posted on October 31, 2003 12:13:16 PM new
My full-time job is as an Academic Trainer for a private college. Basically... that means that I'm in charge of creating and teaching courses for students/staff/faculty to show how to use technology effectively. Usually the courses are on various software programs, OS systems, etc... Anyhow... I think there might actually be a need, and a desire, on our campus for an eBay class. Many academic departments have dificulty finding that specialized piece of lab equipment, or no longer made replacement part. Our on-campus museum has even found important letters pertaining to our founding on eBay! (not to mention it would bring more educated bidders into the bidding pool!)
I'd like to know if you all have some suggestions on what information should be included in such a class. I like to keep all of my classes at about 1.5 hours in length. Anything more than that seems hard for people to retain. I also think that it would probably have to be a course focused on bidding... as selling could easily take up much more time (although I might consider creating two seperate courses). So my big question is this... if you were to create the "perfect bidder" for your auctions... what would you want them to know? Your thoughts are certainly appreciated. Thanks for your help!
posted on October 31, 2003 12:44:02 PM new
I think separate bidding and selling courses are a good idea.
For bidding, besides following through, security, feedback, realistic expectations, reading the description carefully, payment , put the item number on the check or MO etc....
As a seller I've often thought about what I could put on a 3X5 card to include with a newbie's purchase that would help them become better eBayers.
posted on October 31, 2003 02:23:36 PM new
Bidder's need to know to ask questions before they bid. Assumptions lead to disappointments and arguments.
I suggest you lurk on a few of the Ebay boards for a while - especially the "new to Ebay" and "packing and shipping" boards. You would find a lot of recurring problems and then you could teach your class how to avoid them.
posted on October 31, 2003 03:17:44 PM new
I think that 2 separate courses are a wise idea. .
.
.So my big question is this... if you were to create the "perfect bidder" for your auctions... what would you want them to know?
.
.
.I would rethink this as the big question. Your answers are coming from sellers who have one interest here....getting the money. The answer to this big question is over and over......ask questions first...realize that a bid is a binding contract.....read the particular seller's auction rules....realize that you are not buying from Ebay, but are buying from a million different sellers.
.
.
.The big question should be what the curriculum should be for a bidders course. I recommend.
.
.
A chapter on how to use the search function.
Most newbies are lost and confused when they first encounter Ebay.
.
.
.A chapter on how the bidding process works...I find that many bidders don't clearly understand proxy bidding as an example
.
.
.A chapter on avoiding fraud or misrepesentation.
.
.
.A chapter on the different payment methods, and the pros and cons of each.
.
.And finally, yes, a chapter on a bidder's responsibilities
posted on October 31, 2003 03:34:32 PM new
You might think the way the average student might about ebay. The average student probably has little or no desire to sell on ebay. The average student has probably heard of ebay but has actually gone on the site no more than once or twice.
A large portion of the class should show be about security and fraud as that is what the press loves to print or air about ebay.
A presentation on actually bidding on an ebay auction is a must. Perhaps just basically hitting the basics on Private, Reserve and Dutch auctions would be better than delving deeply into those seldom used formats. A short disussion on epayment services like PayPal would be a good item to include. To lighten the mood of the class a few humorous stories about ebay auctions might be included.
Just some thoughts thrown out there.
-------------- sig file ----------- *There is no conclusive evidence that life is serious*
posted on October 31, 2003 06:47:07 PM new
My first thought was one that pointy has already made. Teach them to search smart. They can't buy it if they can't find it. I am still surprised to talk to people who do not know to use the * as a wildcard or to use alternate spellings. Give them an assignment to find as many of a specific object as they can. Have them spend some time searching in different ways for it and bookmarking the most successful searches.
As mentioned show them the way bid increments and proxies work. I hear seasoned eBayers moaning "I missed it by $1!". Never mind that the high bidder might have outbid you by $100.
Also let them know that bidding first does not give you dibs on the item. Even if you are the only bidder for 6 days and 23.99 hours it aint over till it's over. I am not advocating teaching them sniping out of the starting gate because they will most likely be a nervous wreck and I think that will take some of the learning experience away. Just let them know that this is an eBay legal way to bid so they don't go ballistic when it happens.
Of course teach them to read the entire description and ask questions about things that are important to them that are not found there. I have bought enough things described as "good condition" that were less than good to me. Find a way to ask the question that is not, "Are you telling the truth about the condition."
Teach them that eBay can a great place to find more things they could ever see in a lifetime of searching in the real world but is not a perfect place and to "be careful out there."
Good luck with your course. Sounds like it could be fun to teach.
-----o----o----o----o----o----o----o----o
The illiterate of the future will be the person ignorant of the use of the camera as well as of the pen.
Maholy-Nagy, Vision in Motion, 1947
posted on October 31, 2003 07:57:48 PM new
Hey eauction, my kid is in college and has just started selling on ebay. He loves the beer and pizza money it brings in. Selling makes him more responsible and organized. If you decide to teach a class on selling make sure the kids realize that selling on Ebay ain't no picnic and takes time.
posted on October 31, 2003 08:04:50 PM new
Leave feedback within a VERY reasonable time like when you get the goods or within MAX 15 days. Is that to hard to do? The seller has NO problem remembering 15 days.
When they buy it, pay for it.
Sellers spend hours making auctions. We want to be paid for our WORK.
Explain the hoops,,,,, a NPB process is. A PITA.
READ the ENTIRE description. MOST of their Questions Can be answered right there.
Someone here said it, You are NOT the only person we are selling to. We have 100's of customers. We don't have a clue who you are on some assumed personal basis. E bay is a BUSINESS. Sears has no time for any personal involvement with their customers. They too sell on e bay.
Where is my ITEM!
Stop them from using that insane term which is Meaninless on E bay. NAME what they are talking about.
Make SURE their e mail address is Good.
I like this thread. I'll be back.
eauctionmgnt....I covered the problem. His ignoring my request for information,,,,,I paid anyway. E bay need to get rid of such a long time frame to leave F/B.....overseas buyers exempt. Takes time I know that. Just my thought. No need for any complicated record keeping, just quick Feedback if their going to give it.
posted on November 3, 2003 07:29:21 AM new
Thank you all for your valuable input. I've definately taken all your thoughts into consideration. Here is my preliminary outline for the course:
1) Show how to create an eBay user account
a. Supply user information
b. Agree to Terms
c. E-mail Confirmation message
2) Finding items:
a. Browsing through categories
b. Using Search quotes, -/+, * (wildcard), Parentheses and commas
c. Ebay Stores
d. Common Acronyms NBW, NIB, BIN, NR, NWT, MWT, S/H, FS, GU, GW
3) Reading & Understanding Information on an Item Page:
a. Listing information: Starting Bid, Current Bid, Buy-it-now, time remaining, # of bids, Seller ID and feedback rating, Ask Seller a question link
b. Item description look for detailed descriptions, good pictures, s/h amount, sellers terms and conditions
c. Shipping and Payment Details section Payment options, s/h costs, insurance, applicable sales tax: May be included in item description.
d. Payment Options
e. Bidding & Buying Section
4) How to Bid or Buy
a. Explain different kinds of auctions normal, private, reserve, dutch, Fixed-price, Buy-it-now
b. Show how to place bid use eBay university Test bidding page
c. Discuss My Ebay page to keep track of Bidding/Watching/Won, Selling, Favorites, Accounts, Feedback & Preferences
d. Bid is binding contract
5) Paying & Completing the Transaction
a. Establish and retaining Communication with the Seller
b. Different Payment options pros/cons
c. Send payment along with your shipping address and the item # (or any other information requested in the Sellers terms)
d. Waiting for delivery Allow reasonable time for seller to receive your payment and ship your item
e. Inspect your item
f. If necessary, solve any problems by contacting the Seller
g. Leave feedback
6) Buying Safely
a. Feedback
b. Contact Seller
c. Buyer Protection & Dispute Resolution
d. Tips to avoid fraud/misrepresentation
e. Protect your account from spoof e-mails etc
f. NPB policy and consequences
If you have any additional suggestions for this course, I'd love to hear them! The trick is going to be fitting all this information into 1.5 hours worth of class time. I think it can be done... but I'll have to have an attentive class! Anyhow, I'll be sure to let you all know when the course is done - who knows... maybe I'll be creating some new bidders for you! Thanks for everything!
[ edited by eauctionmgnt on Nov 3, 2003 07:30 AM ]
posted on November 3, 2003 01:51:53 PM new
Just some thoughts...
-Under search: Subcatagory searching can limit and yield better results.
-check for misspellings (like I perhaps did here!)
and why...
-Show them how to use the advanced search for closed items. Reality check on prices, even watch it over time.
-Watch feature as a price gauge, too.
Bidding: Gotta talk a little about sniping!
Also problems to keep an eye out for: shilling and bid retractions that may leave you holding the bag...of landfill!
Please also, and I say this to the chagrin of the many sellers who have just been absolute dogs to work with, ask all questions, don't be shy, and even ask for more pix, descriptions etc.
Oh, and copy the auction text and photos at end of auction to protect yourself so when the pix are gone and the widget looks unlike the photo, you don't click back to the auction and see a bunch of......little red X's!!!!!
J
~~~~~~~~~~~**~~~~~~~~~~~
All the monkeys aren't in the zoo,
Every day you meet quite a few,
So you see it's all up to you.
You can be better than you are,
You could be swingin' on a star
posted on November 3, 2003 02:25:02 PM new
JMHO, but I think the buying safely part should come before the bidding. they need to know how critique the item up for sale and the seller before they bid..after they have won the auction is way too late.
put yourself in the mindset of a buyer instead of a seller and what would you want to know before spending your hard earned dollars?
posted on November 3, 2003 03:14:47 PM new
I just resurrected a newspaper article written about an eBay course given at the library in a nearby town. It is no longer available online but if you like I will copy it & send it to you via snail mail. In a nutshell it said that the majority of people interested in the course wanted to sell not buy.
posted on November 3, 2003 03:46:44 PM new
That's true, the local Bead Society had a speaker (who is a fun seller on ebay) come last year and talk about ebay.
I know his auctions and his work, cool guy!
But, his bend toward the audience was selling versus bidding.
Oh well!
J
~~~~~~~~~~~**~~~~~~~~~~~
All the monkeys aren't in the zoo,
Every day you meet quite a few,
So you see it's all up to you.
You can be better than you are,
You could be swingin' on a star
