $24.99 $0.55
$25.00 - $49.99 $1.10
$50.00 - $199.99 $2.20
$200.00 and up $3.30

Tips from Successful Sellers

TIP- If your market is for the housewife, start your auctions in the morning.
What time in the morning? Keep in mind, all auctions end at the same time they start.
TIP- Use the evening hours to list items for the working families and the major ticket items
for those folks who need to make a joint decision for the larger amounts.
TIP- The best months are January to the middle of June,
then from the middle of September to the middle of December.
TIP - Use the reserve price to set the minimum amount that you will take for your item if you are starting with a minimum bid far lower than what you will accept if your item sales. So, set the starting bid at or near the amount you want. eBay recommends you keep the starting bid around 25% to 70% of the reserve price you have set.
TIP- If you type this after the title of your auction item, NR or N/R, you will get more bids per visitor. The NR and N/R indicates there is no reserve price to be met. This will create bidding frenzies to get started in some instances.
TIP- The hottest bidding times are when a listing is new and the last hour. So don't get discouraged if there is not much bidding activity during the days in between. The bidders are not asleep,
they are like you, just monitoring their favorites.
TIP- The best tool to use in selling is to accurately describe the item
using keywords that are most likely to be searched for.
TIP- Price the items fairly and treat buyers as you would want to be treated.
TIP- Try bidding on an item to see and get the feel for it. As soon as you make a qualified bid, eBay will send you an immediate email that your bid was accepted and that you are the high bidder. When you are outbid at a future time, eBay will also send you an email to let you know that you have been outbid by another.
TIP- At the top of each page on the left hand side is a link called my eBay. This is a very important link to an eBay seller. It will give you a full accounting and stats of your eBay account
TIP- Offer free shipping if the bid reaches a certain amount.
TIP- For credibility offer a money back guarantee.
TIP- Review your listing before it is submitted. Once a bid is made you cannot revise it. Also make sure your starting bid is what you want. If you push that "submit my listing button " you can not change the price.
TIP- Always leave a positive feedback for your buyers and ask
them to leave positive feedback for you when the transaction is complete.
TIP- Information is your greatest asset. Read up on online marketing
and read EVERY Ebay FAQ and help file. Know everything about your venue of sale.
TIP- Don't be afraid to try new things on Ebay
TIP- Offer quick shipping! Your customers want their merchandise
quickly and efficiently. Charge reasonable shipping rates.
TIP- Set up an E-Commerce account. You need to be able
to take credit cards and online checks to be a successful Ebay seller. .
TIP- Don't put a ridiculous shipping price on your merchandise.
Many purchasers look to the price of shipping before bidding.
TIP- Package your merchandise well. Your purchaser will remember
what great care you have taken to get them their product safely to them.

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