Powersellers Blog

So what’s a PowerSeller? PowerSellers are the people on eBay who’ve made it, recognizable by the little ‘PowerSeller’ badge next to their name. You’ve probably seen these people around – and to succeed on eBay, you want to think the way they do. How to People Get the Right to Call Themselves PowerSellers? eBay gets to decide who can be a PowerSeller and who can’t, and they have strict requirements. To get in at the minimum PowerSeller level, you must have a feedback rating of at least 100 (minimum 98% positive) and sell at least $1,000 worth of items every month for three months in a row. There are different levels of PowerSeller membership as you sell items of greater value: $1,000 total is bronze, $3,000 is silver, $10,000 is gold, $25,000 is platinum and $125,000 is titanium. If PowerSellers ever fail to meet the required amount of sales, or their feedback falls below 98% positive, then they lose their PowerSeller status. In short, the only people who get to be PowerSellers on eBay are the people who have been successful for a good while, and are on track to stay that way. The Shop and the Marketplace. This is the most important part of understanding how PowerSellers think. They don’t see what they’re doing as being some random bazaar or a hobby – instead, they see themselves as a business. Put it like this. If you run a stall in a marketplace, the chances are that you have a general area of business, but you mostly just sell whatever you can get your hands on that week. If your dodgy buddy got his hands of a job lot of something at a discount, then that’s what you’ll be selling. This might be fun – and when you have a good week, you’ll have a really good week – but it’s no way to run a real business in the long-term. PowerSellers think far more like shops. They sell the same things again and again, every week – regular stock for regular customers. They do ‘boring’ business things like keep inventories and budgets. They know what they’re going to be selling, how much they buy it for and how much they expect to sell for. Just like a real shop, there can be hard times sometimes, but their income is stable and their business can grow slowly. The best advice I can give you on thinking like a PowerSeller is this: don’t take long-term risks for short-term gain. Look after your reputation, manage your selling properly, provide good customer service and the rewards will come to you in due course. And you’ll get a little badge next to your name that makes people trust you more! One possibility that you might have realized so far is what eBay can do for any other businesses you might have. Remember, millions of people visit eBay every day – why keep everything separate when you’re starting to tap into that kind of power? The next email will show you a few ways you can use eBay to grow your other businesses.

I have been both a seller and buyer at Ebay. In all my transactions, I make sure that the communication line is open for prospective buyers and the sellers whose items I placed my bid on. It helps if answers are given in a timely manner so that it facilitates the fast selling and buying of the items.

When I was just starting out, I failed to answer a bidder’s question right away and she was disappointed when I told her that the item was already bought. I apologized for the confusion and admitted my mistake. Since I was busy at that time, I forgot to take down the item and inform them that the item has been sold. If I didn’t own up to my mistake, the bidder would have gotten back at me by reporting me to Ebay or by spreading the word to other Ebayers. Well, I’m not sure if she was capable of doing that but just in case. It’s a good thing that it was prevented from happening because I communicated with the bidder.

I have learned my lesson from the experience. After that, I have been quick in answering questions from bidders. In the transactions that I have had, I am proud to say that all the feedback I received were positive and it helped in building a good reputation in Ebay.

I’ve been an ebayer since 2005, and I thought, I already know the “ins and outs” of the online selling/buying until last week…I got scammed! 

I bought an ipod in ebay believing that the person I transacted with is an honest one.  I bidded believing that he would end the listing early.  And out of trust, I paid even if he hadn’t end the bidding yet.  After a day or 2, he ended the bidding right after another person bidded for the same item which means I got outbidded!  As a result, I cannot leave a feedback for that scammer.  I tried to bid in his other items so that I can still have a way to warn, however, I got the Transaction Blocked message.

I am sooooo sad because it is a hard-earned money. I feel soooo stupid. I learned my lessons in a very “expensive” manner.

Lessons learned:

1. Do not pay yet; wait for the seller to end the listing first

2. Get other information from the seller like bank account etc.
3. Before paying gcash or smart money, check the number if it’s prepaid or postpaid. If prepaid, be extra careful

4. Check the feedback ratings for anomalies (because based on the information I gathered, the scammer builds his rating by contacting sellers/buyers of ebayers with suspended accounts saying he is the same person and want them to leave feedbacks again)
5.  Lastly, don’t trust TOO MUCH.
 

I joined Ebay three years ago with the intent of browsing the ads and eventually bidding for some. I heard about this from a friend who was ecstatic that she won the bidding on a book which she got for a low price considering the fact that it was almost new. Well, I’m such a bargain addict and I couldn’t resist a good deal.

Ever since joining, I was able to win some bids and also lose on some. When the bid starts to get high, I just lose interest thinking that I could buy the same item for a lower price elsewhere. I have had regrets when I didn’t pursue an item I really liked after finding out that I couldn’t get a similar item anywhere. Oh well, charge it to experience.

Just last May, I saw this bag on Ebay which was exactly what I wanted. Without really thinking, I started bidding on it. Not until the price got higher than my budget only I realized that if I spend my money on the item, I wouldn’t have extra money until the next paycheck comes. That’s where the problem came in. I thought real hard if I could go on a tight and strict budget for the next two weeks. I remembered the regrets I had when I let something go and I’m never going to let the same thing happen this time. I went on, placed my bid and waited until the last minute to put my offer, and I won! Yay! It was sweet success indeed. In just 2 days, the bag arrived, brand-new, smelling like leather and I thought to myself, I made the right decision.

I was just minding my own business when a friends of mine IM’d me about a great opportunity.

You see, I am known for my Photoshop editing skills and my love for the internet. This friend of mine asked me to take pics and edit the pics of the bags she was selling in ebay and post it as well in her ebay site. As much as i love the internet, I am clueless about online selling. Nevertheless I agreed with her offer cause:

1. I will be paid and be at home.

2. I will learn

So she taught me the ins and outs of ebay.

I only worked for her for a month or two because her assistant came back, but I learned so much and after the experience I had I decided to put up my own ebay as well.

I am sure for everyone who knows about paypal probably, but for that one lost soul who was like me here this is .. any email ending in paypal.inc.com is not ok and is fake.  I got a paypal notice saying an over $300.00 post was put on my paypal account when I hadn’t used it in 2 years.  They want you to log in to a fake site to get your paypal account number. 

 I don’t know if this particular scam is up here or not I couldn’t find it, but please excuse me if there is.

After you have sold on eBay a while you might discover a big secret. But why wait? I’m going to give you a huge eBay secret that many powersellers know about. If you wish to become a powerseller, knowing this secret will help you become very successful.

Follow up with your customer or buyer. On every auction, have a flyer you can include in the package that you send to the buyer. On the flyer, put several other items for sale.

Next, include an order blank and self addressed envelope. You don’t have to stamp the envelope but it enables the buyer to fill out the form, put on a stamp and send you more money with an additional order.

A handwritten thank you note takes about two minutes to write. You can purchase generic thank you notes at the dollar store. Include a thank you note to your buyer in their product package. This makes the buyer feel important and more than just another eBay feedback score and money in someone else’s pocket.

Following up with your buyers is the best way to get repeat business and not have to pay as many eBay fees.

One of the great features of eBay is being able to purchase products with the “buy it now” feature from Powerseller stores. But, what happens after the product is purchased? Many powersellers have learned the secret to a successful eBay business is their customer service and their follow up service.

Make certain to ship the product immediately when the payment has cleared. Send a message through eBay letting the buyer know the product has shipped and thank them.

When you receive feedback, make sure to follow up with a response. Positive feedback can simply be a thank you for your business follow up or response comment. This is a great way to build a good reputation on eBay and have a very profitable powerseller status or reach your goal to become a powerseller.

The about me page is one of the most important areas of your eBay auctions that you should take advantage of.  The about me page is a free eBay resource that you can use instantly.  It is simple to do if you use the templates that eBay provides for this.

The about me page gives buyers confidence.  They can relate to you as a seller and as a person.  Include information about yourself that will help to gain the confidence of buyers and you will notice a significant increase in the number of bids that you receive on your products.

Another important part of the about me page is to include your latest feedback.  This will show buyers in one spot your great rating and great customer service.  They won’t have to go and look for your feedback.  It will automatically be there for them to review.

Take advantage of the about me page on eBay to boost your sales. It’s a free eBay resource for you.

Decorative eggs are a rage right now. You can get them wholesale or even from other eBay auctions to earn a great profitable return.  When you set up your powerseller store, think about adding five or more decorative eggs to the auction.  This will get people to your store and will increase your sales.

The most popular decorative eggs seem to be Emu eggs.  If you are a crafter, you can order Emu eggs to decorate and paint yourself.  If not, you can find many great wholesalers online and through the craft stores to add to your eBay stock.