There Are Many New Changes Coming to eBay

Just received the below message in my eBay inbox;

Big changes to Feedback start this month

Important changes to Feedback are slated to be live in May. Since sellers can now leave only positive Feedback for buyers, we've added important new protections for good sellers:

• Provisions for removing negative and neutral Feedback from
  suspended members.


• Credit for repeat Feedback from your loyal buyers.


• New reminders to encourage buyers to communicate with
  their seller before leaving negative or neutral Feedback.


• Shorter window of time to leave Feedback.


• 7-day wait period for buyers to leave negative or neutral
  Feedback for PowerSellers that have been on eBay for
  at least 12 months.


• Increased ability for sellers to block buyers with
  non-payment history.

Some of this I like and some of it I'll just have to wait and see.

I've always thought that feedback from repeat buyers should be counted in your overall score so I like that one.

But the changes to negative feedback for buyers kind of has me steamed. And I also don't care for counting neutral feedback as negatives in your overall feedback score.

I am sure we will visit all of this again soon.

McCree's Antique Store an Example

Here is another example of a blog being used in conjunction with eBay to sell items. I built this blog McCree's Antique Blog for a friend of mine to help him sell his items and to get more exposure for his eBay store; McCree's Antique Store.

Feel free to send me an email if you have any questions about how to do this or just watch along as we make more entries into his online store and update his blog.

I hope my readers get some ideas from this one. The advantages of having a blog that mirrors your eBay store are;

1. You get better search results. People who are searching for your product can find it through your blog.

2. It allows you to focus on what it is you sell. You can do extended write ups on your items and use different key words that you did not use in your eBay ad.

3. You can have as many photographs as you want. This is one of the neat things about having a blog, you can have unlimited photos for your item. There can be as many different pictures as there are post that you can think up.

4. You can also use your blog as a platform for affiliate marketing that supports the items you sell. You can join eBay's affiliate marketing program and post these links to your blog. There by having a secondary income stream for your store.

What On Line Sellers Are Up Against

I was over at Yahoo Answers answering questions for people that buy items online. I do this because buyers sometimes have some good questions that help me to become a better seller.

This one question showed just what sellers are up against. A person asked;

i won the bid for a cd that was 80 dollars not including shipping.
He has all positive feedback except one neutral one that says

"Sounds good, but might be a fake. Case looks dodgy. Still good :) thank you 6/10"

( thats for a different cd)

he's selling the same cd, that i won it has the same picture and description.
So i think it may be fake but im not sure.
I havent paid yet,
If the item really is fake can i get a refund?

2008 in the title even though the cd came out in 2006
but he isnt saying its new.

what should i do?
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I answered;

You need to wait until you receive the item.

Then inspect it.

If there is a problem get back with the seller and let them know and give him/her a chance to either refund your money or send you what you bought.

If they do not satisfy you then you can start a dispute against them in paypal. If you win the dispute you will be given a full refund.

You can also leave negative feedback for the seller.

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This shows the anxiety that some people have when buying items online. As a seller you have to do all that you can to help people understand that you are legitimate or they may start having buyers remorse prior to even receiving your item.

And as a buyer you should always do your due diligence prior to clicking the buy button. It is not very effective for you to start checking things out after you purchase the item.

Lessons Learned from an eBay Seller

This article titled "How to Make Money on eBay" from the Wall Street Journal online is a good read from a journalist who tries her hand at selling on eBay.

That's ironic, because simplicity is a big reason eBay appealed to me. (Along with instant wealth, of course.) I liked the notion that the sales process would run in the background, like a computer-virus protection program, while I did other things, like my full-time job. EBay would be running things for me.

The article makes a couple of really good points about what it takes to be successful on eBay;

1. That you have to increase your average sell price.
2. That you have to constantly look for ways to keep your cost down.
3. Don't pay too much for your inventory.