"I email buyers when items go out, and never send anything without tracking and insurance."
You've worked hard to maintain and even raise your DSRs. Stay on your game for high ratings during the year-end shipping frenzy.
"Getting an item in time is critical for buyers during the holidays," says Kristina Klausen with the eBay Shipping team. "Have a well-honed process in place so you can satisfy their needs as volume grows."
| Designer clothing PowerSeller Andrea McDonough (user ID: laladybug1) agrees. "My customers often need dresses in time for holiday parties. I use PayPal to print labels and ship within hours of receiving payment," she says. |
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"I email buyers when items go out, and never send anything without tracking and insurance."
--laladybug1 |
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"Our accurate inventory and listing procedures allow us to guarantee buyers that we have what they're looking for in stock. If buyers order before midnight, their items are shipped the next day. Plus, operating in the middle of the country keeps our average transit time to around 3 days. Also, we took advantage of the incentives to test free shipping, and it worked so well we moved everything to free shipping. That decision helped our business a lot."
Five years ago, Darrin and his business partner, Matt Keyser, saw the potential of selling on eBay. They sold their eBay consignment business and launched Champions On Display. What began as two hardcore sports fans running an upstart online business has blossomed into a juggernaut in the sports collectibles industry. Now it takes several employees and a massive warehouse to handle the inventory and day-to-day operations.
"We quickly learned that you have to stay on the cutting edge of what's new and which teams or players are hot at any given time. So in a relatively short period of time, we've gone from one vendor to several dozen to meet customer demand. I spend a lot of time at trade shows."
Klausen recommends exploring free shipping since sellers with shipping offers have higher visibility in search. From October 1 through the end of the year, PowerSellers who offer free shipping will have their Final Value Fee discounts doubled. Offer Get It Fast and a special icon will appear next to your listings.
Also, make policies and shipping deadlines crystal-clear in listings, especially for international buyers, and leave a lasting impression.
"Presentation is everything," McDonough says. "Make the package look beautiful. Use really nice ribbon and tissue paper inside-everyone loves opening a present."
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