AW Daily - Tips & Tactics - Before the Auction: Stating Shipping Terms

Home > Tips & Tactics > Tip

Page 1 , 2

Before the Auction: Stating Shipping Terms

One of the most common causes for miscommunication and misunderstanding among buyers and sellers has to do with shipping. Is the seller or the buyer paying for shipping? How is the merchandise going to be delivered--Priority Mail or UPS Ground? Our tip provides you with what you'll need to know to make sure your buyers clearly understand your shipping terms.

Location, Location, Location
Present your shipping terms (how much, who's paying, and which type of shipping service you will use) in a convenient, easy-to-see place--or rather places. Some buyers complain about not being able to find shipping information when checking out auctions. You need to make sure buyers understand your shipping policies and procedures. Nothing dissuades a potential bidder more than uncertainty about an auction--whether it involves questions about an item's authenticity or how much shipping will cost. Also, complicated shipping terms can turn off buyers. Be simple, direct, and brief.

When listing an auction, you'll notice that many auction sites now include a field (or two) dedicated to shipping information. Here you can include some of your general shipping terms, either by typing them in or by choosing predetermined options. In the case of eBay, you can select a number of different choices, including:

Seller Pays Shipping
Buyer Pays Actual Shipping Cost
Buyer Pays Fixed Amount
See Item Description

Additionally, there is a shipping destination option with the following choices:

Ship to Seller's Country Only
Will Ship Internationally

This is a good start, but don't limit your shipping information to these predetermined possibilities when you're listing an auction. For starters, if you can type the information, there usually isn't much space allotted, while on eBay, you don't have a choice of what to include. You can go into further detail by including shipping information in your item description as well. (When listing on eBay, it's always a good idea to select the "See Item Description" option.) In the item description, you can amplify and be more specific. You might also consider creating a separate paragraph for your shipping information so that it stands out from the text describing your item (some sellers also use larger or colored fonts). But don't rely solely on placing the information in the item description. Some folks don't always read the entire auction description and might miss your shipping terms if that's the only place where they reside on an auction page. Utilize the shipping fields if the auction site offers them.

Lastly, for clarification it's a good idea to include the final shipping amount and your shipping policies in your end-of-auction emails. So that's three places where a buyer can reference your shipping information: the shipping field(s), the item description, and the EOA notice.

Who's Responsible?
Be up front about who will be responsible for paying for the shipping process: the buyer or the seller. Most often, buyers pay for shipping. However, sellers can throw in shipping as a bonus for regular customers or offer it as an incentive to lure bidders to their auctions. If you're trying to think of ways to generate interest in your auctions, consider offering complementary shipping.

What if a buyer demands that you pay for shipping? Well, it's your decision, not the buyer's. Such demands are unreasonable. As the seller, you are the one who stipulates the shipping terms for a particular auction, including which party shall take care of shipping costs.

Next Page | Tell me more