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There is one area related to doing business on eBay that cannot be stressed, restated, or frankly, beaten over the head of a reader (you) enough - no matter how much the writer (me) tries, or the reader (you) disagrees.

When it comes to giving service while doing business on eBay, there is no such thing as 'too much'. Let me state this again in the same simple way. There is no such thing as 'too much' service when it comes to the level of service an eBay seller should be prepared to provide to the prospective buyers and the ultimately successful bidder that a seller will encounter in any given eBay transaction.

Now let me amend that notion to include the idea that there is no such thing as 'too much' service when it comes to the bidders who fail in their attempts to purchase a seller's item, or who fail when the item ends up not actually selling either. The world is a very small place, and the world of on-line auctioning is even smaller. The seeds of your ongoing on-line auction success will definitely be cultivated, in part, by your reputation for honest, ethical dealing and your commitment to providing the highest level of service to those lucky enough to be your trading partners.

When I talk about service, I am talking about interaction between the buyer and the seller that fundamentally begins with open, clear, truthful, concise, useful, and respectful communication that is timely and positive in it's general tone. I cannot stress the importance of this simple act on the part of both participants, nor the extent to which good communication plays a part in ensuring the quality of every eBay transaction, and, sometimes even more important, the extent to which resolutions are negotiated to the mutual benefit of all parties involved in those transactions that sometimes become mired in a dispute of one kind or another.

As a seller, you may find yourself bombarded at any given time with a veritable plethora of questions related to issues involving everything from the size of the smallest screw on an item, to the method you will choose to package the item for transporting it to the buyer's receiving destination. You will find it a good idea to make the questions and answers available to all auction participants whenever appropriate, as so many of them will have the same or similar inquiries. Always make your prompt, diligent, and correct answers a paramount concern throughout the duration of the auction period.

I have never heard of an eBay seller who responded too quickly to a buyer's inquiry. I have also never heard of a buyer who paid, or finalized an eBay transaction too promptly. Prompt and diligent attention to details, fulfillment of commitments made as part of the auction listing, and a willingness to meet the needs and assuage the concerns of your trading partner are the hallmarks of an outstanding eBay trader. The results of trading practices like these are priceless.