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Hack 39 Expectation Management

A few carefully chosen words in your auction
descriptions will help avoid unhappy buyers, returns, and negative
feedback.

"If you lend someone $20 and never see that person
again, it was probably worth it."

Most sellers would agree that an eBay
transaction can be considered successful if the bidder pays promptly,
leaves positive feedback, and then disappears. Naturally, this
happens when the bidder is happy. Unhappy bidders, on the other hand,
have complaints, want refunds, leave nasty feedback, and, all told,
make themselves a general pain in the neck.

When a bidder is displeased, it's usually because of
a failure by the seller long before the customer even places a bid on
the item. It's the seller's job to
describe the item so that the eventual buyer will be pleased with it,
even if it means pointing out its flaws.

Think about it: every time you're happy or unhappy
with a transaction, it's because the experience
either met or failed to meet your expectations. The higher the
expectations, the harder it is to meet them. The key is to strike a
balance between making your product look good and setting reasonable
expectations.

Consider the following when writing your auction
description:

If you would like to categorize an item as "like
new," say it's in
"mint condition" instead. The
phrase "like new" means
"indistinguishable from brand new."
No matter how good it looks to you, the person who's
just laid down $1,500 of their hard-earned money will expect more
than you'll probably be able to deliver.

If the item has been used, say so; don't expect your
bidders to realize this simply by scrutinizing your blurry photos or
noticing that you set a low starting bid.

Mention all flaws, regardless of how insignificant. Whether or not
the flaws are important is beside the point. Rather,
it's the blunt honesty that will win the trust of
your bidders, and ultimately get you more money for your items (and
happier bidders to boot).

If you're selling something belonging to someone
else, say so. Otherwise, your bidders will expect
you to have full knowledge of its history and
will hold you accountable for any flaws you don't
specifically mention up front. Anything you know about the
item's history (such as previous owners, repairs, or
accidents) should be mentioned in the description, along with the
current condition of the item. Or, if the item has had a relatively
cushy life surviving no accidents and requiring no repairs
then say so.

If it's dirty, clean it. If you
don't want to take the time to clean it, say that
it's dirty in the description. Or, better yet, say
something like "With a good cleaning, this item will
be as good as new!"

If you're selling clothing, stuffed animals, dolls,
camping gear, or anything else that can trap odors, be sure to
mention whether the items were kept in a smoke-free environment. Your
non-smoking customers will thank you either way.

Measuring tapes are cheap and plentiful. Be sure to include the
dimensions of your item, especially if you're not
that familiar with it. This is not so much for the
bidder's convenience, but rather to help ease (or
confirm) your bidders' fears that you
might've miscategorized your item. For instance, if
you're selling your grandfather's
model trains and you're not sure of the scale (HO,
N, Z, etc.), then you run a pretty good chance of getting it wrong.
If you include the dimensions, your bidders can be sure of what
they're buying, long before they receive it and have
to send it back.

Don't forget to mention the inclusion (or exclusion)
of the original box, manuals, accessories, warranty card, paperwork,
price tags, or anything else your bidders might expect to get with
your item.

See [Hack #55] for tips on taking good
photos that will simultaneously sell your item and inspire trust in
those who would pay for it.

Don't say "the photo says it
all." The photo never says it
all.

Finally, your tone sets an expectation with your bidders as to what
you'll be like to deal with. Be inviting and
friendly, and invite inquiries from interested bidders. Write in
complete sentences. See [Hack #54] for
ways to protect your interests in the auction description, and [Hack #53] for everything else.

Although it may sound trite, honesty is indeed the best policy. By
selling on eBay, you are joining a community. By dealing fairly and
honestly, you will build a good reputation, attract more bidders, and
contribute positively to that community. This will, in turn, improve
your reputation and attract more bidders. Plus,
you'll make lots of cash.