posted on February 28, 2001 08:53:56 PM new
Wondering if anyone has any luck with the line "Don't forget to check out my other current auctions... We can save on shipping by sending items together" or something similar?
I used to ALWAYS mention this in my auctions... then realized it didn't seem to do any good. Haven't put it up again, until this week. I auctioned several similar clothing items for kids. Things that I figured the same person might be interested in buying more than one of... considering they'd save a chunk by shipping them all together.
EACH item (there were 5) had 5-10 bids and not even ONE person bid on a "different" item. They all stuck to the same item. I just found that to be odd.
I know when I bid on an item that I collect, or whatever... I always check the seller's current auctions to see if they have more of what I want and if they'll combine shipping. Many a time I've won two items from one seller... even paying MORE for THEIR item as opposed to paying less, and having to pay shipping through another seller.
Am I in the small minority? It seems to be that way with my auctions. I even have one repeat customer who has bought probably TEN items from me, and she NEVER combines shipping. She'll win one item every week-2 weeks and never even try to save money by shipping the silly things TOGETHER! Sometimes I'm not even sure if she remembers that I'm the same seller....
Anyway, wondering if anyone else has any luck with that "line" in their auctions, or if anyone else APPRECIATES seeing that line in a sellers auction, and if they see it as a convenience to buy from one seller and save on the shipping costs....
posted on February 28, 2001 09:12:12 PM new
I use this tactic quite successfully.
I tell bidders to use my gallery link to browse my other auctions using images & state in bold at the end of my description that "I will gladly combine shipping on multiple auction wins to save you money!".
I have a clickable link to my other auctions, plus a gallery link. I also remind people in my Congrats email that if they are bidding on anything else & wish to combine shipping to let me know. (I will hold stuff for my bidders--I get lots of repeat/multiple sales this way.)
I automatically combine shipping for my bidders--I don't wait for them to point it out to me. If they use BillPoint "instant-payment" & pay for double shipping & insurance, I refund the overage when I ship their package.
posted on February 28, 2001 09:31:07 PM new
Since I sell books, sometimes I'll have a series or complementary books.
I say words to the effect "shipping for one "Heroes of Mars" is $2.00. Shipping for any three in this series is $2.50." Sometimes it works, sometimes not.
posted on February 28, 2001 09:47:50 PM new
I also include that you only have to pay one shipping fee no matter how many auctions that you win from me. A flat fee of $4.95.
-Trey
***********************************
"If your mind can concieve it, and you believe it, then you probably can achieve it."
posted on February 28, 2001 11:17:52 PM new
I also include a line that says something like, "Please see my other auctions. Combine winning bids to save on shipping."
A word of caution: You CAN'T say, "See my other auctions of wickets, wackets, wonkets, limited edition wickets, to combine winning bids and save on shipping." This is key word
spamming and is a bid no-no on ebay.
posted on March 1, 2001 12:07:26 AM new
I agree, I sell beer memorabilia, I get tons of bidders bidding on many things, I also use clickable links in my line and sometimes even thumnailed images as links to certain items. ie: If I'm selling a Budweiser tap handle:
CLICK HERE to see more of my TAP HANDLES and BUDWEISER auctions. I also include linked thumbnail photos to similar items on my website and I use my about me page as a thumnail gallery, linking each picture to it's coresponding auction page. I use linked auction pictures on my website too. I'll list items of the same brand or type all in a row so they end within minutes of each other. All of this has not only increased the amount of multiple purchases, is has increased traffic and the number of bids.
more bids = more $
All of this takes a little time to do, but it's worth it.
posted on March 1, 2001 01:07:46 AM new
I think it depends on what you're selling. And how many items you have up for auction. When I buy something,I usually use search to find something I want, then I usually check the other auctions the seller has, but if they have a hodgepodge of items, 2 books, 3 video's, figurines, clothes, furnishings all together, for sale, I back out. Or if they have 3 or 4 pages of items for sale, I don't bother looking at them. I'm a small seller, books and magazines mostly - rarely have more than 30 items up at one time, but I have them grouped, 10 Horror Novels, 10 Humor Books etc. My auctions start out with I have several Horror Novels on sale this week and end with the Check out my other auctions and save on shipping. I find that about 1/2 of my sales are multi-wins. I know you can't do this if you're selling hundreds of items a week or have a vast selection of items to sell, but I think it can work well for smaller sellers.
posted on March 2, 2001 12:33:57 AM new
Yes, I have a table on each auction page that has thumbnailed photos of simmilar items, link to these pages on my website that offer these simmilar items. Ebay clearly states in their policy that you cannot link to the same or simmilar items for sale on your website, if you are offering the items at a lower price. I start most of my auction at $1, wheather it is a $5.00 item or a $500 item, so I am not in violation of ebay policy. You can link to anything through your auction page, as long as it is not a link to a page that offers the item for less than your starting bid.
Users may place a simple link to another web page in the description portion of their listing to help provide more information about the listed item. However, the following links are not permitted:
links to other auction-style trading sites
links to sites offering the same merchandise for the same or lower price
links to sites offering merchandise prohibited on eBay
Policy: The links described above are not permitted and will be ended. The insertion fee will be automatically credited for that listing.
to verify the information above see:
http://pages.ebay.com/help/rulesandsafety/42010011.html
Hope this help some of you, feel free to link your site, even pages that offer simmilar items. see my auctions, I am in total compliance, and trust me, I have researched how far I can push it! ebay user id = thedarnbarn
never been warned, never been suspended, always made a living selling quality products at a low starting bis, never a reserve.
Good luck all, market yourself and your products and see what happens....
BTW, I do not use free image hosts, listers, etc. I do beleive that though there may be an easier way, some things are better done the old fashoined way. I'm only 30 (ONLY???????) but I have been selling online for almost 4 years and I am always learning new ways to improve my business, I'm also learning that some of the new ways are not always improvements........
posted on March 2, 2001 12:34:22 AM new
thought I would include this too (C&Pst'd from ebay) :
42060004 About Me Pages: Inappropriate Links
Your About Me page may not include the following:
1. links to other auction sites.
2. links to sites offering merchandise identical to items you have listed on eBay for the same or lower price (than the initial bid set in the eBay auction).
3. links to sites offering merchandise prohibited on eBay.
4. links to websites that bring the viewer to "Adult Content" as defined in eBay's Mature Audiences policy.
5. links to third parties' web sites without the permission of the third party (this prohibition includes linking to IMAGES hosted on others' web sites without permission).
from the follwing page:
http://pages.ebay.com/help/rulesandsafety/42060004.html
[ edited by thedarnbarn on Mar 2, 2001 12:38 AM ]
posted on March 2, 2001 04:42:28 AM new
I sell multiples all the time.
On and Off eBay.
Providing a link within the auction description to other "like items" that I have listed seems to encourage the sale of other items ON eBay from my listings.
When I don't provide a link... I usually get more eMail requests anyway... at which time, I just sell to them directly and let the "like items" on auction grab their own bidders.
I also state in my listings that multiple wins CAN be shipped together to save a bit on postage.
posted on March 2, 2001 06:38:08 AM new
I put a tag line in my auctions to "Please see my other POKEMON auctions" - and it seems to work - I usually see someone come in and get one item, and then within the new few minutes, they'll bid on another. I think it works well for collectibles to make sure they know that you as a seller have other items of that same theme up there.
