eBay Auction Ended. What’s Next?

You’ve waited the requisite 7 (or 1 or 3 or 5 or 10) days, and your auction has finally ended. What comes next?

The post-auction process involves more work, in most cases, than the listing process. You have to contact the buyer, arrange payment, receive payment, pack the item, ship the item, and leave feedback. And that’s if everything goes smoothly!

The post-auction process can also be a long one, depending on how the buyer pays. If the buyer pays by PayPal (or other credit card method) as soon as the auction ends, the post-auction process can be over that day or the nextas soon as you pack and ship the item. If, on the other hand, the buyer pays by checkand is a little slow in putting the check in the mailthe post-auction process can last two or three weeks.

That means, of course, that you need to remember this potential time lag when you’re planning your auction activity. For example, if you’re planning to go on vacation in two weeks, now is not the best time to list an item for auction. You need to allocate a full month, from beginning to end, when you’re planning your auction listings. If your buyers help you complete the process faster, that’s great. But there will always be that one last buyer who hasn’t sent the check yetand there goes your schedule!

What happens during the post-auction process is actually rather cut and dried. Put simply, you contact the winning bidder with a final price; he or she sends payment to you; you pocket the payment; you package and ship the item; the buyer receives the item; and you both leave feedback for each other.

Checklist: After the Auction

• Receive an end-of-auction email from eBay

• If the buyer doesn’t pay immediately via PayPal, send an email to the high bidder (containing final price and payment information)

• Receive payment from the buyerand wait for payment to clear, if necessary

• Package the item

• Ship the item to the high bidder

• Leave feedback for the buyer