OBSERVED PROBLEM

EFFECT

SUGGESTED REMEDIES

Abusive or rude language in ad.

When a seller tells his ad readers he “will not answer any stupid questions,” or includes some other rude comment, he kills his own sale.

At all times treat your reader with respect and in the same manner you would want to be treated.

Ad is too long.

Readers tend to avoid long ads because they take too long to read.

Always keep your ad as concise as possible. Seen are “XYL sez its gotta go!”, “Leaving the hobby.”, “Cleaning the shack.”, etc. on many ads. These kinds of comments, while colorful, are irrelevant to the mission and  make the ad longer.  Also, avoid including detailed specifications. Save the details for a prospective buyer who has inquired about your item; gives you something to talk about.

All upper case type.

Regardless of our personal preferences, many readers will NOT read ads presented in all capital type.

Don’t run them off before they read your ad. The accepted convention on the Internet is to use “all caps” to “shout it out.”  There is no place for all caps in a classified ad. It makes the text hard to read and readers are likely NOT to read it. If you want your readers to read your ad, stick with normal text presentation.

Asking price is too high.

People almost never buy items that are priced above the known market value. Readers are led to think you are just fanaticizing and do not take your ad seriously

The Internet offers almost unlimited shopping opportunities. This means you are competing with many other sellers of the same item in your ad. Before you write your ad, do your homework and determine the true market value of your gear. One approach to doing this is to shop the ads, as if you were the buyer, to find out what others are asking for the same equipment. Another approach is to ask others who deal in used electronic equipment what they think your gear is worth. Finally, go to the used equipment lists of known published dealers, such as AES, and access their used prices.  After you learn its market value, post your item’s price in your ad. Also, explain why any exceptional  equipment is priced above the prevailing average market value. 

Condition statement not provided.

Readers will continue to search for something of known condition.

A cardinal principal of selling is to remove any and all uncertainty in the mind of the potential buyer.

Even with good pictures, prospective buyers expect to find a good clear statement of the electrical and cosmetic condition of the offered equipment. Always provide  a complete and honest disclosure of the condition of your item. Include cosmetic and electrical condition and status.  If it is not working or is incomplete, say so. If it is working but some functions or features no longer work, say so. Avoid using “puffed up” descriptions. Use the term “rare” only when the item is known to be hard to find by collectors.

"Going to eBay if it does not sell."

your willingness to dump it on eBay can be seen as an indication the gear has problems of some kind.

Telling the reader you intend to put your gear on eBay is bad strategy. Keep your reader focused on buying your gear here and now. Forget what you are going to do later, it is irrelevant to the business at hand.

Impediments for the prospective buyer to overcome.

Buyers will not purchase.

Another cardinal principal of selling is to remove all obstacles between the seller and the buyer. Buyers will balk at seller requirement to call for a price, ask for a picture, or to learn of the item’s condition. Structure your ad accordingly.  Keep the buyer effort minimal and simple. Avoid placing anything in the way of your buyer making a decision to purchase your item.

Incorrect email address.

No one will contact you about your ad.

Be sure the email address you give in your ad is correct and can be used by prospective buyers. If the address is flawed, you have wasted a lot of resources for nothing.

No clear identity of seller; does not provide complete contact information.

Leaving out essential information such as your mailing address, email address, phone number, call sign, and the like will (and should!) cause the reader move on to the next ad.

One of the most important things a prospective buyer needs to know is who you are.

If you are unknown to them and they are interested in buying your item, they will research you to see if others have had problems dealing with you. Also, they will want to verify that you are a honest person and you are dealing in good faith.

Always post your full name and a complete working email address.

Always post your FCC assigned ham call sign. If you do not have a call sign, say so.

Always list your QTH location and your ZIP code.

Be sure the phone number you list is accurate and working.

No picture(s) shown of  the item.

Most buyers will not commit to purchase without seeing what they are buying. 

Today’s digital camera  technology puts this powerful feature in sellers hands. Include at least one image of the item for sale. If more than one item, use several images. Be sure images are in focus, show the true condition of the items(s) and is useful to prospective buyers.

No shipment of  item or local sale only.

The great advantage of buying and selling on the Internet is that it affords users previously unheard of opportunity to expand the marketing area. To refuse to ship an item eliminates the opportunity and puts the seller (you!) back in the dark ages again.

If you have an item that you do not want damaged in shipment or if you just don’t want the hassle of packing and shipping, use a professional packing and shipping service. These include , UPS Stores, Mailing services, etc. will do all of the packing and shipping for your customer. Because you should always pass the shipping costs directly to the buyer, the use of such services costs you nothing. Why not use them?

Caution: Most packing services are not familiar with packing electronic equipment. Be certain you furnish them with EXPLISIT directions on how the equipment is to be packed.

If you need specific directions on how to pack heavy electronic equipment for shipment click here.

Offer must be made by buyer.

Most readers will skip over ads that require an initial offer be made for an item.

If you did not know the price you would accept for an item you would not have listed it for sale or trade in the first place. Don’t force the prospective buyer go through the trouble of making and offer, etc.  When you insist that your prospective buyers make an offer, you cause over 80 percent to walk away from the deal! All of us are use to doing business a la Wal Mart -- here is the price if you want we sell it at this price. Nice and easy, NO extra effort on the part of the customer

Always post the price you will accept for each items in your ad.  If you are willing to negotiate the price you have given, say so. If not, list the price as FIRM.

The single most important piece of information buyers look for in an ad is your asking price. Leaving out the price invites the reader to move on to the next ad, ignoring yours.

There is no place for overcharged shipping costs. This is a practice that has become widespread in some sectors but is not acceptable in the ham community.

If shipping is involved, charge only the actual cost to properly pack, insure  and ship the purchased item. Also, be sure to check with your buyer to see what carrier he wants to use. It is HIS shipping, right? He is paying for it, right?  He chooses.

Picture of item out of focus.

Most prospective buyers will just move on to the next ad if provided pictures are flawed.

There is no reason for an out of focus picture. It leaves the prospective buyer wondering  what the seller trying to hide something.

Use only quality images in your ad. Properly focused, cropped and framed images are easy, using digital cameras and digital image editing software. If using digital technology is a challenge for you, get a friend to help.

Picture of item too small for view.

Most prospective buyers will move on the next ad.

More often than not, the size of the ad will be determined by the system used to record and display your ads, i.e. the Internet site. Find out what the maximum size allowed, in pixels, and use the largest allowed.

Seller indicates the item has a "small issue" but it is "easy to fix". 

"Going into the dumpster if it does not sell."

Most readers would wonder why you haven't already put it in the dumpster and why you are placing an ad to try to sell it.

Telling the reader you intend to put your gear in the dumpster is bad strategy.  If your item is not likely to sell because of it's bad condition or because it is out dated, consider offering it for parts. There almost always a need for parts, especially on older gear.

Reader fails to see a usefulness for your item.

Most prospective buyers will move on the next ad.

Suggesting some practical uses or benefits for owning your item can help the reader see the advantage of buying.

Shipping arrangements are vague or not stated in the ad.

Most readers will avoid your offer if shipping arrangements are not given in the ad.

Because shipping of  goods are absolutely necessary in Internet selling, the shipping costs and arrangements are of paramount importance to all parties involved.

In you ad, make it clear to the reader you are willing ship your item to your buyer. Leave no doubt in the mind of the reader that you are committed to getting the item to him undamaged.  You might wish to indicate you will not ship without the item being properly insured against in-route damage by the carrier.

You are not responsible for damage caused by the carrier if the shipment is properly packed. If proper packing is a challenge, seek professional packing assistance. It cost you nothing, the buyer is responsible for the cost of packing.

You are responsible for properly packing the shipment (or having it properly packed) and handling the shipping arrangements using the shipping service selected by the buyer, when possible. ALL in-route damage costs incurred due to your improper packing or your failure to insure the shipment are owed by you, NOT your buyer. He is paying you to do it correctly.