The End of Your Auction

HOW ARE MY AUCTIONS DOING?

eBay has included a user lookup in their search section. Simply click on "SEARCH", go down to the area that says Seller e-mail and enter your e-mail address, as well as the options that they list, such as current auctions only, how you want the results sorted, etc. Hit "STATUS" and you will receive a complete listing of all of the items that you have up for auction. These include the item numbers, the starting date of the auction, the ending date of the auction, the current price of the item, the item title, and who the high bidder is.

THE AUCTION'S OVER, NOW WHAT?

Well, you’ve sold your first items on eBay, and you are excited!! Now, you see that this stuff can really make you some money. The first thing you do is send an e-mail out to the winning bidder, letting them know where to send the money and any other special instruction that they may need.

Let them know that you will notify them when you receive their payment, and also that you will let them know when the item has been sent. This will accomplish two things, first it will help your money arrive more quickly, and second it will make the buyer feel more at ease. Everyone is a little cautious when dealing with someone new for the first time, so good communications are a must. If you are delayed in getting an item out for any reason, let the buyer know via e-mail.

Once you receive the buyer's payment, it is only fair to leave them some positive feedback on the system. After all, a lot of people use this factor to decide if they want to do business with someone. If they have been good to deal with, please let other people know, and perhaps they will do the same for you in return!

It does not hurt to mention where they can leave feedback for your auction and

your service to them. You might leave a note in their package that you sent, or

you might send a follow up email to them telling them when you shipped their

product with a reminder that you would appreciate feedback.

WHAT IF THE HIGH BIDDER BACKS OUT?

There is not a lot you can do if a bidder backs out on you. What you can do first is contact eBay and let them know that the item did not sell for the high bid. Remember that eBay™ takes a percentage of the highest bid, so let them know that the highest bid backed out on you.
If the high bidder refuses to respond to e-mail inquiring about their reasons for backing out on the bid or is rude, then, by all means, leave negative feedback about the user on eBay™. Most problems can be settled via e-mail, so be sure before you affect the online reputation of a buyer through negative feedback. The buyer's hard drive could have crashed or have been shorted out by lightening. Family emergencies can also cause users to be away from their computers. Also remember, that if you need to re-list your item on eBay, you can probably do it for free! Just look at the link that eBay points to in the e-mail it sends you after the auction is over if for any reason you need to re-list the item.