Several practical tips eBay Sellers can use to solve their shipping, relisting, and auction management woes.
I don't miss my boss a bit. Or commuting, or paying daycare, or dry cleaning fancy work clothes. I mean, this eBay lifestyle beats a J-O-B any day, and I don't plan on ever going back to a regular work place. But there are things that drive me nuts about selling on eBay.
1- Daily trips to the Post Office. 2- Sending out a zillion WBNs (winning bidder notices)/ re- listing numerous auctions every day. 3- Answering the same questions from bidders over and over.
These three things nearly drove me out of the auction business. Not only were they taking up too much time, but the way I was going about them was holding my business back. Once I found a solution to these 3 'crazy makers' my profits skyrocketed and my kids stopped calling me the old grouch.
Here's how you can deal with these same issues:
1-Daily trips to the post office: Try an inexpensive postage scale from Simplypostage. The scale is $15 a month, but you can print all your own postage (up to 5 lbs at a time) and sweet-talk the postman into passing by each day. If that doesn't make sense for your situation, at least you won't have to wait in that long line at the post office. Just walk past all those folks in line and leave your boxes on the counter. Most post offices have a larger counter for crates of metered mail. You can get free delivery confirmation if you print your priority mailing labels with free software from http://www.USPS.gov (look for their "Click n Ship" section)
Just this morning I found that USPS Click n Ship will print postage on your express or priority labels. All you need is a java enabled browser, quality inkjet or laser printer, and a credit card.
For larger items, set-up a shipping account with FedEx or UPS and have them pick-up your packages.
2-Sending out a zillion WBN's/re-listing auctions every day:
eBay requires you to send out winning bidder emails on every transaction, and if you aren't listing new auctions regularly you're essentially out of business! Thank goodness for seller utilities like Vendio (formerly Auctionwatch), Andale, and others. You can create your listing once, tell it when to launch, and turn on the automatic WBN and checkout system. The service does the rest. You can set the system up to do re-occurring listings, re-list automatically, and (this one is my personal favorite) email all your winners for you.
These services aren't free, but the time they can save you is well worth the nominal cost, especially if you are a high volume seller. You can literally setup auctions to launch months in advance. Imagine the time you'll save with automated WBN's and checkout! More info on Auctionwatch Here: http://www.auctioncashmachines.com/AuctionWatch.html More Info on Andale available Here: http://www.andale.com
3-Answering the same bidder questions over and over: Okay, this was admittedly my fault for not putting enough detail in my descriptions. If you are getting the same questions often, answer those questions in the listing itself so people don't have to ask, or set up a FAQ on an auto responder or web page. Link to the FAQ in every auction you run.
When you simplify these annoying tasks, you'll find that you are able to manage more auctions and make more money with less effort. It takes a lot of the self-discipline out of auctioning and will bring you more success in the long run.
(c) 2003 Marjory Howes
About the Author
Marjory Howes is an eBay PowerSeller and author of "Turbo-Charge Your Auction Store: eBay Sellers' Guide to saving 90% on listing fees." Her e-Book and free e-Zine help eBay sellers boost profits and enjoy higher success in online auctions. Subscribe for free at www.auctioncashmachines.com