posted on March 25, 2001 09:52:18 PM new
I was just wondering what other ebay sellers do about going on vacation. Last year I totally away from a computer for 8 days. I stopped listing 3 weeks before I left, I started mentioning no shipments between this date and this date 6 weeks ahead of time. I had scheduled auctions to launch while I was gone so I was back in business when I returned. I basically was out of business for a month. I really do not want to do that this summer.
I am trying to think of the best way to be gone and stay alive on ebay. I will be gone 7 days. If items close when I am gone, I can not send EOA, so does that mean NO listing the week before? Close up shop kind of thing? I do not have anyone that can do it for me when I am away.
If I put in the listing that I will not send the EOA until a certain date, would bidders mind? I will say payments received after this date will not be sent until this date.
Please share your ideas and experiences. What works and don't work.
Thanks for your help!
[ edited by RichieRich on Mar 25, 2001 11:11 PM ]
posted on March 25, 2001 10:23:57 PM new
I have seen a number of auctions where the seller has indicated that they will be out of town or unavailable from XX date to XX date (usually starting about 10 days after the close of the auction). I see nothing objectionable in that--if I want my item before they leave, I use PayPal right away.
I've also seen auctions where the seller is gone for some days while it's still running. They just indicate that they can't respond to any questions until XX date, but will respond as soon as possible after then. (I'd recommend arriving home at least 3 days before the auction ends to answer bidder questions--this would ONLY work well if you have a complete, easy-to-understand description and good pictures!)
I think that as long as you clearly state your absence, your buyers will understand. NOTE: If it's your policy to hold checks, put verbiage in your TOS or EOA to say that if the check is not received before XX date (your departure date), the "hold" period will start on XX date (when you get back & deposit the check).
I don't sell much, but as a bidder I would be satisfied with either of these scenarios. It probably means at least some "downtime," but I think it would be substantially less than a month!!!
Without eBay, I might have a real life...
posted on March 25, 2001 11:15:23 PM new
Spend some money and get a laptop to take on Vacation..check your e-mail, and if you hear from a bidder on a closed auction, let them know you are in Cancun enjoying a break, and that the item will be shipped when you return home in a week (if the payment is there )
Keith
I assume full responsibility for my actions, except
the ones that are someone else's fault.
posted on March 25, 2001 11:32:24 PM new
Keith - Actually I have a laptop (2 of them).
But the purpose of a vacation is to get a way and enjoy my family.
Besides, not only would I need to bring the laptop but I'd have to hook up to the internet. And once I go to my email, while I'll just have to check out ebay. And while a couple of hours later I might want to get off.
I can check on my auctions on my cell phone but I can not check my email there.
Good idea but I really want to get away from it all.
BTW - I always enjoy reading what you have to say! Thanks!
posted on March 26, 2001 02:56:46 AM new
When I went away this winter we stayed at a motel that had a computer with internet access. 10 minutes for $1.00, cost me $2.00 to send emails to high bidders and check things out.
posted on March 26, 2001 03:59:18 AM new
Try using a local library to check your email.
I don't particularly recommend any mention in your auctions that you will be out of town. DO however make mention at the beginning and end of your EOAs that you will have "limited" email access from one date to another and no shipments will be made from those dates.
posted on March 26, 2001 04:39:31 AM new
I went away for 10 days last fall and I started putting an announcement in caps at the top of my TOS way ahead of time saying when I would be gone. I exaggerated the time on each end to give me plenty of flexibility and a couple days at the end to get organized when I got home. Told buyers who won before I left to go ahead and send payment while I was gone and I would ship when I got back. Auctions that ended while I was gone were told to either go ahead and figure the total and send the payment or wait until I returned and I would contact them. I was a little nervous about that but it all worked out. It was quite a bit of work when I got back to get caught up.
I didn't address the buyer question problem. If you have the announcement in your TOS I would not think you would get questions. Something like this " WILL BE AWAY FROM XXX TILL XXX. HIGH BIDDERS MAY SEND PAYMENT WHILE I AM AWAY OR WAIT AND I WILL CONTACT WHEN I RETURN." - or something like that.
posted on March 26, 2001 05:28:25 AM new
I'm usually gone for over a month during the winter while my daughter is showing horses out of state and for a couple of weeks in the summer for the same reason.
Closing down 3 weeks ahead means I still leave before a couple of slow payers ever get around to sending their funds. Thank heavens for a DH who's willing to handle things for me.
If you are only going to be gone for a week, closing down 3 weeks early & putting a message on your auction will probably work most of the time.
If you don't want to take along a laptop (and I've found laptops & horse manure don't mix well) or find a place (library, internet cafe, etc) to check your messages, then this will probably take care of most situations.
Or prevail on some relative to monitor your emails while you are gone.
posted on March 26, 2001 06:57:39 AM new
I'm going on a cruise, so the laptop solution doesn't quite work for me...the cruise line does offer email but whew, is it ever expensive ($7.50 for 15 minutes!).
Last time I went on vacation I shut down 3 weeks ahead and didn't start listing until I got back--that meant more than 5 weeks of shut down. This time, I scheduled my auctions so the last one ended 12 days before I leave. My auction TOS asks for payment within ten days of close of auction. In my EOA notice to the high bidders, I notified them of my upcoming absence and strongly urged that they make payment within the ten days or that they'd have to wait for shipment on their items. Most responded with quick payments. A few paid right away and said don't worry about it, no rush! (I sent out their items at once anyway, don't need that hanging over my head!) There are a couple of stragglers who haven't paid yet, but I may still get their payments in time to ship before I "ship out" on Saturday.
I have auctions scheduled to begin about 4 days before I return, and have in my TOS the notice that I won't be available via email until after my return date. I'll have about 3 weeks of shut down, which is an improvement over the 5 weeks, but it's still a lot.
Maybe I'll get brave and try it like mommoonext time. Most of the items I sell need to have the postage calculated because of weight. But if I listed just the under 5#ers or first-class postage items, then buyers could indeed easily add that charge themselves...thanks for the idea.
posted on March 26, 2001 07:06:51 AM new YAY!! Vacation! Woo - Hoo!
In addition to letting your bidders know that you will be unable to access the internet from xx to xx, you can also state your EOA terms in your auctions or with a reference to your me page (that you can put your info on, prvided you dont mind posting the info!).
Example:
Please add $xx for priority mail shipping. Insurance is available for $xx. I accept PayPal to my [email protected]. Money orders
or cashiers checks can be mailed to my street address, mytown,usa. Upon my return on datexx, items for which payment has been received will be shipped on datexx.
just an idea ~ it worked for me last summer when DH surprised me with a 5 day cruise ~ leaving 5 days later!!!
Best of Luck ~ enjoy your Family Time!!
posted on March 26, 2001 07:30:02 AM new
I have a similar problem.
I am going to me moving, to another state.
I live alone, and do my ebay business as my full time source of income. So I want to loose the least amount of income.
I suspect I will be Disconnected from the internet for only a few days, but the massive confusion related to the move will be an issue. Also payment mailing address will be a problem (which address), and state sales tax(which state) will be an issue.
posted on March 26, 2001 09:20:57 AM new
I have my last auction close 4 weeks before I go. The week before I leave, I send messages to all late payers that their payment is due ASAP.
Slow/no payers will have NPB filed--after all they have been given 30 days to pay.
I relist the items when I return and post negative feedback for the deadbeats that did not send a payment.
posted on March 26, 2001 09:45:14 AM new
Rich, you can pull it off without having to worry if you do some advance planning. I'm a silver level Powerseller and have in the area of 400-500 auctions listed at any given time and managed without too much difficulty.
I took the family to Disney for one week last month and managed to keep the business running, without problem. I borught my laptop with me and nver even turned it on.
Just make sure that you do not have any auctions ending while you are gone and schedule some listings so they end just after your return. This way you'll have some sales take place for the much needed cash you'll need upon your return. You'll get by without problem.
A vacation notice should be included in all winning bid confirmations you send out a week out from your trip indicating that you'll be on vacation during the following dates and all orders received during this time will be promptly processed upon your return. Be sure to set your email to autorespond with a similar message, so any inquiries that are received will be updated with this information.
Enjoy your family during the vacation and forget about work for awhile. It will do you a world of good.
posted on March 26, 2001 09:54:38 AM new
Make sure you shut everything down before you go. That way you have no worrys about anything. Then start up again when you come back. Works well for me.
posted on March 26, 2001 10:06:56 AM new
I haven't really found it that hard. Last time I ended all auctions late in the week, by noon Saturday. Sent out EOA emails right away. EOA emails indicated that I would be away from email. By the time I left Monday AM, most everything was under control.
I returned Sunday (6 days later), responded to emails and shipped packages. Apologized profusely to anyone whose package was delayed or whose email response was less than prompt.
I had no problems. Seems most of my customers like to take holidays too.
I also posted a bunch of 10 day auctions just before I left
)
YAY!! Vacation! Woo - Hoo!