Fri 3-26-2021 5:58 p.m.
I purchase HO train items on ebay (for example, locomotives) and I typically rate ebay sellers on the following: Final Item Price (Cost + Shipping Charges + Tax + Additional Charges) in Relationship to Item Value, Item Description, Item Condition, Communication, and Packaging. I will also provide a brief complement if the over-all effort is superb.
HO Trains are subject to hidden damage which is not shown in photos. Many ebay sellers peddle items which are junk. The trains don't run. The trains are missing internal pieces. The trains are not tested. This is one reason I stopped purchasing items on ebay.
Descriptions are a very important part of selling HO trains. However, there are many sellers who have only a limited understanding of HO trains. Sure they can read and regurgitate the information on a label or say the item is beautiful, but that says nothing about the actual condition of an item. Some of the biggest issues are completeness of the train items and whether or not it will run (alternately can the item be made to run with some work and with minimal expense).
When I sell an item on ebay, I think the following are important parts of the descriptive information: 1) treat the customer like you would like to be treated (that is, king or queen for a day), 2) describe accurately what the item is (this may require some research on the seller's part or the seller needs to request assistance from other ebay sellers), 3) describe anything which is not of 100% quality (that is, any missing parts, damaged / bent parts, loose parts, poor paint, warpage, clean / dirty, damaged train box, condition of train box, etc.), 4) try to describe the internal train mechanism as best as you can by looking at the locomotive from the outside (Are all the parts there? Is is dirty inside?), 5) always provide a photo of the bottom of a locomotive (and the tender for steam locos) because the photo will tell the buyer what they are purchasing about 90% of the time, 6) state if an item has been repaired and what was done to repair the item (even if it means taking a hit on the money you might make), 7) be willing to answer the customer's questions if they require more information, 😎 never try to hide damage by providing an incomplete set of photographs or and incomplete description - buyers in many cases are not stupid people, and 9) explain in detail exactly how an item will be packaged - this will tell a byer if you know what you are doing or if you have the intelligence of a box of rocks.
I think in the end game it is all a matter of respect - respect for your own integrity and respect for the customer. Good news about ebay sellers spreads quickly. Bad news about sellers spreads like a wildfire.
ebay customer service personnel are more likely to side with you in a dispute if you have done your homework.
Good luck and work hard or at least work on continuous quality improvement of your descriptions.
Regards,
ag01
