Sending Items

In your description, provide accurate details regarding shipment. Make sure item(s) are sent within time you stated. In many cases, people purchase something for a specific purpose and if you do not ship it when stated, not only do you mess up their schedule for item but you have probably lost a customer and opened door for a negative feedback.

Communication with Buyer

It is your responsibility to contact buyer at end of auction congratulating them on winning item(s). Issue an e-mail requesting their shipping address. Once they provide that information to you, let them know when shipment will go out, which should coordinate within timeframe provided in your auction description. If you know shipping charges, advise them in this same e-mail. Once payment has been made, send another e-mail to buyer confirming that you received their payment and that item(s) will be shipped on X day via (US priority mail, UPS, Fed-Ex, etc.). Once you have a tracking number, send that to buyer as well. This will allow them to follow tracking themselves.

Integrity

Regardless of whom buyer, work with integrity and run your auctions accordingly. More than likely, you will run into some difficult buyers, although not often. Keep in mind that every buyer provides best form of advertisement - word of mouth. Integrity is what will draw customers in and keep them coming back along with friends and family.

Openness

If a buyer makes a recommendation, listen. That does not always mean you will agree or even like their recommendations but if they have something to say, it might be something important to making your auction site better for future buyers. For example, if your shipping information seems muddled to buyer but clear to you, you need to review what you have written. If customer is struggling with understanding, that is truly what matters.

Other online commerce includes trading of stocks, purchases of airline tickets and groceries, and participation in auctions. Everyone has heard of Ebay.com. Millions of people every day participate in eBay auctions. People can do research of online markets and easily find best deal on their product without any legwork. In addition to purchasing, people can set up their own e-commerce stores easily. If you have a product, want to sell a hobby such as needlework, or if you have a service to offer, you can reach a much greater crowd by opening an online store.

E-mail, faxes, teleconferencing and telephone or online banking are all forms of e-commerce also. These forms have mostly been around longer but they are all still part of e-commerce industry. More and more people are taking advantage and choosing to pay bills online, receive statements and more.

Beside making our lives easier, it looks like E-commerce is here to stay!