Letter to an eBay seller (or how I spent my Sunday whining about eBay) As an honest buyer looking to expand my pottery collection I must ask that you please read the following. If not, there is a better than average chance I will pass right on by your auction and buy from someone else, even if the price is higher. You want to sell and I want to buy so…… 1. Give a detailed description of the item(s) and please don’t say “please see all photos for description”. The photos do not always indicate any damage or anomalies and they never give dimensions. 2. Take decent pictures of your pottery and include the bottom and the inside, if possible. Unclear, angled and blurry pics are an indication that you didnt care enough to keep trying until you got a good picture. 3. Don’t use terms like RARE, HARD TO FIND, ONE OF A KIND or other descriptive words and phrases unless they are absolutely true. Rare doesnt mean that you only have one when there are four others posted on eBay at the same time as your auction. Please do your research. 4. Please avoid using all the brand names of famous pottery companies in your description unless you know that is what your pottery is. I understand you are trying to widen your market on eBay but mentioning Rookwood in the title like “Rare Rookwood Vase” and then putting in the description “Unknown maker but looks like Rookwood, Weller, etc.” will only lead me to believe you are being dishonest on purpose. 5. Don’t describe your pottery as being in EXCELLENT or PERFECT condition and then finish the sentence by stating “except for……..” 6. Don’t price it like you know who made it if you don’t. $750 for a “vintage vase, maker unknown” is amusing and makes me wonder how you are able to price it if you don’t know anything about it. Also, don’t just guess it’s a famous and valuable vase on the word of your neighbor, cousin, Google, postman, etc. If you don’t know, admit it and keep auction low or have it professionally appraised (not by Uncle Louie) and price accordingly. 7. Understand that I don’t know what the international shipping cost is if you don’t use the eBay tool. If I contact you for shipping costs please don’t ask me what I think it would be. I don’t ship to my country from your country and I have paid shipping costs that have varied greatly. Several days and several messages later (and two trips for you to the Post Office) and we finally know it’s three times the expense of the pottery or Ive lost interest and am looking at someone else’s pottery. I will also ALWAYS want tracking and insurance. I know this is not the “cheapest” shipping option and I am willing to pay the price as long as it’s the real price. Oh, and don’t EVER think I’m stupid enough to pay $126 for shipping a 5” vase to Canada. If you don’t want to ship internationally, then don’t, but don’t overprice the shipping to discourage me. It only makes me think you are an idiot. 8. Please pack carefully and double box when you can. I can’t stress this enough. I will pay for your extra packing materials. It’s worth it to me to know that you are not using an empty (and not clean) dog food bag, newspapers and that old couch cushion stuffing you have in your garage to ship pottery that means enough to me to go through this process and pay hard earned money for. 9. Be fair. If you expect me to leave positive feedback for you then reciprocate. 10. Finally, please remember that there are honest buyers out there. I realize you may have been “burned” in the past and it may have been an international buyer but it wasnt me. I have always paid in a timely manner, Ive always been a good communicator and Ive always tried to give you the benefit of the doubt in your auction, even when you didnt do some of the previous 9 things. You have a terrific pottery item and I want it for my collection. Please consider, if you don’t already, selling internationally. You can limit the countries you sell to, if needed, but if you don’t sell internationally you are missing out on a fast transaction with an addicted pottery person who is ready to buy.
Posted on: Tue, 05 Aug 2014 21:46:29 +0000
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