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Tips
for Sellers
Selling merchandise through TheBikeAuction.com is a unique experience.
This section gives you advice about how to best use TheBikeAuction.com
as a seller. If you're a buyer, read Tips
for Buyers.
Auction
Fees >>
How
to place an auction
1)
Click on "Start an Auction" under the members area on
the left side of the screen.
2) Select the button labelled "I understand and agree"
3) Choose a category that you web site would be best suited in.
4) Choose a subcategory that you web site would be best suited
in.
5) Repeat steps 3 and 4 above for another category.
6) Fill in all the appropriate field. Fields with a * are mandatory.
7) Hit the button labelled "Preview"
8) Preview your auction and verify that everything is OK then
hit the button labelled "Start my Auction"
Be
Complete In Your Descriptions
Try to anticipate questions people may have, and be complete in
your description of your item. This will save you the trouble of
answering email questions from potential bidders. Don't forget to
specify who will pay for shipping, and enter the location of the
item in the description field.
Add Your Photo
Show off your item with an image or photograph and let potential
buyers see your item with more detail. If you are adding images
to your auction item please do not allow the original size
of the image to be larger than 500 x 500 pixels, so that it will
conform to the site standards. Coding the image is simple, all you
have to do is input the web address of the image (url). This site
does not upload images, you must have them at an existing url for
the auction scripts to refer to.
Example:
http://www.YourServer.com/auction/images/logo3.gif
No
" " or other special characters
Provide Terms For Sale
To properly assure that you receive payment for the items you sell,
include your payment method and shipping terms in your listing.
Further, you may want to insure the item before shipping, and you
may want to accept more secure forms of payment (such as credit
cards), where you are able to verify the buyer. Finally, if you
are unsure about a buyer, you may want to use an escrow service.
Be Courteous To Bidders
Remember that, as a seller, you have additional responsibility in
any transaction, since you are advertising a particular item for
sale, and are receiving money for that item when you make the sale.
Also, please remember that your actions reflect directly on YourAuctionSite.com.
A little bit of courtesy goes a long way, especially via e-mail.
Simply taking the time to write in complete sentences, with a salutation
and closing, can make a big difference in how you are viewed via
e-mail. Be sure to treat everyone with the courtesy that you expect
to receive.
Contact The Buyer
Be sure you take the time to talk on the phone with the buyer, especially
if you have any discomfort about your e-mail exchanges with this
person. E-mail communication is sometimes awkward, and it may be
difficult to judge another person's personality, honesty, etc.,
without having an actual conversation person-to-person.
Also, many people don't read their e-mail every day, so you shouldn't
assume someone is ignoring you just because you haven't heard from
them in a while.
Request
for Credit
We have just implemented a "Request for Credit" feature
for auctions that have bidders but do not pay or contact you.
To request a credit:
1) Log in by clicking on the link labeled "My Account"
on the left side
2) Select "Request a Credit" under the "My Auctions"
header
3) Select the auction number of the auction that you are requesting
credit
4) Fill in the form and hit submit.
Note: This feature only applies to auctions started after
April 15th, 2002. The auction must be closed for at least seven
days and no more than 60 days. A request is not a guarantee that
you will receive credit. We will contact the highest bidder and
request an explanation. A credit is given based on the explanation
from the highest bidder.
Advertise
Advertise your item in the appropriate newsgroups, bulletin boards
etc. AOL Classifieds (for AOL customers) is another good spot.
Descriptions
Make your descriptions as accurate as possible as to condition and
add as much technical information as you feel necessary. You can
also upload pictures if you have that technology, or if you have
access to a server where you can put a picture, you can put a link
to it when you register the item.
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