5 Habits That Make A Good eBay Buyer (My eBay Good Buyer Guide)

Guide to eBay Buyer Etiquette

 
Today is Thanksgiving! :-) This means the Holiday shopping season is officially in full steam.  As much as I enjoy the increase in sells, I have mixed feelings about this time of year.  This is because an increase in sells means an increase in buyer complaints.  Don't get me wrong, I love my buyers! I'm thankful to my eCommerce community for making eBay a safe place for shopping and selling.  But, as a seller, I can honestly say that 95% of my buyer problems come from people who don't exercise GOOD buyer habits.

Some people may be thinking, "Get over it already, there's a bad one in every bunch...."  Perhaps I am a bit of a worry wart.  I tend to agonize over those rare "I left you the best feedback possible...BUT" messages from buyers.  It makes me feel like I'm not doing enough to make the buying experience the best it can be.  It's a real emotional roller coaster.  I start out feeling disappointed in myself .... then I become angry when I look at the listing and find they didn't read my policy .... Afterward, I usually resolve to take some positive action like contacting the buyer, improving the listing, .... OR writing a Guide to Buyer Etiquette like this one:

  

5 Habits That Make A Good eBay Buyer

1>  READ THE FINE PRINT!
there isn't a cookie cutter eBay selling policy. What works for one seller may not work for another. Sellers are NOT required by eBay to post their policies in their listings.  However many sellers DO put their policies at the end of listings in the form of fine print. Read it - it's there for your benefit!  It just wouldn't do to put it all in blinking lights like the Las Vegas Strip.  We like to keep it small and separated from the listing so it doesn't subtract from the item description.

2> PROMPT PAYMENT
Everyone knows it, but it can't be said enough.  Prompt payments make for a speedy transaction and all around happiness.  Most Sellers are willing to wait a week for their cash.  But, as a rule, it's a good idea to let the them know if you can't pay within 3 days.  It doesn't really matter what the reason is.  What matters is that you haven't left the Seller feeling like they've been hung out to dry.  Remember: at the end of the billing cycle, even if you haven't paid, the seller still has to pay eBay's Final Value Fees for the item.

3> COMMUNICATE, COMMUNICATE, COMMUNICATE

• USE EBAY'S MESSAGE SYSTEM - eBay's Message System is designed to protect both Buyers and Sellers from Spam, Phishing, and Malicious e-mail.  The message system protects user identity and supports privacy.  As a Seller, I feel protected by eBay's message system.  I don't appreciate messages from outside sources in my personal e-mail. 
• ASK QUESTIONS - If you have a question, ASK! If you can't read the fine print - ASK! If you need to know more - ASK! If you feel you should get a discount - ASK! ASK! ASK!

4> READ YOUR INVOICE  (more fine print)

When you commit to buying an item, you will receive an invoice by e-mail.  Take the time to read it. It will tell you how much you are paying for the item, the cost of shipping, and if there is any sales tax.  It should also include a copy of the eBay Seller's policies on selling, shipping, returns, and refunds. 

5> CONTACT THE SELLER  (more communication)

• ABOUT ANY PROBLEMS  - The Seller can't help you if they are unaware that there is a problem!
•  IF YOU CAN'T PAY - If you have committed to buying an item (you have an invoice), and can't  follow thru with the purchase, contact the Seller.  Sellers have the ability to Cancel a Transaction in eBay.  Buyers can still leave feedback about the transaction and they are protected from having an Unpaid Item Case opened against them.
  
•  DON'T LEAVE BAD FEEDBACK WITHOUT TALKING TO THE SELLER - It's just plain rude! Seller's can't help if they don't know there is a problem (Yes, I'm repeating myself). You won't get a refund if you don't ask for one  It's your fault if you are unhappy with a purchase and choose not to contact the Seller about it! When you decide not to contact the seller about a problem, you are suffering by your own actions. To me it's like convicting a person without a trial.  It's one of THE WORST things you can do to an eBay Seller. If you are apprehensive about contacting the Seller directly, you can use eBay's Resolution Center tool to resolve the problem. eBay users can reach the Resolution Center from a direct link under the "Account" tab of their eBay page. 

Things I have learned about eBay and Feedback

I'm hopping onto my Seller High Horse again!

I normally do this when I have something to say and no other way vent it other than posting in my blog.  Skimming the eBay discussion forms is depressing enough when you are looking for answers.  But, when it comes to Buyer Feedback, there is something that is glaringly obvious.  Many sellers are not happy with eBay's new feedback policy.

Lots of us don't like the fact that we can't leave negative feedback for a bad buyer.  However, I HATE leaving negative feedback - I'm just too nice :-)    But really, I honestly wonder if it does any good to leave negative feedback to a Buyer at all.  When I make a sell, I'm really not immediately concerned with a buyer's feedback.  I'm more concerned with making the transaction a pleasant experience for myself and my buyer.  I have NEVER rushed immediately to a buyers "About Me" page to read the feedback after a sell.  In fact, I usually don't concern myself at all with feedback until 3-5 days after the item has been shipped.  The only thing that would make me check a Buyer's feedback is if they begin making demands after purchasing or committing to buy an item. That being said, I'm not upset by the fact that I cannot leave negative feedback to buyers.

However, I DO feel like Buyers should be held to a stricter set of standards.  Sellers on eBay already have to deal with some of the toughest e-commerce standards on the internet.  I realize this is for everyone's benefit, but I feel that buyers need to be held responsible for their actions as well. 

For example: A Buyer left feedback for an item without first contacting me about a problem. Judging from the Buyer's feedback score I determined that they are either fairly new to eBay or have re-joined under a new ID.  Judging from the feedback left, they obviously did NOT read the item description. They complained that the item (clearly listed as PRE OWNED) was used.

So, what to do? Not very much.  I left a brief response to the buyer's feedback: "The item was listed as PRE OWNED". I sent the buyer a message that I was unhappy that I wasn't contacted about the problem.  I could have filled out a Feedback Revision Request. I chose not to because I doubted it would do any good.  The transaction was over a month old and completed according to eBay. I couldn't even leave a refund in good faith (yes, I tried).  Also, I have only 2 negative feedback out of nearly 600.  The negative wasn't hurting me - although it DID hurt my feelings. 

Back to Buyer responsibility:  What can eBay do to improve Buyer standards? I believe that part of the problem with bad Buyers is that they don't bother to read item descriptions, and they know little about the etiquette of buying and selling on-line. eBay should be just as active with the education of Buyers as it is with the education of it's Sellers.

1. Send e-mails to Buyers / Sellers about E-Commerce Etiquette when they join eBay, file negative feedback, or file complaints.
2. Put pop-up warnings in their windows when negative feedback is submitted. Fill those pop-ups with handy links like  All About Feedback and the Resolution Center.
3. Require Buyers to contact Sellers about problems before negative Feedback is finalized. This is a pet peeve of mine because Sellers are required by eBay to resolve issues with Buyers. Yet, Buyers are not held to the same standard. 

Despite all this. I still like eBay very much.  I like the fact that eBay revises it's policies instead of using the same old antiquated formula.  To me, this shows they are willing to change with the times and the attitudes of the market. I only hope that whenever I leave suggestions or ask questions of the administrators on eBay, that someone is listening.

Bye, Bye Bonz!

As much as I love Bonanza, I was entirely too frustrated with the lack of sells.  The chit-chat and self promotion took up too much of my precious time.  Time I could have spent writing new listings and selling on eBay.  I guess in this this case I really did "get what I paid for".  I didn't pay for much on Bonz and I didn't get much in return.  I am suddenly reminded of eBay's charms.  I also did not appreciate all the spam / pfishing e-mail I got from advertising my actual e-mail address on Bonz.  I rather like confidentiality of eBay's messaging system - even if I can't post pictures or links in messages there.

The Honeymoon is over, Bonanza.com

I have enjoyed my time on Bonanza.com. The people are friendly, I enjoy the live chat, and the yard sale atmosphere.  But after nearly a month there I've become aware of it's shortcomings. Don't get me wrong, I still think they're on to something. I'm not just sure about the direction of the site.

For example: the powers-that-be on Bonz have shown exactly 0 motivation to promote their awesomeness.  They do not advertise their site. They don't seem to have definite plans to promote it in the future - simply using the excuse "We will advertise when we are ready."  This usually results in grumbling from the forums; followed by a wave of posts from sellers who's main business is promoting other sellers on Twitter, Facebook, or their own personal web sites. This all looks great on the surface, except when faced the glaring fact that they seem to be - for the most part - promoting amongst themselves.  The result? A great many sellers on Bonanza Tweeting and talking to each other, but not so many buyers. 


While I'm not opposed to wholesale self promotion, it's not something I want to be consumed with. The last thing I want to do is spend my day glued to my phone or computer Tweeting my heart out, printing newsletters, and shooting off emails to clog the in-boxes of my buyers.  I would rather spend the day photographing items, writing careful descriptions, and listing on the selling venues of my choice.  Lets face it, there is a point where self-promotion doesn't matter to the customer.  Once they are in your booth they'll make a decision on weather or not to buy from you.  Bad photos and poor descriptions won't be worth a hill of beans at that point.

Then there's what I've dubbed the "Google Problem".  Many successful sellers on Bonanza use Google Checkout and Google Product Search with very few problems.  It's a service similar to PayPal combined with a search engine promotion tool.  In an effort to be more flexible to my customers I had begun to offer Google Checkout.  I quickly found I had made a HUGE mistake.  According to Google Product Search Policy - selling identical unique items on different storefronts is a big NO NO.  Stating that: "You may only submit one listing per item, no matter if you own multiple websites." Doing so is grounds for suspension of your Google Merchant Account.  Since I only sell unique items, and I put duplicate listings on other selling sites this is a relationship that won't work for me.

I have to admit, I am a little perplexed by the fact that Google has taken this stand.  I have always seen them as a pioneer on the internet.  That they would do something like this, leads me to think that they may have some big problems.  It's common practice among small sellers to use different venues.  It's human nature to try new things and visit new places.  I really don't appreciate Google telling me that I HAVE to stay loyal to only one selling site. 

Fortunately, Bonanza has recently begun to offer PayPal and Amazon checkout services.  This (at least to me) feels like a step in the right direction.  What that direction is remains to be determined.  Does all this mean that I will leave Bonanza?  Probably not.  I have learned a lot from Bonanza and the people who call it home.  I enjoy the interaction and making connections with other sellers.  I'm just not as excited about it as I was two weeks ago.  I will continue to list and post in the forums. But, I will also continue to list on other sites and try new ways of selling. 

My new Bonz Booth Video

I'm really enjoying Bonanza!  One of the things I like best is the ease of communication.  It's easy to find people on Bonanza, easy to leave a message, easy to promote yourself.  There is no fear of getting silenced by the administration as long as I keep my talk reasonable and friendly. 

I recently discovered that Bonanza allows sellers to attach a YouTube video to their booth.  It's a great way to tell people who you are and what kind of things you sell.  It's also a great way to make that personal connection with your customers that you don't get to make on eBay. 

I probably spent too much time on my Bonz Booth Video.  But it was so much fun to make! I threw in some old pics of me as a kid; some I didn't even know existed until I started looking =) .

Have a look:

If you feel inspired to build your own video, let me make these reccomendations:

Download NCH videopad. I love the NCH software line.  They have the best "free" trial photo, audio, and video programs out there. There is a 14 day fully operational trial.

Make sure your images are not licensed by someone else. This is the tricky part of on-line media.  It's really too easy to steal content from other people AND too easy to get caught.  I suggest using family photos or images that have been marked by Creative Commons for use in promotional videos. The same goes for music and any sound bytes you might end up using. I was able to find some great music at http://www.incompetech.com/ that is free to use with a $5 donation, as long as you give credit at the end of your video.

Hola! FB Fan Page, Twitter

Opening my shop on Bonanza has opened my eyes to a whole new method of selling on-line.  The sellers on Bonanza are extremely aggressive with social networking.  I didn't realize how much they like to Tweet, Blog, and Chat with each other and their fans. I have quickly grown to like the social atmosphere. Everyone on Bonanza has been friendly and helpful. It lessens the boredom of listing items when you have someone to chat with while your working. 

Bonanza makes selling FUN.  They use Live Chat, Forums, Hand Picked Collections, Selling Games, and Rush Events to knit a community.  Selling on Bonanza is engaging and interactive.  Where eBay is just a place to simply sell your stuff; Bonanza is a place to make friends AND sell your stuff. 

I feel like I have been living in the dark ages with eBay.  While they didn't completely discourage social networking, they didn't entirely support it either.  Looking at the rapidly growing popularity of Twitter, and FaceBook, I think this was a mistake. 

Unfortunately, eBay gets more traffic than Bonanza does.  I will continue to keep my eBay shop open, but I will have duplicate listings in my Bonanza shop.  A lot of Bonanza sellers are doing the same thing.  So please, if you find something you like on eBay - check Bonanza before you buy.  Many sellers new to Bonanza are passing the selling fee discounts they get from Bonanza on to their customers.  You may just get a better deal. 

In an effort not to be left behind, I'm setting up FaceBook and Twitter accounts related to my eBay and Bonanza shops. Please feel free to stop by and "Like" me or just browse the community on Bonanza.  You might like what you find.

eBay v Bonanza

I recently had a dispute with eBay and a particularly nasty buyer.  Long story short, the buyer got her refund - which I strongly feel was undeserved because the problem was really with the postal service - not me. 

This reminded me how dissatisfied I am with eBay's methods for handling disputes. In a depressed mood, I began reading the eBay community forums. I was hoping to find an inspiring story about how eBay defended a seller in a similar situation.  Unfortunately, I didn't find what I was looking for. Instead I found several posts about how eBay is doing away with the small seller. It's true, eBay's fees have recently gone up (enough gain itself the nick-name "FeeBay").  The obvious way to overcome those fees is to be a large volume seller - one big enough to take advantage of offering Free Shipping discounts and mass mark downs.  But that's just not an option for Little'ol Me. I'm doing this because I enjoy it and to supplement my income. I don't want it to be a full-time job.

I would like to look at the bright side of the coin, however.  Had I not had a dispute, I would not have visited the forums and discovered Bonanza.  Bonanza is a new selling site that operates on fixed price items.  It brings back that Resale Boutique / Flea Market appeal that eBay once had.  My first impression is that it's a little bit like Etsy (a selling sight for the homemade and crafty).  The home page has "Showcase" features much like Etsy's "Handpicked Items" features.  It's that gallery feel that I enjoy on Etsy except in the form of a cool animated slide show. It had a look and feel that I have longed for on eBay.  After some fun browsing, I decided to hit the "Sell" button and find out what Bonanza could to for me.

My eBay Shop :(

My Bonanza Booth :)

 To my astonishment and joy, I found out that Bonanza would import my eBay auctions for FREE! In addition, I could immediately start listing on Bonanza without paying any fees.  Like Half.com (eBay's selling site for books and media), Bonanza does not charge any fees until an item sells.  I promptly smiled and pinched myself, because someone had finally realized my dream of combining the best of eBay, Etsy, and Half.com into one site geared for small sellers. In addition, Bonanza has added their own unique twist to selling - live chat.  Buyers are encouraged to chat up sellers; asking questions and advice. Sellers are also encouraged to chat live with each other.  All this is Bonanza's attempt to bridge the communication gap that is so evident amongst buyers, sellers, and administration in eBay.

I won't say that I am completely sold on the concept of Bonanza.  It all really depends on the bottom line.  If Bonanza becomes popular enough to unseat the eBay giant, I will happily jump ship. Thus far, Bonanza has my vote. As long as they cater to the small seller and our eclectic tastes they can keep it. 


I have to insert a word of warning to eBay sellers who have more than 50-60 fixed price items to import into Bonanza.  Bonanza's import is not discriminatory.  If you have 204 fixed price eBay items, they will import ALL 204. Bonanza will import your photos, item specifics and descriptions (HTML or otherwise).  However, your item specifics may not match up with Bonanza's.  Therefore, you may have up to 204 auctions to edit in Bonanza before they will allow you to list them.  Also your pictures may not fit Bonanza's format.  I will have  to crop most of my photos to make them look right on Bonanza. I will also have to check the shipping charges for all my items on Bonanza to make sure they are correct.  Although Bonanza has made it easier for me by importing my items for me, there is still work to do.  And don't forget, Bonanza is a different interface than eBay's so I'm learning to use that at the same time. It helps to be an experienced seller, and a web savvy one as well.