What Do You Include with Won Items You Send Out to Buyers.

[bestpaperboy]

I don't think I am atypical. In addition to what I sell on eBay - books, comics (also books by the way), magazines and coins (from my old time collection - and besides what I buy to resell, I also buy other items to feed my collecting gene or just for the fun of it.  

I am always surprised when I receive an item I won - just bough a Hard Times token from the 1830s - and there is nothing in the envelope but the item.  If you do not include anything with the book you just sold you are missing an opportunity for increased positive feedback and buyer satisfaction.

For almost as long as I have been selling (close to 18 years) I use a system which might have been talked about on the book board but possibly some other eBay forum. It started with sending out an email just as soon as I received word from eBay that an item had sold. The email thanked the buyers and let them know what to expect as far as payment, feedback, etc. Can no longer do this as eBay stopped providing those emails about a year ago.

Once payment is received I leave feedback. (Don't understand sellers who will not leave feedback until you leave them feedback. That is the reverse of the way eBay works.) Then before I send an item I send a second email - got that email address from Paypal - and let my buyer know that I received payment, have left feedback and let them know that the item will be in the mail within the next 24 hours. 

I print mailing labels on eBay and once that is done the buyer receives an email with a tracking link.

Finally along with the item that I am sending out, I include a form letter, that reinforces all that went before and lets my buyer know that if they have any problems with the items or need help they can contact me. 

Don't miss this additional opportunity to show your buyers what a great seller you are. 

[bill11223]

I may be wrong but including anything other than a invoice is not permitted in Media Mail. If your package is inspected the buyer may end up owing Postage Due .

[bestpaperboy]

Never had a media mail package challenge in more than 15 years. If you are troubled just ad the word "invoice" in large type to the top of the message. Who is going to argue with you - the media mail police.

I fail to understand why a magazine from 30 years ago cannot be sent through media mail. The proscribed reason is it contains ads. My response is there are no ads in a 30 years old magazine just historical documents. Try and buy what the ad is selling; even if you can find it. 

[figtree3]

And I can see that you also have excellent feedback.  As a buyer, I always appreciate when eBay sellers go beyond the bare minimum in communication or some other way. As for sending an extra item in the package when you sell something, I think you are in the minority if you regularly do that. I've purchased hundreds of things through eBay and have probably gotten no more than about 20-25 "extras." There are a couple of sellers from whom I've purchased quite a few photos through the years and they have been known to sometimes include extra items (in fact, I just got something extra from one of them yesterday). But  I haven't seen it often. 

[taylor_memorial]

I've had one challenge in 20 years. I waited while the Postmaster at that location opened the package in front of me.

There may have been thousands of others, because using prepaid postage, I interact more with the doors at the post office than the clerks. These days, they pick up my outgoing at the box when they drop off the incoming. Rural Route advantages!!!

If there are "inclusions" laid into the item that have any significance, I keep them there. Newspaper articles will be placed in an envelope to stop any further offsetting. Postcards for book clubs and such are removed if loose.

But I add nothing.

I used to add bookmarks with discount codes and such but they were never used, so I stopped.