In the digital age, it’s become easier than ever to sell items you no longer want. Thanks to popular online auction sites like eBay, making money off your unwanted possessions is a relatively simple undertaking. However, when selling items online, there are certain rules you’ll need to follow. Failure to adhere to these rules is liable to result in unhappy buyers and reprimands from your favorite auction sites. As such, it behooves every seller to act responsibly and heed the following pointers.
Don’t Misrepresent an Item’s Condition
Misrepresentation of items is one of the most common complaints buyers level against sellers. In some instances, this is purely unintentional. Other times, however, sellers willfully misrepresent an item’s condition in order to make a quick buck. While you may get away with this once or twice, you may find yourself barred from certain sites if enough customers complain about this issue. No matter how desperate you are to make a sale, an inaccurate item description is liable to come back to bite you. Before putting an item up for sale, make a point of thoroughly inspecting it and composing a product description that accurately reflects your observations.
Securely Pack Your Items
In addition to accurately representing the items you sell, you’ll need to take measures to ensure that they reach their intended destinations in one piece. Proper packing is particularly important for items that are fragile and/or perishable. These types of items often require a fair amount of insulation and cushioning. Additional precautions may need to be taken with items that are sensitive to extreme temperatures. Using a temperature logger or indicator is an absolute must when shipping large or valuable items that should be kept within a certain temperature range.
Don’t Drag Your Feet on Shipping
Sellers failing to ship items by agreed-upon dates is another issue that buyers are frequently forced to deal with. Once a buyer’s payment has gone through, they have effectively completed their end of the bargain. That being the case, the onus is now on you to get the shipment out posthaste. Dragging your feet will only elicit angry emails and complaints from buyers and may even lead to refund requests. As a seller, one of the worst things you can do for yourself is shipping items late. The later you send an item out, the later the buyer will receive – and the later the buyer receives, the more disgruntled they’re likely to be.
With the rise of auction sites and online listings, getting rid of unwanted items has never been less cumbersome. In addition to clearing your home of unneeded clutter, you can make a handsome profit in a timely and stress-free manner. Of course, this isn’t to say that you won’t have to expend any effort. When selling items online, you’ll need to display trustworthiness, follow-through and decorum in order to be consistently successful. With this in mind, take care to put the previously discussed tips to good use the next time you decide to sell something online.