Keeping Good Relations, With Your Ebay Buyers - By Mark Kenny

As a seller it's easy to get frustrated with newer ebay members and those who don't always read though your auction listing before bidding or asking a question thats already answered within the listing.

If your trying to make an income on ebay, regardless of whether its a hobby, part time business or full time business your regarded as a professional seller. So, it's essential to remain professional at all times.

Below, are my top five tips for being a professional ebay seller, and keeping good relations with other ebay members though every step of the transaction.

1. Answer emails promptly and politely.

There's nothing worst, than waiting for a response from sellers - especially when your eager to bid or use buy it now. Every ebay member who takes the time to email you, is an interested member. No matter how bad the email is written, spelt or what time it's received. I've almost dismissed emails in the past, thinking from the tone they were not serious about bidding and the sender of the email has gone on to buy multiple items off me - both on and off ebay. Always take the time to respond.

2. Leave feedback promptly

Some sellers use automated feedback tools. This automatically leaves feedback once the buyer has paid or has left feedback for the seller. However, a lot of sellers pretend to use these tools to protect their feedback, claiming feedback will not be left until it is left for them.

As a seller I understand this point of view. However, as a buyer on eBay as long as I bid and pay for the item my responsibilities as a buyer are complete. If I buy an item off you, and it's not as described I have no obligation to try and work things out with you before leaving feedback.

Leaving positive feedback at the earliest opportunity will show you have acted in good faith, and will give your buyer more reason to contact you should things go wrong. Don't hold your buyers to feedback blackmail.

3. Send off goods immediately

How long do you have to wait for your ebay purchases to arrive. If a seller only dispatches items once or twice a week you'll probably have to wait a while. I once waited three weeks for an item to be sent which is extremely annoying. Don't put your winning buyers in the same position, especially if they uses Buy-It-Now so they don't have to wait until the end of a seven or ten day auction to win the item.

4. Double check everything

I've just read a post on the ebay forum, with a seller complaining that he has got negative because he accidently sent out the incorrect item to a winning bidder. Accidents happen, but it wasn't the buyers fault. It's essential to double check everything before you send it out. Why should a winning bidder have to go though the hassle of returning an item and awaiting redelivery of the correct item. They shouldn't.

5. Accept Responsibility

Things do and can occasionally go wrong,even for the best ebay sellers. Items go out of stock, payments may come in but get unnoticed. On many occasions I've been sent a payment, but missed it because the paypal notification didn't arrive. If it's your fault, take the time to apologise, insist it's an isolated incident and regain the buyers confidence. Keep them informed of whats happening & how long it will take to resolve.

Mark Kenny runs the AuctionCUT ebay forum. Discuss any detail of eBay or online auctions at http://www.Auctioncut.com including your ebay goals for this year.