One way to wrap your hands around the necessary shipping skills needed to be a successful seller on eBay is to dissect shipments from others. When I joined my eBay seller group one of the first things I did was go through their auctions and stores. I wanted to see what they sold, how they wrote their item descriptions, and what sort of place they'd carved out for themselves on eBay. Naturally I found some things to buy.
One seller had a lovely handpainted balloon wine glass and a terrific mug with a flipflop-wearing frog perched on the handle. Because they were in the seller's store, I could buy them right away. The seller provided stellar communication and service but it was when I received the package that I knew I was in the capable hands of an eBay pro.
First, the two fragile items were packed so perfectly it would have been impossible to harm them. (Amazing to me, a newbie.) The glass stem was wrapped in bubble wrap, not uncommon, but then each piece was wrapped in bubble wrap. The two items were then wound tightly together once again in bubble wrap. A bright yellow-gold star THANK YOU! card had been attached to the very top of the bundle so it was the first thing I saw and touched. When I flipped it over, I found the 5-star feedback showing accompanied by a nice note: If there were any problems or questions the seller asked me to contact her before leaving any feedback. (We'll talk about the importance of feedback in eBayland later.) Finally, the packing slip was underneath the thank-you note but still on top of the entire bundle. A hand-written thank you and the seller's signature were also on the packing slip. By the visual impact of the packing and the obvious care in shipping, this seller earned her 5-star feedback.
I've been buying for a while on Amazon and eBay and I have to tell you I was really impressed by the care and handling this seller provided. I knew instantly when I opened the box that I had a real learning opportunity in front of me. This seller sold great items, delivered even greater service, and ultimately proved to be a wonderful teacher.
First, the two fragile items were packed so perfectly it would have been impossible to harm them. (Amazing to me, a newbie.) The glass stem was wrapped in bubble wrap, not uncommon, but then each piece was wrapped in bubble wrap. The two items were then wound tightly together once again in bubble wrap. A bright yellow-gold star THANK YOU! card had been attached to the very top of the bundle so it was the first thing I saw and touched. When I flipped it over, I found the 5-star feedback showing accompanied by a nice note: If there were any problems or questions the seller asked me to contact her before leaving any feedback. (We'll talk about the importance of feedback in eBayland later.) Finally, the packing slip was underneath the thank-you note but still on top of the entire bundle. A hand-written thank you and the seller's signature were also on the packing slip. By the visual impact of the packing and the obvious care in shipping, this seller earned her 5-star feedback.
I've been buying for a while on Amazon and eBay and I have to tell you I was really impressed by the care and handling this seller provided. I knew instantly when I opened the box that I had a real learning opportunity in front of me. This seller sold great items, delivered even greater service, and ultimately proved to be a wonderful teacher.
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