What do you look for in a listing???????

[k1ooo-slr-sales]

I am starting this thread to find out what buyers think makes for a good listing.  Over the years I have read threads where buyers complain about a seller's listing, but I want to start a thread that can be a one-stop place for posting ideas about listings.  As a casual seller, I am interested to know what buyers think makes for a good or bad listing.

I'm not thinking about 'professionally' produced listings, I'm thinking more along the lines of listings produced by casual sellers.

What is it about a listing that makes you stand up and take notice?  What can a seller do to improve their listings for buyers?

What puts you off a listing?

I'll kick it off with a few things I have gleaned about listings over the years.

[keysandcaps]

Oooh !  Lots of things , as you mentioned , Nice clear pictures are right at the top of the list , and why are so many people too lazy to crop their pictures , I hate it when the item is just a fuzzy dot on a table top taken at 2 in the morning with a candle being the only source of light.. Crikey, 99.9% of cameras have macro function , its not that difficult.

 Express post is another one , Being in QLD metro and getting something from WA is painfully slow , forget everything Oz post propaganda says , 2 (10 working days) weeks is the norm. Even SA to QLD can take that long some times.

 What i have come across occasionally is sellers with the express option but then they have a 5 day handling time! whats the point? I understand that some can only post when time is available but don't make excuses ,just be upfront and its not a problem.

 A good honest description , i don't mean describe every tiny mark and blemish but if it has a major fault ,then mention it , most of the items i buy can be easily repaired but it goes without saying,(even though i just have!) , most people will pay more for an item that does not need repairs, just be honest or at least dedicate at least 1 picture to the fault .

 No postage prices , that to me is just laziness , most items can be easily fit in prepaid packaging these days so its not really that difficult. yes,yes, i know about calculated post for bigger items and such but most are easily sorted , or at the least, an approx figure in the description would help to put a cap on your max bid.

 Timely responses to questions , not within the hour of course but not 5 days later and 2 minutes before the end of an auction, to me that just shows laziness again.

That's enough of a rant for now.

[keysandcaps · Accepted solution]

One more , sellers that upload the tracking numbers is a biggie too. i like to keep track online, saves a lot of back and forth to my PO Box.

[chezzy]

What I don't like in a listing:

- too much text especially if it is long-winded terms and conditions

- 'extra' graphics, fancy borders or other elements that clutter the page ie "too much noise"

- short one liner mobile phone listings

- Global Shipping Program

- smelly items that aren't described as such (smells include: damp/musty, cigarette smoke, cat wee, strong aftershave)

[fixnwear]

My pet hates:

*one liner listings - dunno how they hope to sell anything with those

**op shop smell - very nasty, can't get rid of it even with constant washing, but blaming a seller in those cases is a total waste of time, they don't "owe" anyone any explanations on where thier stock comes from. 

I don't mind:

*any other sort of smell as long as it's not hazardous,  can't imaging why anyone would worry about those as people who buy second hand goods for next to nothing are quite capable of washing the stuff! Or adding a lick of paint, or looking at a scratches on something and living with it - surelly they are not delusional and expect these items to look and smell like new! Then they wouldn't be second hand.

***seller's conditions - I always read them and try to go by them - who gives a hoot what Ebay's conditions are, they are not the ones selling, posting, describing and photographing anything! In my books seller and their wishes (after all it's their goods and their store), are much more important than Ebay's - as I view this place no different than any other web place that one can buy something from.

[padi*0409]

Slightly off topic slr, so my apologies.................

But, I would like to see T & S employ more people (since they obviously can't do their job with the numbers they've currently got....grrr...), and make a real effort on rapidly shutting down hackers and scammers that are fleecing an aweful lot of buyers.

Rant over........................

Spoiler

Awaits   from slr.....................................

[grevilleas4me · Accepted solution]

I like:

• listings without too much bling -  too many bells and whistles are distracting - sometimes the listing is all about the seller and there is nothing about the item!
• sellers who say upfront - I combine postage if it saves you money - so you don't have to ask every time
• tracking numbers when I buy (if it's a parcel of course)

I hate:

• postage pirates - I don't mind paying postage, I am not deceived by this "free postage" thing - I know sellers have to put postage separately or add it to the price of their items - but I hate paying $14 for postage and then getting the item in an envelope with $1.40 stamps
• one liners - I can't see, smell or touch the item - I need sellers to describe it to me
• listings with "I am not responsible if the item is lost by Aust Post"  - that's just silly, of course you are, give me back my money
• specially hate the scrolling thingy

[daniellebradydesigns · Accepted solution]

I like plain descriptions. 
If it is too loud and looks more like a website than an eBay listing I won't buy.
I'm not there to see what else the seller has to offer. If I want to see what else they sell I'll go have a look.

I prefer short and to the point descriptions.

And short terms and conditions. With headings so I know where to direct my eyes depending on what I want to know.

Good quality photos are a must.

I base my own listings on what I like to see in others. They need to be easy to follow and easy to get information from without having to sort through mess.

[phorum_junkie*]

 most people will pay more for an item that does not need repairs

Not always so. I have several times listed items with a defect like a small hole or a button missing etc and well documented and photographed the fault and started it at half the price of a similar item listed at the same time in perfect condition and often the damaged item will sell for more! I once sold a dress with a twisted strap that sold for twice as much as the same dress availabe BIN.

[digital*ghost · Accepted solution]

Most of the core issues for me have already been mentioned, but just a couple of things... The biggest turn-off for me, perhaps strangely, is music. There's not too many sellers these days that have something auto-play if I open a listing, but there is one on eBay Oz, and I've come across their listings in my searches a few times now. They have some stuff I was thinking about buying, but I lost all interest when the music started. 

Measurements are key, in a wide range of categories - nothing irks me more than seeing a craft component and not being able to tell if it will fit what I want to use it with. Sometimes some measurements are provided, but not the important ones (eg cabochon frames - I need to know the dimensions of the tray, not the overall outside dimensions). 

Not as irksome, but still annoying - I also like to see numbers that refer to the most relevant quantity, not individual pieces if it takes >1 piece to = 1 of whatever is for sale (i.e. if something has 3 pieces per set or unit for 1 complete item, and there's 10 complete sets in a lot, I want to see "10 sets" in the title / description, not "30 PCS", in some cases both might be useful to include, eg bulk earring wires like 100 pairs / 200 ear wires, but the set quantity is the most important IMHO). 

When I look for a seller's TOS, I'm primarily looking to see whether they combine and discount postage, if they have any pre-set amounts etc, and/or whether they ask to wait for a combined invoice rather than have auto-discounts set up (and as a related thing - free postage is a turn-off, too. For some things I don't have much of a choice because everyone is offering free postage on them, but I would say around 80% of the time I shop on eBay, I'm interested in purchasing several items at a time to make it worthwhile, and if I have the choice, I will buy from a seller who has postage quoted separately,  then look at their other stuff. If a seller is offering free postage, I'm much less inclined to even look at their other items, let alone buy them). 

Sellers using 95% of the listing to advertise other items, and the listing takes a couple of minutes to load properly, is a pet peeve. Not too many in Oz do it, so that's a plus, but some listings I click on have many extremely large images of half their catalogue in their descriptions, and it's a chore to wait for everything to load, then I feel like I'm reading a Where's Wally? book while I scroll through and find the bit that actually refers to the item for sale. 

[springyzone · Accepted solution]

Nice clear photos & a bit of a description-as in, good condition? any faults? Measurements if relevant.

I hate ads where there is next to no description and only one distance shot.

I do hate it if an item is available for pick up & the seller doesn't list suburb, or they have something general such as "Melbourne area". Where, exactly? I get tired of having to ask.

Also, just a tip with photos. If you are selling something-anything really-have a look at the background in the photo. I've seen things advertised with mess all over the floor (and one was a wedding dress where they expected top dollar), or empty cigarette packets or bottles outdoors etc. To me it is a turn off. If it all looks messy/dirty or that you have taken no care with the photo, then I wonder about the condition of the item.