Ebay insider tips

Photos
Include as many images as possible and try to use your own photographs rather than stock images as this can look dodgy. You can also have more than one photo on your ebay listing without paying for it- by using a free photo hosting service and linking to it!

Title and description
Always see what other sellers have used as a title when they have successfully sold the item you are selling. Use successful titles and avoid spelling mistakes as these can be very costly!

Ensure your description is as accurate as possible and includes anything unusual including damage- you don't want to get bad feedback for a misleading description. This could also lead to a nasty dispute, too. So, be honest and thorough.

Paypal

Most buyers want to pay by paypal- so, I'm afraid you're more likely to sell if you offer this way of paying.

Category

Do your homework on the category by looking at sellers that sell the item you're selling regularly. If in doubt, list in several categories.

Look at the market

You may be wondering if there's a market for your item and how much it is currently going for. I used to look at live auctions, which, or course didn't give me the final selling price. Do a search for your item then select the completed listings box. This will give you an idea of the market for the item, you may also see that the item varies wildly in price!

Post and packing
Look at what experienced sellers are charging for postage and packing and if you are going to sell many items- invest in some scales- I used cheap kitchen scales which are accurate enough for smaller items.

It's Ok to charge a small handling fee for packing and posting- cover your costs but be aware that overcharging for postage is likely to get you bad feedback.

Several ebay accounts
You are entitled to have more than one ebay account- as long as these never interact, in other words, you don't bid on your own account- this is fraud!

You may wonder why you would want more than one account. If you are selling different categories of products you may wish to target certain markets.

Another reason- you may wish to have a separate seller and buyer account- if you are buying on ebay then selling the same items at profit, or You may wish to give a seller negative feedback and not hurt your own seller feedback.

Ebay fees
Ebay fees add up, especially when you add extra photographs or enhanced listings. See what the competition is doing before you decide to upgrade your listing and up the fees. Ebay regularly has discounted listing days and if you are to really sell lots- you may find the monthly cost of an ebay shop is made up for in cheaper listing fees.

A basic rule is that if you list your item £5, £15 £30 or £100 you will be paying a higher fee than if you listed them at £4.99, £14.99, £29.99 and £99.99.

How to make money when you BUY on Ebay!

Amazon books about Ebay
Ebay insider knowledge

Did you know that 54% of auctions go unsold on eBay?

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The independent guide to eBay 2008: 1

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1000 Best Ebay Powerseller Secrets

Customer service
Always try to exceed expectations- post an item fast, have accurate descriptions, pack it well and if you can do so, add a small unexpected freebie.

Answer any questions fast, and deal with disputes rapidly and politely- getting bad feedback, whether you deserve it or not, is a killer for your sales.