An article describing common reasons auctions fail on eBay.
If you are finding that your auctions aren't doing well there are several reasons why this may be so. Here are some reasons that will prevent your auction from being successful.
1. The starting bid price was too high. Nobody wants to be the first high bidder. Start the bid price low and allow the bidders to bid the price up.
2. The fixed price was too high. If you are selling using only Buy It Now, then your item won't sell if the price is too high. Try lowering the price each time the item fails to sell.
3. No picture. Most buyers are reluctant to bid on an item without a picture and it is even more true for high value items. If you were a buyer, would you want to bid on an item without a picture of what it looks like?
4. You had a reserve. Reserves will scare away potential bidders most of the time. You will want to avoid them if you can, though for very high value items they can be useful.
5. Poor spelling and grammar. If you misspell your titles, then potential bidders will not find your auction and if your description is incoherent no one will understand what you are talking about. Run your description and title through a spell checker before you list your item.
6. Shipping costs were too high. You might be charging more for shipping and handling than most people are prepared to pay. Give a few cheaper options that will take longer or maybe use cheaper packing materials.
7. Negative feedback. If you got negative feedback on you last transaction, expect thing to slow down for a while. Try selling some inexpensive items to rebuild your feedback rating.
8. Negative terms. Don't put statements in your auction like "I only accept returns in PERFECT condition" or "Serious bidders only". Stay away from negativity as much as possible. Stay positive! If you only accept PayPal, make this fact a positive. Instead of stating "I only accept PayPal" say this instead: "For your convenience I only accept PayPal for payment. Setting up a PayPal account is free and only takes a few minutes. Email me if you have any questions." You don't have to use this exact example, but just remember to keep things in a positive light as much as possible.
9. No PayPal. Many buyers won't bid on an auction that does not have PayPal as a payment option. They don't want to bother with the hassle of anything else. If you want to do business on eBay, then you should seriously consider using PayPal.
10. The item was not a well selling item. Some items just don't sell very well, no matter how well you write your title or description. Maybe they are out of style now, or if it is a seasonal item, make sure you are selling it at the right time. Check and see if anyone else is having any success at selling it.
The above reasons are not exhaustive, but they are the most commons reason for auctions to fail.
