[obviously this is the longest document we have edited in this course. At best, we probably cannot get through 3
pages of this in our meeting. I encourage you to copyedit this entire document as well as look for usability/technical
problems it may contain. I’ll post a complete with my notes after class Thurs. — David McMurrey]
Note to instructor:
The following set of instructions is geared for an individual who is comfortable using the internet and has
purchased items on the website eBay.com. The set of instructions assumes familiarity with the menus and main
pages of the site.
This guide could be used on eBay.com as a help topic.
How to Sell an Item on eBay.com
EBay.com is the world's online marketplace; a place for buyers and sellers to come together and trade
almost anything. You have bought items on eBay before, and now you want to sell some things of your own. Here
is some information to help you start on your way to becoming an eBay seller. It covers everything you need to
know about creating a auction-style listing on eBay, including: (1) building your account, (2) researching before you
begin, (3) creating your listing, (4) managing your listing and (5) wrapping up your sale with your buyer.
Build Your Account
You have already bought a few things on eBay, so you should have some positive feedback ratings. If not,
you need to do some more shopping! Pay for your purchases immediately and concentrate on improving your
feedback score. This will give your auctions credibility when you begin selling; potential buyers may see a seller
who has no feedback as a potential risk.
Since you have bought items on eBay before, you have a verified account. Now you need to make your buyers
account a sellers account as well. You need to select how you will pay your seller fees and decide which payment
methods you will accept from buyers. To set up your seller preferences:
1.
Login to your eBay account.
2.
Click My eBay Summary.
3.
Click the Account tab.
4.
Click Seller Account.
5.
Follow the prompts to set up your preferences. These preferences include paying your listing fees, and
accepting payments.
How will you pay your listing fees? First, you need to select how you will pay your listing fees. You can pay
your seller fees using any of the following payment methods:
1.
PayPal (monthly and one-time payments).
2.
Credit card (monthly and one-time payments).
3.
Direct pay from your checking account (monthly and one-time payments).
You will need to provide banking or credit card information. Your personal information is protected by eBay's
Privacy Policy and encrypted by industry standard SSL technology.(1)
How will you get paid? The next step is to select and set up the payment methods you will accept from buyers.
How you set up your payment options varies by each method. The following is a list of acceptable payment options
on eBay.com:

Pay Pal

ProPay

MoneyBrokers

PayMate

Merchant credit card

Payment upon pickup
Note: EBay does not allow payment by personal check, cashier's check, bank-to-bank transfers, or money order.
Researching Before You Begin
You may feel ready to jump in and start listing but there is some work that needs to be done before you
start. You have some research to do! You need to become an expert on your item as well as the rules governing
your auction.
Research your item. Search eBay for items like those you want to sell. Read the listings. Take note of
what sort of information or photos you find most helpful to you as a potential buyer. The same type of information
will be helpful to your potential buyers.
While you search for similar items on eBay pay attention to which categories they are listed in. You will
have better success if you use the same searchable categories.
Research the rules for selling. Know the rules for sellers about eBay policies on prohibited and restricted
items and what is acceptable when listing and completing the sale. Scroll down to the bottom of the Home page and
click Policies. Take some time to read over the rules and policies pages before creating your listing.
Creating Your Listing
Now you are ready to begin listing your item. The best way to get started is to first assemble the
information you will need to place the listing, then use the Sell Your Item form.
Assemble the information you will need to place the listing. You will need to measure the item and
weigh the item so you can estimate shipping costs. You also need to take good pictures of your item.
Measure your item. Buyers feel more compelled to bid and buy when they know the shipping costs before
bidding. Package, weigh, and measure your item so you can use calculated shipping. If this is your first time selling
an item, you may be required to specify shipping.
Take good photographs. Good photographs that clearly illustrate the item to be sold can make a listing.
Bad photographs are little better than no photographs at all. No photograph at all will lead some people to think that
you do not own the item at all, or have something to hide.
In preparation for taking the photo, place the item in area with a plain background and get rid of any nearby
clutter. A simple sheet of white paper may be used to provide a nice, neutral background for smaller items. Where
possible, turn off your flash and use natural light. Take photographs of your item from every angle that you think
someone will find useful. Get photographs of any unusual feature, any defects, and so on. Of course, some items
only need one photo, use your judgment here.
Figure 1 below shows a poorly planned photograph. Notice how difficult it is to discern which item is for
sale. Figure 2 shows the same item on a white background with natural light. It is easy to see the features of the
item.
Figure 1: Which object are you selling?
Figure 2: No clutter and some natural
light make a great improvement. (2)
Caution:
Do not copy photographs from other listings or anywhere else on the Internet, ever. Apart from being dishonest and
fraudulent, this is copyright infringement. Nearly everything on the Internet is copyrighted, whether it has a
copyright notice or not.
Use the Sell Your Item form. To get to the Sell Your Item form, click the Sell button at the top of most
eBay pages. This is the easiest way to create your listing. On the Sell Your Item form, eBay prompts you to enter a
title for your listing, enter a description of your item, set your starting price, and check everything before you submit
your auction.
Enter a title for your listing. The title is the front line in getting your auction noticed. A good title will not
only give potential buyers enough information to know whether the listing is worth their time to look at, it will also
attract people searching for your items.
Include all relevant words in your title. You have a possible 55 characters to fill. Use them all! For
example, Women’s Art Print Tank Top T-Shirt Van Gogh Irises Size Lg contains much more information than
Women’s Tank Top. If you do not include enough information in your title, you may not attract potential bidders
and buyers. Your item might not sell, or your item may go for a much lower price. Include alternative spellings and
phrasings if you have space. For example, if you are selling an iPod, put MP3 player in your title. Check your
spelling well; if you are unsure of the correct spelling, use a dictionary.
Note: Keep the words simple. Exclude words like L@@K, CUTE!!! or excellent. You have very little space, so use
it for what people are searching for. Use a subtitle for any information that you think people will not be searching
for.
Enter a description. Include any and all relevant information. This includes things like the manufacturer,
compatibility, size, weight, color, condition, and so on. Use too much information rather than too little. It is best to
put the most important information at or very near the beginning of the listing.
Be honest. Be clear about any defects in the item. Buyers will find this out anyway, so let them decide for
themselves. Remember, buyers cannot physically touch and examine your item. They are relying on the detail and
accuracy of your listing to make the purchase. Not describing any significant faults is fraud, and will likely lead to
the buyer leaving bad feedback. You are just as liable for dishonesty as you would be with any other kind of sale.
In short, "underpromise and oversell.”[2]
Set your price. You are selling at auction, so set this to the lowest price that you could ever imagine selling
your item for. You can set it lower than this; lower starting bids attract more bidders and interest in your item, and
may well result in your item selling for more.
Double check everything before saving. Be sure that you are done with everything on the overview page.
When you are satisfied with your auction press the submit button. If you do not press submit, the information will
not be entered. A message will appear congratulating you on your listing. You will also get an e-mail confirming
that your product was placed on eBay.
Manage Your Listing
When you have your listing up and running, you can check it to see how bidding is going by going to the
Sell section of My eBay. In My eBay you can also:

Set communication preferences to decide how and when you want to receive alerts or notifications.

Set seller preferences about picture hosting, receiving payments, shipping, and more.

Set member to member communication preferences to say how buyers can connect with you.

Set general preferences for searches and My eBay preferences.

Answer questions from your buyers as the auction runs it’s course. Be prompt about it, always be patient,
clear, professional and friendly.
Note: Refuse offers to buy your item outside of eBay. This is against eBay policy.
Wrap up Your Sale With Your Buyer
Wonderful, you sold your item! Keep up the good work by communicating well with your customer,
shipping promptly and leaving feedback.
1.
Communicate with your buyer. When you use eBay checkout, you will be notified by email when the
buyer has completed check out. Contact your buyer directly, if you have not heard from your buyer within
three days of your listings end.
2.
Receive payment. Be sure you receive payment before you ship your item. Make sure that the credit card
or electronic payment have been accepted and credited to your account before sending the item. Look for a
note on your My eBay page that payment has cleared and your item is ready to ship.
3.
Ship the item to the buyer safely and on time. Package your item as securely as possible, and make sure
your shipment information is correct. Be sure to include your return address.
4.
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.
Congratulations! You have just sold your first item on eBay! You are well on your way to becoming a top seller on
eBay.com.
References
(1) Summary of our Privacy Policy, accessed January 31, 2011, http://pages.ebay.com/help/policies/privacypolicy.html?rt=nc.
(2) Anonymous, “How To Sell on eBay,” wikiHow, last modified January 25, 2011,
http://www.wikihow.com/Sell-on-eBay.
(3) Rockwell, Ken, “How to Win at eBay: Selling” KenRockwell.com, last modified December 2009,
http://www.kenrockwell.com/tech/ebay/selling.htm.
(4) “How To Start a Successful eBay Business”, New Life Auctions, accessed January 21, 2011,
http://www.newlifeauctions.com.