posted on February 5, 2001 10:02:59 PM new
The other day, Mr. Martiniswiller (of course, he is more of a Scotch swiller, but that is beside the point) received a sportscard that he had bid on and with it came a $1.00 off coupon for future auctions with this particular seller. We thought it was an interesting idea. Has anyone here ever offered coupons or other incentives for returning customers? Up until now, we have relied on our customer service, but I am curious if something like that would actually work....
posted on February 5, 2001 10:47:15 PM new
I think this is a fantastic idea. The seller can get a database of great customers this way...may weed out a few deadbeats. If I received one of these then I would definately make a point of looking up that sellers auction. You know how it is....its the dollar burning your pocket. You just have to spend it. Damn.....there is smoke coming out of my pocket. I have to go and buy some more....lol
posted on February 6, 2001 12:32:08 AM new
Ebay does not allow that.
http://pages.ebay.com/help/community/png-list.html
Scroll down about 2/3 to bonuses and giveaways. It will give your competitors more ammunition to get eBay to end your auctions.
posted on February 6, 2001 01:05:48 AM new
I think you can send a coupon with the goods that the buyer bought. This coupon could be good for anything you want (free shipping, free insurance, discount, etc) on their next ebay purchase with you.
I did this at one time... and it worked, but you have to fill out the coupon so that you can truly trace it. What I did was wrote the sellers name in it & ebay id. I also expired it after one year from the date they won their first or last purchase from me. (I put an expiration date on it also)
I think Printmaster has templates you can adjust to your needs. That is what I used, but I printed the coupons on card stock (I think 4 to a sheet and cut them apart) They have all different colors of card stock (Wally World) has some on their shelfs. They have 4 neon colors in one pack and white in another.
You cannot mention this BONUS in your auction ads, but you can slip it in with their item when you mail it out.
Of course the coupon will have to be with the payment for them to get the offer. Or you could use a discount code word for those buyers who use Paypal or other online payments.
People will use them if your BONUS is good enough, so be prepared and plan it out carefully.
posted on February 6, 2001 07:20:03 AM newALL of my winners get a 10% DISCOUNT on ALL future winning bids!
This has built up a nice base of repeat buyers! I have many folks who buy 4-10 items at a time! I don't mention it in the auction, but in every email I send is a reminder of the discount along with a link to my Auctiva Showcase!
posted on February 6, 2001 09:57:20 PM new
I also use coupons with my auction goods. I write a personal "Thank You" note, and include a 15% off coupon for my auctions and online store.
The coupon looks just like a regular coupon which I designed off the computer. On the front I put instructions on how to use it plus I use a code word. The code word relates to where they get the coupon ie. from auction, store, etc. I have no expiration on it. On the back I list suggested items and new items forthcoming. (Keep them interested.).
This has been successful, and customers have even passed the coupon along to friends. This year I am going to make it a bit more complicated in that the more you buy the bigger discount. Starting with a lower % initially; and doing things for a 2 for 1; or a big discount on one item with a minimum purchase...etc.
My feeling is people enjoy auctions the thrill of bidding, winning, etc. Coupons make them feel that they also won, got a deal etc. More importantly, I think building a relationship with buyers work.
I was even thinking of doing a preview page for upcoming auctions at my store...??
posted on February 7, 2001 05:09:36 AM new
When I was selling (I quit selling because my closet pretty much got cleaned out, and I got really tired of giving up every Saturday morning to packing and shipping and hauling stuff to the Post Office), I used coupons enclosed with the item and it worked great. Same as someone else posted, I included the persons name and Ebay ID and had them expire in a year. It wasn't that onerous to keep track of them and it really did stimulate business.
It doesn't violate the Ebay rule because it's packed with the item, not included in the listing.
