eBay® for Dummies®, 6th Edition

Chapter 12. Closing the Deal and Shipping It Out

In This Chapter

• Staying organized

• Communicating with the buyer

• Packing and sending the item

• Purchasing stamps and services online

The auction's over and you have a winning buyer, who (you hope) is eager to send you money. Sounds perfect, doesn't it? It is if you watch your step, keep on top of things, and communicate like a professional.

In this chapter, I help you figure out how to stay organized by showing you what documents you need to keep and for how long. I also include tips and etiquette on communicating with the buyer so that you're most likely to come out with positive feedback. In addition, you find out how to pack your item, assess costs, and make sure the item reaches the buyer when you say it will (oh, yeah ... and in one piece).

Bookkeeping and Staying Organized

Although I don't recommend lining your nest with every scrap from every auction you run, you can safely keep some documents without mutating into a giant pack rat. Until you become an eBay expert and are comfortable with other ways to electronically store your information, you should print and file these essentials:

• The listing page as it appeared before the auction closed: This page gives you a record of the item name and number and a lot of other useful information. The page also includes the auction item description (and any revisions you've made to it), which is handy if the buyer argues that an item's disintegrating before his eyes and you honestly described it as ...