PowerSellers? What are they good for?

Dear eBay Queen;

On Tuesday; April 22nd , eBay had a 10 cent listing sale for PowerSellers. This really ticks me off. This kind of PowerSeller only sale is like a slap in the face to the little guy! It also came across as demeaning to us non-PowerSellers, surely that is not what was intended, but it happened nevertheless.

I am not a PowerSeller. This is primarily because I sell about 700-800 dollars worth of books per month on eBay, but the bulk of my income comes from Amazon. Amazon does not classify its sellers as PowerSellers or Non-PowerSellers and does not comes across with the snobbery that eBay does.

I feel like eBay has taken a number of steps in the past several months to further alienate its sellers. That is not just my opinion, but also thought by Auction Bytes and other online newsletters. This latest decision to let only PowerSellers post auctions today for 10 cents is just another step toward alienating small sellers like me. Is there something that can be done about this? What are your feelings about the PowerSeller program?
NOL

Dear NOL;

I’m sorry you feel slighted by eBay. I know that it seems like PowerSellers are part of an exclusive club, and you are excluded from it. It can be very frustrating. Ask yourself this question; Do you want or need to become a PowerSeller? If your answer is yes, you are really not far from making Bronze PowerSeller status. The minimum requirement is $1000.00 or 100 items sold per month. If you are selling $700-800 per month now, with just a little extra effort you can be part of the PowerSeller program. To learn more about the program go here: http://pages.ebay.com/services/buyandsell/welcome.html

It is just recently eBay has put some teeth into being a PowerSeller. In the past, there were no real benefits to attaining top seller status. Now, eBay is making the requirements to become a PowerSeller harder and by doing that they are adding benefits to being a PowerSeller. Those benefits are:

Toll Free Phone Support
Fee Discounts
Increased Visibility in Best Match Searches
PowerSeller Unpaid Item Protection Program
Expanded Seller Protection
PowerSeller Community Help
Health Insurance Solutions
Powerful Giving Program
Special offers in the ReSeller Marketplace

I really thought the PowerSeller program from several years ago was pointless, and really didn’t have any benefit except to say, “I’m a PowerSeller”. This new program really shows why these people are PowerSellers. http://pages.ebay.com/services/buyandsell/powerseller/criteria.html


Dear eBay Queen;

I've been buying and selling on eBay since 1999, but have only been running a full-time eBay store since Nov 2006. I go through spurts where buyers are fine, and then all of a sudden I get a handful ofcomplete nut jobs. I have found more and more buyers are expecting me to ship their item out within 24 hours of them paying. Sometimes this is not even possible for me to do. I go to school full-time and I am taking care of an aunt that is disabled.

How can I keep my Detailed Seller Ratings high, alleviate any negative feedback, and continue shipping the way I always have?

Kayla R.


Dear Kayla:

Congratulations on your eBay success since 2006. That is quite an accomplishment. It says a lot about you and your commitment to making it work on eBay.

I’m sorry that I don’t have a fool proof answer to help you with your problem. There are many sellers (myself included) in the same boat with you. My only answer is to educate your buyer. Make sure your eBay ad, About Me page, and eBay store gives information on your shipping time. When your buyer pays you, could send them an email letting them know you received their payment and let them know the date in which their item will be shipped out.


Strange eBay item of the week: eBay item 150236660494 (enter this number in the eBay search box in the top right corner of the home page). How many times have you thought, “I want my own Pub.” Here’s your chance Inflatable Portable Pub Asking price: $25,000. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=150236660494